YaYa Diaby: New Additions To Defense Bring “Juice And Guts” And Most Importantly, Help
June 3rd, 2026
YaYa Diaby is stoked to finally have help.
Like anyone connected with the Bucs, they all hated to see Bucs icon Lavonte David go. But, Father Time called. That old SOB is undefeated.
The Bucs made a concerted effort to bring juice and muscle and passion and hitting back to the defense this offseason. Every guy the Bucs added on the defensive side of the ball brings a physical element or raises the energy, or just plain hits.
And YaYa Diaby isn’t complaining.
The last couple of years, YaYa has been a target of opposing offenses. With really no one else who can scare a quarterback on the other side of the field, offenses knew taking YaYa out likely meant their quarterback stayed upright.
As a result, YaYa saw a steady stream of chips, double-teams and sometimes even a triple-team here or there.
Now with all the additions to the front-seven the past few months, YaYa is almost daring teams to come after him. Because it will cost them.
“It takes the load off a little bit,” YaYa smiled about all the new defensive linemen the Bucs signed/drafted. “We [can] all can get after it.
“How can you block [Rueben] Bain, Vita [Vea], A’Shawn [Robinson], me and Calijah [Kancey]? You know, you can’t do it.
“So it’s gonna be super-exciting.”
Joe knows Todd Bowles is a three-man front guy through and through. But the one time Joe noticed Bowles made an effort to change, it was when the Bucs played in the Eagles in the playoffs on a Monday night. Bowles went to a five-man front and the Bucs defense locked up the Eagles.
Since the Bucs appear to have the horses to use a five-man front, why not try it? Like YaYa said, good luck keeping all five (YaYa, Vea, Kancey, Bain and Robinson) all out of the backfield.
What, does it make too much sense to try it, therefore Bowles won’t?
June 3rd, 2026 at 7:21 am
What, does it make too much sense to try it, therefore Bowles won’t?
Joe you absolutely love to get the trolls going. You can’t help yourself. Lol
June 3rd, 2026 at 7:35 am
What about David Walker? Just kidding. I think Roberts will also be a good contributor. I like the 5 or 4 man fronts sometimes. I’m really hoping Kancey can play a full season. With him, YaYa and Bain that’s almost scary
June 3rd, 2026 at 7:37 am
+
It seems like we have the pieces for a great defense, but Bowles will find a way to muck it up!!
June 3rd, 2026 at 7:42 am
I’m glad the Bucs have moved on from “old and soft”.
– Hall
– Dean
– LVD
– Gaines
3rd and 28.
Unacceptable…
June 3rd, 2026 at 7:43 am
Last year, Bowles was too busy “helping” ruin the offense to come up with any ideas of how to stop Kirk Cousins. Should that give anybody any faith that he has a clue?
June 3rd, 2026 at 8:08 am
How can they block you? When their qb sees the same soft zone coverage with 15 yard cushions for 4 quarters. You wont get many sacks no mayter Who you have.
Thats why yhe bucs were tops in the league with pressures. They know EXACTLY how long they have and they cherry pick where they want to go right before the pass rush hits home.
Thats why backup qbs look like Tom Brady against the Bucs.
Good luck!
June 3rd, 2026 at 8:11 am
OLDSCHOOL1976. “What about David Walker. Just kidding.” Just finished watching more of his film a couple weeks ago. You ain’t kidding, 1976. David Walker is no joke. And I’m not kidding.
June 3rd, 2026 at 8:12 am
Yaya is a solid player. And he has basically been operating as the man on our defensive line. With the exception of a healthy and motivated Vita. Or a healthy Kancey. So it will be interesting to see him perhaps having a bit less attention given to him. If he can take advantage of that, he could easily be in line for a double-digit sack season.
June 3rd, 2026 at 8:12 am
Yaya is a solid player. And he has basically been operating as the man on our defensive line. With the exception of a healthy and motivated Vita. Or a healthy Kancey. So it will be interesting to see him perhaps having a bit less attention given to him. If he can take advantage of that, he could easily be in line for a double-digit sack season…
June 3rd, 2026 at 8:15 am
And Most Importantly, Help!!!!
But, but, but, …..it is negated by TB coming back as DC!!!
The Glazers Fear the Beard!!!
June 3rd, 2026 at 8:18 am
You need good players to make the whole thing work, it’s not rocket surgery folks. I got as pissed as everyone else watching this defense but the Bucs didn’t have the players. When they do the defense looks good. Houston uses a 5 man front because they have the players to it, now the Bucs may have the players to do it as well so we’ll see.
June 3rd, 2026 at 8:27 am
??????
June 3rd, 2026 at 8:35 am
I’d settle for a four man front. You know so your edge guys rush rather than drop in coverage?
June 3rd, 2026 at 8:42 am
Resident troll here. Back to enlighten you folks.
I’ve seen many posters argue that Bowles hasn’t been given the players needed to successfully run his scheme.
And those same people argue that Licht is one of the best GM’s in the NFL.
Both cannot be true. So which is it people???
I’m sure you all are aware of my opinions regarding the “brain trust”.
The results are in and the results really suck.
June 3rd, 2026 at 8:58 am
“Joe knows Todd Bowles is a three-man front guy through and through. But the one time Joe noticed Bowles made an effort to change, it was when the Bucs played in the Eagles in the playoffs on a Monday night. Bowles went to a five-man front and the Bucs defense locked up the Eagles.”
No he’s not a 3-man front guy lol, and we’ve used 5-man fronts as part of a bear sub-package on early downs for YEARS.
June 3rd, 2026 at 9:23 am
LnychMob50…AKA, “Results”.
June 3rd, 2026 at 9:28 am
Love it
LM50 !
The Emperor has No Clothes
and the local media is blinded by their access to OBP !
Liam Coen .. should be entering his second season as Bucs head coach!
June 3rd, 2026 at 9:56 am
Joe … ‘But the one time Joe noticed Bowles made an effort to change, it was when the Bucs played in the Eagles in the playoffs on a Monday night. Bowles went to a five-man front and the Bucs defense locked up the Eagles.’
Bowles doesn’t seem to use 5-man fronts all that often, but he does use them. It’s the 4-man fronts that I’m hoping to see a LOT more of, with 1-2 blitzers thrown in periodically to keep the offense ‘honest’. This is the first year since 2021 that I feel Todd has the defensive TALENT to make his schemes work. I’m expecting this defense … with Todd Bowles in charge … to rise back into the Top-10 this year.
June 3rd, 2026 at 10:35 am
Yeah but if the receiver is open cuz the cb is bored they wont touch the qb. SMH it’s s Bucs life.
June 3rd, 2026 at 10:49 am
Very happy with the investment in the front 7.
June 3rd, 2026 at 11:20 am
Lynch we have been victims of our own success. With making the playoffs almost every year, we never have a pick early enough to land a top tier DE/OLB to make the scheme go. When you pick one later (outside the top 5 or 10) you can either get an athlete with potential or someone that produced in college but is a much lower tier athlete. That turns those picks into crapshoots.
We got lucky enough that someone dropped from what should have been a top 5 pick all the way to us this year. That doesn’t happen very often. Dunno why I am explaining this to you again but this means it’s not Licht’s or Bowles’s faults. It’s simply being a good football team and how draft seeding works.
June 3rd, 2026 at 11:49 am
Talk in cheap YaYa. Let’s see if you can go out and earn your extension this year. Hopefully YaYa will be GaGa in February 2027.
June 3rd, 2026 at 11:51 am
Yaya will be an ex-Buccaneer soon. He is a lot of hype and no delivery. Like Hall. Like SVD. Like McCollum.
They talk about how the new guys bring energy. Why didn’t they?
No love for anyone on 2025 team whose poor play cannot be attributed to injuries.
3rd and 28. 4th and 14. Does anyone have the names of the defenders who were on the field for those two plays???? Would love to commit them to memory.
June 3rd, 2026 at 12:07 pm
Its still risky to go 2 linebackers imo
June 3rd, 2026 at 12:23 pm
Jose, please, you can count on one hand the number of times Disappeary was double teamed last season.
June 3rd, 2026 at 2:18 pm
This place is good for quick news and I appreciate that. But man, the negativity in here has gotten so bad it makes reading most of the comments so depressing.
I just don’t see how someone’s life can be so miserable that they come in here daily just to bash the Bucs. So sad.
June 3rd, 2026 at 3:02 pm
The Pom Pom pollies are so cute. Twocoach is like Mr Magoo driving the bus straight off a cliff. And they cheer Yaya! My team no matter what! Don’t ever change Todd! You be you!
What a crock.
June 3rd, 2026 at 3:41 pm
The Snowflake Sallies are so cute. Twocoach is like Mr Magoo driving the bus straight off a cliff. And they cheer Yay!! My team no matter what! Don’t ever change Todd! You be you! Don’t be negative! Ignore 2-7 and 4th and 14!
What a load.
June 3rd, 2026 at 5:20 pm
Its pointless to believe – or even hope – that Bowles will do anything other than what he’s always done.
He won’t change a thing and we’ll continue to get the mediocre results that we always get. Its who he is.