“I Think I’ll Be More Involved”
April 6th, 2026
Todd Bowles
In July, Todd Bowles said Bucs defensive assistant coaches would have more influence on 2025 decisions than they did in 2024.
In January, after Bowles launched multiple defesive assistants, the Joe typing here said there was no chance Bowles would hire a defensive coordinator and the head coach should be expected to take back a heavier hand on the defense.
Fast forward to last Monday, and Joe asked Bowles at the NFL annual meeting about last year’s defensive approach and whether he would flip back to being more controlling.
Bowles replied that change is coming, several changes.
“I think I’ll be more involved,” Bowles said at a Phoenix breakfast table. “It’ll be a big collaboration thing, but we’ve already tweaked some things to try to approach it a different way and break some things that we’re used to doing – try to do some different things that way. But, you know, it’s still about accountability from a player-to-coach standpoint. We have to teach it well and they have to play it well. So it’s a combination of both.”
Joe suspects Bucs fans were pleased to hear Bowles talk about tweaks and breaking trends and implementing changes.
Joe has heard hints that edge rushers won’t drop in coverage as often. Wouldn’t that be refreshing?
April 6th, 2026 at 3:50 am
Just have to coach it better, play it better. Yeah…we know.
April 6th, 2026 at 3:54 am
Oh No! Blunderball.
April 6th, 2026 at 4:08 am
He said this last year! How he found something on film and it was worse than ever! More involved? He needs to lay off as far as I’m concerned.
April 6th, 2026 at 5:18 am
Bowles will run some form of a “Prevent” defense, but instead of being a “bend but don’t break” defense, it’ll be a “bend AND break” setup. Remember when Lovie Smith’s and Mike Smith’s defenses were figured out, and they didn’t know what to do or how to adjust? Todd Bowles is an honorary Smith Brother, because it’s the same deal.
April 6th, 2026 at 5:21 am
We even have Bowles son as a coach now. Remember when Lovie had all of his relatives on the staff, when the they actually needed less?
April 6th, 2026 at 5:22 am
*When they actually needed less?
April 6th, 2026 at 6:16 am
Bowles defense is designed to tire the offense out! 🤣🤣🤣
April 6th, 2026 at 6:33 am
“” it’s still about accountability from a player-to-coach standpoint.””
The word accountability should NEVER come out of the mouth of that guy.
April 6th, 2026 at 6:35 am
you don’t know what tweaked means. be less involved. that’s the answer.
April 6th, 2026 at 7:01 am
What an F’n joke TODD BOWELS IS GARBAGE
April 6th, 2026 at 7:19 am
I mean…I think a lot of people get confused, or don’t have a full handle on 3-4 scheme. It’s not some out of the ordinary thing to expect edge to be a hybrid player. They ARE after all, a mother f’ing linebacker – god forbid they should be able to cover the flat. The flat, you know, the very reason completion percentage has skyrocketed due to garbage RPO offenses permeating across the league? You can’t have 5 people rushing the passer at all times – and we can’t even get to the quarterback when we do THAT which is hilarious. Yes we have a coach and scheme issue but we have a talent issue. A 3-4 requires more versatility (which we don’t have) and it is a very complex scheme, which players apparently can’t learn right because they’re always out of position.
April 6th, 2026 at 7:28 am
I swear he just keeps gaslighting the fans… MORE INVOVLED?????? 3rd and 28
April 6th, 2026 at 7:30 am
Last off-season he said they broke down tape and analyzed every second of every game and found the problem.
This guy sucks…dead man walking. No excuses…he cant coach.
April 6th, 2026 at 7:32 am
I played basketball in school. Maybe I should call the defensive plays.
April 6th, 2026 at 8:00 am
Let the coaches handle it! Have seen enough of your genius the Last three years!
April 6th, 2026 at 8:12 am
Thanks for agreeing to do your job, Sherlock. I just wish it gave me more confidence. It doesn’t.
April 6th, 2026 at 8:34 am
Wha…Huh? Not buying that he ever gave up the “heavy hand” Geez!
Dude gets on my nerves with stuff like this. Todd is the master of the cover your @$$ routine. Always has been. It is just becoming more apparent with time.
Go Bucs
April 6th, 2026 at 8:41 am
If you do not have good players, you won’t win. Bucs defense got older, less talented, and more hurt.
Doesn’t matter how you coach if you don’t have talent on the team.
Bucs have suddenly gotten older at key positions. Time to bring in young talented guys. Looking forward to this draft to help out.
April 6th, 2026 at 9:12 am
Dude is +60 years old. Either the system works by now or it doesn’t. No amount of “tweaking” is going to fix a broken model.
The guy brought in one new defensive assistant and elevated two JV coaches to Varsity. The onus is completely on Bowles now. Not many guys left to fire to justify failure.
If the offense does well and stays healthy they’ll potentially win one or two more games than least year, and it will be despite the defense, not because. Which…thats the blue print for how Bowles finishes a season one or two games above .500 historically. Rinse and repeat.
April 6th, 2026 at 9:19 am
I hope edge players drop into coverage less while our front four stunt more…our defense was just as predictable as our offense
GO BUCS!!!!!
April 6th, 2026 at 9:43 am
jcscycles Says:
April 6th, 2026 at 8:41 am
Doesn’t matter how you coach if you don’t have talent on the team.
^^^^^^^^^
There were defenses with equal or less talent that didn’t make Kirk Cousins look like Joe Montana in his prime. I’m sure Bowles had nothing to do with that, huh?
April 6th, 2026 at 9:44 am
The Bucs have upgraded the DLine with Free Agent signings.
Adding another Big DLineman in the draft and a healthy Kancey will improve the pass rush… Barrett and JPP had Vea and Suh to help them be effective.
April 6th, 2026 at 9:46 am
Cool off-season starting off with an original banger gotta coach it better got to play it better awesome.
April 6th, 2026 at 9:56 am
11-6 here we come
This season will be a season to remember
In a positive way
April 6th, 2026 at 10:49 am
Facepalm.
🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡
April 6th, 2026 at 10:52 am
What is confusing is that he’s the one who hired the coaches who were fired. Were they not good enough to begin with, or were they the scapegoats? Was he doing someone a favor by hiring them? The Special Teams coach was a real head scratcher! One of the Joe’s called this out before they played a snap of regular season football.
April 6th, 2026 at 10:54 am
God Help Us!!
April 6th, 2026 at 11:10 am
Lakeland Says:
April 6th, 2026 at 9:56 am
11-6 here we come
This season will be a season to remember
In a positive way
Lakeland = NDog
April 6th, 2026 at 11:12 am
Love our new OC and Quarterbacks Coach. I think this team is going to go really far- especially if we see a marked improvement on defense and stop seeing so many injuries.
April 6th, 2026 at 11:14 am
Just another load of fan insulting malarkey from Bowles.
He seems to assume all fans are stupid. He must be right to some degree because I still read that crap.
April 6th, 2026 at 11:16 am
More words…..
April 6th, 2026 at 11:18 am
Dont forget there are 11 people on the field on each team. We had an obvious weakness in the middle. Not every team does.
April 6th, 2026 at 11:33 am
You cheerleaders should really rent a room and trade Pom Poms while you sing Kumbaya.
Vomitous.
April 6th, 2026 at 11:45 am
And arguably the worst ILBs in the league. Coupled with bad outside CBs.
You could have Knute Rockne, Don Schula, and Belichek on the coaching staff and it would not have helped.
April 6th, 2026 at 12:06 pm
Maybe this is a good time to have an updated confidence poll. Then we we can fully understand the impact of his profound and inspiring statements. I mean it is plain to see that Bowles has found the path to fielding a top ten defense.
April 6th, 2026 at 12:28 pm
One more wasted season with Bowles in charge. Hope a drop in ticket sales will get the Glaziers to realize HE is the problem,
April 6th, 2026 at 12:35 pm
Leopold Stotch Says:
April 6th, 2026 at 4:08 am
He said this last year!
————
Yes, I remember this as well.
Although this year, with all the firings, I assume it will actually happen. No idea if it’s a good thing or a bad thing, but basically Bowles career is on the line, so we’ll see how it goes. Personally, if he means it, I think it’s a good thing since Bowles was a very good DC when he was dedicated to that role.
April 6th, 2026 at 12:44 pm
This year we have two Todd Bowles on the coaching staff of the defense.
I fully expect the defense to be twice as moribund as 2025.
It can’t get worse, then the Bowles family says hold our beers.
3-14 upcoming. And Todd still keeps his job.
Glazers LOVE the culture.
April 6th, 2026 at 12:49 pm
And with that statement he just locked in a losing season and my wager on the under for wins. Free money!
April 6th, 2026 at 1:08 pm
Todd Bowles being more involved = fewer wins. Signing guys in their 30’s certainly won’t help with the injury issues. The ceiling for wins seems to be lower with every move they make.
April 6th, 2026 at 2:41 pm
Coach it good and play it good. What more is there to say?
April 6th, 2026 at 2:41 pm
There ya go, Lynch, agreed, although I’ve penciled in 2-15. Your 3 win prediction is a Todd optimistic.
April 6th, 2026 at 2:57 pm
Defense is bound to be better if we end up with 7 new starters. Also, the 3-4 is not a serious defense. A 4-3 with speedy linebackers is a sensible defense. Anything that can generate more QB pressure is preferable to the mess that Todd B runs. Wouldn’t mind another large DT to pair with VV. With Kancey,Yaya and the Carolina FA supplying EDGE pressure, the defense is bound to be improved.
April 6th, 2026 at 9:26 pm
Good to know Rod M is good with Bowles being “more involved”. Funny stuff
April 6th, 2026 at 9:42 pm
Can we Please get a new HC,GM & a QB……Please!
April 7th, 2026 at 8:38 am
Wow. Now I really have hope for the defense…not.
April 7th, 2026 at 1:07 pm
OMG imagine the players needing to hear this phrase 100 times per week. We hear it often enough that I can’t imagine players even listen to Bowles anymore. Find another catch phrase for F sakes!!!!
April 7th, 2026 at 3:35 pm
Come on HIRE A DEFENSIVE CORDINATOR & INstall a aggressive DEFENSIVE scheme, let the New DC call the plays , since Bowles isn’t going anywhere have him actually be the HC & manage the the affairs of the entire team. I