Will Al-Quadin Muhammad Surprise Again?
March 15th, 2026
New Bucs edge rusher Al-Quadin Muhammad.
As Joe has stated, it’s strange that at the age of 30, new Bucs edge rusher Al-Quadin Muhammad had his first season with more than six sacks. In 2025, he totaled 11 sacks for the Lions.
Even more strange, Muhammad never started one game last year. What would this guy have done if he was on the field full-time, and why wasn’t he?
Former scout and current talking head for NFL.com, Bucky Brooks, believes Muhammad is one of the most overlooked free agent signees last week. And Brooks believes Muhammad is versatile enough that Todd Bowles could send him hunting for the quarterback in a variety of ways.
Al-Quadin Muhammad
The Bucs totaled just 37 sacks in 2025, tied for 18th-most in the league, with just one player topping five QB takedowns on the season (YaYa Diaby, who had seven). So the Buccaneers are rolling the dice on a soon-to-be-31-year-old pass rusher coming off the best season of his nine-year career. Muhammad totaled 11 sacks with the Lions last season, utilizing violent hands and a non-stop motor to overwhelm blockers at the point of attack. Additionally, the veteran sprinkled in a few speed-rush maneuvers that surprised offensive tackles who were anticipating a bull rush or “butt-and-jerk.” Considering his success in Detroit’s aggressive scheme, Todd Bowles should enjoy unleashing Muhammad from various alignments along the frontline.
But here is the $10,000 question: Will Bowles let an edge rusher hunt? Bowles is absolutely notorious for not having edge rushers rush because “we ask them to do other things.”
NO! Ask a guy who excels at edge rushe to, you know, get after the quarterback! Bowles’ ability to step away from what he normally does — which clearly is not working and hasn’t for years — may mean the difference between the Bucs going to the playoffs or Bowles being sent into an involuntary retirement.
Will Bowles step outside of his comfort zone?
Ira Kaufman Talks New Signings, Maxx Crosby, Reaction To Mike Evans’ Comments To San Francisco Media, And Much More
March 15th, 2026 at 11:06 am
If there was ever a year for Coach Bowles to step outside of his comfort zone, it would be this season. Couldn’t agree more that he needs to do exactly that this upcoming season.
Step outside your d@mn comfort zone this season Todd. Please!
March 15th, 2026 at 11:08 am
Jim Schwartz can be had as DC. If Bowles and Glazer’s want to improve the defense, hire this guy today.
March 15th, 2026 at 11:11 am
I think Todd Bowles let the “Hunters” hunt
And there’s no better example than Shaq Barrett and JPP
They did it all, rush the passer, dropped in coverage, played the run
Yaya has been similar, to a less extent
But this other trash, it’s a different story
They are not Hunters, they are LOAFERS
Muhammad plays with a very high motor
Unlike the Loafers, who has no motor, plays with no desire
March 15th, 2026 at 11:12 am
its not strange he didnt start any games because apparently he is not good against the run. he does seem to he talented at pass rushing though
March 15th, 2026 at 11:16 am
Muhammad will be the best 280 pound extra deep safety we’ve ever seen.
March 15th, 2026 at 11:18 am
A DC is not going to be hired. Bowles has already said he is not giving up play calling duties.
People can keep dreaming for a DC but it’s not happening. Nobody higher up is going to change it.
.
March 15th, 2026 at 11:18 am
Cue the trolls. Same script, different day.
March 15th, 2026 at 11:26 am
Todd doesn’t change or adjust. Don’t expect anything different from him.
March 15th, 2026 at 11:27 am
A great DC can’t get production from a Edge Rusher that plays soft
Cleveland signed Joe Tryon last season, after 8 games, he was cut
Jim Schwartz is a great Defensive Coordinator
But he got zero sacks in 8 games from JTS
Even though Myles Garrett was facing double teams, nearly every snap
And Mason Graham was eating up blockers in the middle
You will never get fire from a dead spark plug
March 15th, 2026 at 11:32 am
The best predictor of future behavior is past behavior! I wished I had even a little confidence in Todd balls, but honestly, what would make anyone believe that he is going to change. I hope I’m wrong but common sense tells me I’m not.
March 15th, 2026 at 11:34 am
*BINGO* PREACH LAKELAND U SUMMED UP THE FACTS PERFECTLY!! U can have the best coaches in the world BUT if the players don’t have it THEY SIMPLY DONT HAVE IT🚩🏴☠️🚩‼️
March 15th, 2026 at 11:35 am
he seems to have another gear…a sneaky gear, when turning the corner…
if he’s tapped into something of that sort last season, he could be legit even as an older player…
we shall see
March 15th, 2026 at 11:35 am
As obvious as the Bucs needs are this offseason, and although there is hope with these signings, the splash move never happened. Maybe because the trick up the sleeve is the draft and not free agency. If one of these elite edge rushers slips a little, can Jason Licht pull the trigger to move up and get one? You will see a lot of frustrated Bucs fans get pretty amped up with a move like that! Go Bucs!
March 15th, 2026 at 11:36 am
If we had capable DL and DEs, I’m sure Bowles would love to let them eat. After proving they aren’t able to get to the QB, Bowles tries hard to get creative blitzing everyone (safeties, corners, LBs, water boy).
Let’s hope that an infusion of talent will allow us to return to the ‘20-‘21 defense.
March 15th, 2026 at 11:37 am
“Jim Schwartz can be had as DC. If Bowles and Glazer’s want to improve the defense, hire this guy today.“
Just like you think we’ll need 7 new starters on defense when we’re returning at least 5, huh? Pipe down
March 15th, 2026 at 11:41 am
“Will Al-Quadin Muhammad Surprise Again?”
No.
But even if he gets 6 sacks he will be better than everyone else except Diaby who won’t get more than 7 sacks next season.
At only $4M plus incentives this is still a solid signing for the Bucs…
March 15th, 2026 at 11:42 am
Reddick, Yaya and Nelson were dropped into coverage over 200 times total from the numbers I’m looking at. Some of the highest in the league. There were other teams up there as well. LA, MIN, PHI, AZ had similar numbers, some even more. Some teams barely had their edges in pass coverage at all.
March 15th, 2026 at 11:42 am
Not worried about the defensive coaching, more worried about the young players stepping up and playing better this year.
Morrison biting on Zac’s eye candy (Bijan) and covering the flats guy in the falcons game instead of dropping back to cover Pitts was why we lost that game.
Good learning lesson rookie – can’t bite at the eye candy
March 15th, 2026 at 11:43 am
Still need to draft one….Malachai Lawrence
March 15th, 2026 at 11:51 am
Will Bowles step outside of his comfort zone?
Answer: Not on your life.
He’d rather lose his way than win another way.
Incompetence and stupidity mixed with blind stubbornness is a deadly combo.
Worst red zone defense in the NFL. #SuperBowles
March 15th, 2026 at 12:15 pm
Bowles’ expecting his edge rushers to do other things is standard practice in today’s game. Mike McDonald deploys DTs into coverage two at a time. The reason McDonald gets away with it though is because the blitzers he sends get home before the defensive linemen he has in coverage end up the bozo in an opponent’s highlight looking like JTS. This team needs talent that gets to the quarterback and does it fast. It’s not all about sacks, fun as sacks may be. To put it in statistical terms an edge needs to put up sacks, stops and passes defensed to get me feeling relief from the anxiety of witnessing more of what we have been suffering for years. And all pass rushers should ideally have have a sub 3 second pass rush win to pressure time so match-ups can’t be exploited…
Muhammad is something but he isn’t an answer to all that ails this defense. Even if he replicates last year’s production it would just be a drop in the bucket. That isn’t to say this defense is hopeless or should be fired. It just needs a lot of changes. Maxx Crosby is the most complete defensive player in the league. Hands down the best LDE against the run in the NFL. Teams only run at him 8% of the time but he still manages two TFLs per game. He had 6 passes defensed last year bore he was taken off the field by a front office decision to preserve his value. How does that number stack up against the Bucs’ DBs in 2025 that remain? It’s not just his 10 sacks in 2025 I want for the Bucs and their fans it’s the 28 TFLs and those 6 PD. No one else can provide all that plus more of that energy the Bucs are admitting they lack.
I’m not saying send two firsts for him today but don’t take him out of consideration because of Muhammad or his knee or this phantom, fake cap. His $30 mil price tag isn’t so high when you consider YaYa will be making $25+\- mil in 2027 and beyond based on the market and his performance.
Regardless of the hoopla over the Baltimore fiasco I hope the Bucs have been and stay interested in Crosby right up to the 2026 trade deadline. These 2026 draft picks are as low value as the ones that brought us Mike Glennon and, um, I can’t remember any other names from 2013. Jonathan Suckycorner maybe? Oh Banks, that’s right. So this year and this year only I’d be dealing draft picks for the funny money these 2026 ones are.
There are many more considerations beyond sacks the Bucs’ and any other NFL defense need to maintain at a certain level in order to be successful. This Bowles’ scheme in its bare bones structure complete with its expectations of edge players and sometimes Vera is up to snuff and then some. Its execution however isn’t even close. The talent isn’t close either. The attitude that Bowles can work his voodoo with scraps has to be let go and Licht needs to draft better front 7 talent. Then they need to be coached better. And Maxx Crosby. And DJ Reader. And an all defense draft. And David Walker needs to be everything we dreamed. Then- nobody get hurt. See? Solved.
March 15th, 2026 at 12:36 pm
Bowles will stifle Muhammad. Bowles is too stubborn to adapt. Bowles is the Loafer. Glazers should have cut the old, lazy, loafing DC/HC with no juice. GM with similar qualities. Surviving on unearned reputation blown out of proportion by the Brady superbowl is the only thing keeping them employed. These patchwork signings may buy them another year of mediocrity until they age themselves into total rebuild.
March 15th, 2026 at 12:43 pm
The players on the team were hand picked by Bowles and Licht. If players are the problem, they have no one else to blame. You can like them and defend them all you like. Results are 3rd and 28 and sub 500 records. Time for new blood.
March 15th, 2026 at 1:05 pm
74 Bucs Fan … ‘Let’s hope that an infusion of talent will allow us to return to the ‘20-‘21 defense.’
Finally someone broke the code for what Todd Bowles is trying to do with this Bucs’ defense right now … get back to what we had in 2020 & 2021. Look at the def snaps over those 2 years & we had a beastly Front (minimum over 500 snaps) …
o Suh (DT/DE)(6’4″/313 lb): 33 games – 1503 def snaps
o Gholston (DT/DE)(6’6″/281 lb): 33 games – 1113 def snaps
o RNR (NT/DT)(6’2″/305 lb): 32 games – 897 def snaps
o Vea (NT/DT)(6’4″/347 lb): 21 games – 830 def snaps
o McLendon (DT/DE)(6’3″/310 lb): 21 games – 518 def snaps
All of those guys were BIG (even Will Gholston beefed up to a lot more than 281 lbs & had his best 2 years). And they were all VETERANS (Vea was the only youngster but played like a veteran).
Even our OLBs were BIG and it was the VETERANS who excelled:
o JPP (OLB)(6’5″/275 lb): 28 games – 1544 def snaps
o Shaq (OLB)(6’2″/250 lb): 30 games – 1589 def snaps
o Nelson (OLB)(6’7″/271 lb): 33 games – 680 def snaps
JPP & Shaq barely ever came off the field for the games they played in, and it paid dividends.
Fact is that we weren’t big enough or mean enough on defense these past 2 years. Bowles as DC needs big, nasty veterans to operate his defense, and that’s what were’re adding. I predict we’ll be adding even more of the big, nasty types in the draft. No more light-weights, no more midgets. And the guys we’ve added (Robinson, Anzalone, Muhammad) will be the teachers and we’ll probably never get them off the field.
With an excellent draft, Bucs can make it back into the Top-10 defenses this year. And if our offense can stay reasonably healthy, Zac Robinson can get this offense back into the Top-10 also.
March 15th, 2026 at 1:07 pm
Bowles was limited because he had no edge rushers so he had to improvise. If they can’t rush put them in pass protection.
I believe the Bucs rush will improve with recent free agent signings. Give Bowles a chance is what the Glazers are doing. It’s do or die for Bowles. It looks promising..
March 15th, 2026 at 1:30 pm
Our first four picks should be NEW OWNERS NEW HEAD COACH NEW DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR & NEW GM.
March 15th, 2026 at 1:44 pm
What I liked hearing most from AQM and Robinson is about how their play can factor in relative to the people they’ll be lining up with. Robinson sounded elated to have a chance to line up next to Vita, & AQM talked a lot about how his style of play fit in with the guys around him.
Just think, what we’re paying both these guys together is a little more than what we paid to get Reddick in here. Two legit additions to the puzzle that is our front 7.
I’m to the point, I want to see AQM line up with Yr-2 Roberts inside of him or when Bowles throws out that funky look with 5 LBs and a NT, where would AQM fit?
To early to care about individual sack production for me, what type of chess piece will he be? Is what I’m concerned with
March 15th, 2026 at 2:13 pm
In the years being compared, Bruce Arians was the he’d coach, and Bowles reported to him. Now since Bowles reports to himself there is no check and balance system, no good boss to make the subtle corrections that need to made week to week, so the small corrections turn into 3rd and 28, 1000 yards for Kirk’s Cousin.
If Bowles was HC and DC in 20 and 21, the results would’ve been a lot like 2025.
March 15th, 2026 at 2:18 pm
I hope he pans out for this team. FA still went by with a whimper and the Bucs are no where close to being a competitor next season. I said FA would tell us all where this team is headed. Bowles is a stop gap for now. Team Glazer went after Harbaugh, so I know they are looking for the next big coach. I can wait patiently for 2027, but Bowles better be gone if they have another garbage season. Keeping him any longer than one more year would be a big FU to the fans that spend their hard earned money on all things Bucs!
March 15th, 2026 at 2:22 pm
Joe says:
“But here is the $10,000 question: Will Bowles let an edge rusher hunt? Bowles is absolutely notorious for not having edge rushers rush because “we ask them to do other things.”
————-
Majority of the league runs 3-4 or hybrid 4-2-5. Nearly 100% ask their edges to do ” other things”.
No head coach or DC, Todd included, is going to abandon their philosophy in order to make it more understandable to JBF writers or commenters or to get their approval.
Edge rushers getting sacks are great but they obviously don’t equate to team success. Don’t believe me just ask Miles Garret, Max Crosby, Trey Hendrickson etc etc etc
Our front 7 is improved already this off season.
+ Anzolone, Muhammad, Robinson, Walker could/should all be upgrades. Todd’s been working with a lack of talent on D – give him better horses and he’ll run a better race.
March 15th, 2026 at 2:33 pm
@3.28.Evans
McDonald won the SB as HC/DC
Most of the playoff teams had head coaches who called plays on one side of the ball or the other – including your crushes Dan Campbell & Liam Coen.
Dead horse/not an issue.
Just like dropping linemen into coverage.
Repeatedly bringing them up does more to show your lack of knowledge than to reflect badly on Todd .
March 15th, 2026 at 2:43 pm
Defense Rules is a genius.
Exactly bro.
Our Super Bowl defense was one of the best defenses of all time.
JPP, Suh, Vea, Gholston, and Barrett?
Are you kidding me?
Those 5 guys made the scariest defensive line I’ve ever seen!
And they were HUGE!
March 15th, 2026 at 2:49 pm
Joe,
Forget this whole “Edge” crap! Those players are Outside Linebackers. They need to be able to contribute run stuffing, pocket collapsing power!
Defense Rules is correct about the need to create a new version of that 2020 defensive front five. And, by the way, 2020 was the year that JPP had a career high two interceptions.
Bringing in a “hunter” in certain down and distance situations is fine, specially if you rotate the hunter around the formation. But, Godwin has made a career of feasting on teams that think that they have Edge players instead of Outside Linebackers.
You need a credible threat that your OLB can step back and take away the window for that quick slant or shut down a screen; giving your nickelback or safety or ILB that little bit of help at the right times can destroy that quick hitting short game and give your pressure the time it needs to flush the QB into the arms of the OLBs.
Of course, you need ILBs who can capitalize on that help and exploit the opportunities. Hopefully, we will get at least one of those in this draft.
And, as much as Egbuka impressed, we would have been so much better off last year if we had taken ILB Jihaad Campbell instead.
Do you think that Mike Evans doesn’t know that?
Do you think that maybe he came to feel that taking a WR #1 when the defense had a gaping hole in it was a real slap at him?
Do you think that there would have been a 3rd and 28 fail situation if Campbell had been playing that game, all of those games, instead of SVD?
March 15th, 2026 at 3:14 pm
Commenters here complaining about Bowles basically are asking a professional team to run pop warner plays. Sorry, but the scheme has to be complicated in a league where quarterbacks and OC’s are studying you 24/7. If a quarterback knows who’s covering who, well then it’s pretty easy to change the primary at the line and target the weak link (ie what basically every team did to us last year when they sniffed out who David was covering)
March 15th, 2026 at 3:23 pm
How has the defense looked the last 2 years? Well, the same guy is running it, with a high probability that he runs it into the ground again.
March 15th, 2026 at 3:27 pm
Deeboo: The defense was complicated for his own players, yet easy for Cousins to ABSOLUTELY SHRED the last 2 years. What do you call such a defense? A TERRIBLE ONE, THAT SHOULD’VE BEEN REPLACED.
March 15th, 2026 at 3:30 pm
Toopanca … ‘Do you think that there would have been a 3rd and 28 fail situation if Campbell had been playing that game, all of those games, instead of SVD?’
Excellent perspective! And if we hadn’t stopped them on 3rd-and-28, we would’ve had a much better chance of stopping them on the next 4th-and-14.
March 15th, 2026 at 4:08 pm
I really like this signing. $6M in 2026 is basically veteran backup money, and this is a way better move than signing someone like Chubb who had a bunch of fluke stats and would have cost a lot more.
Muhammad isn’t going to have 11 sacks again, but he’s a good backup, and can start some games and shouldn’t hurt you if needed. Hopefully Walker is fully up to speed and ready to go, I’m excited to see what he can do. Additionally, I still assume the Bucs draft an edge rusher very early – and I doubt that Licht goes to the developmental model again and I assume they’ll get someone more polished that can lay early.
Overall I’m not really that down on edge like most people. Yaya is a star player, and he’ll get paid like one next year if the Bucs don’t lock him up early. The issue in Tampa is this awful scheme, mainly the super soft zone, that always makes sure QBs have someone wide open to dump the ball off to when they’re under pressure. When Bowles played man, and blitzed, that’s when the Bucs defense look competent, got stops, sacks and turnovers. But the fact the Bucs were a top 5 zone defense team is why so many people were frustrated at how easily opposing teams moved the ball.
March 15th, 2026 at 4:15 pm
I hope the defense plays better in spite of this scheme and still Bowles is let go at the end of the season. He’s not a good head coach. Good solid man but that doesn’t always make for a good head coach
March 15th, 2026 at 4:19 pm
Rod Munch … ‘The issue in Tampa is this awful scheme, mainly the super soft zone.’
I can’t remember seeing a lot of that back in 2020 & 2021 when we had a decent pass rush Rod. Oh we still played zone, but not the ‘super soft’ version that we’ve seen these past couple of years. I tend to think that was the result of Bowles trying to compensate TACTICALLY for what he perceived was the lack of pass coverage talent in our ILBs & Secondary.
Bowles seemed all too willing to give up ground in the passing game in the hope that opposing QBs would make a mistake. He also trusted his Run Defense far more than he should have. Over these last 2 years it’s been a shadow of what it was when Suh & company was here. This defense gave up far too many explosive Pass plays AND Run plays.
March 15th, 2026 at 4:40 pm
And the above is the case for having a full time head coach and full time coordinators. When the fox guards the henhouse, the fox eats all the hens and it shows.
And since the current person holding two huge jobs refuses to admit or accept accountability for declining results with regressing player performance, the replacement should have been made already .
Maybe the soft tank for Tomlin is real.
March 15th, 2026 at 4:47 pm
I also agree with Defense rules. I hope Jason and Todd do too.
March 15th, 2026 at 4:54 pm
Defense Rules Says:
March 15th, 2026 at 4:19 pm
Rod Munch … ‘The issue in Tampa is this awful scheme, mainly the super soft zone.’
I can’t remember seeing a lot of that back in 2020 & 2021 when we had a decent pass rush Rod. Oh we still played zone, but not the ‘super soft’ version that we’ve seen these past couple of years. I tend to think that was the result of Bowles trying to compensate TACTICALLY for what he perceived was the lack of pass coverage talent in our ILBs & Secondary.
———–
Arians is the difference, he didn’t allow Bowles to sit back in soft zone as much. Once Arians was out of the picture, and Bowles doesn’t have anyone telling him to stay aggressive, we’re seeing ‘The Turtle’ hide in his shell. I know you know this, but I mean the Bucs went from playing some of the highest rates of man in 2020, to leading the NFL in zone usage in 2024. I haven’t seen the final numbers for 2025, but the Bucs will likely be top 5 in zone usage.
As far as the move to zone, it did start with all the injuries to the secondary in 2021. At the time I understood it, you can’t just replace top man corners that easily. But again, once Arians was out of the picture, we saw the team go from ultra aggressive on offense and defense, to being more passive on both sides of the ball. It can’t be overstated how much losing Arians hurt the team since Bowles and Leftwich aren’t in the mold of Arians. While on paper Bowles allegedly blitzes a ton, I think it’s more about the alignment, and the fact the Bucs basically run a 5-2, so you’re sending 5 all the time. But even if you send 5, if your coverage is super soft, QBs always have open windows. As for players, sure, losing JPP and Suh hurt, but again, this isn’t even the same scheme, and frankly I don’t think it matters – if Bowles ran this defense in 2020, they’d look washed up and the Bucs aren’t winning a SB.
Bowles, with Arians, is more much concerned with not losing than winning. That’s the fundamental issue that has changed, and I don’t see Bowles suddenly changing his ways at this point.
March 15th, 2026 at 5:07 pm
Yes. ^^^^^^^^^^
These.
Bowles is the fat fox. The henhouse is empty.
March 15th, 2026 at 6:31 pm
Rod you’ve got it assbackwards. Again with the man to man bull. Told you before but will tell you again. NOBODY runs man to man as their primary coverage scheme for numerous reasons. We can run more man when our pass rush becomes more effective but it will still be less than 50% of snaps.
And could you please specify which zone coverage you have issue with ? Soft zone (or Swiss cheese zone) is cute but it’s a meaningless term used by people who are casual fans at best and we know you’re not one of those 😂
March 15th, 2026 at 6:33 pm
Man this was one time where I enjoyed reading the comments….even though you all didn’t agree with each other there was still intelligent football debate! I wished the Joes would deal more in football facts/state and not run this site like a blog site but then again the blog style is working…
March 15th, 2026 at 6:39 pm
3.28.Evans
Superbowl winning coach was also their DC
Same with most (OC or DC) playoff teams.
Same with your heroes Dan Campbell and Liam Coen.
Dead horse – But ok aqua 😉
March 15th, 2026 at 7:14 pm
“And could you please specify which zone coverage you have issue with ? Soft zone (or Swiss cheese zone) is cute but it’s a meaningless term used by people who are casual fans at best and we know you’re not one of those “
It’s a terribly over-generalized way to look at coverages. Even man calls come with safety zones, are you going to call a 2-safety shell “soft” because they’re 15 yards off the ball? Every man call isn’t press, but I think that’s how he looks at it lol
March 15th, 2026 at 7:56 pm
Bucs were middle of the pack when it came to man rate vs zone rate in 2025. Scheme wasn’t the problem….
March 16th, 2026 at 12:05 am
He is a situational pass rusher even if he regresses some and gets let’s say 7 sacks it would still be a nice upgrade over Reddick. If he matches his 11 sacks from last year look out!
March 16th, 2026 at 1:31 pm
Tom Petty – We get it, you have no idea what you’re watching, and think Bowles zone defense is amazing, tight, just like the 2002 Bucs. Meanwhile go watch some ALL22 and watch guys standing around – by design – waiting for things to happen, then go back and watch the 2002 Bucs zone, how active and tight the windows are.
The Bucs, with Bowles as DC, won the SB in 2020 using an aggressive primarily man defense. The Bucs drafted for that scheme. Yes, I know the NFL has trended back to zone as it always bounces back and forth. That doesn’t mean Bowles knows how to run zone or has the players to run it.
You’re not that interesting or insightful with you comments saying, “Seattle runs zone” – I know.
March 16th, 2026 at 3:53 pm
@Rod
You’re worse than aqualung 🤣
Who said Todd’s zone is amazing ?
Argue the points instead of trying to be cute.
2002 Bucs ALSO ran zone primarily…2020 the Bucs ran primarily zone (40% or less both) 🙄
Who is it that has no idea what they’re watching again ?