Character Shows In Individual, Team Success
May 16th, 2025
Bucs DL coach Charlie Strong.
Joe knows sometimes Bucs fans roll their eyes when Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht emphasizes character so much in his draft choices.
But to hear new Bucs defensive line coach Charlie Strong talk about his defensive tackles, one reason the Bucs are so good on the defensive interior line stems from character.
Strong believes Vita Vea sets the tone for the Bucs to develop one of the better d-line interiors in the game.
“Well, when you have good players, it’s all about their work ethic,” Strong said. “Those guys are pros, and way they go about their work.
“With Vita having the success that he’s had so far, it’s just because of the work that he had put in. And he’s a young man that is willing to work, and then he wants to make his teammates better.
“And then you take a guy like Calijah [Kancey]. Vita is here. Now [Kancey] comes in, and now [Vea] teaches him how to work, and Calijah watches him. It’s why [Kancey has] been able to have success, that he’s had support.”
Logan Hall has the same type of football soul as Kancey, per Strong. Hall likely had his best season in the NFL last season. Strong sees no reason to believe Hall won’t be a better player, in part thanks to the standard Vea and Kancey established.
“You know, Logan, he has a chance to really develop in the player that we all want him to develop into,” Strong said. “And that’s just how he goes about his work.”
Strong said being able work with guys like Vita, Kancey and Hall have taken a lot of the work out of his job.
“It’s just been fun, because I’m in a room with a lot of older guys,” Strong said. “So it’s my adjustment [being a new coach on the staff] and they have helped me make the adjustment because of the work that they put in.”
So if folks wonder why Licht values character and love of football so much, it is demonstrated in the Bucs’ interior defensive line. And to hear Strong, that’s why the Bucs’ defensive front-three is so good.
May 16th, 2025 at 10:33 am
Anyone rolling their eyes regarding character needs to have theirs checked ….
May 16th, 2025 at 10:33 am
I don’t believe the average fan is figured out or appreciates how much of a rebuild has happened in the last 4 years.
May 16th, 2025 at 10:36 am
@ha-ha agreed people forget this team was gutted after the Brady Era
May 16th, 2025 at 10:45 am
I think having a lot of high character people on the roster is always a great idea.
When times get tough those are the types of individuals that will hold the team together and stay focused.
By that measure we do indeed have a very solid squad.
The only thing holding them back is the guru that thinks you should play 15 yards off the ball on 3rd and 7 or 4th and 5.
All the character in the world cannot fix stupid.
May 16th, 2025 at 10:46 am
The growth in the last 5 years, expecially ast year, speaks volumes to the owners. Front office. Coaches and players. It wasn’t a start over, They had a well orthestrated plan and executed it brightally.
May 16th, 2025 at 10:47 am
Ha-ha & DS
Right! Just 2years ago this team had $82+Million in dead cap money on the books. Now, legit SB contender…I hear all the time of what a smart guy Aints’ Micky Loomis is, but they’ve been in cap hell for 4-5years now, and are shooting for the first pick in next year’s draft. What a joke that guy/organization is!!
May 16th, 2025 at 10:50 am
Character counts in the coaching ranks as well and that is another reason I am happy that we have Bowles as the head coach.
May 16th, 2025 at 10:57 am
I still don’t get the love for Vea and Kancey. When have they ever taken over a game and been THAT dominant. What am I missing?
May 16th, 2025 at 11:07 am
Joe … ‘Strong sees no reason to believe Hall won’t be a better play, in part, thanks to the standard Vea and Kancey have established.
Not the slightest bit worried about how Vea, Kancey & Hall do when the 3 of them are on the field together. They had 20 sacks & 47 pressures between them, and I’m betting they can do even better this year. But even if all 3 stay healthy for the entire season, that only represents about 60-65% of the defensive snaps. That’s where your rotational guys come in, and they didn’t show me a whole bunch last season (4 sacks & 11 pressures total for Brewer, Gaines, Gholston & Greene last year).
I was really hoping that we’d draft a monster to rotate in with Vea for the other 35-40% def snaps at NT, and allow Gaines to move a tad further down the DLine. The addition of Elijah Roberts (6’3″ & 285 lbs according to the Bucs) is really positive IMO, but I think he’d do a lot better if paired with a monster DT to push the pile like Vea (he won’t be very much; that’s Kancey’s spot).
May 16th, 2025 at 11:30 am
Could also be said at several other positions — WR, OL… Winning is about process. You just don’t win with guys who are losers in the locker room or class room.
May 16th, 2025 at 11:41 am
For everyone who thinks talent is all you need, remember all the “talented” players who wrecked locker rooms.
May 16th, 2025 at 11:42 am
WeakSecondary with the bullseye.
May 16th, 2025 at 11:43 am
Like a certain wide receiver from the Redskins by way of the Eagles? Same guy quit on a team that later won a Super Bowl?
May 16th, 2025 at 12:11 pm
Like they say, Joe knows!
May 16th, 2025 at 12:29 pm
DR I think the guy they wanted was gone when they picked 19 and maybe subsequent rounds as well. I think WHEN they rotate Vita out is just as important as WHO, that can change the play call, also depends on down and distance. It’s a game within a game.
May 16th, 2025 at 12:31 pm
And if this kid from G-ville gets his weight around the 370 or below he could be the one to spell Vea.
May 16th, 2025 at 12:41 pm
I question sometimes when I read the comments saying the coach has DB’s playing 15 yards off the ball. Its a lot that goes into that. Not saying its right to play that far off the ball but do we really think Bowles is telling the DB’s to play that far back, do we think the position coach is telling them to play that far back? Ive never seen anybody blaming or calling out Tim or Rashad and they are the position coaches. Sometime its the players lack of awareness that causes that. Or if they believe the play design is to get them stuck in traffic and not being able to make the play.
I just find it hard to believe that fans think the coaches are yelling to the DB’s to back up 15 yards. Sometimes we need to point the finger at the players not being aware instead of always blaming the coach.
May 16th, 2025 at 12:52 pm
Agrred, if Desmond Watson can get down to around 380 he could be a backup for Vea. I would love to see a four man front on opening day at Atl.- Hall, Vea, Watson, and Kancy.
May 16th, 2025 at 12:58 pm
@weaksecondary (tb#1) says:
“All the character in the world cannot fix stupid.”
Lol – true.
How stupid is it to think you could change your name over and over but post the same krap and no-one would call you out?
You and Jethro do make a cute couple tho. 😉
May 16th, 2025 at 1:54 pm
On the issue of DBs playing 15 yards off of receivers:
It’s not necessarily that Todd is telling them to do that. He indirectly does by stressing “nothing over your heads” and then — here’s the baffling part— does nothing in practice to correct his players’ technique. It’s more the inaction to correct an obvious defect that chaps my buttocks .
And if he is working on the corrective action in practice and they’re refusing to execute what they’re taught, then they should be benched or cut. They’re proving they’re either too stupid to be a Buc or they don’t care (a quote from BA when he revealed his accountability sheet).
May 16th, 2025 at 2:29 pm
There were some moments where Logan Hall was throwing people around and dominating like I’d never seen in his career. But then he’d disappear for stretches still.
Either way this is the most promising defense we’ve had on paper since the SB run, between the added pass rushers and depth in the secondary. Still a bit thin at ILB but I really do believe in Dennis
May 16th, 2025 at 2:37 pm
Ballwasher61 … ‘I think WHEN they rotate Vita out is just as important as WHO, that can change the play call, also depends on down and distance. It’s a game within a game.’
Agree wholeheartedly, and Todd Bowles generally does very well I think in managing the rotations. Your conclusion that ‘it’s a game within a game’ is spot on. The key to our defense IMO is Vita Vea. His 705 def snaps last season was monstrous for us. I’d love to know how many 4th down conversions he was in on last season (we did terrible on stopping those, and I suspect that he wasn’t in there on a bunch that we couldn’t stop).
May 16th, 2025 at 2:47 pm
Well, yes, yes it does. Evans, Bake and Godwin put team first. So does Tristan, Luke and Cody. Lavonte, Antoine, add in anyone else who played hurt or refused to quit. Big Devin did not put the team first, and he is currently trying for a comeback in Vegas. And if he gives less than 110% Spytek and Pete will balunce him back to his pony farm
May 16th, 2025 at 2:51 pm
@Joe
Still waiting to hear the back story about that certain wide receiver from the Redskins by way of the Eagles and what happened with Jameis…statute of limitations as to be near
May 16th, 2025 at 3:15 pm
GoneGator Says:
“How stupid is it to think you could change your name over and over but post the same krap and no-one would call you out?”
My response to you:
“I enjoy talking to you. Your mind appeals to me. It resembles my own mind except that you happen to be insane.”
― George Orwell
May 16th, 2025 at 3:25 pm
Me too 👍🏼
@Sleepy903
Good points. Unfortunately the loudest critics don’t/won’t get it. I don’t think they really understand football, defense, etc
Our pass defense sucked to a large degree last season. Some of us see reasons for this = cap restrictions, lack of QUALITY depth, a ton of injuries etc. etc.
Our 2 biggest blame it all on Todd commenters have man-crushes on Mike McCarthy and Dan Campbell…. One of whom is unemployed and the other fielded an even shlttier defense than ours during the last half of the season.
May 16th, 2025 at 4:38 pm
GoneGator Says:
“Our 2 biggest blame it all on Todd commenters have man-crushes on Mike McCarthy and Dan Campbell…. One of whom is unemployed and the other fielded an even shlttier defense than ours during the last half of the season.”
Dan Campbell turned that team completely around and has gotten to the NFC title game. Way better than Bowles.
Mike McCarthy had three 12-5 seasons in a row with the Cowgirls. And he has won a SB as a HC. Both things Bowles will never do.
Todd Bowles was a good DC. He’s a lousy HC.
If Byron Leftwich can be fired for bad offense, Todd should also be replaced for putrid defense.
May 16th, 2025 at 4:39 pm
“Stupid is forEVAH”
May 16th, 2025 at 4:40 pm
I’ll tolerate Charlie as long as he stays away from valuating the talent. Hope he’s here to teach and not to just collect a retirement check.
May 16th, 2025 at 5:04 pm
Do you all understand what zone is? I’d suspect that if a CB is playing 15 yards off the ball, that one of the 4 LBs is responsible for the space in between. There’s a reason we did t bring Britt back this year.
May 16th, 2025 at 5:07 pm
And 15 yards is definitely an exaggeration.
May 16th, 2025 at 5:47 pm
So is saying “Bowles is a great head coach.”
He might be if he could devote 100% of his time to it instead of 70% or 45% or whatever it is.
May 16th, 2025 at 6:32 pm
When our pass defense improves this season because we have starting caliber corners and safeties and…… we field a top 10 defense to go with a top 5 offense we’ll talk again.
@aqualung
I personally think that our corners were in a bind last year. I’m sure Todd did stress nothing over your head – a staple of cover 2 and many defenses across the league but our safeties did nothing to help for much of the year. They (the corners) knew if someone got past them it was a likely TD cause of our safeties sure weren’t going to make a play.
A better, more consistent pass rush will also allow Todd to play more man to man and/or more effective zone. Consistent play from the safeties will give the corners more confidence and allow them to be more aggressive.
I mentioned this before but I found it interesting that the corners and safeties are going to be meeting as a unit this year…. Apparently they met separately the last few years. The last time they held joint meetings was the last SB year. Seeing as how those 2 units in particular are so interdependent that seems Stoopid to me. Hopefully, and logically, that (along with new talent, luck on the injury front etc) will result in better results.
@weakswissdawghawk75
Aaron Rodgers was the defacto coach with the packers… How long ago was that anyway? How many playoff victories with the cowboys?
Dan Campbell is a good coach BUT they had a headstart on us. And they get credit for making the NFC title game but, “mark my words”, they won’t make it there this year, and we’re going to spank em this year when we meet. Detroit will take a step back, we’ll take another step forward, fans will be happy, and you will keep digging for shlt to whine about and use to put Todd down.
Bless your hateful, ignorant little heart 🙏🏼
May 16th, 2025 at 6:59 pm
This group must really love Trask, Rashad, McCoy, and Dean. Good locker room guys, salt of the earth. And shame on you for ever rooting for AB, Keyshawn, Suh, n Sapp mean ol money hungry football meanies. Imo, locker room guys are great, and you want a majority of them on your team, but strong coaches can reign in problem children with success (see Parcels, Andy Reid, B²). It’s over rated unless you are the GM and those good ol boys are giving you the hometown discount.
May 16th, 2025 at 8:22 pm
FACT CHECK- Todd Bowles is a Super Bowl winning DC!!! Nobody worried about where he played his safeties in 2020!!! Wonder why? Did he have better talent that season? DUH!!!