Josiah Trotter didn’t come to Tampa Bay to sit and learn forever. The Bucs used a second-round pick on the rookie linebacker because they saw the kind of traits that can change a defense: instincts, toughness and a competitive edge that shows up the moment the pads come on.
That bet is looking better by the day.
Trotter has pushed himself into the middle of the conversation for the Bucs’ starting inside linebacker job, and the timing matters. Tampa Bay came into the season with questions at the position, then spent camp trying to sort out the best answer for the spot left open by veteran Lavonte David. The Bucs knew Alex Anzalone had one role covered, but the other side was there to be won.
SirVocea Dennis entered camp as the incumbent starter from a year ago, though nothing was guaranteed to him. Christian Rozeboom also got a shot, but a foot injury has kept him out of practice for weeks. Dennis has also missed time, though he returned last week.
Meanwhile, Trotter has kept stacking good days.
He’s been earning his way in practice, too, not just in flashes on the field. Todd Bowles described him as vocal, in great shape and able to make plays that seem almost effortless. Asked whether Trotter had done enough to start Week 1 on the road against the Bengals, Bowles didn’t hand out a job title - but he made it clear the rookie is forcing the issue.
“We’ll see next week how ‘Voss’ (SirVocea Dennis) goes along,” Bowles said. “But he’s making a hell of a case.”
That’s about as strong an endorsement as a rookie can get in August.
Dennis still has the edge of experience in Bowles’ system and has been in the building for three going on four seasons. But Trotter’s physicality and mental makeup have made this more than a developmental storyline. He looks like a player the coaching staff will have a hard time keeping off the field.
Jason Licht sees it that way, too.
“He’s a ‘dawg,” Jason Licht said this week. “He has a switch once he gets out there and everybody sees it, and it’s what the great players have. We’re hoping that he keeps ascending and becomes the great player that we think he can be.”
That “switch” may be the thing that separates Trotter from the pack. Inside linebacker is a spot where indecision gets punished fast.
You have to read, trust and attack. Trotter’s appeal has always been tied to that ability to process quickly and play with force, and Tampa Bay seems convinced that part of his game is real.
The setup also works in his favor. The Bucs aren’t asking him to step in and replace David.
They’re asking him to fill his own role, which gives him room to play fast while learning around veterans. For a rookie, that’s a pretty good landing spot.
If he keeps handling the mental side of Bowles’ defense, keeps communicating cleanly and keeps showing he can make plays against the run and in coverage, there’s not much reason to favor experience over production.
Trotter has already shown the game isn’t too big for him. He’s moving with the kind of confidence that suggests the snap isn’t arriving too quickly - he’s arriving faster than the play itself.
The Bucs know the upside is there. The only real question now is how long they wait before giving him the job. Based on everything he’s done so far, the answer sounds simple: day one.
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