The Tampa Bay Buccaneers head into training camp with a roster that has real strength in a few key spots, but there are still some groups that look vulnerable on paper. The offensive line, safety room and, after a busy offseason, the defensive line stand out as the team’s best-positioned units. The weaker areas are harder to ignore.
Linebacker is one of them. Lavonte David helped cover up problems there for a long time, but as his physical tools have faded in recent seasons, the shortcomings in the group have become much harder to hide in Todd Bowles’ defense. Tampa Bay tried to fix that this offseason by bringing in free agents Alex Anzalone and Christian Rozeboom and then using a second-round pick on Missouri linebacker Josiah Trotter.
Those moves should give the Buccaneers their likely starters at the position, but they do not guarantee a dramatic turnaround. David is not easily replaced, and while Trotter could become something special later on, expecting a 21-year-old rookie to break out right away is a big ask.
Anzalone is a dependable veteran, but not an exciting one. Rozeboom is a puzzling fit because of his lack of mobility and athleticism, and SirVocea Dennis has not been reliable for most of his time on the field.
Tight end is another spot where the depth chart looks thin. Cade Otton is a steady, versatile starter, and Tampa Bay clearly values him - enough to give him a $10 million per year deal over the next three years.
But the weakness here is not Otton. It is everything behind him.
Payne Durham and Devin Culp combined for just 16 yards on two catches in 2025, and there is little reason to expect a major jump from either player this season. Veteran Ko Kieft and rookie Bauer Sharp are expected to help mostly on special teams if they make the roster, so they do not change the outlook much. If Otton were to miss time, the Buccaneers’ offense would take a major hit, and that alone says plenty about the state of the room.
Cornerback is more complicated. There is talent there, but durability remains a major question.
Zyon McCollum, who got a big second contract last offseason, did not quite look like the rising player he had been in his third year, and injuries were part of the story. Rookie Benjamin Morrison also had a rough year from a health standpoint, missing much of training camp and the preseason before sitting out several games in his rookie season.
Even after turning heads in minicamp, he had to shut it down again after another hamstring injury.
Jacob Parrish was the bright spot among the young corners. He gave Bowles’ defense a strong rookie season with his instincts, physicality and quick-twitch movement in the nickel, making up for his lack of size and length. With the Buccaneers drafting nickel corner specialist Keionte Scott out of Miami, the expectation is that Parrish will move outside, where he played at Kansas State.
That shift brings a different level of difficulty. Parrish was impressive in the slot, but lining up against NFL receivers on the outside is a different challenge entirely. Still, the Buccaneers do have talent in the corner room, and if the players mentioned can stay healthy for most of the season, the group could end up being above average.
In Other News...
Buccaneers Are Bringing Back One Of Their Most Beloved Looks
The Buccaneers are reaching back into their past for one of the franchises most recognizable looks, bringing back the white creamsicle uniform for the 2026 season. It is a nod to the old-school identity that still resonates in Tampa Bay, where the team now works with four uniform combinations and two helmets while keeping a careful balance between tradition and the modern look it has built in recent years.
The return is already tied to a specific spot on the schedule, with the throwback set for Week 13 against the Chargers. What the Bucs have not yet confirmed is whether the orange creamsicle version or the all-pewter alternate will be part of the mix next season, leaving a little more uniform intrigue to go with a training camp report date of July 28. [Read more 🡒]
Jacob Parrish Is Suddenly At The Center Of A Huge Bucs Question
Jacob Parrish has quietly become one of the more interesting names in Tampa Bays defensive picture heading into 2026, and the attention is starting to match the way the Buccaneers used him last season. He bounced around the formation in 2025, lining up in the slot, outside and even at linebacker, and the versatility came with real production in coverage. Among the reasons he is drawing notice is how well he held up as the primary defender in man coverage, where opposing quarterbacks did not do much damage.
The bigger question now is how much of that promise the Bucs can lean on as the secondary reshapes itself around him. Parrish is getting a stronger spotlight, and that has made him part of a larger conversation about how Tampa Bay will cover receivers and survive the changes coming to the back end of the defense. He has already shown enough to suggest he can handle more, but the next step is figuring out just how much more the Buccaneers are ready to ask of him. [Read more 🡒]
Why Baker Had Extra Fire For That Jets Game
The Netflix series Quarterback has given Buccaneers fans a closer look at Baker Mayfields edge, and one of the clearest examples came in Tampa Bays Week 3 trip to face the Jets. The episode showed how much that matchup meant to Mayfield, who carried an extra layer of motivation into the game after his time in Carolina ended in a way he clearly did not forget.
Tampa Bay left with a 29-27 win, a result that fit the tone of a statement game early in the season and helped push the Bucs to 3-0. Mayfield did his part in a tense finish, and the documentary made it clear this was more than just another regular-season test, even if the full backstory behind that fire is still part of the larger picture. [Read more 🡒]