Let Josiah Trotter Take Over
August 12th, 2026
Josiah Trotter’s play gives Bucs fans a reason to smile.
So Joe noted on Twitter how at one point during the controlled (ha!) scrimmage between the Bucs and Jets up in New Jersey, SirVocea Dennis was getting a lot more snaps with the first-team defense than rookie Josiah Trotter.
Joe referenced this as “troubling.” And it was. And is.
Joe never realized Dennis had so many staunch defenders. Man, they came after Joe. The blasphemy of suggesting Dennis is not an NFL starting inside linebacker!
They were outraged. Instead, they should be outraged at Dennis.
(Need evidence? Rewatch the loss to the Eagles game. Make sure you have a puke bucket near you.)
Last year, Dennis may have been the worst starter on one of the poorest defenses in the NFL, a defense that Joe maintains quit late in the season. Joe’s not sure how anyone could justify keeping Dennis as a starter.
Simply put, if Dennis is starting, this defense is going nowhere. After his atrocious 2025, Joe was ready to turn the page. It was that bad.
There is a reason the Bucs drafted/signed several inside linebackers in the offseason.
So Joe wants Trotter on the field. And Joe doesn’t care if Dennis knows Bowles’ defense. What good is knowing the defense if one can’t execute assignments? Joe’s very confident K.J. Britt knew the defense. Same with Devin White.
Joe has seen every Bucs practice open to media. The tempo of the defense changes when Trotter is on the field. It is so clear watching how that defense gets a jolt with Trotter raising hell.
That’s exactly why he was drafted: He’s good on the run, but his passion and fire are contagious. Between Rueben Bain, A’Shawn Robinson, Alex Anzalone, Keionte Scott, and like-minded Tykee Smith, and yes, Trotter, this defense is night and day different from last year.
You know who said that? Todd Bowles three days agao. Yes, he said the newcomers brought a mentality that is a “night and day” difference from last year.
The Bucs defense has no upside and no future with Dennis as a starting linebacker. The future, if not the present, should be all about getting Trotter ready.
Go ahead and watch video from the Bucs-Jets practice yesterday courtesy of the Buccaneers and you can see how the defense feeds off Trotter’s energy.
Joe saw this last week when the pads came on. Bowles predicted Trotter would show up when the pads came on and Bowles was absolutely correct.
It’s OK to say a guy stunk if he stunk. If the Bucs didn’t tell him, if the tape didn’t show him, Dennis probably got the hint when the Bucs started collecting inside linebackers in the offseason. If the Bucs weren’t trying to replace Dennis, they wouldn’t have burned a second-round pick on Trotter.
The stench of Dennis’ play last year is all too fresh in Joe’s nostrils.
It’s time to hand the keys to Trotter.
Here are some video clips of today's Bucs-Jets practice in New Jersey. Video courtesy of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. @Buccaneers pic.twitter.com/YtA5yQ4thr
— JoeBucsFan (@JoeBucsFan) August 12, 2026
August 12th, 2026 at 7:13 am
Jason, we know you read JBF.
Please walk into Todd’s office, show him this article and say, “Bruh. Stop with the Dennis nonsense. Read this.”
Thank you. Sorry you have to be the middle man for your head coach to arrive at critical thought.
August 12th, 2026 at 7:22 am
Joe, you named a half dozen passionate defenders on our defense and didn’t even mention the new double digit sackmeister (Muhammad) or our ace in the hole “that’s how you win a Super Bowl” David Walker. Talk about an embarrassment of riches!
I’m thinking Trotter may have just been the right choice. And if he turns out to have been- oh, we’re gonna kick the living shlt out of some teams this year, and I ain’t whistling Dixie!
August 12th, 2026 at 7:23 am
Amen! I believe Bowles knows this… but we shall see.
Love me some Trot! Kick that ass!
August 12th, 2026 at 7:27 am
Dennis is a fifth round pick. A lot of 5th round picks don’t even make their teams so why be so loyal to Dennis? Makes no sense. Maybe Bowles was just giving Trotter a breather since he was dominating so much?
August 12th, 2026 at 7:28 am
If rage bait were a blog post…….
August 12th, 2026 at 7:28 am
I sometimes wonder if some of these Joes just starter watching NFL football. I mean, the Bucs haven’t played a single preseason game yet.
A rookie 2nd round pick who only played a couple years in college, not being handed the starting job after a few padded practices? Craziness.
And I know this more about how bad Dennis was last year. But it’s early..
Relax!
August 12th, 2026 at 7:44 am
Well joe.. you know everybody was beating the drum for kj britt when devin white was stinking it up…. And then when kj britt became the starter he started to stink it up, all I ever heard and seen, was when is dennis gonna get a healthy shoulder so he can play,then we got dennis… now here we are. Deja Vu?
August 12th, 2026 at 7:48 am
Fanofdabucs … Excellent points. SVD isn’t just NOT a starter. It befuddles me why we even have him on the team after last year’s performance.
But like you said, maybe Bowles’ approach has more to do with Trotter than with SVD. Maybe he’s just trying to get him super-comfortable at the 2nd-tier before moving him up to play with the big dogs.
It seems strange how so many 2nd-guess EVERY little thing that Todd Bowles does in Training Camp to get this team ready to play. He’s now 8-0 in the first 2 games of the season over the past 4 years as HC/DC. That apparently counts for nothing in Bucsville.
August 12th, 2026 at 7:52 am
Careful now DR. That came really close to being a compliment in Todd’s direction.
August 12th, 2026 at 7:54 am
Joe I could not agree more Dennis may have been the worst starting LB in the league on a defense that was one of the worst. Those are facts simply stated. Surely Bowles knows this. I hope he is just letting the rookie win the job since Dennis has been the starter. The second one is , if we could just replace McColumn. I just have no faith. McColumn may have been the worst starting cb on one of the worst starting defenses last year. The problem now, we don’t have a Trotter to replace him.
August 12th, 2026 at 7:58 am
Two things about Mr. Dennis. When Bijan Robinson clowned him on that swing pass in the first game, that was not an outlier. Rather, it was a preview of what was to come for the whole year. Yea, it get that it was Bijan but still. The second thing is that Eagles game. Blocking 30 yards downfield for Jalen Hurts. Child please!!