Charlie Strong Calls Rueben Bain A Steal, Talks Rookie’s Background
April 26th, 2026
One Todd Bowles offseason move was to oust his defensive line coach Charlie Strong, the longtime college head coach.
Why the Bucs hired Strong is unclear, but that’s a story for another day. Strong, though, has no hard feelings and was excited by the Bucs’ selection of Miami Maulder edge rusher Rueben Bain in Round 1.
“They could not have gotten a better steal for them,” Strong told The JP Peterson Show. “He’s an elite player. Unbelievable.
“You know, we get into the character issues with him; there’s no character issues with him. I know him. I know his family. There’s no alcohol or drugs involved.”
Strong was at the University of Miami as the Hurricanes co-defensive coordinator & linebackers coach in 2022. Bain arrived in 2023 and Strong was part of Bain’s recruitment process. He explained that Bain went to a Strong academic high school that did not have a football program, so he was allowed to play at famed Miami Central High nearby.
Strong went on to rave about Bain’s work ethic and he talked about how Bucs defensive tackle Calijah Kancey and Bain have a strong relationship.
Bain had a strong home life with his mother working for law enforcement and his father owning a business, Strong said, and his uncle played for the University of Miami.
Strong said he is surprised the Dolphins, Cowboys and Commanders didn’t pick Bain.
April 26th, 2026 at 10:19 am
Dumb luck ā¦
Extremely fortunate to have him on our team now!
Extremely fortunate!
April 26th, 2026 at 10:32 am
Hereās a clean list of the players explicitly called a āstealā in the early 2026 draft coverage I found:
ā¢ Reuben Bain Jr., EDGE, Miami[cbssports]
ā¢ Makai Lemon, WR, USC[espn +1]
ā¢ Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, S, Toledo[pff]
ā¢ CJ Allen, LB, Georgia[pff]
ā¢ Avieon Terrell, CB, Clemson[pff]
ā¢ Cashius Howell, ED, Texas A&M[pff]
ā¢ Brandon Cisse, CB, South Carolina[pff]
ā¢ Chris Bell, WR, Louisville[pff]
ā¢ DeāZhaun Stribling, WR, Oklahoma State[sharpfootballanalysis]
ā¢ Romello Height, EDGE, USC[sharpfootballanalysis]
ā¢ Kaelon Black, RB, Virginia Tech[sharpfootballanalysis]
ā¢ Carver Willis, OG, Kansas State[sharpfootballanalysis]
ā¢ J.C. Davis, OT, Illinois[sharpfootballanalysis]
ā¢ Jack Kelly, LB, BYU[sharpfootballanalysis]
ā¢ Chase Bisontis, G, Texas A&M[sharpfootballanalysis]
ā¢ Jayden Williams, OT, Indiana State[sharpfootballanalysis]
Seems only half the picks were called āsteals.ā At least we were on the half that was ā¦
Yeah, the whole draft process is fun, but the only given is there is no given.
April 26th, 2026 at 10:35 am
All right, we lost a couple of key pieces in offseason and we picked up a few with high potential. We haven’t lost any games yet, so I’m feeling pretty positive. I do think the defense is going to be much improved this year and will be playing with much more attitude. Aggressive! Mean! LFG!!!
April 26th, 2026 at 10:36 am
talk about luck- put him in bubble wrap till september he can learn one on the job and not blow a knee out
April 26th, 2026 at 10:38 am
You use the word āstrongā 12 times in that article, Joe
April 26th, 2026 at 10:39 am
GMs are actually wizards that can read minds
April 26th, 2026 at 10:50 am
We lost Hall who had a decent season, Reddick, who had an unremarkable season, and Dean who had a great season. We still have Vos, who had a rough season. It has also been said that Zyon had a bad year. So are Zyon, Reddick and Vos the reason why we lost 7 of our last 8 games and couldnāt stop anyone? We could have Leroy Selmon and Simeon rice on the edges with Brooks and Nickerson in their prime with Barber and Aquib at the corners. But if Bowles was running the defense, it would be just like it was last season, nonexistent!
April 26th, 2026 at 10:55 am
All three of those teams will regret not picking Bain
The Bucs should send them all a Thank you card
Bain will let the whole NFL who he is by end of season
BAIN BEAST IN FULL EFFECT!!!!
April 26th, 2026 at 10:58 am
Said it before but Bain was the one player I really wanted but was sure he would be gone – and was thrilled when the Saints passed on him. Did NOT want him in our division. Getting him on our Team was a pipe dream – and I was yelling at my TV for Licht not to mess this up. Still canāt believe we got him. Most impactful defensive player in this draft imo. Steal!!
April 26th, 2026 at 10:59 am
Bain was the guy I wanted in the whole draft. What dumb luck to get him. The rest….who?
April 26th, 2026 at 10:59 am
His short 31 inch arm length turned everyone off. No Edge has with his arm length has had 10 sack since 2003. Stats do not lie. But donāt worry, we have the smartest guy in the room making our picks. Licht will prove everyone wrong. ā¦I hope!
April 26th, 2026 at 11:06 am
LFGBucs Says:
April 26th, 2026 at 10:59 am
His short 31 inch arm length turned everyone off. No Edge has with his arm length has had 10 sack since 2003. Stats do not lie. But donāt worry, we have the smartest guy in the room making our picks. Licht will prove everyone wrong. ā¦I hope!
Typical sarcasm from a clueless so called fan
April 26th, 2026 at 11:06 am
Stick the arm length negative narrative. This guy can ball and is a bad man. Can single handedly turn this Putrid Pass Defense around. Great pic and great intended off-season to improve that issue.
April 26th, 2026 at 11:08 am
Short arm length really stopped him from destroying many of the top lineman in college football huh? Guess all his production was as dumb luck? Did you see him play or are you just looking at a measuring tape? Dude was a beast in college at the highest level. Wonder how he did that with short arms? Hmmmā¦
April 26th, 2026 at 11:12 am
Be careful folks. Every year the NFL slips a little something into the water. Last year the Bucs fans got a little extra. Remember how that worked out ?
Until I see signs that aside from special teams the defense undergoes some basic changes in philosophy I ain’t drinkin’ the water. You know who is still the HC and DC and calling plays. Don’t forget the history of plays and games that caused hysteria in Bucs nation. NEVER forget “I had nothing to do with that !”. Don’t have amnesia.
April 26th, 2026 at 11:14 am
Those short arms REALLY hurting Goedeke
April 26th, 2026 at 11:15 am
I am so disappointed that Charlie Strong somewhere lost his coaching talent, or maybe like others, the game has just passed him by. (Gee, who else might that have happened to who still has two full time critical Bucs coaching jobs?)
April 26th, 2026 at 11:16 am
Dont get all upset. The season hasnāt started yet. And having an opinion as to why he dropped and other teams passed on him doesnāt mean I donāt want him to succeed. Bain is a high energy guy. And I hope all other GMās are wrong.
April 26th, 2026 at 11:21 am
Reuben Bain started at Miami Central High School
They won 4 straight Championships, lt was 4A or 3A
He had 77 sacks during his 4 seasons at Central
He had 83 pressures last season at Miami
That’s why l was skeptical of Akheem Mesidor
He got a lot of sacks because of Bain pressures
Bain is a experienced pass rusher
He has played against top competition, from Central to Miami
April 26th, 2026 at 11:25 am
LFG, we’re hoping half the GM’s were wrong. Because no way was he making it past us and not getting picked immediately.
April 26th, 2026 at 11:26 am
Lakeland, I was thinking the same and fearing that if we actually ended up picking mesidor. That much of his success came from playing on the same line as Bain. We got the alpha no doubt.
April 26th, 2026 at 11:28 am
’74,
April 26th, 2026 at 11:28 am
His allegedly short arms will make a living sacking a long Penix.
April 26th, 2026 at 11:28 am
’74, I’ve said elsewhere that the NFL tackles obviously came from college. And Bain has shown that he can play at the highest level at college against some of the tackles that are going to be in the league. So I never understood that argument.
April 26th, 2026 at 11:30 am
No one knows if any player will succeed in the NFL. Evaluations are nothing more than opinions. All the young “grasshoppers” need a Master Po. I seriously don’t see him anywhere on the coaching staff.
Monte Kiffin fit the bill and the playas recognized that. They want and need that. Deep down inside they yearn for that. Disappointment and disillusion may have led to the “quit” in the team last year.
April 26th, 2026 at 11:30 am
Bain can also line up all over – find the mismatch(s) to exploit. Who to double? Ferocious D-Line opens up wide open lanes for blitzers. Bucs are much improved team today than a week ago.
April 26th, 2026 at 11:36 am
THE ATLANTIC called the pick of Bain one of the three best picks of the entire draft. Short arms–irrelevant because Bowles scheme moves his lineman around and Bain likely will lineup inside as much as outside. They consider the Bucs and Browns to have been on top of the draft and Carolina on the bottom.
April 26th, 2026 at 11:38 am
Yaya Diaby has long arms, he has 4.51 speed, he’s 6’3 265 lbs of muscles
He has the talent to beat Tackles, and he beat them a lot
But he don’t have the knowledge of sacking the QB
He miss 5-6 sacks a year, because he can’t finish the job
It will be interesting with Yaya, Bain, Muhammad coming off the edge
And we can run more packages now
We can shift from 3-4 to 4-3 without substitution
We have the personnel to run more dime packages
April 26th, 2026 at 11:39 am
Come to think of it, disappointment and disillusion seem to me to be the likely cause for Mike jumping ship.
April 26th, 2026 at 11:45 am
Bain dropped to us not because they liked other edges MORE, we knew Reese and Baily would likely go first. 3 OT’s and 2 QB’s went in that gap
April 26th, 2026 at 11:51 am
15 sacks wont win a SB..The 15 sacks won’t come unless they win in the trenches!
April 26th, 2026 at 11:52 am
The Bucs need to go shopping for a few good coaches.
April 26th, 2026 at 11:54 am
That’s why we beefed up in the trenches.
We added prime beef along the defensive line this off-season
And it will pay off big time
April 26th, 2026 at 11:55 am
Go get another glass of H2O Lakeland.
April 26th, 2026 at 11:57 am
Bain had 5 sacks in Canes 4 playoff games against best competition in college football -Nuff said.
April 26th, 2026 at 11:57 am
I thought they would have had to trade up. And i thought they should have. Until they didnt have to. His mentality is what soft tissue bowles needs!
April 26th, 2026 at 12:01 pm
Quoting high school stats again! ROTFLMAO!
My son is 25, he had a teammate in Middle School football who scored 50 touchdowns and had 110 rankles. Letās sign him as an UDFA.
April 26th, 2026 at 12:03 pm
Maybe Bowzo can stretch his arms.
April 26th, 2026 at 12:03 pm
Sal Volatile Says:
April 26th, 2026 at 11:52 am
The Bucs need to go shopping for a few good coaches.
We get it you donāt like Bowles. Most of us would agree.
He isnāt going anywhere at this moment. The constant Bowles bashing is nauseating. Letās see what happens this season.
April 26th, 2026 at 12:05 pm
We’ll see how it goes after hes smacked in the mouth by someone older then 20
April 26th, 2026 at 12:13 pm
Give us a story about the linebacker we got in the second, is he garbage or good? Is he apt to be better than Sirvovea denis
April 26th, 2026 at 12:19 pm
We don’t need a story about Josiah Trotter
He’s a beast, he’s a Green Dot MIKE LB
He calls the defense, he’s big, strong, physical, with a high football IQ
If you watched any of Missouri games, you wouldn’t need an article
April 26th, 2026 at 12:25 pm
#99 The Big Fella Says:
April 26th, 2026 at 12:03 pm
We get it you donāt like Bowles.
^^^^^
Wrong !! I’ve said many times that I like Bowles. I just think he isn’t doing a good job as HC and DC.
I believe he is stubborn and set in his ways and unable if not unwilling to adapt to the game and players of today.
I believe his pride and ego are ruling the day for him.
I believe he is unable to self-evaluate in an unbiased manner.
I believe he is incapable of change and unless someone intervenes and makes change for him the results of his performance will not change.
My beliefs are not personal or character related.
I do not judge Bowles.
It’s OK to ask for help Todd.
April 26th, 2026 at 12:27 pm
Arvell Reese has arms that are 5/8 of one inch longer than Bain. Let’s be real. Bain is a better player than the dude selected at 5. Nobody blinked an eye there. He’s a total projection at edge, and Bain just feasted. 15.5 TFLs and 9.5 sacks (vs 10 and 6.5). Dominated in the cfb playoffs, and coached up by a hall of famer.
What are we talking about? 5/8 of an inch? Put away the spreadsheets and measuring tape, let’s watch the actual games.
April 26th, 2026 at 12:32 pm
In many ways I believe Todd Bowles is too nice of a man to succeed as an NFL head coach. Loyalty to a fault can be a detriment.
April 26th, 2026 at 12:38 pm
Hey Munch,
You can call me a liar as many times as you want but most here know that you have been a defender of Bucs defense the last several years and have chosen to blame Baker for the Bucs shortcomings. Curious with your self promotion as an “analyst”, with emphasis on anal, that the Bucs went out of their way to draft defenders in 2026. You are an absolute fraud no matter how much you pretend otherwise.
April 26th, 2026 at 12:40 pm
I believe I have just stumbled into a soliloquy that perhaps I should myself heed.
April 26th, 2026 at 12:45 pm
Everyone is saying the defense stunk last season
And people are saying they quit on Todd Bowles
But, we will have a totally different defense this season
2 new starters on the D-Line ( Kancey don’t count )
3 new starters at LB, Inside and Outside Linebackers
1 new starting CB
We will have new backups at most positions on defense
April 26th, 2026 at 12:47 pm
Gipper just laid the wood to roddy. I tip my hat.
April 26th, 2026 at 12:51 pm
Hopefully he will be great talent for the new DC next season!
April 26th, 2026 at 12:55 pm
The message is loud and clear
If you loaf and quit in Tampa, you’re out the door
And it doesn’t matter what the fanbase think
April 26th, 2026 at 1:00 pm
It is funny to go back and read Aaron Donald’s draft profile reports from different sources and who thought he would work out and who did not.
All of the naysayers were about his to small measurables that he would not succeed. All the positive reviews were about the dog in him.
I see Donald as a fair comparison with Bain Jr this year.
Never know if it will work out but I see the ceiling on Bain as being so high. As high as being the 3rd DL of the Bucs to make the HOF. That’s a pretty worthwhile grab compared to who else was out there at the time.
April 26th, 2026 at 1:01 pm
Lakeland exhibits a degree of cluelessness.
April 26th, 2026 at 1:03 pm
Geno712 Says:
April 26th, 2026 at 1:00 pm
^^^^
You make a good point.
April 26th, 2026 at 1:03 pm
This reminds me of all the Kancey hype. He can’t even stay on the field.I don’t believe any hype on anyone until they prove it on the field at the NFL level. Not college.
April 26th, 2026 at 1:09 pm
What Geno said:
Aaron Donald
Pittsburgh DT
Prospect Grade
5.90
Average backup or special-teamer
Short, scrappy, instinctive, highly productive defensive lineman who does not look the part, but inspires confidence he can be an exception to the rule. Is the type you root for and has the quickness, athleticism and motor to earn a spot as a rotational three-technique in a fast-flowing 4-3 scheme.
Strengths
Quick off the snap. Natural leverage. Gets under pads and into gaps. Good foot athlete — redirects well and can work the edges and loop and stunt. Flexible enough to zone drop in short area. Plays with awareness and consistently locates the ball. Closes hard and fast. Keeps working to the ball. Disruptive penetrating ability. Outstanding career production — 63 TFL and 27.5 sacks the last three seasons. Tough and competitive. Team captain with terrific personal and football character.
Weaknesses
Marginal height and frame is nearly maxed out. Hands are more active than strong — could play with more pop and power. Overpowered in the run game and ground up by double teams. Gets snared and controlled by bigger, longer blockers. Not a two-gap player. Has some tweener traits — lacks ideal length and bend to play outside.