A’Shawn Robinson Talks “Locked In” Bucs Defense
August 4th, 2026
A’Shawn Robinson
Defensive tackle A’Shawn Robinson is one guy the Bucs signed in the offseason to add toughness, accountability and nastiness to their defense.
He’s an intense 10-year veteran of a whopping 160 NFL games, including postseason and a Super Bowl win. Robinson is no Swaggy Baker, the Bucs’ bust free agent defensive tackle in 2017. Robinson is about winning and getting everyone around him on the same page.
Joe caught up with Robinson for a 1-on-1 chat at training camp and found a guy who likes what he sees from the new look Tampa Bay defense.
“Intensity is high. Everyone is holding each other accountable,” Robinson said. “Coach tells us what the standard is and we make sure we keep it there day in and day out, no matter what we’re doing.”
Joe pushed Robinson to talk about what makes this Bucs defense stand out.
“They’re locked in as a whole, as a unit, as a team. We know exactly what it is,” Robinson said. “We come out here to compete, to push one other, to make sure that we hold it to the utmost standard. Like you can’t be here lackadaisical thinking one side is better than the other. No. We got to make sure we push each other.”
Back in April, Panthers head coach Dave Canales had a private chat with Joe and explained how Robinson yearns to echo a head coach’s orders and to unite players.
Joe asked Robinson if that’s always come naturally to him. “No,” Johnson replied. “I had vets when I came in [to the NFL] like Haloti Ngata, Dwight Freeney and Ziggy Ansah telling me exactly what needs to be done and what coach’s message is and how we need to find an approach to dominate.”
Robinson added that Todd Bowles is “very clear with everything,” which makes him an easy to Coach to support.
“If one person messes up, players are on each other,” Robinson said. “Making sure we’re working toward something and not just working.”
Joe loves how Robinson is all about business. Joe asked him for perspective on the Vita Vea/Baker Mayfield contract squabbles.
Robinson had a simple reply that he said twice, “None of my business.”
August 4th, 2026 at 2:35 pm
“Working toward something and not just Working ” I like it.
August 4th, 2026 at 2:55 pm
Who is Johnson?
August 4th, 2026 at 2:55 pm
If Vea continues to hold out is A-Rob able to play NT?
Slide E-Rob into A-Rob’s place and play ball.
Vea won’t hold out longer than week 7 because he won’t be able to accrue a full NFL season if he does…
Maybe the Bucs just have to pay Vea $17M for 10 games in 2026 or we just trade him.
I would wait until there are a few DL injuries this preseason – then his value will skyrocket.
August 4th, 2026 at 2:55 pm
I need to see it
I just can’t believe it, we have 7 seasons of soft defense from Todd. Same scheme, same off coverage, same soft mindset
Bucs defense needs to show us
August 4th, 2026 at 3:14 pm
“If Vea continues to hold out is A-Rob able to play NT?”
Do more homework, this has been explained since we signed him
August 4th, 2026 at 3:20 pm
Seven seasons of soft defense”–REALLY? Ask the Kansas Chiefs, New Orlean Saints, and Green Bay Packers.
August 4th, 2026 at 3:23 pm
Finally, someone in that locker room with Big Ba$%#, not afraid to call slackers and loafers out!! Something that never happened last year. Go Bucs!!
August 4th, 2026 at 3:25 pm
@ warrin
I disagree…
While styled by analysts as a traditional heavy-set run defender suited for nose-tackle duties in certain 3-4 packages, he has occasionally pointed out variations in his specific defensive technique assignments depending on the coaching scheme.
August 4th, 2026 at 3:30 pm
Defense is chock full of talent
August 4th, 2026 at 3:50 pm
Hey fire the cannons and can’t cope about bowles… the defense was the star in the playoff run/super bowl win but hey who’s counting that season.
August 4th, 2026 at 4:10 pm
Trade Vea, he’ll never be worth more. There’s a new sheriff on the D line. I don’t remember Vea calling out the defense during the skid. He’s not that kind of leader. Time to move on.
August 4th, 2026 at 4:12 pm
@Marine
Brother, if it’s been reported by Robinson himself that he can play alongside and spell Vita and Vita lines up in the 0-tech in certain fronts, then guess what? Pre-snap shift in/out of the alignment changes the position on the fly. Thus defensive tackle being the broader positional assignment for pretty much everybody on the interior d-line. Our “DE” lines up inside of the SAM, but our SAM plays the role of a DE and the positional “DE” play the role of a DT.
That’s part of the “hybridization” which is not in the static position, but in the various positional techniques and jobs asked of the players in those positions. Robinson wasn’t brought in to replace Vea, he was brought in to further take accentuate his presence and mesh with Vea. Think, what we wanted from Akiem Hicks; who couldn’t stay healthy.
I’m here for you whenever you need me, just find a mirror say “I know ball” 7 times and I should appear. If not immediately, I’ll be there within an hour lol
August 4th, 2026 at 4:14 pm
Buddha & Ryan
One nice 3 game stretch in the playoffs doesn’t erase the defense playing like a JV squad for the majority of Todd’s tenure
Keep that playoff run in perspective, against a backup Washington QB this defense got WORKED and pushed to the limit.
Loved seeing the D FINALLY press man up Michael Thomas and the AINTS receivers
Packers game was super close but that was due to Brady’s turnovers.
It’s more likely than not this d will get lit up against the good passing teams and shut down the run. NOTHING is changing with Todd in charge
August 4th, 2026 at 4:15 pm
Buddha: “Seven seasons of soft defense”–REALLY? Ask the Kansas Chiefs, New Orlean Saints, and Green Bay Packers.”
Wrong. The Defense is remembered way more fondly than the facts show.
Redskins, Bucs Defense gave up 23 points and 375 yards to Redskins who were QB’d by a nobody.
NO, gave up 56 yard TD pass to Winston, and game was tied until 4th Qtr.
Against GB, up 28-10, held on barely 31-26. Gave up 381 yards.
SB, Mahomes was hurt.
August 4th, 2026 at 4:17 pm
@ warrin
I agree with most of your take but desperate times call for desperate measures…
Let Vea hold out and trade him after there are several interior Dline injuries.
I understand that A-Rob wasn’t brought in to replace Vea.
However – It might be possible that A-Rob will be asked to fill that spot for a certain percentage of snaps this season.
It ain’t no big deal.
August 4th, 2026 at 4:22 pm
@ warrin
“Akiem Hicks; who couldn’t stay healthy.”
This is actually a pretty decent comp IMO.
I hope A-Rob > A-Hicks… But I’m not holding my breath either.
August 4th, 2026 at 4:40 pm
Firethe Cannons and Fire Todd … ‘I just can’t believe it, we have 7 seasons of soft defense from Todd. Same scheme, same off coverage, same soft mindset’.
I was looking recently at the Bucs’ defenses we’ve had under Todd Bowles & my conclusions don’t agree at all with your conclusions for some reason. MAYBE it’s just a matter of perspective of what we each consider to be important? Let me show you what I mean. Consider several key categories of data that the Bucs’ DEFENSE had a hand in over each of those 7 years …
o 2025 (8-9 W/L): #20 ranking – 24.2 PPG – 39.5% 3rd Down – 69.8% Red Zone TDs – 16 Explosive play TDs (>20 yds).
o 2024 (10-7 W/L): #16 ranking – 22.6 PPG – 38.1% 3rd Down – 54.4% Red Zone TDs – 10 Explosive play TDs (>20 yds).
o 2023 (9-8 W/L): #7 ranking – 19.1 PPG – 40.9% 3rd Down – 42.6% Red Zone TDs – 10 Explosive play TDs (>20 yds).
o 2022 (8-9 W/L): #13 ranking – 21.1 PPG – 36.9% 3rd Down – 62.5% Red Zone TDs – 10 Explosive play TDs (>20 yds).
o 2021 (13-4 W/L): #5 ranking – 20.8 PPG – 38.5% 3rd Down – 52.5% Red Zone TDs – 5 Explosive play TDs (>20 yds).
o 2020 (11-5 W/L): #8 ranking – 22.2 PPG – 40.0% 3rd Down – 56.0% Red Zone TDs – 5 Explosive play TDs (>20 yds).
o 2019 (7-9 W/L): #29 ranking – 28.1 PPG – 34.4% 3rd Down – 50.0% Red Zone TDs – 11 Explosive play TDs (>20 yds).
Easy for starters to see that his worst year was 2019. And yet, that’s very misleading, because 49 of those points came while the Bucs’ defense sat on the bench (Jameis Pick-6s). The Bucs’ defense actually had their best 3rd Down Defense (by far) in 2019, as well as their 2nd-best Red Zone defense. Todd prepared them well for the 2020 Super Bowl year.
In 3 of the last 6 years our defense has ranked in the Top-10. How would you call that a ‘soft defense’? That ranking is based on POINTS ALLOWED, and that’s RESULTS OVER A FULL SEASON OF DEFENSE, not just 1 or 2 games.
The one year that jumps out at me is 2023, because that’s the year when our defense had its’ best performance measured by only allowing opponents to score 19.1 PPG average. We only finished 9-8 that season (offense ranked #20 so that didn’t help any, yet it did get Dave Canales a head coaching job) but look at the Red Zone TD percentage: 42.6% … best by far of any year Todd’s been our DC. Our Pass Defense was just meh (ranked #29) which drives Joe ballistic BUT … we kept opponents out of the End Zone and THAT’S what’s most important.
Contrast that with last season when we allowed opponents to score on 69.8% of their trips into the Red Zone (makes me wanna throw up). Or contrast last season’s explosive plays (greater than 20 yd TDs) of 16 against the 2020 & 2021 numbers of explosive play TDs allowed (only 5 each season), and it’s not hard to tell why our defense ranked a miserable #20 in 2025. And why we’ve made some wholesale changes to our defense.
So no, Fire the Cannons, this hasn’t been a ‘soft defense’ for Todd’s 7 years here. This year’s defense WILL be better (Bucs’ coaches do a LOT more & better analysis than any of us do I’m positive). Now we just need a couple of our supposed team LEADERS to stop playing ‘Woe is me’ and start focusing on THE TEAM.