USA Today Not Overly Impressed With Bucs Defense (For Now)
July 1st, 2026
Bucs coach Todd Bowles.
For football fans, summer brings that awful, hollow word “hope.” And for the Bucs, that’s no different.
July starts today, which means training camp is around the corner, and the defense of the Bucs seemed to have received a Bronx cheer from Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz of USA Today.
Middlehurst-Schwartz decided to rank each defense and he seemed to be talking out of both sides of his mouth. The Bucs defense looks “solid,” he says, but he gave the Bucs defense a ranking that is anything but solid.
Oh, make no mistake, Joe has issues with the Bucs defense. Joe just thought it was wild that Middlehurst-Schwartz thinks a “solid” defense can be ranked No. 21.
21. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Things look mostly solid for Tampa Bay, which addressed its glaring concern of subpar second-level athleticism by bringing linebacker Alex Anzalone aboard. But it won’t take much to send Todd Bowles’ group to another disappointing finish. Losing Jamel Dean reduces the secondary’s margin for error greatly, with neither Zyon McCollum nor Benjamin Morrison having proven sufficiently reliable at cornerback. If rookie Rueben Bain Jr. can’t propel the pass rush, things could come unglued for a collection of players that repeatedly lost their composure in the red zone, finishing with a league-worst conversion allowed rate of nearly 70%.
If the defense doesn’t improve, it could send the team circling the drain in January, which also likely woud send the Bucs into an offseason of chaos.
Joe’s first issue is what is happening at corner? Joe thinks it is a no-brainer to move Jacob Parrish to outside corner. Parrish has practiced during underwear football season largely at outside corner. On the record, however, Bucs coach Todd Bowles keeps talking about Parrish possibly staying at nickel.
If that is the case, your two outside corners tasked to stop Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins Week 1 in Cincinnati will be Benjamin Morrison, who can’t stay healthy, and bored Zyon McCollum.
Fun times!
Then there is the fact the Bucs are banking on rookies on each level of the defense to play like veterans. One guy (Rueben Bain), Joe can see. Maybe Josiah Trotter could be a stud off the bat at inside linebacker.
Then there is Keionte Scott. Joe suspects common sense will reign and Parrish will be put at outside corner and Scott will succeed Parrish at nickel. There again, you are hoping another rookie plays like a veteran.
For three rookies to blow up, well, that’s a roll of the dice, and Joe reckons that is exactly what the Bucs will need.
Little margin for error here.
July 1st, 2026 at 9:46 am
Defense ranking 21st is likely a good call for their ceiling. Let’s not forget who the defensive coordinator is.
July 1st, 2026 at 9:46 am
There are going to be a lot of new faces on D-and each one of them should be better than the player prior in that role. Yes, the Putrid Pass Defense has to be the most important thing on this team that must be improved and should be. These new guys all seem to be serious about being intense and they are not washed-up Loafers. Go BUCS!!!
July 1st, 2026 at 9:48 am
We know the defensive masturmind Genis has things under control. His track record these last 4 seasons speaks for itself. He went into the lab last offseason and fixed the defense. The results really showed in that climactic 9 game finish to last season.
The Glazers and Jason kept Todd because he gets the results they deserve.
Mike Evans knows.
July 1st, 2026 at 9:50 am
Toilet Bowles will have this defense ready to play, can the Bucs win a game? maybe maybe not
July 1st, 2026 at 9:59 am
Good write up Joe. I’m with you on all this. For me, the biggest defensive concern is Trotter in coverage. Roseboom seems invisible, is he hurt?
July 1st, 2026 at 10:00 am
The team is better on paper then the 6-2 team from last season…Mike Evans who, what ? I think he’s in San Fran not sure, he’s not on my team! Hell i dont know ,that 49ers team is really, really good they win win, win, im not sure if the won a SB lately though, how could they not with that excellent coaching staff! Maybe the injury bug got em! Go Bucs!
July 1st, 2026 at 10:06 am
Prescription strength imbecillin at work ^^^^^
July 1st, 2026 at 10:16 am
Why would anyone be impressed with our defense???
Our Defense is terrible until proven otherwise.
And Bowles’ scheme and defensive playcalling are terrible until proven otherwise.
The last few seasons have to be erased by good play and playcalling. We shall see if that happens or not.
July 1st, 2026 at 10:29 am
The Eagles Super Bowl team had 4 rookies contribute significantly to their Defense and all played well in the playoffs:
Quinyon Mitchell
Cooper DeJean
Jalyx Hunt
Jeremiah Trotter Jr
There’s no reason ( maybe Joe’s anxiety) the Bucs’ rookies won’t have good seasons this year and I think the team’s Defensive Talent has been upgraded significantly.
July 1st, 2026 at 10:31 am
Who is? Should have fired him
July 1st, 2026 at 10:32 am
5-12.
July 1st, 2026 at 11:00 am
Buc1987 Says:
5-12
^^^^^
Yep. 5-12
July 1st, 2026 at 11:25 am
He has been invisible for a reason. Excused absense from minicamp for personal reasons.
July 1st, 2026 at 12:14 pm
USA Today? Ok… I guess they are still a thing.
Go Bucs!
July 1st, 2026 at 1:54 pm
Being ranked number 21 is a vast improvement over how the defense finished last year. I don’t think that any player who started on defense last year should wear a C on their jersey this year!