“Now I Can Play With No Worry”
June 5th, 2025
Freedom rings within the Buccaneers’ inside linebackers room.
SirVocea Dennis is healthy and has been for nearly 4 1/2 months, he said this week. But the happy aura currently around Dennis, the projected starter next to Lavonte David, has a lot more to it.
Todd Bowles revealed last year that Dennis’ shoulder woes were tied to a lingering college injury (funny, Joe didn’t hear that on draft night in 2023). Last year, apparently, it got so bad that Dennis had to go the surgery route for a full fix.
Joe asked Dennis if years of the same injury were a mental weight on him — one that’s been lifted.
“Definitely,” Dennis said. “Like you said, I’ve been playing with that injury since college. Now I’m just out here playing freely at this point. I have no worries. … Now I can play with no worry.”
Dennis noted that will not play cautious because that’s not him and that’s not football. “I just want to go and hit somebody, really,” he said.
There’s no doubt that No. 8 is one of the great hope stories of the Bucs’ 2025 campaign. If the Bucs truly can get back the guy who terrorized offenses for a couple of games last season, then their defense will fill a crater-sized hole.
June 5th, 2025 at 2:13 pm
Hall of Fame 2038. Go get ’em Dennis the Menace.
June 5th, 2025 at 2:31 pm
He looked wild against the Lions
He’s like a mad scientist
He’s very fluid and flexible
Im exited to see him play!
June 5th, 2025 at 2:40 pm
McCoys first two years were disappointing but he sure did recover nicely.
June 5th, 2025 at 3:01 pm
If him and LVD stay healthy, top 7 defense. If not, it could sink their season (especially LVD). Very excited to see what SirV will bring!!
June 5th, 2025 at 3:08 pm
I’ve been saying since the day we drafted Sir Dennis that (in time) he will be a very good NFL player – that the Bucs know what they’ve got and have been grooming him to take over LD54’s weakside ILB spot when that sad day comes.
Many here have seemed skeptical of that assessment (cough – DR – cough) – but I have never wavered from that belief. And now that his shoulder is fully fixed we are all about to see ‘Voss’ ball out this year. I would not be a bit surprised to see Dennis get 3 or 4 interceptions and 3 or 4 sacks to go along with a dozen TFLs and 125+ tackles in 2025. Dude is a playmaker – and a very smart football player.
June 5th, 2025 at 3:27 pm
I think he’s going to shine this year. He’s ready to rock.
June 5th, 2025 at 3:27 pm
Pickgrin … You’ve definitely gotta work on that cough (it’s got this strange DR in the middle of it).
Believe me, no one wants SVD to succeed more than I do, because I’m of the school that the middle of a defense is critical (thus why I wanted a beastly backup for Vita Vea?). We paid a huge price last season for not being robust enough or deep enough in the middle IMO, and that resulted in other things getting out of whack. HOPEFULLY the changes we’ve made fix that and we go on to be SB champions. If not, we’ll both be coughing.
June 5th, 2025 at 3:35 pm
Dennis Actually Is REALLY GOOD. In fact he’s HIGHLY Talented and I think we’ll end up finding that where we picked him up, in the 5th round, HE WAS A STEAL!
But for his dream and our desire, He HAS TO put on thick muscle to protect himself Even Though it’ll cost him a little bit of speed.
Dennis has always Missiled guys and he doesn’t know how to change that. When he broke something inside himself, “that cat got skinned”. And the Stripes he Earn destroying guys, faded away into Pain. And in That world, PAIN removes stripes even from a tigger.
For the First time in years, he’s Now without that pain and I imagine he Desperately wants to re establish those Stripes.
He’s still young and brave and being that he’s “rebuilt”, HE MUST ARMOR UP TO PREVENT FUTURE DAMAGE…. Hopefully he’s “wise enough” to understand that.
Because if he’s going to go “balls to the wall”, He better be as HARD AS STEAL so that he can truly play ball the way he Loves to play ball “heat seeking missile style”.
June 5th, 2025 at 3:44 pm
Really hope he’s good to go. Shoulders can be really tricky and often are never the same. Sister is a nurse, has had both done, one is decent, the other will never be the same, although these guys have the best surgeons money can buy
June 5th, 2025 at 4:28 pm
@Coburn
Yeah that’s part of the reason why I would’ve passed on drafting Campbell this year because they’re basically dealing with similar stuff with Dennis & I’m sure they don’t wanna deal with it again & he’d probably have to go in there right away & play, too! They’ve dealt with injured players enough already.
June 5th, 2025 at 4:53 pm
Welcome back to 100% SirV, can’t wait too see you show off a little & ball out!!!! GO Bucs!!!!
June 5th, 2025 at 4:59 pm
Thoughts & Prayers with a dash of Hope is not a sound strategy for the pass rush and MLB position
This Head Coach and GM are hopeless at roster building
June 5th, 2025 at 5:21 pm
Koff koff Dr koff koff…
Darn, now I’ve caught it too. Must be contagious
June 5th, 2025 at 5:27 pm
Smarter than Joe Says:
This Head Coach and GM are hopeless at roster building
^^^^^^
The hopeless GM did build a 2020 Super Bowl champion. He also is the only GM in HISTORY to return all 22 starters. The hopeless GM and HC have the longest active playoff playoff streak in the NFC. As in No other team in the NFC has done better over the past five years. AND … they also own the longest active divisional champion streak and the longest title streak in NFCS history.
FUN FACT: If/when the Bucs win the NFCS for a 5th straight year, only three other teams in NFL history will have longer division winning streaks. If they win again in 2026 (6 years), there will be only three teams with longer streaks.
So, this hopefull GM is truly in an elite class of roster building.
June 5th, 2025 at 5:31 pm
Smarterthanjoe, if the surgeons actually fixed the problem we should be fine. As far as hope n prayers every team needs a little of that. That Walker guy sounds competent too. And besides, the guy I thought we were going to take had shoulder problems too. From what I’ve been led to believe the guy might not be able to practice till the preseason is about over. Dennis has had about 9 months to heal up already. Campbell didn’t get his surgery till April or thereabouts. People say he lacks instincts too. I’m kinda glad we passed.
June 5th, 2025 at 6:46 pm
‘Smarter than Joe’ is obviously one of those nicknames like calling a huge guy ‘Tiny’.
Gtfoh, loser
June 5th, 2025 at 7:12 pm
Nice, Eric with Pilot and Driver, Nice one.
June 5th, 2025 at 7:30 pm
Middle of the defense will be so much better with #8 this year. This kid flies all over the place and makes plays.
June 5th, 2025 at 8:48 pm
I dont know if I want to add to this thread, sounds like somthing is going around, up in herrrr.. so I’ll try and protect myself…{PP:-)P}…
Ready to see Voch turn it on and get going to show us his NFL worth for a full season. He has had to watch, and learn. Play and learn more young man, take the opportunity before you. Because….
Good from the tub, gets you good at finding another career.. in the N.F.L. Just ask ATL’s Jerry G..
June 5th, 2025 at 10:39 pm
The year we drafted C.Kancey I was watching his college highlights and another player on that Pittsburgh defense kept making so many plays, I was like dam this guy’s good who is he turned out to be S.Dennis.LFG
June 5th, 2025 at 11:29 pm
Can’t wait to see him do his job.
June 5th, 2025 at 11:31 pm
View from 132 Says:
June 5th, 2025 at 2:13 pm
Hall of Fame 2038. Go get ’em Dennis the Menace.
—————-
I don’t think that timeline works… you have to be retired for 5 years to get in, so the most he could play is 8 more seasons. To be a 1st ballot HOFer at LB with only 8-years of production, he’d have to have, perhaps, the greatest run in the history of all NFL linebackers, and considering he’s an inside LB, that’s even more difficult.
June 6th, 2025 at 3:26 am
“I just want to go and hit somebody, really,”
Don’t you just love to here a LB say that! Go for it !
LFG!
Go Bucs!
June 6th, 2025 at 10:11 am
Can you imagine what our defense will look like if Dennis is healthy and plays at a high level? I am very hopeful that he will be a big playmaker for the Bucs and really solidify the Defense!