Major Improvement At Defensive Tackle?
July 27th, 2025
Todd Bowles with Gerald McCoy at practice on Sunday.
The Bucs’ biggest cheerleader, NFL Network analyst Gerald McCoy, had a message for the nation while broadcasting from One Buc Palace today.
The studs in the center of the Bucs’ defensive line? They’ve got a lot of room to improve, said the six-time Bucs Pro Bowler.
“I watch the tape. I know football and I know defensive tackle play,” McCoy began. “This is going to sound crazy: As good as Vita Vea has been, there’s a level he hasn’t even hit. And not only that, you have Calijah Kancey, who has had two injury-riddled starts to his career and still had 7 1/2 sacks last year. So there’s another level that he can even address.”
McCoy was on the field early in practice coaching up Kancey before tackling his NFL Network duties. He did that last year, as well.
Joe’s not doubting McCoy’s take. It’s one echoed by former Bucs guard Ian Beckles (1990-1996), who has multiple times that Vea is too special a player to not be making more plays through the course of a season.
As for Kancey, well, at 24 years old with a burning love of football and elite talent, he’s certainly primed for a better year. And Kancey told Joe his bad calves are in the rearview mirror.
July 27th, 2025 at 5:42 pm
If our D-Line is solid and can get a Pass Rush with just 4 guys we are on our way to having a great year. That’s this team’s secret sauce. It is how we won the Super Bowl both times and just like Philly last year. Go Bucs!!
July 27th, 2025 at 5:45 pm
No love for Logan Hall?
July 27th, 2025 at 5:51 pm
I think Elijah Roberts can play DE and OLB
I can’t wait to see him in action
July 27th, 2025 at 6:03 pm
What, too hot for ice cream?
July 27th, 2025 at 6:28 pm
Ice cream would melt so no ice cream for Gerald. It hit 100F at TIA today. lol.
July 27th, 2025 at 6:52 pm
Uhhh, so McCoy’s point is … ‘The studs in the center of the Bucs’ defensive line? They’ve got a lot of room to improve’.
Last year the Bucs got 46 sacks; our DLine got 24 of them. I’m sure that the DLine has room to improve, but I’d think that our OLBs have much more room to do so.
July 27th, 2025 at 7:04 pm
Not too hot for ice cream? You just have to eat it faster before it melts. LOL
I can’t wait to hear some reports about guys in pads. This heat wave encompasses a good chunk of the country. Our opponents could be practicing in this heat also. So much for our advantage.
Go Bucs!
July 27th, 2025 at 7:11 pm
LakelandBuc Says:
July 27th, 2025 at 5:51 pm
Well that’s nice.
They’ve only spoken about him as a down lineman thus far. He’d definitely be on the larger side for OLB, and probably doesn’t have the lateral movement to play there except as a pass rusher.
July 27th, 2025 at 7:14 pm
CK is going to have year. 12 sacks.
July 27th, 2025 at 7:38 pm
50 played 30 pounds to heavy last year
July 27th, 2025 at 7:45 pm
It is hot and expected to climb. I hope they are smart and move indoors for some work, especially in pads cause it’s gonna be brutal this week even by our standards
July 27th, 2025 at 8:20 pm
Logan Hall…unless he goes crazy with sacks, hurries, tfl, he will be remembered best for destroying Big Red’s knee and career.
July 27th, 2025 at 8:53 pm
If anybody but GMC made that comment, it would be met with less skepticism……
But….I think he may be right because……There’s always room for improvement.
July 27th, 2025 at 9:17 pm
GMC trying to trash talk the middle of our D ? Really? wth did you do here?….oh i remember, dancing and smiling on the sidelines while we’re losing a game….pshhh….walk on home boy!
July 27th, 2025 at 9:20 pm
Vintage McCoy. His face is moving but nothing of substance is coming out.
July 27th, 2025 at 9:27 pm
3 (10+) sack guys coming this season. Reddick,Diaby,Kancey.
July 27th, 2025 at 9:40 pm
Ole Gerald certainly knows about injury riddled starts to a career don’t he? If he knows defensive tackle play and how to improve, why didn’t he increasingly better every year he was here? Do not like that guy, Suh coming in right after him proved how little effort we got from McCoy over the years!
July 27th, 2025 at 9:44 pm
Love the Ebuka pick but one more young stud on DL would have been nice. I worry about depth there and wish Gaines was the fifth guy.
July 27th, 2025 at 9:58 pm
Please keep the marshmallow McCoy away from Kancey.
July 27th, 2025 at 10:17 pm
As long as they’re having “fun” right Gerald…
July 27th, 2025 at 10:29 pm
Hope Gerald didn’t teach Kancey how to apologize to a QB after you hit them, smh at that clip every time.
July 27th, 2025 at 10:30 pm
Never understood the hatred for McCoy. He was an above average player on some bad Bucs teams. Albeit that thing he had for populating his house with blow up comic book characters was a bit strange, so what?
Since his retirement he’s went out of his way to pimp the Bucs and busts his buns to get them the national recognition so many of you here crave.
“He was a bum. What gives him the right to think he can be slightly critical and coach up players? Who’d listen to him?”
With that line of thinking, Todd Bowles should be fired immediately. Was he ever Pro Bowler?
St eeeee rike! Another 300 game for Todd Bowles!
July 28th, 2025 at 12:41 am
Cue the ignorant McCoy haters ….
So ignoring them, he is right. With CK a full year, he’ll be double digits sacks which should enable VEA to make more plays.
Then, of course, there is Redick and Yaya on the outside who both should have double digit sacks.
I am so excited to watch how they play this year
We know the offense will be high scoring, it’s a matter of how high they can they take it. I’m more excited to watch the defense.
LFG!
July 28th, 2025 at 9:26 am
I agree with Gerald. Coaching matters. Dungy threw down a HOF expectation on Sapp, and he delivered.
Bowles just lets Vita eat whatever he wants and never does anything for his improvement.
With proper coaching, Vita should be a HOF candidate. But he won’t be, because……..
August 1st, 2025 at 4:50 pm
As has already been said none of you have any room to hate on Mcoy. He was a 1st round pick who produced. Not at the level Suh did. They were 1st and second picks that year. The Bucs were terrible when he got drafted. We got SUH eventually anyway. Gerald was a good player better then most and definitely better than any of us