SirVocea Dennis enters 2026 with his Tampa Bay future hanging in the balance.
That’s the picture Moe Moton of Bleacher Report paints in naming Dennis the Buccaneers’ “biggest bust” prediction for the season, a label that comes with a blunt warning: if Dennis doesn’t clean up his coverage work, he could slide out of the lineup and maybe even out of a roster spot.
The concern starts with what happened in 2025. Dennis got his first shot as a full-time starter and put together a stat line that looks productive on paper - 101 tackles, three sacks and an interception. But the coverage issues were severe enough to undercut the overall grade, and Tampa Bay’s defense as a whole also fell short last season.
Now the Bucs have piled on the competition. Tampa Bay signed Alex Anzalone and Christian Rozeboom, then used a second-round pick on Josiah Trotter. Moton points to that overhaul as the reason Dennis is suddenly in danger of losing one of the starting inside linebacker jobs before Week 1.
As Moton wrote:
"The Tampa Bay Buccaneers made a concerted effort to upgrade their linebacker unit. They signed Alex Anzalone and Christian Rozeboom and then selected Josiah Trotter in the second round of the draft.
"Anzalone has started in 93 career games in nine seasons. Over the last two years, Rozeboom made 26 starts. Trotter comes to Tampa Bay oozing with potential, logging 176 tackles (17 for loss), 2.5 sacks, three pass breakups and an interception in his last two collegiate terms.
"With those additions, SirVocea Dennis could lose one of the starting inside linebacker jobs before Week 1. As a first-time full-time starter in 2025, he logged 101 tackles (10 for loss), three sacks, five pass breakups and an interception but allowed a 122 passer rating in coverage.
"Anzalone has been an above-average pass defender for most of his career. Rozeboom is decent in that regard and could get the edge over Dennis for a three-down role until Trotter is ready to crack the starting lineup."
The message is straightforward: Dennis has talent, but Tampa Bay has given itself options. If he wants to stick, training camp has to look a lot different from the coverage tape he put on last season.
For now, the linebacker’s path is clear and unforgiving. Improve quickly, or risk becoming the odd man out in a defense that’s already moving on around him.
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