Can The Bucs Learn To Embrace An Edge Rush?
February 15th, 2026
Let pass rushers eat.
Joe isn’t going to refer to this as a broken record. It’s just by far the most glaring hole on the Bucs’ roster and has been for a few years.
The Bucs need a legitimate, 10-sack dude breathing fire coming off the edge.
Now Joe fully understands why Bucs coach Todd Bowles, when asked about an edge rush, always responds mentioning how he asks outside linebackers “to do other things.” Yes, this means pass coverage.
Joe goes bananas watching this but the Bucs aren’t remotely the only team to drop edge rushers into coverage. The majority do. The just do it less often. than the Bucs.
Hey, one of the greatest plays in Super Bowl history happened right here in Tampa way back in 2009. Steelers linebacker James Harrison picked a Kurt Warner pass for a 99-yard pick-six. Harrison did this by freelancing and dropping back into coverage, which completely fooled Warner.
So dropping linemen/edge rushers into coverage is hardly new. Joe saw Bowles drop Vita Vea into coverage against Dallas and had Bowles not done that, the play would have been a first down. But Vea was in the perfect spot and got a tackle, forcing a late punt in a one-score game.
Joe is not completely against outside linebackers or linemen in coverage — just do it with more moderation. Mouthy slimy Saints defensive end Cam Jordan once said rushing the passer is so difficult that worrying so much about pass coverage screws a guy up.
In other words, let a pass rusher eat.
Joe brings all of his up because prickly Pete Prisco of CBS, who predicted the Bucs would have the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs last season, ranks the Bucs currently at No. 18. Why? One reason is Bowles must find an edge rush.
Rinse, repeat.
Here is a dilemma Joe sees: Bowles said it as recently as late in the 2025 season; he asks edge rushers “to do other things.”
Joe doesn’t care what walk of life to which one is referring. If someone doesn’t believe something is critical, something is vital, something is important, how then does that person excel at the same subject?
Would Lavonte David have been a great linebacker if he didn’t like tackling? Would Mike Evans have been great receiver if he didn’t care for catching passes? Would Baker Mayfield have won a Heisman Trophy and become a No. 1 overall pick if he thought running was more important than throwing?
People at One Buc Palace need to embrace the value of an edge rush.
February 15th, 2026 at 11:07 am
To answer your question, not as long as Todd remains DC.
February 15th, 2026 at 11:19 am
Seahawks D didn’t have a player with over 7 sacks. Tied for the lead were two 7 sack DTs. Eagles won the year prior with two difference makers at DT. Chiefs won many with Chris Jones wreaking havoc at DT, Rams won it with Aaron Donald. Bucs D turned the corner when Vea came back in the playoffs.
Dominant interior pressure seems to be the way to go.
February 15th, 2026 at 11:21 am
They won’t as long as Bowles is HC. He’d rather keep his scheme and get fired rather than change.
February 15th, 2026 at 11:32 am
Atlanta took a gamble and drafted two freakish 6-5 OLBs .
And it paid off.
Until Pearce just went crazy.
But the move was smart.
They had two JPP like freaks playing OLB in their 3-4 defense.
We need the biggest and baddest OLB we can find.
And we need a DE who can penetrate and get push. Like Gholston.
People forget. Shaq Barrett and JPP were great tacklers in space also.
We need a legit DT to replace Gaines. À 6-5 320 monster.
À monster at DE like Gholston. 6-6. 330.
And two JPP freaks like Yaya at OLB
February 15th, 2026 at 11:47 am
Some claim before the draft that Pearce was already crazy. Raheem looked the other way. #Whoops.
February 15th, 2026 at 11:51 am
One more year of hearing “we need to coach it better”.
February 15th, 2026 at 11:53 am
Joe answered his own question in this article. Tell me again why Todd Bowles still has a job with the Bucs, I can’t figure it out unless ownership doesn’t watch Bucs games.
February 15th, 2026 at 12:11 pm
Can The Bucs Learn to Embrace an Edge Rush?
Answer: They now have twice as many opportunities.
Two Todd Bowles equals double defensive gurus.
Or they could get double the indifference to a pass rush.
Either way we’re stuck in this endless loop of mediocrity.
The Glazer kids might want to go to the optometrist soon.
Only the blind could choose to retain this fraud.
February 15th, 2026 at 12:11 pm
Amen, Joe.
The headline says it all.
February 15th, 2026 at 12:28 pm
YaYa vcould get double digits if someone good was on the other side.
February 15th, 2026 at 12:40 pm
Please Glazers, think what you are doing to the franchise. Freelancing a defensive end is different from what Bowles has his edge rusher perform. No way he can cover a wide receiver or a running back ! If they covered a zone would they not be subject to being beat on the play!
February 15th, 2026 at 1:31 pm
Throw the edge rush in the Bay alogng with Bowzo the Edge Rush Guru.
February 15th, 2026 at 1:40 pm
Insanity is keeping the same head coach/defensive coordinator and expecting different results.
February 15th, 2026 at 2:04 pm
Hugh Glazerhouse Says:
“Insanity is keeping the same head coach/defensive coordinator and expecting different results.”
Some might say showing up to criticize same HC/DC on a blog every day, expecting it to make any difference whatsoever, would fit that definition.
February 15th, 2026 at 2:06 pm
DT is the way ,games are won in the trenches, weather its the run or pass! Penetration