The Tampa Bay Buccaneers spent the offseason trying to change the feel of their defense, and rookie linebacker Josiah Trotter is already making that mission look a lot more real.
That was on display Tuesday night, when the Bucs held an indoor practice and things got heated. Multiple scuffles broke out, and Trotter was right in the middle of it. According to reporting from practice, the second-round pick was loud throughout the session and kept jawing at the offense.
Pewter Report described one sequence this way: “Josiah Trotter makes a TFL and starts screaming at the first-team offensive line as it comes in. He’s escorted off the field by Alex Anzalone, who tries cooling him down. But by that point, the rookie had his helmet off and continued talking,”
Head coach Todd Bowles didn’t sound alarmed afterward. He pointed to a strong day earlier in the week and suggested the frustration was building on the offensive side.
“[Trotter] had a heck of a day yesterday and he buckled some guys… he is probably a guy you really don’t wanna mess with,” Bowles said.
Bowles also noted that once the helmets are on, that kind of edge is part of the job, and said Trotter plays the game the right way.
That matters in Tampa Bay because the defense needed a different personality after last season. The word “soft” came up around the unit, and the front office made a clear effort to bring in players who bring a nastier edge and can help redefine the group’s identity.
Trotter isn’t the only one. The Buccaneers also added outside linebacker Rueben Bain Jr. and defensive tackle A’Shawn Robinson this offseason, both of whom fit the same tone-setting mold.
For a team trying to put a tougher face on its defense, Trotter’s camp energy is exactly the kind of early sign the Buccaneers were hoping to see.
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