Todd Bowles likes what he sees coming together up front in Tampa Bay, and he’s not shy about the kind of problems this new-look Buccaneers pass rush could create.
The Bucs spent a major chunk of their offseason trying to beef up the defensive line, and Bowles believes that investment should pay off in a hurry. Speaking Saturday on the Ronde Barber Show, he pointed to the growing pressure Tampa can bring from multiple spots and said the pass rush should be “much improved.”
“I don’t think you can leave YaYa Diaby alone. I don’t think you can leave Rueben Bain Jr. alone,” Bowles said on the Ronde Barber Show.
“But at the same time, you’ve got Calijah Kancey and Vita Vea in there, as well. So I think we’re going to see more of six- or seven-man protections than we’ve ever seen.”
That’s the vision for Tampa Bay after a busy offseason that saw the front office pour resources into the defensive side, especially the line. The team added help through free agency and the NFL Draft, with Bain and Al-Quadin Muhammad among the new faces expected to give the group more juice off the edge.
A big part of the excitement centers on Diaby, who has already shown he can wreck plays when left one-on-one. Last season, he finished with seven sacks and 50 total tackles, and he ranked sixth in the NFL with 51 total pressures. That number stands out even more when stacked against some of the league’s highest-paid edge rushers, including Jaelan Phillips, who had 49 after signing a four-year, $120 million deal with the Carolina Panthers in free agency.
Diaby also made it clear in late April that he sees himself growing into a bigger leadership role. When asked who he’d vote for as defensive captain, he answered, “You’re looking at him,” and added, “I’m definitely doing whatever I can to earn the trust of the guys.
I come to work every day. I earn the trust of the coaches as well and I I do believe that I will take that next step to being the next captain.”
The other names matter just as much. Kancey and Vea give Tampa a dangerous interior presence, and Bowles believes that combination, paired with Bain, should help the Buccaneers generate more quarterback pressure while also holding up better against the run.
There’s also a clear third-down angle here. Kancey is entering a contract year after missing most of last season following a strong 2024 campaign, when he appeared in just three games. Vea, meanwhile, recently landed a one-year, $30 million extension.
If Kancey returns to form and the rest of the front stays healthy, Bowles is betting the Bucs can do a much better job getting off the field in money situations. That was a problem last season, and it’s one this revamped group is supposed to help solve.
And for Bowles, the stakes are obvious. He knows this season could end up being his last as the Bucs’ head coach if the defense doesn’t take a step forward. The offseason additions have given him a real chance to turn that around and push Tampa back to the top of the NFC South.
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