Todd Bowles Identifies “Biggest Change” For Bucs
September 4th, 2026
Many serious Bucs fans will consider this nugget downright frustrating but somewhat uplifting at the same time.
Last year, Todd Bowles said over and over and over the Bucs had strong leadership. Joe, however, didn’t see that materialize into reality in December and January. And listening to Bowles this week, it seems the quality leadership of which the head coach and others spoke of was never really there.
Consider how Bowles answered a very broad questioned posed to him this week on The Rondé Barber Show. He was asked to state what he thinks is the biggest 2026 change in the entire team.
Rondé Barber prompted Bowles with suggested answers: Is it the addition of Bain or new offensive coordinator Zac Robinson? “What is going to be the biggest change that we see from this team? Barber said to close his question.
Bowles’ reply was stunning.
“The biggest change for me is A’Shawn Robinson and Nacho (aka Rakeem Nuñez-Roches) because they bring attitude, they bring accountability, and they call people out on it,” Bowles said. “And they did that from Day 1 when we got in the offseason program — and that made everybody else snap into shape and fall in line. And that was the biggest change for me. That was the biggest thing.”
So where was this kind of leadership, the kind Bowles deems necessary, from players last year? Why didn’t Bowles pull Lavonte David and Vita Vea or YaYa Diaby aside and demand they speak up and toughen up because the season was on the line along with a lot of jobs?
Bowles’ comments further solidify how shamefully soft the Bucs were last season after the bye week. Soft. Soft. Soft.
This actually encourages Joe to a degree. If this is the “biggest” change in the team for the head coach, then maybe the shameful softness problem is actually fixed.
Presented By Bill Currie Ford!
September 4th, 2026 at 5:01 pm
Arians would have benched their A!$!$!
SMH
September 4th, 2026 at 5:03 pm
The big Dawgs upfront
I haven’t heard anything about CK
I hope he stay healthy this season
September 4th, 2026 at 5:03 pm
Exactly what Joe typed.
It’s nice to see these words were said, but he’s the man that cried Wolf at this point. Nobody believes him. It’s empty.
If you look at history and deal in reason you understand that the only way Bowles can legitimize himself as a head coach is to win more than 10 games and at least get into the divisional round.
If that happens then he’ll be rewarded with praise and apologies.
Spoiler alert…it won’t.
September 4th, 2026 at 5:26 pm
“…they bring accountability, and they call people out on it…”
Absolutely mind-blowing how little self-awareness Todd has. To continually call this out, as if this is not the primary responsibility of the HC.
September 4th, 2026 at 5:27 pm
Lots of people are good leaders, ………….till things go sideways! So maybe they had good leadership under normal surcomstances, but good isn’t good enough when your losing. How can you know untill it happens?
September 4th, 2026 at 5:33 pm
Great. Like JPP used to do. JPP even called out GMC for being too soft.
I’m so happy we have Nacho and Robinson.
Winfield is smart. But let’s be real. He grew up thé son of a millionaire. Winfield is not a hard hitter. He’s a cerebral player. À rich boy in the NFL.
Tykee Smith is a silent gangster. He makes huge plays and then just walks back to the huddle. He’s a silent killer. Not a vocal leader.
Vea is a teddy bear. He is amazing but he never plays with anger. He doesn’t have an angry killer in him like Suh did.
Remember the game Aaron Rodgers messed with Suh? Suh played amazing because he was ANGRY. Like when the Honey Badger pissed off Tom Brady. Anger in football is good! But Vea doesn’t have it in him. He’s a sweet tropical Samoan.
LVD knew he couldn’t talk last year. SVD too. Hall was just collecting paychecks. Hassan Reddick only cared about “thé bag.”
Jamel Dean got hurt on the play when the Saints WR crossed right in front of him. But Dean is so sweet he didn’t want to blind side and hurt him. So Dean got hurt instead!
Zion also grew up rich. He ain’t hard.
We needed some psycho killers on this team!
September 4th, 2026 at 5:39 pm
@Teacherman: Do you teach remeadial ignorance?
September 4th, 2026 at 5:40 pm
Voss couldn’t do anything with David there. David even took blitz reps that should have gone to Voss. If Voss was liability David was equally so but Voss couldn’t speak I’ll of david
September 4th, 2026 at 5:41 pm
Man 91 bringing the Kimbo Slice vibes!! I like it
September 4th, 2026 at 5:51 pm
So the biggest offseason acquisition was apparently a functioning bullspit detector. Nothing improves accountability quite like two enormous men asking, “You wanna explain that effort?” Nothing against team-building exercises, but apparently public humiliation by a defensive lineman works faster. Nacho bringing accountability is perfect. Nobody wants to get chewed out by a man named after stadium food.
September 4th, 2026 at 5:52 pm
It isn’t really the personality that Vea or David or Diaby has. You can’t turn a teddy bear into a Chucky doll.
The solution was getting new players who are fierce enough to take slackers to task and that’s what the Bucs did.
September 4th, 2026 at 6:06 pm
Don’t live in the past. Time to forget about last year.
September 4th, 2026 at 6:08 pm
Last year Todd himself said “When the players start to coach themselves, that’s when we will be where we need to be”. This may be the change he was referencing when players have attitude, take accountability, snap into shape, and fall in line. LVD was probably doing some of that but I takes more than one guy. To many were getting bored, soft, and lost going through the motions. Played scared to tackle and on their heels. With that said Special Teams was horrible and offense sputtered down the stretch. I don’t know if this offense can score 28 a game. A TD a quarter to put games away. Everyone knew the defense was going to be suspect so the plan was to light the scoreboard up. That failed to happen after the bye.
September 4th, 2026 at 6:16 pm
Attitude is important if you have guys with enough talent to win.
Too much time has been spent complaining about the Bucs ‘giving up’ in games on defense while at the same time knowing some of the players on the field just weren’t good enough to win.
September 4th, 2026 at 6:17 pm
Joe will write some funny stuff sometimes… Something about a fart in an elevator, a couple days ago. Tacky, yes, but who on here didn’t laugh?!
Then I read up above about “who wants to get chewed out by a stadium food?”
Gooooood stuff. Thank you for that!
September 4th, 2026 at 6:37 pm
Todd Bowles is the head scratcher of head scratchers. He gets asked the simplest of questions, a question all head coaches are asked at some point, and after careful deliberation he still screws it up.
He could have said anything like, “I feel the team chemistry is stronger. We were good last year, but man, I really see these guys coming together. I’m psyched for next week.”
But no … he states that two guys with attitude is the biggest change, a statement that throws last year’s attitude-less team completely under the bus.
Why is this guy our head coach?
What is wrong with the minds of the Glazers and Jason Licht? They had Liam Damn Coen sitting on their damn laps and they kicked him off and replaced him with Todd.
If Timex Todd had an ounce of smarts I’d think he had photos of his bosses in compromising positions, and was blackmailing them into keeping his job.
And then I think that’s impossible because Todd would have to hire an accomplice to show him how to operate a phone camera, so that’s out due to being too confusing.
So … what gives? Help me here. Despite my weak attempt at humor, I’m serious.
How does Todd Bowles have a head coaching job in the NFL?
I scratch my head so much trying to figure that out, people think I have fleas.
September 4th, 2026 at 6:42 pm
Soft as melted butter on a summer day. Todd Bowles and his defense.
How long will the propaganda hold back the blatant reality???
TB zero is a loser, has always been a loser, and always will be a loser HC.
Paging the Glazer kids. Wake up and smell what you’re shoveling.
September 4th, 2026 at 6:49 pm
Let’s go
I like this defense even without my guy at RCB
Our 2 Superbowls were won on great defense
Thank you Todd Bowles for one of those rings
This defense looks like it could be good !!!
Go Bucs
September 4th, 2026 at 6:57 pm
JA – 110%
He’s not capable of this job. Anyone in any executive business role understands he’s in way over his head.
September 4th, 2026 at 7:11 pm
Yeah, but isn’t it the head coach’s job to have this accountability? I understand players have a role, but this sounds like a coaching failure, no?
September 4th, 2026 at 7:12 pm
Joe … ‘Bowles’ comments further solidify how shamefully soft the Bucs were last season after the bye week. Soft. Soft. Soft.’
LouisFriend … ‘Attitude is important if you have guys with enough talent to win. Too much time has been spent complaining about the Bucs ‘giving up’ in games on defense while at the same time knowing some of the players on the field just weren’t good enough to win.’
Thank you Louis. And fans wonder why coaches rarely ‘open up’ in answering the media’s questions. Most learn fast that the media will gladly use the coach’s own words to hang him with.
The biggest problem with last season’s defense is that they lacked TALENT, SIZE and NASTINESS. Just look at the difference between the guys we got rid of versus the guys we brought in this off-season. You keep using the word ‘Soft’ Joe, but it seems that what they really lacked was TALENT, SIZE and NASTINESS. And that’s on who? The one who stocks the cupboard.
September 4th, 2026 at 7:17 pm
Big bad boys with attitude and Super Bowl rings. Love it!
September 4th, 2026 at 7:18 pm
JA says:
So … what gives? Help me here. Despite my weak attempt at humor, I’m serious.
How does Todd Bowles have a head coaching job in the NFL?
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I’m here to help….. Todd has a job as head coach because people who know a lot more about football than you, and those who’s money pays the salaries, think he should. You’re welcome.
You guys judge the coach based on sound bites. Or sideline demeanor. WTF ?
How many of Todd’s biggest trolls or detractors know anything about football or defense that the average 12 year old doesn’t? Do you even listen to the press conferences yourselves or do you just let Joe spoon feed you a paragraph @ a time ?
September 4th, 2026 at 7:37 pm
Chris Baker would yell and holler and hold people accountable, and everyone here hated him, because they said he didn’t earn his HUGE big money contract, which was like $5M, which was basically top tier backup money at the time.
In any case, what kind of man needs people to yell and holler at them to get them to do their job? Very weak minded or lazy individuals, that’s who. Professionals do their job without the theatrics of needing to tell everyone else how to do their job.
September 4th, 2026 at 7:43 pm
Has Ronde ever talked about Bowles zone defense? I don’t think he has ever mentioned it directly, other than talking about how guys are always out of position, etc.
I’d love to hear Ronde comment on what I see, which is a super soft zone where guys barely move most of the time. Generally on plays where guys are out of position, that’s when Bowles is having guys move. Which makes me wonder if it’s just a bad scheme or some bad coaching – OR am I completely off base and what I think I’m seeing isn’t real.
Obviously Ronde, short of someone like Tony Dungy, knows more about the proper way to run a zone defense than anyone. With that said, I also know Ronde isn’t going to do hard hitting stuff when he works with the team – but I think it’s a fair question.
Anyways, here’s hoping Bowles is going to be more aggressive in coverage, use more man like he did when the team won a SB, and move away from his awful soft zone that always leaves a QB with an easy pass to make if they’re under pressure.
September 4th, 2026 at 8:21 pm
Rod Munch Says:
September 4th, 2026 at 7:43 pm
Has Ronde ever talked about Bowles zone defense? I don’t think he has ever mentioned it directly, other than talking about how guys are always out of position, etc.
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Did you watch the interview Rod ? They do discuss zone and the reasons for various coverages…. Among other things
September 4th, 2026 at 9:03 pm
This time of the year is tough because the start of the season is so close, but we have to endure nonsensical comments from coaches, talking heads and even players. None of it matters. It’s all going to unfold very soon and it will be fun and frustrating.
September 4th, 2026 at 9:09 pm
Let’s be careful with the hanging a noose comments. Geez
September 4th, 2026 at 9:12 pm
Steve,, you’ve written some great football prose these last few days before the 2026 Bucs Season. I think like you i have a feeling. We might just be good.
September 4th, 2026 at 9:21 pm
Blah, blah, blah… Lose game 1. 7-10 for the season. Last year after the last preseason game, I predicted 8-9 here and got roundly ridiculed. Still waiting on the apologies…
September 4th, 2026 at 9:49 pm
RJ, a broken clock is right twice a day.
I see Trotter turning into one if these types.
Might be one already. Dad was a rich football player, thus he was a rich kid.
But I don’t see that he’s soft. I don’t think how you play football has to do with how much money you had growing up. It’s more of a personality thing.
Winfield may not tackle like Trotter but I think it’s to do with his size that his ability or instincts.
I think Winfield and Smith play a lot of like. The difference is Winfield is coming off the terrible injury and it takes more than a few months of playing to get fully over that.
A lot of empty opinions above, my opinion isn’t based on anything but what I’ve read about trotter. I don’t know the guy. Could be an empty opinion as well. I just try not to take it into the realm of moronic or extreme negativity.
September 4th, 2026 at 10:08 pm
Bucs stay healthy and they will win 10 games and by November their defense will be one of the better units in the NFC.
Book it twanks
September 4th, 2026 at 10:24 pm
We will get into the playoffs and past the first round (hopefully we get lucky and aren’t playing the Rams right off the bat).
September 4th, 2026 at 10:29 pm
Todd just doesn’t get it.
September 4th, 2026 at 10:53 pm
Todd = regurgitation