Fix It, Or Be Gone
April 7th, 2026
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BY IRA KAUFMAN
You won’t be able to identify the 2026 Buc defense without a roster card. That’s a good thing.
A unit that failed to make critical stops during last year’s 2-7 meltdown has been overhauled during the offseason. The upcoming draft will add to this renovation project as Todd Bowles tries to atone for a defensive breakdown that triggered a slew of staff changes.
Marcus West comes over from Buffalo to coach the defensive line. Rashad Johnson was promoted to replace Kevin Ross as cornerbacks coach and Tim Atkins will oversee the safeties following the retirement of Nick Rapone. Todd Bowles Jr. has been named a defensive assistant.
Those are some of the ch-ch-ch-ch-changes on the staff, but those are hardly the only alterations Buc fans will see on the defensive side of the ball.
Gone.
Lavonte David has retired and Logan Hall joins Houston’s dominant defensive front. Jamel Dean is now a Steeler and SirVocea Dennis is ticketed for a backup role at One Buc Place. Haason Reddick is still waiting for a contract somewhere else as a free agent.
That means you’ll see at least five new defensive starters this fall — six if you count injury-prone Calijah Kancey.
“We thought we had to make a few tweaks,” Bowles says. “We got different and we got better.”
This was more than a tweak. This was a painful recognition that the 2025 defense fell woefully short of meeting winning standards. The 4-man pass rush couldn’t get there and the blitzes Bowles dialed up rarely fazed opposing quarterbacks, putting extraordinary strain on the secondary.
Bowles thought he had his defensive issues resolved a year ago, after the 2024 Bucs yielded at least 23 points in 10 of 18 games.
Todd Bowles
“We’ve finally come up with something that we feel like is a successful formula for our defense going forward this year and tweaking a few things,” Bowles said last spring. “I’m excited about that.”
There’s that darned “tweaking’ word again.
Any excitement Bowles felt about his 2025 defense disappeared after the bye week, when opponents averaged 26 points per game. That includes matchups against Arizona, New Orleans, Atlanta, Carolina (twice) and Miami — five clubs that finished in the bottom 10 of NFL scoring.
The Bucs have added bulk and physicality to the defensive tackle position. Alex Anzalone will be an upgrade on Dennis and the Bucs will be seeking David’s successor in the draft. As far as edge rush help, a glaring need, Tampa Bay is hoping untested David Walker can make an impact.
Don’t expect the cavalry to arrive in the form of Maxx Crosby. That’s not happening — unless the Bucs can convince the Raiders to trade their elite pass rusher without demanding Tampa Bay’s 2027 first-round pick in return.
Will five or six new starters tilt this defense toward the middle of the pack? It can happen, but only if Bowles and his new coaches also take a new approach.
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. This defense is broke. Fix it, or be gone.
April 7th, 2026 at 4:23 pm
Toad should have been gone the offseason of 2025, with Coen the Coach of your Tampa Bay Buccaneers. I waiver between saying the Glazers are “too loyal” or “too stupid.”
April 7th, 2026 at 4:25 pm
Good article Ira.
Fix it or be gone is extremely apt.
I’ve been down on you Ira but then you pull off an article like this and totally redeem yourself!
April 7th, 2026 at 4:33 pm
He should already be gone. The Glazers are just too smitten.
This guy was forced upon us by BA at a time of the offseason it was too late to find someone else.
The results have been disastrous. Thirty six and thirty six. 1-3 in the playoffs.
I don’t buy that they’ll move on after 2026. He’s signed for three more seasons.
And that contract is cheap. Glazer kids would rather lose and have more cash.
April 7th, 2026 at 4:38 pm
B.A., you won us a championship then did us dirty !!! HAHA
April 7th, 2026 at 4:46 pm
More than anything else we need guys who are sure tacklers. Second, we need to limit how often we drop defensive linemen into pass coverage. Third, we need to quit giving receivers 10-15 yard cushions.
Personally, I doubt Bowlzo can fix this team. I think the whole team will simply quit on him again like they did last year.
April 7th, 2026 at 4:55 pm
HE SHOULD ALREADY BE GONE!
#TeamDelusional
April 7th, 2026 at 5:09 pm
Can’t fix injuries
April 7th, 2026 at 5:38 pm
Fix it or begone! You’ve got to tell it like it is Ira. Gotta coach it better and gotta play it better won’t work as an explanation for poor play this year.