“This Defense Fits Me Like A Glove”
March 16th, 2026
Don’t be quick to say new Bucs veteran linebacker Alex Anzalone signed with Tampa Bay because he has a year-round home and deep roots in area, including his wife being from Pinellas County.
That was Anzalone’s message on radio.
Last week, the longtime Lions captain, joined WDAE radio and was adamant his wife was ready to move anywhere that became Anzalone’s next NFL stop. He also said four NFL teams were very serious about signing him and a big reason he chose the Bucs is because of how Todd Bowles will use him.
“This defense fits me like a glove. It’s really one of the biggest factors that played into this,” Anzalone said, adding he looks forward to blitzing more than he used to.
Joe loves Anzalone’s nine official passes defensed last season. Lavonte David hasn’t had that many since 2015.
Anzalone, who turns 32 in September, should still be in his prime this season. Bowles needs to figure out how to maximize his skills in a hurry.
March 16th, 2026 at 11:15 am
good to hear…
hopefully he can bring the “juice” licht, bowles and baker alluded to lol
GO BUCS!!!
March 16th, 2026 at 11:21 am
Sounds like we’re committed to blitzing vs developing any type of pass rush from our linemen….awesome! Can’t wait to see mediocre QBs run dink and dunk plays for career days.
March 16th, 2026 at 11:21 am
Justin Fields, just got traded to the Chiefs for a 6th rd pick, and we have Browning and a leprechaun for our QB’s JL is horrible, this qb, has every one on this team brainwashed, please don’t bring in any competition, I promise to do better, and I won’t get hurt…..then you wonder why, players are leaving!!! SAD!!!
March 16th, 2026 at 11:29 am
Random thought and I’m interested to know what you guys think. My biggest concern with losing Mike Evans is as a red zone target. How would you guys feel if we brought in Deandre Hopkins? He should be rather cheap, and his skill set is somewhat a mix of Mike Evans and Davante Adams. He’s only a year older than the 2. I think he could have a nice role and be a nice presence, especially in the red zone. What do you guys think?
March 16th, 2026 at 11:33 am
I like Anzalone, he’s a solid ILB
He had problems staying healthy with the Saints
But he’s been great with the Lions
But l think for this defense to work
We need a young, athletic, speedy ILB that can cover RBs in space
And l think Pitt ILB/SS Kyle Louis is the perfect player for that role
If we can get CB Delane or Terrell in the 1st round
And Louis in the 2nd round, our pass defense will improve Tenfold
March 16th, 2026 at 11:36 am
Bring in ANYBODY! They can’t be worse. Look at Reddick. Would we had been better if we never signed him? Who would have been better who is currently on the roster?
Ans. No one!
March 16th, 2026 at 11:39 am
I think the Bucs are going to draft a 6’5 Tight End good blocker but definitely has hands to catch and good for YAC – could be wrong but I think they are set at WR so Tight End 3rd round
March 16th, 2026 at 11:48 am
We have done so well with Pitt players. One can’t stay healthy, the other couldn’t stay healthy now cant play play to save his football life.
March 16th, 2026 at 11:50 am
Bowles can certainly help him learn how to eat six bowls of pasta with heaps of sausage sauce for three or four meals a day. That’s about the extent of it.
March 16th, 2026 at 11:59 am
I thought nobody wanted to play in our defense or for Bowles, interesting.
March 16th, 2026 at 12:04 pm
Scotty,
The reason Kancey can’t stay healthy
He’s wayyy too small for his position, he’s not a 3-4 DE
That was a poor decision to draft him to play DE in a 3-4 defense
He has speed true enough, but a 3-4 DE need weight, upper body strength
And Kancey don’t have either, he’s a speedy 4-3 3-Tech at best
March 16th, 2026 at 12:12 pm
“He’s wayyy too small for his position, he’s not a 3-4 DE
That was a poor decision to draft him to play DE in a 3-4 defense”
Literally plays 3 tech and 4i in our 4-man alignments
also plays the 5 in our bear front with a NT, 2 DTs flanked by 2 OLBs
which is why looking at our alignments just as what the base D, and not accounting for sub-packages is a short-sighted way to look at our personnel
March 16th, 2026 at 12:24 pm
Encouraging.
March 16th, 2026 at 12:30 pm
RBuc
They paid Otton and Ko. No TEs coming unless they replace Durham late or with UDFA.
March 16th, 2026 at 12:32 pm
I get all that Warren Brooks Lynch
But the “Ideal” 3-4 DE is 6’4 310 lbs
Kancey is 6’0 280 lbs
The only package that fit Kancey is a 4-3 defense
His best fit in a 3-4:defense is OLB at best
March 16th, 2026 at 12:33 pm
Good attitude now…….
March 16th, 2026 at 12:35 pm
You stand Kancey next to A’Shawn Robinson
Kancey looks like a CB stand next to A’Shawn
March 16th, 2026 at 12:42 pm
where is lavonte…
and what’s up with the radio silence
March 16th, 2026 at 12:50 pm
“Lakeland Says:
March 16th, 2026 at 11:33 am
I like Anzalone, he’s a solid ILB
He had problems staying healthy with the Saints
But he’s been great with the Lions
But l think for this defense to work
We need a young, athletic, speedy ILB that can cover RBs in space
And l think Pitt ILB/SS Kyle Louis is the perfect player for that role
If we can get CB Delane or Terrell in the 1st round
And Louis in the 2nd round, our pass defense will improve Tenfold”
Won’t help at all without a pass rush. Secondary gets better when QBs don’t sit in the pocket all day, with enough time to order a pizza.
March 16th, 2026 at 12:56 pm
“Warren Brooks Lynch Says:
March 16th, 2026 at 11:59 am
I thought nobody wanted to play in our defense or for Bowles, interesting.”
The fact that his wife is from here and he has a home here was a bigger factor. He has to say all the right things right now, and he knows it.
March 16th, 2026 at 1:04 pm
No reason not to move Kancey to edge. They need one anyway and he can’t be worse than Reddick. He might need those cornerback skills though Lakeland.
March 16th, 2026 at 1:20 pm
“But the “Ideal” 3-4 DE is 6’4 310 lbs
Kancey is 6’0 280 lbs”
Well Kancey was drafted to play 3-tech in 4-man alignments, not 3-4 DE.
The ideal 3-4 DE in our system is just a DE in name.
Our OLBs are the ones that set the edge, and play contain.
Kancey is a gap shooting DT.
Guys like Gholston, Hall, and now Roberts are 2-gappers. The fit 3-4 DE physical mold, but we also play them in aligments with 4 defensive linemen the OLB.
Pretty certain that’s how A’Shawn Robinson will be used, he’s not going to be asked to set the edge, because our OLBs do that.
Same way Bowles did it with Calaias Campbell and Tommy Kelly in AZ who also shared a field with Darnell Dockett.
Did the same thing in NY with Sheldon Richardson AND Leonard Williams in NY. Tried to get it out of Akiem Hicks here, best example of taking a guy who’d be a 4-3 DE otherwise and playing him inside is Will Gholston. So when you hear of our fronts being hybridized, that’s part of it.
Vita lines up over OGs, he’s listed as an NT, but also plays under and over given the alignment. It’s simple, yet complicated apparently
March 16th, 2026 at 1:21 pm
“The fact that his wife is from here and he has a home here was a bigger factor. He has to say all the right things right now, and he knows it.”
I listened to the interview, that’s part of it, but not ALL of went into his decision and Anzalone said as much.
March 16th, 2026 at 1:31 pm
I read that Miami signed Charlie Heck
March 16th, 2026 at 1:38 pm
I don’t know about this guy, the more I read, the less I like. The issue is speed, and more and more I see people, who like him, say he’s clearly lost a step and can’t keep up with RBs and TEs.
Also the fact that Lions fans were pretty mixed in their response of him leaving is another concern. About half of them said good – he was able to cover guys and was missing tackles, and the other half just said generic stuff like they’re sorry he’s gone, he was a good leader, all the nonsense that doesn’t really matter. When you sign a guy and get 100 puff pieces on him, you want the opposing team fans to be really angry and upset that player left, and saying they’re going to cancel their season tickets, etc – and I literally haven’t seen a single comment saying that.
Not saying I’m down on the signing – and I’m not going to just look for him to screw up once so I can say “TOLD YA,” but having some balance is OK, not everyone we get should be the greatest signing every.
March 16th, 2026 at 1:44 pm
The defense always fits like a glove until the “miscommunications” happen. He doesn’t seem like a sideline to sideline guy or else he wouldn’t have been available so he’s probably just a guy. Which makes sense for the Bucs cause thats all they can afford right now, just guys.
Be honest. Unless the Bucs sign 11 future HoFers on defense, it won’t matter. The league has Bowles figured out.
March 16th, 2026 at 1:54 pm
“He doesn’t seem like a sideline to sideline guy or else he wouldn’t have been available so he’s probably just a guy. Which makes sense for the Bucs cause that’s all they can afford right now, just guys.”
Anzalone has been rated as on of the better coverage LBs the last few seasons, and was literally brought in to help us improve in that regard. It’s literally one of the first things that comes up just googling his name
March 16th, 2026 at 1:58 pm
By reading all the comments it looks like the defense is
RINSE AND REPEAT FOR 2026
March 16th, 2026 at 2:02 pm
Talk is cheap
March 16th, 2026 at 2:05 pm
He’s 31. Of course he has lost a step. This is the age you start letting guys go – not acquiring them. Like the smart teams, managing their caps with rookie contracts and young guys who are not overpaid. Cutting or trading their older guys while they can still get value. We’re stuck in this old guy rental system from cap mismanagement. 33 mil for CG. Wanted to pay ME 20. No wonder we can’t have nice things. We keep our guys until they’re cap liabilities you can’t trade. JL has us screwed.
March 16th, 2026 at 2:17 pm
Swiss cheese defense fits like a glove?
Got it. We’re doomed.
2-15
#SuperBowles
March 16th, 2026 at 2:22 pm
I would say we keep our top players and resign them when they are aging and start being injury prone. Had Godwin, Goedke and Evans been able to play healthy all season, even with the he horrid defense they would have been able to win at least 2 more games. Mayfield hurt too.
The u s are one of those teams that had 2 many players that were resigned just as they were starting to become injury prone.
That is why you don’t throw a bunch of money at players over 30 or even give them 3 or 4 year contracts when they are past 28.
March 16th, 2026 at 2:32 pm
This means he is Dyslexic. Must be a nut job.
March 16th, 2026 at 2:32 pm
Warren Brooks Lynch Says:
Anzalone has been rated as on of the better coverage LBs the last few seasons, and was literally brought in to help us improve in that regard. It’s literally one of the first things that comes up just googling his name
———–
Correct, over the last ‘few’ seasons he’s been considered a good short area LB in coverage – meaning he’ll get burned if he’s asked to stick with guys, but in short areas he’s a good coverage guy.
Until last year.
That’s why it’s concerning that the Lions let him walk, combined with a ton of comments from fans, and even beat reporters, saying he clearly lost a step last year. A lot of fan comments say he went from being a good coverage LB, to getting beat by every other teams TEs and RBs – and he went from being a solid tackler, to missing a bunch of tackles.
It’s not universal, but it’s like 50/50 with fans. With beat reporters, more scout level reviews, they’re a bit more positive than the fans, which is good (since most fans are morons) – but still, the trend is clearly down, and it sounds like he didn’t play all that well last season.
Again, not down on the signing, just the puff pieces kill me in general. I want to know what guys do well, what they don’t do well, etc. This isn’t a homerun signing in any case, it’s a risk due to his age and the idea he might have lost half a step – but again, it’s not everyone saying that, so they could be off base.
The only thing that makes me a bit concerned is the fact these same guys thought KJ Britt was an NFL starter, when a simple eyeball test told you he was too slow. With this guy, I hope they’re looking at the player they’re getting and not a guy from a couple of years ago. And he’ll get the benefit of the doubt from me in any case.
March 16th, 2026 at 2:45 pm
“The only thing that makes me a bit concerned is the fact these same guys thought KJ Britt was an NFL starter, when a simple eyeball test told you he was too slow.“
To be fair, Britt wasn’t supposed to be a full-time starter and the plan was to have SVD work in behind him on passing downs/scenarios, but he got hurt.
Don’t think we’ll paint ourselves into that corner this time around. Now as it stands we have Anzalone, Dennis, & Nick Jackson on contract. I think we’ll have at least 4 in rookie camp
March 16th, 2026 at 2:50 pm
“Swiss cheese defense” 🍷
The favorite phrase of the I don’t really understand defense crowd.
March 16th, 2026 at 3:02 pm
HC Grover Says:
March 16th, 2026 at 2:32 pm
This means he is Dyslexic. Must be a nut job.
You really are a very annoying human
Some of the dumbest responses I have ever heard.
March 16th, 2026 at 3:09 pm
Tom Petty, ya the defense is great! Yay Todd, defensive genius. Forget anything about performance, results, adjustments. Game plans, correcting repeated mistakes. Naa. The defense is perfect. Bowles is great.