Todd Bowles Throws Down A Challenge At SirVocea Dennis
March 1st, 2026
Todd Bowles reacts.
There is no way Joe can sugarcoat the play of Bucs linebacker SirVocea Dennis.
In fact, Joe was so shook by Dennis’ subpar play, Joe will quote what screamin’ Stephen A. Smith once said about Baker Mayfield after a Stinking Panthers loss when Mayfield was Carolina’s starter. “You. Looked. Awful. Just. Awful. Your career is in jeopardy because that’s how sorry you looked.” Joe applies that to Dennis.
Now Bucs coach Todd Bowles isn’t ready to toss Dennis off the pirate ship. But it was clear when Bowles spoke at the podium at the combine last week that Bowles isn’t waiting around to see if Dennis can handle being a starter.
“He can be a starter if he cleans up his open field play,” Bowles said. “You know, he played well against the run. He gave up some things in the pass game that we didn’t like.
“It was his first full year starting. So we look for him to get better, but he’ll definitely have competition.”
The only competition Joe would give Dennis is competition against a first-round pick or a high-priced free agent like Quay Walker, Tremaine Edumnds or Alex Anzalone.
Unless Dennis has major improvement, he does not belong on an NFL field as a starter and certainly not for a team that thinks of itself as a playoff team.
Bowles saying Dennis was good against the run last year was high-level coachspeak. Dennis had such a horrible game against Philadelphia against the run, Joe thought the Bucs brought back Sabby the Goat and gave him a spin at linebacker.
March 1st, 2026 at 12:09 am
Total confidence in Todd to get Voss playing like a stud. He’s got the track record. Let’s go Bucs.
March 1st, 2026 at 12:17 am
@Joe, I agree SVD needs to start to show vast improvement or he may get a visit from the Turk. Which makes me want to ask you … what players currently in the 2 deep on both sides of the ball, do you project won’t be on the roster AT ALL next year and why? ( leave in FA, traded, flat out cut) ?? Interested in your opinion. I know this is a lot to ask , but it’s late and I can’t sleep !
QB
RB
WR
TE
OG
OT
Etc…
March 1st, 2026 at 12:20 am
Disagree completely. He gave up some big plays, mostly early in the year, although he did still give up some later as well, but showed plenty to me to keep playing. Not saying you don’t still draft multiple ILB’s – but I wouldn’t be shocked at all if Dennis ends up starting. He’s another guy who would be helped by scheme – he was best when not in pass coverage, seemingly like every other ILB not named David that Bowles has had.
BTW, want to sign someone, go get this guy named Devin White. Outstanding speed, already knows the system, is a really good interior pass rusher, runs sideline and sideline, high effort guy. Not great in coverage, but not nearly as bad as most people claimed. Wouldn’t cost a ton.
March 1st, 2026 at 12:24 am
Sure. Bring back Devin White. Trade for Crosby. Why not?
March 1st, 2026 at 12:33 am
ModHairKen Says:
March 1st, 2026 at 12:24 am
Sure. Bring back Devin White. Trade for Crosby. Why not?
————-
I said last year they should have tried to trade for Crosby, White and Jakobi Meyers as a package.
In the end it doesn’t help you if Baker can’t complete a 4-yard pass with the game on the line, but at the time it seemed like an excellent idea. You get a guy who can step in and start at ILB. You get a starting WR at a time when you were starting Shepard. And obviously Crosby is the guy who you’re paying for. I’d have given up like a 1st and 3rd for that, maybe more.
March 1st, 2026 at 12:43 am
If this guy is a starter, we’re in trouble, plain and simple.
March 1st, 2026 at 12:53 am
@Munch … in other thread u said 4.7 as an ILB should put you out of the league that you needed to be much faster. SVD is 4.64 ( hardly a measurable difference from a 4.7) and you are touting him as a starter !!! 🤡 .
March 1st, 2026 at 1:23 am
Typical Licht hyping us fans about a player that should not be a starter in the NFL.
The Bucs have gaslighted us about SVD for a few years. The guy is never going to get much better.
March 1st, 2026 at 1:36 am
Things won’t get better on defense until Todd is shown the door.
March 1st, 2026 at 1:38 am
Good against the run Huh Bowles doesn’t actually know his pass defense sucks. I could completely see this delusional coach having the same starting linebackers as he had s in 2025
March 1st, 2026 at 1:42 am
Aqualung all of a sudden a big Bowles fan….stfu with that noise.
March 1st, 2026 at 2:53 am
Bowles … “It was his (SVD’s) first full year starting. So we look for him to get better, but he’ll definitely have competition.”
Dennis should never have been allowed to start. MLB is the very center of our defense, and SVD has no business being at the center of anything. Field leaders MUST BE exemplary performers, and SVD has been anything but that.
Keep him as a backup MLB for 2026 only because right now he’s the ONLY experienced ILB we’ve got under contract. Then replace him in 2027.
March 1st, 2026 at 3:59 am
I liked Dennis a lot when the Bucs drafted him. He was a ball of energy almost as impressive to me as Kancy when I was watching their Pitt games. The only game he looked like that since he got to Tampa was a beastly game in Detroit. Most of the time he looks like KJ Britt and one play where he had no clue that Jalen Hurts was running down the sideline behind him really extinguished my hopes for him as a starter.
Anzalone in FA and a couple long, fluid, spatially aware mid round ILBs like Jake Golday, Kendall Daniels or Lander Barton would be great. Pairing one of those three with an ankle-biter like Rodriguez, Taurean York or Kyle Louis could work out too. This a great draft for teams who need LBs that cover thankfully.
March 1st, 2026 at 5:29 am
Another draft failure. At best, he is a backup or ST player, definitely not a starter. Remember last season’s opener against Atlanta? He was toasted, roasted, and altogether blown away. Not a starter. Should never have drafted.
March 1st, 2026 at 6:25 am
Bowles is loyal to his on demise and the team’s.
He doesn’t trade before the deadline when we have holes and needs.
He doesn’t bench starters for poor performance.
He doesn’t fire position coaches (example special team ly) .
Goes through the season from beginning to end with no adjustments. These are our guys; ride or die. It’s a real weakness in his coaching profile. His Mentor Bruce Arians made many adjustments and had no problem doing it. Todd really needs to improve in this area.
March 1st, 2026 at 6:59 am
I find it disturbing that anyone in management believes Dennis deserves a second chance. Their inability to find fault, not blame, and to make change will hold us back.
Can we please sign a stud Center (Linderbaum) and move Barton to Left Guard.
March 1st, 2026 at 7:07 am
He got pushed around more than a little girl on rollarskates. He should’ve been benched after the second game of the season. The fact that they’re welcoming back a washed David, and saying Dennis will at least have competion, tells me this defense won’t improve this season. Todd, and Licht have blinders on when it comes to this roster.
March 1st, 2026 at 7:07 am
SirCan’tmakeaplay Dennis.
March 1st, 2026 at 7:20 am
CVD was a 5th round draft pick so why did the Bucs think he could be an effective starter on an NFL defense? Most 5th round picks are lucky to hang onto a roster by playing special teams well and contributing as a backup. Zyon was an exception to this rule but then he got paid and subsequently got lazy….
March 1st, 2026 at 7:34 am
There is no way Joe can sugarcoat the play of Bucs linebacker SirVocea Dennis
But he is sure gonna try
March 1st, 2026 at 7:45 am
Rod Munch Says:
BTW, want to sign someone, go get this guy named Devin White. Outstanding speed, already knows the system, is a really good interior pass rusher, runs sideline and sideline, high effort guy. Not great in coverage, but not nearly as bad as most people claimed. Wouldn’t cost a ton.
————————————————————————————
White was great at times in 2020 on the way to the acquisition of a Lombardi Trophy. And Bowles loved him, so for the team to launch him, he must have become a locker room cancer or come down with some mental health issues.
If I am wrong about those things or he’s since overcome whatever issue caused the team to push him off the pirate ship, I’d be fine bringing him
back.
He’s on his 4th team now. Both the Eagles and Texans signed him and quickly moved on, but he set a franchise record this past season for the number of tackles for the Raiders with 174!
I don’t follow the Raiders so I asked ChatGPT to evaluate Devin White, and it went into great detail:
———————————————————————————-
🦅 Devin White in 2025 — analytics vs reputation
1) 🛑 Run defense impact
On film, White still flashed elite first-step explosiveness and closing burst. When he triggered cleanly, he blew up plays in the backfield like the old days.
But the advanced metrics are allergic to freelancing.
What showed up in the data
Run-stop rate: around league average for starters
Gap discipline: inconsistent
Tendency to overrun fits chasing splash plays
📊 Translation:
He produced some TFL-type highlights, but didn’t consistently “win his gap and end the play”, which is what modern grading rewards.
The result: his run-defense grade landed in the mid tier, not impact-LB territory.
2) 🎯 Coverage ability (the swing category for his value)
This remained the biggest separator between White and the top linebackers.
Analyst view
Targeted frequently in man and match zones
Late route recognition at times
QB rating allowed: high relative to top LBs
Limited ball production
On tape he still:
✅ Ran well in straight lines
❌ Struggled with route leverage and spatial awareness
In a league where elite LBs erase tight ends and crossers, White was viewed as:
a player offenses were comfortable attacking
That dragged his overall grade more than anything else.
3) 🤝 Tackling efficiency
This is where his evaluation softened compared to his Tampa peak.
Positives:
Still a violent finisher in space
Range to get to plays others can’t
Negatives:
Missed-tackle rate higher than top-tier LBs
Out-of-control angles when attacking downhill
Modern models penalize the miss more than they reward the big hit, so the net effect was neutral to slightly negative.
4) 💥 Playmaking & disruption
This is the category that kept his season from bottoming out.
He still generated:
Blitz pressure
Occasional drive-killing negative plays
High-energy momentum snaps
But analysts now separate splash frequency from down-to-down value, and his disruption didn’t come at the volume needed to offset the coverage issues.
So the grading logic was basically:
Good playmaker, not a consistent drive suppressor.
5) 🧠 Down-to-down consistency & role value
This is where the reputation gap became most visible.
Top 2025 linebackers:
Stayed on the field for every situation
Were defensive quarterbacks
Produced stable positive grades
White:
Still a heavy-snap player
But his per-snap efficiency was volatile
You’d see:
🎬 two explosive plays
🎬 one coverage loss
🎬 one misfit run
…in the same drive.
That volatility suppresses advanced grades even if the box score looks busy.
📊 The big-picture analytical verdict
In the 2025 evaluation framework, Devin White graded as:
🟡 An average starting linebacker
—not a top-tier impact defender—
because:
Pillar 2025 analytical verdict
Run defense Flashy but inconsistent
Coverage Clear liability vs top LBs
Tackling efficiency Up-and-down
Playmaking Still his calling card
Consistency Too volatile snap-to-snap
🎭 The reputation vs reality split
Traditional lens:
“Fast, physical, sideline-to-sideline, tone-setter, makes plays.”
Analytics lens:
“Pressure/blitz asset with coverage limitations and uneven efficiency.”
Both are true. They’re just valuing different currencies.
🧩 Why he still played a lot
Because coaches still covet:
Speed at linebacker
Blitz ability
Range vs mobile QBs
He fits modern sub-package football even if the grading model isn’t in love.
March 1st, 2026 at 8:38 am
The majority of the time players aren’t gonna change who they really are. SVD is a backup, that’s it. The Bucs continue to force players to play above their skill level with poor results. KJ Britt couldn’t play and now SVD.
March 1st, 2026 at 9:02 am
Nobody should be surprised that Munch endorses SVD. Munch insists that the Bucs defense last year was solid. Those of us who actually played the game instead of playing in the band know the truth. Repeatedly, SVD coudn’t break down to square up a tackle. He like AWJr. constantly trailed endless break away runs or passes. If SVD is back in 2026, Bucs are not serious about fixing the defense.
March 1st, 2026 at 9:13 am
He is not who he thought he could be. If they don’t draft an ILB and pick another one up in free agency, two that can potentially start or rotate with LVD. They have failed. Dennis will remain as a back up.
March 1st, 2026 at 9:19 am
ILB Eric Gentry from USC is mighty interesting as a day 3 pick. He is built like a pterosaur (86 1/4” wingspan and 6’6 5/8” tall at 221 lbs but he moves like a safety and can rush the passer. He was dominant in Shrine Bowl practices. He had a little trouble with a couple RBs but was locking down TEs in coverage drills. 9 sacks, 26.5 TFL, 9 FF and 2 INTs in his career. Both INTs were things of beauty. His hands are unreal.
His film shows a fiery presence with sideline-to-sideline speed and awareness. Excellent pursuit, closing burst and recognition skills. He wraps up like an anaconda and hits bigger than his britches. He stacks and sheds great at the college level but will need to put on weight to be all he can be in the run game in the NFL. He’ll be a weapon on special teams from day one and brings real juice and killer instinct to a defense that still lacks it. He twisted a knee one game and came hopping out of the injury tent on one leg like a madman straight to his teammates in the middle of the field to fire them up on a critical third down. I want every defensive player drafted to have his kind of fire inside.
March 1st, 2026 at 9:21 am
Licht reached picking SVD at 153, while on some big boards he was around 200. SVD can be a good special teams player but he doesn’t have the talent to be a starter.
March 1st, 2026 at 9:56 am
Why not draft 2 ilbs 2 start n kick David outside? David can still blitz n can still cover the flat n outside. Yeah he’s small 4 a 3-4 olb but his experience could overcome the size difference. If he holds the edge long enough 4 his teammates 2 surround the ball carrier that position change could make a big difference. SVD is a special teams player never should have started. His splash plays in ’24 fooled our evaluators. Wasn’t ready 2 call plays in the same year as his 1st year starting. Bowles’ loyalty is costing us wins. SVD n zyon put this defense on their backs n carried us 2 multiple losses last season n nothing was done about it. We have a strong def. backfield as in backups but Bowles allowed Zyon 2 stay on the field despite the offense obviously targeting his side of the field in both the pass n run game. If zyon isn’t comfortable making the hit (which looked pretty much was the case) then he should have been coached 2 break down n filter the run back inside B4 he was exposed. Now the opposing OC’s r chasing that blood in the water.
March 1st, 2026 at 10:12 am
No choice I see but adding a player with different skills and matching up
March 1st, 2026 at 10:31 am
Going to keep saying it until the 2026 season begins. When Baker has a sensational 2026 season, the greatest outcome will be like in 2024 that RodMunch pouts and leaves this blog. Munch unhappy that Mayfield success translates into Bucs success.
March 1st, 2026 at 11:22 am
He has been in the NFL for three seasons so he has had three seasons to watch film and he has played in 33 games. If he hasn’t put it together yet he isn’t going to.
Unfortunately, Bowles sounds the same on SVD as he did on JTS so he will probably force SVD in as a starter again.
March 1st, 2026 at 12:00 pm
AJ Peña is the FCS Anthony Hill Jr. He has great bend and blitz ability, good size at 6’2” 243 without any obvious weakness. Sound tackler. Disciplined vs the run. He could be a day 3 steal. The LB issues can be solved in this draft without premium picks going to the position.
March 1st, 2026 at 1:26 pm
BigBoiBuc Says:
March 1st, 2026 at 12:53 am
@Munch … in other thread u said 4.7 as an ILB should put you out of the league that you needed to be much faster. SVD is 4.64 ( hardly a measurable difference from a 4.7) and you are touting him as a starter !!! 🤡 .
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Dummy, I didn’t say 4.6s was too slow.
The fact you think a guy who runs a 4.4 is just as fast as a guy who runs a 4.7, and were comparing Britt to David, says everything about yourself and your inability to have a clue what you’re watching.
March 1st, 2026 at 1:27 pm
BucsFanSince1996 – Make your own arguments, don’t just copy and paste from AI. I have no idea what point you’re making because I’m not reading your emoji filled AI slop.
March 1st, 2026 at 4:49 pm
SVD is the new KJ Britt….
March 1st, 2026 at 7:37 pm
Unbelievable… Just unbelievable… I he starts if he even has a chance to start a single game we are doomed.
March 1st, 2026 at 8:51 pm
There’s a number of highly dangerous running backs like Jahmyr Gibbs, Devon Achane, Bijan Robinson and even Barclay (and Tucker!) that all run the 40 in the 4.2-4.4 range which makes it difficult for linebackers slower than them to stop them. They have to take correct angles to drive them to the sideline because once they get even with them they can get around them and are gone. You really do need a 4.3-4.5 guy (at the slowest) to deal with people like that. So if we are going to draft an ILB high he needs speed to make it easier to stop those rbs. I think that’s the point most are getting at. Dennis is a bit too slow and definitely misses the correct angle quite often. That gives up HUGE plays.
March 1st, 2026 at 8:56 pm
Name got chopped off lol. All our CB’s are ultra fast, so let’s get some fast hard-hitting LB’ers to go with them.