Buccaneers' Noah Spence: Slated for new role in 2019

General manager Jason Licht indicated Wednesday that Spence could be used as a linebacker in 2019, Scott Smith of the Buccaneers' official site reports.

Tampa Bay is transitioning to a 3-4 base defensive scheme under new coordinator Todd Bowles, and the relatively undersized Spence would be a poor fit up front in the trenches in such a system. That means Bowles could have Spence turn his focus to setting the edge from an upright stance. Regardless of where he lines up, Spence still has a lot of work to do in order to carve out a bigger role than he held in 2018. He logged more than 10 defensive snaps on two occasions, but there's potential for him to significantly rebound from a three-tackle, zero-sack season.