Todd Bowles didn’t go with the obvious answer when asked to name the strongest position group on the Buccaneers’ roster.
With Tampa Bay heading toward the new NFL season after losing franchise cornerstones like Mike Evans and Lavonte David, Bowles pointed to the inside linebackers as the team’s best group during a Tuesday appearance on 95.7 WDAE with Tom Krasniqi.
That choice stands out because the Bucs are working with a very different look in the middle of the defense, but Bowles said the depth there has become a real asset.
"We have more depth at that spot than we've had since I've been there, and I think that's really a plus for us," Bowles said.
Bowles also highlighted Alex Anzalone as a major addition, noting that the room is bigger and more athletic than it has been in past seasons. Anzalone spent the last five years with the Detroit Lions, arriving in Dan Campbell’s first season and growing into a veteran presence for a young team trying to change its identity.
Over his nine-year career, Anzalone has appeared in 111 games and recorded 613 tackles, 13 sacks and four interceptions. After signing two straight one-year deals, he landed a three-year extension with Detroit in 2023 and was named a captain, becoming the “quarterback of the defense” for Campbell, a phrase that had first been used for Anzalone back at Florida.
Preseason buzz has also followed Trotter, who has been viewed as a high-upside player. Meanwhile, the former Tigers standout has been settling in more and more with the playbook. Earlier in August, after a training camp practice, Trotter said he has been working to find the right balance between playing fast and understanding the personnel around him.
That blend of depth, size and athleticism in the middle could end up being a major advantage for Tampa Bay as it tries to get back to defensive prominence this season.
In Other News...
Buccaneers Still Carry One Doubt The Rest Of The NFC Sees
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The concerns are familiar enough to be stubborn: whether the running game can become reliable, whether Baker Mayfields contract situation adds another layer of uncertainty, and whether the secondary can hold up better than it did at times last season. Tampa Bay did bring in free agents and a rookie class that drew encouragement, but the broader expectation around the league is still cautious, with the Buccaneers left to prove they belong in the upper half of the conference. [Read more 🡒]
Bucs First Round Pass Rusher Is Drawing Serious Early Buzz
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Bain has already drawn praise for his work ethic and physical style, the kind of traits teams love to see from a young defender trying to earn real snaps fast. Hes also the current betting favorite for Defensive Rookie of the Year, which speaks to how much confidence is already surrounding him, from former coach Jon Gruden to general manager Jason Licht, even before the games start to count. [Read more 🡒]
Former Buccaneers Coach Greg Schiano Is Under Pressure Again
Greg Schianos second stint at Rutgers has been measured against the expectation that he would steady a program he once helped define, but the latest setback landed with extra force. Rutgers fell to UMass, a team that entered the matchup buried in a long losing streak, and the Scarlet Knights also paid $1.5 million for the game, a detail that only sharpened the frustration around the result.
Since Schiano returned in 2020, Rutgers has shown a mixed record under his watch, enough to keep the conversation around the program from ever fully settling. A loss like this does more than sting in the moment - it raises the kind of questions that follow a coach into every press conference, especially when the wins are hard to stack and the margin for patience can start to shrink. [Read more 🡒]