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.
April 7th, 2026 at 5:53 pm
Can’t be fixed until he is gone.
April 7th, 2026 at 6:26 pm
LOL Begone Bowzo. Can’t put lipstick on this pig.
April 7th, 2026 at 6:32 pm
By the end of last season I’d of been fine with keeping Vea, Diaby, Kancey, Parrish and Smith on the defense. And that’s it. For a number of reasons we have to keep more than that. But 5 or 6 new starters, or 7, will at least be exciting to watch. And Sage. Good article but I listened to my favorite podcast this morning and somebody needs to refresh our Joe about having a few “leaders” on this defense. He couldn’t be more wrong about the value of leadership as a trait worth possessing. You should call him on it. The discussion about its value will reveal what we’ve been missing.
April 7th, 2026 at 6:38 pm
Slight tweak??? lol. This team is trash. Enough is enough. Seattle made a change and saw major improvement. GB same. Even with in our division they improved. Bucs are going no where next season. Skipping 2026
April 7th, 2026 at 6:44 pm
Too little, too late.
And every assistant is a guy who was fired from a prior position or could not find a better gig.
This is no longer a franchise on the rise.
3rd & 28. 4th & 14. Sub .500 Coach. Bored losers on Defense.
April 7th, 2026 at 6:51 pm
Would love to hear the Glazers at the mic say “fix it or be gone” so it’s crystal clear to all.
10-7 or kick rocks.
April 7th, 2026 at 6:55 pm
On a side note. I would draft Ty Simpson. Let Baker play out his final year. No way I d give him 55 mil a year. It will cripple our teams future. Get Simpson and he can play on his rookie deal for 4 years with a 5th year team option like Brock Purdy did. Look at the teams in the playoffs. Many had young QBs. With the money you save you can build a heck of a team for all the money you’ll save on a rookie deal.
April 7th, 2026 at 6:57 pm
The results have been disastrous? 1-3 in the playoffs? That means we made the playoffs 3 out of 4 years, right? How in the hell is that disastrous??? And we’ve been eliminated because of injuries and still fought through tons of injuries almost every season. The last season we ended very healthy was the Super Bowl one. If we could stay 100% healthy we’d go deep into the playoffs every single year.
That’s not even remotely disastrous. Picking up Baker and last year’s draft were both absolute GENIUS moves. Last year’s draft was brain-shatteringly amazing. We started a 7th round pick for most of the year and he was GOOD for heaven’s sake! Yeesh.
April 7th, 2026 at 7:02 pm
Disastrous is 10 consecutive seasons of 5 wins or less. Which is where we are going if we get rid of BAKER OR LICHT. Or Todd unless a truly amazing coach like McVay was coming here. Not Mike Tomlin. No coach that has been available is even an upgrade. So stop it.
April 7th, 2026 at 7:15 pm
I’ll point out again that Jason Licht tied his career path to Todd Bowles with the extension they did a year ago. That was a mistake. I like Jason Licht but he has some weaknesses. For whatever reason we have been good at drafting O-Line and receivers all along during Licht’s tenure. We were horrible at drafting Running Backs for awhile but now that seems like a strength. We still have trouble with corners but there does seem to be some light at the end of the tunnel. Safeties seem good. Defensive line is a giant problem and ever since Devin White exploded Lavonte has been carrying the LBs. He was good enough to pull that off for a bit last year age caught up.
We’ll see. Personally I think the whole thing is going to get flushed next year.
April 7th, 2026 at 7:24 pm
How do u fix crap drafting and
Lack of talent ?
April 7th, 2026 at 7:26 pm
I thought Anzalone was David’s replacement, not Dennis. We need a MLB, Rodriguez needs to be the pick.
April 7th, 2026 at 7:34 pm
This team is so bipolar. It’s like the Cleveland Browns. They’re just as bipolar.
April 7th, 2026 at 7:41 pm
Well said Ira! Nice work!
April 7th, 2026 at 7:42 pm
RodMunch says the defense was great last year. He also liked the 4th string OG’s and special teams.
April 7th, 2026 at 8:05 pm
Final 6 weeks of the season, with the playoffs on the line…
Bucs defense, points against: 10th
Bucs offense, points scored: 28th
April 7th, 2026 at 8:13 pm
Great article, Ira! You seem skeptical that we’re any better. I agree. It doesn’t feel that way – at all! Calling it a “tweak” is mind boggling. He went nuclear and we are still worse off – because of him. While he should be gone (I personally think before last season, let alone after), he’s out of time and excuses. Put up or shut up time.
Speaking of shut up, Ira just shut up Rod Munch and Lakeland’s nonsense giving Bowles a pass.
April 7th, 2026 at 8:18 pm
“ 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.”
STRAIGHT. UP. PATHETIC.
Buffalos D was TURRIBLE against the run. The rest were coaches of the lousy D here, and the last thing we need is more Bowles.
April 7th, 2026 at 9:05 pm
Guards out due to season ending injury: 2
April 7th, 2026 at 9:21 pm
Robert … ‘On a side note. I would draft Ty Simpson.
I’m a huge Bama fan Robert, and trust me, Ty Simpson is nowhere near as good as Baker Mayfield.
April 7th, 2026 at 9:29 pm
Ira pointed out the “tweak” word, inferring that it’s something we’ve heard before that has led to zero results.
I read the Bowles’ statement, “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,” and immediately focused on the word “finally”. Bowles implicitly agrees that nothing he has done has worked and that he BELEIVES (hopes?) the “tweaks” to the defense make a difference.
I’m not one of those who drone on post after post about how bad Bowles is and how the Bucs should have fired him after this season, if not before. That said, the “finally” word along with the words “feel like” sounds desperate, like someone trying to sell a load of bull that is unproven but will let him keep his job for the year. Bowles is here to stay – at least for another year – and crying about spilt milk is for losers.
Hopefully, those were not the words he used to the Glazers and the ones they bought-in on. I think the additions show some promise but the proof will be in the pudding soon enough. The subtractions are pretty devastating.
As always, I will remain hopeful and optimistic. This is my team. I will always support them. Good, bad or somewhere in between, I’ll always cheer them on.
April 7th, 2026 at 9:32 pm
Obviously they are a year, likely 2 years late on canning Todd but credit to Ira for at least seeing it now. This fix it or be gone line is more than he’s given us in the past 6 months.
Bucs D opponents last 6 weeks of season… Quinn Ewers, Tyler Shough, Bryce Young, Kirk Cousins. Congrats guys, how many turnovers did we force?
Now Rod, show the numbers the first 8 weeks before Baker and Brederson were hurt. I’ll wait.
April 7th, 2026 at 9:39 pm
Robert said – “Look at the teams in the playoffs. Many had young QBs. With the money you save you can build a heck of a team for all the money you’ll save on a rookie deal.”
With the money you save you could rent one stud pass rusher who may or may not be another Hassan Reddick or an injury away from being another huge waste.
Baker is still a top 10 QB and I guarantee you that the Raiders would gladly trade their #1 pick straight up for him. Ty Simpson? He’s not worth a Geno Smith at this point!
No team in the NFL goes anywhere without a competent QB. Gambling on a rookie is a sure-fire way to another lost decade. Heck, even with the #1 pick you have no guarantees. Just ask Jameis Winston!
Today’s $55 million is last year’s $45 million and the year before’s $35 million.
April 7th, 2026 at 9:40 pm
What’s worse than 1 Bowles umm 🤔 2 Bowles. Now he has his son coaching. This defense is going to be a disaster. I am predicting last in the league this year.
April 7th, 2026 at 9:50 pm
Scotty Mack: Your point is kind of the whole point. As for me, I’m betting on the Bucs offense and Baker. Bowles and his defense are just going to have to keep up!
April 7th, 2026 at 10:05 pm
Yep. It’s always easier to changeout 20 people than 1.
It was everyone else’s fault.
::FACEPALM::
April 7th, 2026 at 10:25 pm
Be gone Bowles!
April 7th, 2026 at 10:41 pm
Should’ve hired a dc….but oh well, last year here….wash year
April 7th, 2026 at 10:54 pm
Licht included!
-David
April 8th, 2026 at 12:03 am
MudtfromSaintP has said so much that, if it had mass, would be shoveled into a landfill. Bottom line – knowing about football has nothing to do with knowing how to lead a winning organization, especially when it comes to correcting defects (mistakes) and making adjustments that actually result in performance improvements.
BA was one of those winning leaders. TB reported to him and got a lot more credit for the success of the defense than he deserved. No BA, and it like taking the training wheel off a bicycle and watching a poor kid repeatedly fall over and over and over.
April 8th, 2026 at 12:15 am
Agree ASH. The Glazer’s inability to see the shortcomings in the coaching and continually inconsistent performances of this team over the last 4 years has been baffling. Believe the only thing that’s kept Todd in his seat is the voices of support he has in BA, Quarles, Dungy, Licht, and others that feed the Glazers misguided hope that Todd will improve. It’s not happening. Expecting to see Robinson as HC next season & a new DC with a fresh approach brought in (not surprised if it’s Morris).
April 8th, 2026 at 12:40 am
A different coach would not have gotten anything more out of the defense than Bowles did. They were pretty good down the stretch. I wish they would have played better earlier in the season and not given up so many huge plays. But you get things like that trying to start a 5th round pick linebacker. Not everything is going to work out as planned.
April 8th, 2026 at 1:55 am
A different coach could have most definitely gotten 11-6 minimum out of the 2025 Bucs but it wouldn’t have made a difference to the shade of maroon.
April 8th, 2026 at 2:46 am
Rod Munch Says:
April 7th, 2026 at 8:05 pm
Final 6 weeks of the season, with the playoffs on the line…
Bucs defense, points against: 10th
Bucs offense, points scored: 28th
^^^^^^^^
This was when Bowles was “helping out” the offense. Yes, Todd Bowles “helped” ruin the offense, too.
April 8th, 2026 at 6:33 am
Rod Munch Says:
April 7th, 2026 at 8:05 pm
Final 6 weeks of the season, with the playoffs on the line…
Bucs defense, points against: 10th
Bucs offense, points scored: 28th
Cherry picked stats like that may seem valid (why just the last six games and not last 7, 9, 11 …?). What Munch does not point out is that all 5 of those teams ranked in the bottom 10 in points scored (Bucs played Carolina twice). Yeah, I would hope the defense looked better against the worst offensive teams in the NFL than they did when playing better offenses. (e.g. if he had gone back 7 games when the Rams put up 34 on the Bucs or 8 games when the Bills pummeled the Bucs D for 44 points.)
Conversely, only two of those teams were in the bottom ten in defense and the Bucs won one of those games.
April 8th, 2026 at 9:26 am
Sptmatt..Don’t waste your energy on these buffoons
April 8th, 2026 at 1:37 pm
Man, I’d hate to be on that HOT SEAT Bowles is occupying. It’s sizzling. I would say over 60% of Buc fans are disappointed the Glazers decided to keep him. And if he comes out of the gate losing? The cheers of Boos from fans are going to be louder than the noise of an F15 jet. It’s truly do-or-die for Bowles. I wish him luck. He is going to need it and more…..
April 8th, 2026 at 1:41 pm
Well said Ira. If we can get some studs in the draft then I think he can fix it. When Bowles was just the DC and had the right players I liked his defense. Since suh shaq JPP LVD have all grown to old to make a diff the defense has gone to 💩
April 8th, 2026 at 9:57 pm
It’s a question of personnel and injuries, not coaching. This same coach won us the Super Bowl on defense, remember? Man, what a bunch of short memories and thanklessness.
You’re right, shouldn’t waste the energy on these peeps. They don’t appreciate anything and don’t even know when they have it good. It can even be great soon with a couple more holes filled on defense and HEALTH.
April 8th, 2026 at 10:06 pm
This is the epitome of keep trying to fix something until it’s broken.
April 8th, 2026 at 10:34 pm
“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,”
Defensive coordinators on the other side of 60 years old don’t suddenly have an epiphany and change their approach.
Bowles is that guy that always thinks he’s the smartest guy in the room. He’s out to prove the fans wrong, but he only ends up over scheming the defense and has players out of position all over the field.
Every single season has been a carbon copy of the last, only last year he didnt have the offensive coordinator on staff that could overcome the Bowles defensive turd laying.
April 9th, 2026 at 6:05 am
Overscheming? Or are players simply biting on play action or misdirection and vacating their zones? Or are they following the flow of a play instead of staying home only to have a player cut back into their vacated zone? I’ve seen all of these multiple times throughout last season. People trying to be the hero instead of doing their job.