Charlie Strong And A Different View
July 26th, 2025
New defensive line coach Charlie Strong.
Joe was convinced last year the Bucs needed at least some new blood or a new vision on the coaching staff to breathe fresh air into defensive meeting rooms.
It has unnerved Joe for years how the Bucs coaching staff didn’t seem to care about sacks from the edge. Even then-defensive line coach Kacy Rodgers openly admitted last year he didn’t care.
How in the world can any team expect to develop any player at the defense’s most important position when coaches are ambivalent about an edge rush?
That’s why when the Bucs brought in former South Florida head coach and Florida and Miami defensive assistant Charlie Strong this offseason to replace the departed Rodgers, Joe bluntly asked Strong at his press conference if he believed in the value of sacks.
Strong was strong in his response. He absolutely does. Fantastic! That’s the first step. Now we’re getting somewhere.
Yesterday, Bucs coach Todd Bowles was asked about how Strong is fitting in.
“Charlie is very smart,” Bowles said. “He brings a different approach. Working technique and hands is something that we’re trying to work on.
“Our pass rush is something we’re really trying to work on and he brings a wealth of experience there. I think the guys are adapting to it pretty [well].
“I’m really excited about what he’s doing.”
Joe has spoken to several defensive players in the front five about Strong. Most have told Joe pretty much what Bowles said: Strong emphasizes using hands more and that Strong brought a fresh perspective.
Most of those same players sort of confessed maybe they needed a different voice with a unique view on how to go about things.
Let’s hope this is a step to watching more opposing quarterbacks picking themselves up off the ground while their punt-team teammates jog onto the field.
July 26th, 2025 at 12:07 pm
We can only hope!
July 26th, 2025 at 12:29 pm
Cornerbacks can use their hands on a WR within 5 yards
I’m not sure why Bowles want his corners playing 10 yards off the WR
If we play more press man, and bump the receivers at the LOS
Maybe we can give our Edge Rushers more time to sack the QB
Receivers running slants wide open, is not the way to go
We gotta force the QB to hold the ball longer
July 26th, 2025 at 12:42 pm
Anything to make the D more consistent. In a good way.
July 26th, 2025 at 12:52 pm
LakelandBuc Says:
July 26th, 2025 at 12:29 pm
I’m not sure why Bowles want his corners playing 10 yards off the WR
If we play more press man, and bump the receivers at the LOS
This only works when pressure is put on the quarterback and since JPP and Shaq left, QB’s have been ordering Uber Eats in the backfield. See Atlanta X 2.
July 26th, 2025 at 1:01 pm
Hopefully Charlie will be blunt with his boss and explain why it’s a good idea to cover receivers and backs out of the backfield.
July 26th, 2025 at 1:14 pm
Atlbuc
I agree with Lakeland. One begets the other.
Chucking the crap outta WRs can give an extra second, maybe two, maybe more to the pass rusher. Not to mention getting a receiver off his route.
Not sure why that philosophy ever changed. The great Bucs Defenses of the past made their living off of it.
July 26th, 2025 at 1:36 pm
The D-Line was pretty stellar last year once Kancey returned to the lineup – wound up with 20 sacks among them – with Kancey and Vea leading the team in sacks.
Its the Edge rushing (OLBers) that didn’t get the job done last year – either individually or as a group. 11 sacks among all of them… that’s like one average year for Hassan Reddick…..
Glad to hear that Charlie Strong is emphasizing hand techniques…. But the expectation for high end production from the NT/DTs is already there…
Its Larry Foote who needs to get a lot more out of his group this year for the Bucs defense to be top 10 again. The additions of Reddick and Walker along with the further maturation of Diaby and Braswell should help immensely!
July 26th, 2025 at 1:57 pm
Best D line coach in Bucs history was Rod Marinelli. If he’s still alive, bring him in as a consultant.
July 26th, 2025 at 2:28 pm
Reddick. Healthy Kancey, Diaby, SVD, Winfield. Last year the injuries were like death by a thousand paper cuts.
Add the new CBs.
This should improve the pass defense.
July 26th, 2025 at 3:35 pm
“This only works when pressure is put on the quarterback and since JPP and Shaq left, QB’s have been ordering Uber Eats in the backfield. See Atlanta X 2.”
I’ve always found this to be such an odd, backwards argument. Obviously every team wants to generate pressure. Playing press GIVES extra time to get to the QB. If WRs are wide open from the onset and the QB can get the ball out in 1.5 seconds, it doesn’t matter if you have JPP, Shaq or Reggie White at DE.
July 26th, 2025 at 3:59 pm
I played cornerback in high school. We called it bump and run. I don’t know much about coverage packages in today’s secondary’s but I do know something. If you (the defense) can throw off the QBs timing then that’s a good thing.
July 26th, 2025 at 4:10 pm
“Kacy Rodgers openly admitted last year he didn’t care.”
Joe, if this is correct, how in the hell was he ever hired? How long was he in that position?
I’ll admit that I may be a little negative about glowing stories of rookies who are playing in their pajamas. However, this is the type of thing that really boils my blood. How can ANY team hire a DL coach with this opinion? To me, this is a direct and justified knock on Bowles. No wonder JTS took up a roster spot for 4 years. He must have looked pretty to coaches as he quickly rushed and got blocked out of the play TIME AFTER TIME!
July 26th, 2025 at 5:48 pm
I go way back with Strong….back when he was DC for my Gamecocks. He was pretty good back then. We just didnt have much of an offense. Its weird how he’s now with my Bucs…its awesome.
July 26th, 2025 at 6:14 pm
Right on Kenton.
July 26th, 2025 at 9:37 pm
you cant like comments on jbf but if i could i would like what pickgrin just said
and i dont agree or disagree with hearty dikerson but i did like his first paragraph
July 26th, 2025 at 9:39 pm
If a receiver is on the LOS then you can really hands him and redirect him for milliseconds which helps but if he’s off the LOS it can be trickier than you’d think, you have to have the balance to try to redirect him, slow him or get position on him while he may have a step and a half or maybe 2. If it’s a hard slant that is so tough to cover, best you can do is stay tight and force and incomplete without running up his back and drawing a flag for PI.
July 26th, 2025 at 10:18 pm
Less than 20 points per game will be the average for the 2025 Buc’s defense . Mark that one prediction too. 14+ wins and defense averages less than 20 ppg. Go Buc’s 14+
July 26th, 2025 at 11:52 pm
We are learning that former players (Rice, Ayers) are teaching guys more than the coaches on the staff. Then Todd just recently says he has concluded that teams pass on him 2x as often as running, and he needs to be better in pass defense. Then last year he said he “didn’t know why” the pass defense tightened up in the second halves of games. Then he couldn’t force an offense led by a rookie to punt once.
Mr. Twojobs, killing it. I can’t take it anymore.
July 27th, 2025 at 7:36 am
I suspected that the Glazers were not getting their money’s worth out of Rodgers and Goodwin. The more I hear the more I’m thinking those well respected coaches were stealing.
Go Bucs!