SirVocea Dennis Is “The X Factor”
August 30th, 2025
X marks the spot.
If Joe had one issue with the current Bucs roster and a possible bewildering strategy, it would be the current inside linebacker situation.
Oh, there’s nothing to worry about with Lavonte David. The Bucs are in good hands there with the aging franchise icon who ought to be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame someday.
It’s the plan next to David.
Joe has zero issue with third-year linebacker SirVocea Dennis. When he’s on the field, he makes plays. His ability belies his appearance — Dennis looks like a grad-assistant biology professor at USF, not an NFL linebacker.
But Dennis had issues with a shoulder last year that kept him off the field. He elected to get surgery to put this problem in the past.
While Bucs types are lightning quick to attribute Dennis’ poor durability to his shoulder, that’s not the only thing that kept him off the field.
In 2023, Dennis missed games with hamstring issues. In his first two seasons, Dennis has missed 17 games.
Banking on a guy who hasn’t proven he can play a full season is a dangerous gamble. But then the Bucs signed veteran Anthony Walker, just in case Dennis got hurt. Again. Instead, it was Walker who got hurt in the offseason with a mysterious non-football injury. He missed training camp was released this week.
Ben Solak of BSPN believes the fortunes of the Bucs defense this season depend on Dennis staying on the field.
The Buccaneers endured a ton of injuries in their back seven last season. The pass defense suffered for it, ranking 22nd in success rate against dropbacks and 24th in expected points added (EPA) per play. The LB2 position was an issue in coverage and run defense, as Dennis’ early-season shoulder injury left K.J. Britt, J.J. Russell and even veteran Deion Jones filling the spot.
Tampa Bay let Britt and Russell walk, and the team signed only Anthony Walker Jr. for depth. It then released Walker before the 53-man roster cut-down deadline. It’s hard to read this as anything but a ringing endorsement for Dennis’ health and preparedness to fill the starting spot opposite Lavonte David.
And for good reason: Dennis’ film was strong last September. He always has had issues staying on the field, but when he does, he’ll discourage those middle-of-the-field targets that often hurt Tampa Bay against quality pocket passers. That plus the young additions in the secondary could get the Bucs’ defense punching at the weight of the offense in 2025.
That’s just it. Unless the Bucs think Deion Jones has found Florida’s elusive fountain of youth, with Dennis’ injury history, the Bucs must be good with Jones being able to save the day.
Joe doesn’t like banking on hope. Never has. Never will. It’s nothing more than a blind wish.
So while David is the defensive anchor and Dennis is more than capable, if either David, 35, or Dennis goes down, fans may be looking at a repeat of 2024. That’s not good.
August 30th, 2025 at 8:27 am
Even more so than having a quality back up for o-line, see Heck, this position scares me as well…didn’t pick up any cut players for that role as far as i know….so let’s all bow our heads for a healthy season for our LBs….amen
August 30th, 2025 at 8:35 am
While Dennis is an important cog, he’s not the only “X” factor, especially in terms of talent drop beyond starters. Some other notable “Xs” include:
AWJ: Will he return to form AND stay on the field
Kancy: will he get yet another month long vacation this yr
Wirfs: starting to feel like Jensen 2.0
E²: all signs say yes, but he has huge shoes (CG) to fill
Izien, Morrison, Dean: the injury squad
Reddick: yack, yack, yack…. show me
Otton: this unit is underachieving
All of these positions have questionable depth. Dennis would have made a significant difference on the 2024 squad, but 2025 is a new team an imo he is no more of defensive X-factor than AWJ, KC, or Reddick
August 30th, 2025 at 8:43 am
He’s not that guy. Never will be that guy so go find another guy. It’s only a matter of days before he gets hurt again and is out indefinitely. When someone continually tells you who he is. Believe it.
August 30th, 2025 at 9:03 am
This is the Bucs main weakness. If anything happens to Voss or LVD we are in trouble. We also don’t have much depth at OLB. If we stay healthy we make a deep push into the playoffs. But if injury happens again can the Offence carry the team like it did last year. A poor thing to bet on.
August 30th, 2025 at 9:14 am
No mention in this article of Nick Jackson, a UDFA inside LB who also made the practice squad. While I understand that Joe might have doubts about a rookie UDFA, I’ve found that one doesn’t underestimate Todd Bowles UDFA signings. See: Christian Izien, among others. Jackson was a camp and preseason standout, only missing the roster due to the need for special teams vets, and if Dennis goes down, it feels likely that Jackson will be called up in short order.
August 30th, 2025 at 9:22 am
His sample size playing is to little to tell how good he really is. I think he’s been over hyped since he’s been drafted. He got bullied by Pittsburgh his only preseason game. Don’t believe me, rewatch the tape. If he can’t hack it, I’m all for an all Nebraska tandem at ILB. Deon Jones isn’t the answer, Grier, and Jackson looked better.
August 30th, 2025 at 9:31 am
He is going to be a XXX factor !
The will burst onto the NFL scene this year!
August 30th, 2025 at 10:05 am
Bucs fixed the secondary that’s great but the pass rushers on this team still stink #!!
August 30th, 2025 at 10:07 am
The real X factor is the head coich defenseless coordinator hybrid who loves his mad scientist rep.
We’d like to see a defense where a receiver is covered occasionally. Crazy, I know.
August 30th, 2025 at 10:08 am
I thought Russell did ok, thought we’d sign him
August 30th, 2025 at 10:14 am
SVD does not look like an assistant biology professor at USF. Trust me on this. lol.
However, he does look like a LB that is overhyped and injury prone. If the Bucs are putting all their eggs in one basket with this guy, they are likely going to be disappointed. The over on this guy is about 5 games.
Bucs did not do enough with ILB and OLBs this season. This is not a SB defense at this point. Having Todd at DC doesn’t help either.
August 30th, 2025 at 10:20 am
Is he football smart enough to protect his body? Or will he play with reckless abandon until he inevitably gets hurt again? We shall see. Go Bowles!
August 30th, 2025 at 10:24 am
Rookies Bullock and Nick Jackson both showed themselves as capable LBers in pre-season games.
August 30th, 2025 at 10:37 am
Did OK against the run. Got exposed (badly) against the pass.
August 30th, 2025 at 1:03 pm
I enjoy the writers for this site. Plenty of volume, decent writing, insider tidbits and a healthy dose of snark. But so many commenters seem to hate Bowles, heap criticism of players and profess to be better evaluators of talent than Licht. Oh, and repeatedly say the same thing regardless of the content of the article.
Of course these folks are entitled to their opinions, but the constant negative haranguing of coaches and players makes this site less enjoyable for this Bucs fan.
August 30th, 2025 at 1:05 pm
Throw Nick Jackson in there. He looked solid. Honestly, we will be relying a lot in the backups this year anyway so why not
August 30th, 2025 at 3:11 pm
Jim I am pretty sure Joe embraces the Bowels haters because it pretty much drives his site and he is no fan Bowels either.
August 30th, 2025 at 4:02 pm
Good grief. Nobody hates Bowles. By all accounts he’s a great dude. Great at player relations. When he had a real head coach leading him, ok coordinator.
But his results speak for themselves. He’s a reputed defensive genius but oversees one of the most pathetic pass defenses in team history. He’s a losing head coach and commonly brings his teams out flat for big games. He just let a rookie QB own him like a bag of groceries, never forcing a punt.
The great dude is a substandard double half time coich. That’s not hate, that’s truth.
August 30th, 2025 at 4:29 pm
@Woodman
Seems that way don’t it?
August 30th, 2025 at 7:03 pm
So your not a hater aqualung you just don’t like him think it’s kinda the same Lol. I mean why are you on here daily just to spout out the same thing . I mean you don’t even have to right anything just say hi we already no where you stand.
August 30th, 2025 at 9:13 pm
They need to get Voss a bubble thing to wear in practice for sure. Come on baby make the dream Reality. Let’s Go Bucs!!!!
August 30th, 2025 at 9:27 pm
@aqua said “Nobody hates Bowles”
A quick search of your comments going back forever begs to differ. If not hatred @ the very least an obsession/compulsion with expressing the same exact thing/s, which just so happen to be criticisms of Todd . No matter the topic of the article, the same krap. Every day, for over a year bro – wtf are you doing if you’re not trolling to piss people off? Do you think an angry old man @ a keyboard, commenting on a blog, can petition the owners to fire the coach?
August 30th, 2025 at 11:05 pm
omg i have so much ranting to do here…
but i will stay quiet…
ok fine……kyzir white…………that’s all i’m saying
August 30th, 2025 at 11:11 pm
maybe they have a trick up their sleeve…a card to pull from another team…a promise made by another gm if that team is fading by the deadline or something…
because we’ve got a barren ILB room at this point, for a team who thinks they can contend…
no signing after walker went to the colts is just insanity…
like does spytek have a ilb he can pass off to licht as a good deed if vegas is flopping out?
August 30th, 2025 at 11:50 pm
Woodman – don’t be a simp. I like him a lot. Great dude. Lots of redeeming qualities. Players love him.
He’s a poor HC/DC hybrid and his results demonstrate that as fact.
August 31st, 2025 at 6:56 am
I have not seen enough of Dennis to say he is even worthy of being our starter.
He looked ok for four games last year 0 starts. 0 starts in 13 games in 2023.
Got nothing against him at all but we have been fooled at ILB before…
Go Bucs!
August 31st, 2025 at 8:07 am
One of several (new-ish) X factors on defense. I’ve said it in other comment threads , Tykee, Reddick & Parrish will be play a big part in how well our defense improves.
Toss in our usual difference makers like David, Vea, & Winfield with solid, sound play from guys like Diaby & McCollum. We could be cooking with gas.