Bucs Need To Add No Less Than Two Linebackers
January 19th, 2026
Bucs GM Jason Licht
About a year ago Joe spoke with someone who works at One Buc Palace and the subject was linebackers, inside linebackers specifically.
Joe was told, “We like our linebackers.” Given that information, it might be time to bring in some linebackers the Bucs don’t like after how this season played out.
There was a gross misevaluation of SirVocea Dennis. Hey, Joe was fooled, too. The way Dennis played a year ago (2024 season), while brief, sure gave Joe hope he could be something.
He was something alright.
Joe still can’t get that Jalen Hurts 28-yard run against the Bucs out of his head. While Dennis was chasing Saquon Barkley up the right sideline, Hurts ran right behind Dennis for major yardage. It looked like Dennis was blocking for Hurts. Talk about zero awareness!
But, Dennis made up for it that afternoon by letting Dallas Goedert score on two shovel passes from Hurts, running right past Dennis both times.
Glad somebody liked the linebackers.
With it being very likely that Lavonte David has played his last snap, the Bucs need no less than two starting linebackers.
Joe would absolutely love for the Bucs, at No. 15, to draft Ohio State’s Sonny Styles. And Joe wouldn’t be appalled if the Bucs drafted another linebacker on the second day of the draft.
Joe wonders if versatile Arizona State linebacker Keyshaun Elliott could be had in the third round?
Now drafting two dudes wouldn’t stop Joe from signing a starting linebacker in free agency. Joe has already mentioned on Twitter Shaq Thompson from Buffalo. Maybe Alex Singleton of Denver could be had for a reasonable price?
Simply put, the Bucs need a complete fumigation of its current inside linebacker corps. If David wants to return to help the rookie linebackers, that’s worth the cost of another year’s salary for the Bucs’ icon.
Yes, these guys Joe referenced are inside linebackers. Don’t get Joe started on outside linebackers. It’s a long week.
The Colts will look to add an LB in the upcoming NFL draft. One guy I haven't seen many people talking about is Arizona State's Keyshaun Elliott:
– 6-2 235 w/ above average athleticism
– Instinctual run and chase player
– Hard for linemen to square up
– Senior Bowl
– 22.42 GPS pic.twitter.com/nMCPKYvECO— Jack Guiley (@guiley_jack) January 12, 2026
January 19th, 2026 at 6:20 am
D needs: Two ILB’s, two Edge rushers, two CB’s, one new DT, one new safety.
Please stop the hype we read every season about “the Bucs have all this talent”.
January 19th, 2026 at 6:22 am
Edge guys probably will have to be FA’s, unless we want to try yet aGAIN to find one on day 2
January 19th, 2026 at 6:24 am
D needs help everywhere. ILB,OLB,CB and interior lineman. Only safety has adequate talent. But we have to ask how much is the system and how much is the player. Joe. It’s been a long week and a really long season.
January 19th, 2026 at 6:25 am
Defense wins Super Bowls.
January 19th, 2026 at 6:30 am
I’m on board with character being part of player evaluation. But when it comes to our defense this year I think I would push that quality down the list of requirements. Outside linebacker and inside linebacker and defensive lineman are immune to that character judgement, at least for one year. This year, when we are interviewing young men for our defensive front seven, part of the process should be does the individual make the staff uncomfortable? Does he say scary stuff? Have bad breath? Few friends? You get what I’m saying?
January 19th, 2026 at 6:44 am
I have been saying since week 4, Dennis is not a starter. He’s a special teamer at best. David is a Ring of Honor player but his best days are behind him. JL has some work to do.
January 19th, 2026 at 6:47 am
This LB shortage was obvious to all except Jason Licht at the trade deadline when Miami was dangling NFL leading tackler and great cover LB Jordyn Brooks who Bucs should have gotten if not for the obtuse behavior of GM Licht. Brooks is also under contract for this year at a bargain basement price.
It is nice when you hit on a good LB in the draft, but a sure fire proven star LB must be obtained when available. Licht cost the Glazers millions by not adding Brooks-he would have made a difference.
January 19th, 2026 at 6:57 am
Licht has been hiding behind the clouds of a horrible season and dumb decisions including keeping Bowles. That decision keep TB will keep tier one OC’s away and the Bucs will choose inexperienced and unproven play callers. Decisions have consequences and it will be another awful season. Oh, BTW, where is Licht trumpeting Bowles staying on as HC?
January 19th, 2026 at 7:11 am
Why would a post critical of Jason Licht stating nothing but fact be moderated?
January 19th, 2026 at 7:17 am
Part of me says it really doesn’t matter what we do in terms of restocking this defense as long as Todd Bowles remains the DC. A major part of our problem is schematic, and as long as he’s DC that problem will continue to exist.
He’s the one who bet on Britt as our 2024 starting MLB. Same guy bet on Dennis as our 2025 starting MLB. Same guy didn’t feel like it was important to beef up our pass rush. Same guy chose to overuse Vita Vea badly rather than sign or draft a beefy DT complement to him, and it hurt his performance. Same guy had Morrison out there as our starting CB when he clearly wasn’t ready for that role. And I still can’t even fathom what happened to McCollum OR Winfield in Todd’s defense.
So we can spend all kinds of $$$ and draft picks to ‘fix’ Todd’s defense, but I wouldn’t hold my breath on the final result. The real ‘fix’ starts with hiring a quality DC and letting him structure his staff & defensive players to run HIS defensive scheme, not Todd’s.
January 19th, 2026 at 7:28 am
This would be the perfect time to trade down. From where they’re picking in the middle they could trade down & address as many needs as possible. If they don’t screw it up anymore.
January 19th, 2026 at 7:47 am
and…. A new coaching staff
January 19th, 2026 at 7:50 am
Either really bad defensive player evaluations, or really bad defensive coaching…probably both though!!
January 19th, 2026 at 8:10 am
2LBs
1Edge Rusher (2?)
1TE
January 19th, 2026 at 8:12 am
Anthony Hill Jr. from Texas is another good one that maybe could be had in the second round
January 19th, 2026 at 8:18 am
I ain’t buying what Jason Lite is selling anymore, my Pewter lens have gone clear.
I can see the hype , fans is short for FANATICS, I am thinking and seeing clearly now.
This coming season is pivotal and we are closer to REBUILDING in 2027 than any other likelihood
January 19th, 2026 at 8:21 am
Don’t use a first round pick on an off-ball linebacker. We need more help in the middle of our defense need some real defensive tackles
January 19th, 2026 at 8:21 am
Frontfour told the straight truth that it is hype that “we have all this talent.” We don’t. Doubt it? Name 3 current Bucs defenders who could start for the Rams, NE, Houston,etc. This doesn’t excuse Todd Bowles it’s just a fact that many on these pages are unrealistic about talent. Even our vaunted wide receiver group leaves something to be desired. In the playoffs, receivers on other teams make great catches on less than perfectly thrown balls. Hard pressed to remember any Bucs receivers this year who made great catches other than the fingertip grab for a long TD by Tez Johnson.
January 19th, 2026 at 8:22 am
And everyone should be talking jacob rodriguez, top 5 in heisman voting.
January 19th, 2026 at 8:29 am
Sure we will draft WR 1st round OL 2nd round.
January 19th, 2026 at 8:41 am
At this point, just give up on the EDGE rusher notion. And yes, this gives Joe and myself heartburn saying that.
Why do I say this?
Let’s draft an EDGE guy. Why? Who has panned out? JTS? Braswell?
Okay, then let’s sign one. Why? Who has panned out? Randy Gregory? Reddick?
Put all your eggs in every other position on defense. Whatever is leftover, throw a dart in the dark for an EDGE guy. Bucs have found ways to reasonably win without an EDGE. Beef up everywhere else.
And yes, I know, I am nauseous typing this.
January 19th, 2026 at 8:42 am
Licht has done OK in the draft but terrible in FA the last couple years. The Bucs need an experienced FA linebacker AND a rd2/rd3 ILB. I’m not seeing a ILB with a rd1 grade. The problem is that Licht usually goes to the Dollar Store during FA and his pro scouts drop the ball. I do think Reddick was worth the risk with a 1 year contract but he didn’t work out and Bowles didn’t help by putting him in coverage.
Even if the Bucs pick up a FA edge rusher, they should also pick up a rd 1 edge. I have TJ Parker (Clemson), Cashious Howell (Texas A&M), David Bailey (Texas Tech) being available at pick 15.
The highest rated TE’s aren’t big enough to block – similar in size to Dev Culp. I do see a couple DT’s available at 15 that could replace Hall or pickup snaps from Kancey (Christen Miller, LT Overton).
January 19th, 2026 at 8:47 am
Too bad it’s really not a great off-season to sign FA ILBs…
Most available are over 32 yrs old and a bit washed.
There are a handful of younger mediocre ILBs available but the Bucs will need to pay a premium for any of them.
Best bet is to sign one decent older FA and to draft at least one in rounds 1-2 and draft another in rounds 3-5.
January 19th, 2026 at 8:55 am
and a new HC and GM. Licht needs to fire Bowles first, than himself before the draft. Licht fails with drafting defensive personnel every year. The guy is a horrible GM at this point and needs to retire. The NFL has passed him by.
January 19th, 2026 at 9:08 am
Did a mock and landed Styles (been pushing for him) 1st, … and Anthony Hill jr in the 2nd. Landed TE Trigg 3rd….need a Guard somewhere though….let Bredeson be C and Barton LG, then we need one more….C Matt Gulbin with the 4th who can play all 3 positions would be nice….
I said i wasnt going to do this since we kept todd, but i cant help myself lol
January 19th, 2026 at 9:10 am
But Jason Licht hits home runs all the time…no?
The truth is the team has holes everywhere except WR.
That’s on Jason Licht. Tom Brady hid a lot of weaknesses. He gone.
Now, the real Jason Licht is out in the open. Living off the Brady years.
January 19th, 2026 at 9:13 am
Everyone currently on the roster shouldn’t come back and the ones that do should be back ups. There should be two new starting linebackers on opening day
January 19th, 2026 at 9:15 am
Nikhai Hill-Green
Shad Banks
Jaishawn Barham
Keyshawn Elliot
Deonte Lewis
Shad Banks jr
There are some guys in this draft, lots of potential, some may need more work transitioning to the NFL game. Said drafting 2 LBs should be the move IF the guys our front office like are available when they pick.
No reaches, but we should be looking to nab a OG like Beau Stephen’s day 2 as well.
January 19th, 2026 at 9:25 am
We were not fooled. We were flat out lied to by everyone but mostly Licht.
And here’s the thing. If he truly thought thy were good, then he is incompetent.
Licht looked good when he had a good coach, Arians, and a good QB, Brady, and good FAs/trades, Suh, Shaq and JPP.
Yes he drafted Evans and Godwin. But he also drafted Aguayo and countless other bad players.
So, he is not who we thought he was.
2026 will be a throwback season. 1986.
Save your money folks. Just like the Bucs are doing. Don’t buy season tix. Don’t drink their $15 beer. Don’t buy jerseys.
January 19th, 2026 at 9:32 am
I dont get the Sonny Styles hype at all. There are plays he looks all world. But there are plenty where he looks like SVD 2.0
Top 15 picks shouldn’t be used on off ball LBers. Sign 2 FA LBers and draft on in round 2-4.
There will be a stud edge rusher or DL at 15. There are 4 really good ones in Bain, Reese, Bailey and Faulk. I would throw Mesidor in there as well. We know QB will be pick 1, so we just need one of those 5 guys to drop tp 15.
January 19th, 2026 at 9:44 am
Meathead is a fraud! I’ve always known it, especially after the Aguayo Trade up!! That alone should have gotten him fired!! Brady brought all of his guys in. Bud Licht Blow as bad as Dollar Tree Todd !
January 19th, 2026 at 9:56 am
David Walker will “Shock the World” off the edge, so no worries there. This D needs help everywhere, and we have a GM who has read too many JBF posts painting him as a genius to think there could possibly be a talent shortage. 7-10 ceiling.
January 19th, 2026 at 10:11 am
As was said earlier, Brooks was available at the trade deadline I would have cost likely at most a third or a fourth round pick and would have given us arguably one of the top five inside linebackers in the game. It was at a critical time where a single win in those four games would have put us over the top and into the playoffs. He is in his prime and would have been an amazing pickup.
Now we are likely going to use a first round pick on somebody like Styles and I am good with that. But the idea of using another early pick on a second inside linebacker I am not so good with given what we could have had for less last year when we really needed one.
There are at least five good inside linebackers that are also going to be free agents. Time for Jason to put his money where his mouth is and sign one of them. You have Devin Bush Devin Lloyd Quay Walker Nakobe Dean,all would be a major upgrade at the position.
I would sign at least one in free agency so that we have a veteran talent to pair up with Sonny Styles.
I would use the draft to get the following other positions:
Tight end of none in FA
Guard
Edge
DT
RB
January 19th, 2026 at 11:18 am
All that “character” talk in nothing but a buncha HORSE SH!T. It’s a smoke screen for a weak, lazy, and inept GM, who is scared to make moves and is incapable of evaluating TALENT. Even, his ONE good draft he’s had over the past 4-years or so (2024), is not looking near as good as what it once had. It’s all just a bunch of “Smoke & Mirrors,” playing in a TRASH Division for 4-years running. Everyone always wants to talk about this “Lost Decade,” & etc. But, WHO WAS GM for all throughout the final 6-YEARS of it… Until, Brady came to town!? Who, Again!? Ohhhhh, yeahhhh… That’s What I THOUGHT.