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Factoid

Team sacks

Panthers add McCoy for help inside

You know it's a slow news time in the NFL when everyone is writing stories speculating where Gerald McCoy is going to sign. The Bucs released him (and might have got better by signing Ndamukong Suh), but McCoy is on a free agent tour like he's Reggie White. He signed a one-year deal with the Panthers yesterday.

Suh and McCoy went 2-3 in the NFL Draft back in 2010. In those nine years since, Suh has played for Detroit, Miami and the Rams, and been part of better than average pass rushes for many of those years (especially Detroit).

McCoy spent all nine years with Tampa Bay, and though it has a lot to do with the team around him, he's been part of one of the league's least effective pass rushes for much of that span. No more than 38 sacks, which is average, in any of those years, and considerably less than in many of them. At least he's going to one of the better ones in Carolina.

TEAM SACKS, 2010-2018
Defense'10'11'12'13'14'15'16'17'18Tot
LA Rams433952534041314841388
Pittsburgh483537343348385652381
Minnesota315044414143413750378
Carolina313139604044475035377
Green Bay472947444143403744372
Denver234152414152423344369
Arizona334238473536483749365
Philadelphia395030374937343844358
New England364037484049344230356
Baltimore274837404937314143353
Seattle373336443737423943348
Kansas City392927474647283152346
Tennessee402839363939404339343
Chicago343341313935374250342
Detroit444134334242263543340
Houston304444323845313243339
Washington294132363738384246339
Cincinnati274551432042334134336
New Orleans333330493431304249331
Miami394142423931333031328
LA Chargers473238352632354338326
Buffalo272936575421392736326
NY Jets403530414539272839324
NY Giants464833344723352730323
San Francisco364238383628333037318
Dallas354234342831363839317
Jacksonville263120314536335537314
Indianapolis302932424135332538305
Cleveland293238403129263437296
Tampa Bay262327353638382238283
Oakland473925382238253113278
Atlanta313329322219343937276

Last year, Tampa Bay was better (38 sacks) than Carolina (35). The Panthers drafted defensive end Brian Burns (10 sacks at Florida State last year), signed veteran Bruce Irvin, and now McCoy. Collectively, that should be enough to get them back to having an above-average pass rush.

Tampa Bay swapped out McCoy for Suh, but the biggest development was Jason Pierre-Paul injuring his neck in a car accident; he's expected to miss a good chunk of the season. Doubtful Tampa Bay will have a strong pass rush in 2019.

--Andy Richardson

Fantasy Index