TAMPA, FL - JANUARY 01: Noah Spence #57 and Lavonte David #54 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers celebrate after a failed two-point conversion attempt by the Carolina Panthers in the fourth quarter of the game at Raymond James Stadium on January 1, 2017 in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers defeated the Panthers 17-16. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)

A dark-horse candidate to lead the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in sacks this season, Noah Spence is Tampa Bay’s secret weapon (for the third year in a row).

There are two types of secret weapons: those that work as brilliant surprises to help their team win, and those that fail hilariously, like the “ex-wife” missile in Iron Man 2. For reference, Tony Stark’s main competition for weapon manufacturing, Justin Hammer, designed a top-secret, allegedly ultra-powerful missile called the “ex-wife”.

After much anticipation, the missile was deployed in the final confrontation…and bounced harmlessly off of the villain. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have had a secret weapon in their arsenal for the last two seasons, but not the kind that they want.

Since he was drafted in 2016, defensive end Noah Spence has been the Justin Hammer brand of secret weapon, bouncing harmlessly off of offensive linemen. As a rookie, Spence was looked at as an upside-laden second round steal with potential to shock life into the Bucs pass rush, but a lingering shoulder issue significantly held him back. Heading into his second season last year, the theme was “look out for former second round pick Spence, now healthy after shoulder surgery”; Spence would eventually be placed on injured reserve with an injury to the same surgically repaired shoulder.

Now entering his third season as a pro, Noah Spence is once again the secret weapon of the Buccaneers defense. It’s easy to get “same old story” syndrome with Spence, but if the Football Gods (Spence’s shoulder) allow for it this really could be the season he starts operating with the firepower we all know he possess.

For one, Spence’s shoulder woes should finally be over with (knock on wood). After undergoing surgery in October, Spence posted an encouraging update in February on Instagram which showed him lifting weights and rehabbing, and he should be ready to go for training camp. The picture also showed that Spence has put on much-needed weight; at 255-260 lbs, Spence should be better-suited to hold up against the run game, as well as helping withstand the physical punishment of 16 games. Perhaps Spence’s shoulder truly is a lost cause that will forever restrict him (Dirk Koetter has suggested this may be the case), but I have to believe that modern medicine, multiple surgeries, and smart rehab did the trick. For those losing faith, don’t forget that Gerald McCoy missed most of his first two seasons with arm injuries as well.

All the pieces are in place to allow Spence to realize the sack potential he’s had since his days at Ohio State. With newcomers Vinny Curry and Jason Pierre-Paul likely locked into starting positions, the Buccaneers will be free to use Spence as he’s intended as a pass-rush specialist, while also keeping him fresh in a healthy rotation. Spence’s added bulk is meant to help him become more of an every-down player, but I expect the Bucs to let that play out organically and start Spence off as the defensive football equivalent to a sixth-man.

Spence has just 6.5 sacks total over the last two seasons, but has a real chance to eclipse that in 2018. Ten sacks is likely asking for too much, but anywhere between seven and nine should be in play. An argument could be made that even in a best-case scenario in which Spence stays healthy, Vinny Curry, Jason Pierre-Paul, and Gerald McCoy will hog all of the sacks. But I believe instead that the wealth of talent and experience around Spence will elevate him. For a player who has had to overcome as much adversity as Spence has, letting him focus almost exclusively on what he does best – destroying the quarterback – should yield nothing but positive results (and probably a lot of sacks).

What are your expectations for Noah Spence in 2018, Buccaneer fans? Were the signings of Curry and Pierre-Paul the beginning of the end for Spence in Tampa, or will they be the catalyst to help vault him to his full potential? Sound off in the comments!