Josiah Trotter Has Highest Goals For 2026
June 30th, 2026
The Bucs are expecting a massive upgrade at inside linebacker by replacing worn out Lavonte David and overmatched SirVocea Dennis with high-octane veteran Alex Anzalone and rookie Josiah Trotter.
Joe expects the plan to work if those newcomers stay healthy. If Anzlone gets hurt, Joe might need mental health care.
Trotter, obviously, is a big piece of the puzzle. He was a second-round draft pick and SEC coaches chose him to be an All-Conference linebacker. However, Trotter found skeptics when it comes to his pass coverage.
Joe would counter by saying Trotter should be able to learn quickly. He’s a smart kid who just turned 21 years old. He’ll figure out pass coverage, though perhaps not this year. But maybe the Bucs won’t need him to cover much?
Regardless, Trotter is steaming with confidence and isn’t limiting his goals. He has high expectations, as he told Buccaneers.com this week.
“I feel like, you know, people kind of like label me as a downhill linebacker,” Trotter said. “And I feel like that’s a strentgh of my game; play the run. But as well, I’m able to playy the pass, whatever aspect I need to. And within these two years [in college], I was able to touch versatile-minded defenses. And within this defense, Coach Bowles’ defense, I’m able to do a lot and love how I can always just blitz and the different coverage aspects I can do. So it’s going to allow me to do a lot that I’ve been able to already touch and be able to do.”
What’s Trotter’s end game for 2026? “Ultimate goal for my individual goals is, you know, win rookie defensive [player] of the year. I have high goals for myself, but ultimatlely I put the team goals first,” he said.
The more Joe watches Trotter’s college film, the more Joe sees a guy ripe for fast development. He’s a smart player with power and speed, and he’s a mature son of a Pro Bowl linebacker.
Is the Bucs coaching staff up to the task?
June 30th, 2026 at 9:54 am
Has Rozeboom set foot on the practice field yet?
June 30th, 2026 at 10:32 am
The first thing that jumped out at me about Trotter is his tackling ability. I have never seen him miss a tackle. The middle of the defense has been a major weakness for a few years. Offenses have been killing us with short, over the middle passes. When offenses moved the ball on us it was primarily by short, over the middle passes. Hopefully our new linebackers plus Dion Jones can plug up that hole in the middle of the field.
June 30th, 2026 at 10:40 am
i agree @atl
kid has great tackling ability
GO BUCS!!!!
June 30th, 2026 at 10:46 am
Yes, the huge upgrades at LB will make it much tougher sledding for opposing offenses. Cannot wait to see how it looks in the games!
June 30th, 2026 at 10:53 am
Love the pedigree. Kid is a thoroughbred! A football family.. speed and toughness!
June 30th, 2026 at 10:58 am
Now, if we could just switch out the D coordinator….
June 30th, 2026 at 11:03 am
That last sentence is the million dollar one Joe.
I have got little confidence in Caldwell or Foote at this point. Although it seems to me that Todd has insisted on tying one hand behind their back with many of his calls. Not just the dropping of our outside backers into coverage either. When you blitz someone it then leaves someone else to cover the area that they vacate. Unless both dudes are on the same page and up to the task it is a gamble. It’s been that way forever in the NFL. Regardless of what defense you play.
Go Bucs!
June 30th, 2026 at 11:23 am
Bucs third safety. Here he is.
June 30th, 2026 at 11:30 am
If Bowles uses him correctly, Trotter will be solid.
June 30th, 2026 at 11:50 am
Agreed. This whole article boils down to the last sentence.
I know what I think of our staff, so hope this kid doesn’t get ruined.
June 30th, 2026 at 11:52 am
3.28Evans – I’m getting the impression that you don’t like Bowles. I’m probably way off base on that.
It’s the Jimmys and the Joes not the Xs and Os.
With that said, if the D plays soft uninspired football again, I’ll pack Bowles stuff myself.
June 30th, 2026 at 12:18 pm
Trotter, that name….oh yeah.
June 30th, 2026 at 12:18 pm
Bonus points if starting Trotter and Anzalone somehow gets Dennis to improve as well.
June 30th, 2026 at 12:34 pm
Joe … ‘Is the Bucs coaching staff up to the task?’
And there it is. I’m convinced that you just can’t help yourself Joe. You were doing sooo good until you decided to chum the waters to stir up the anti-Bowles crowd.
Bowles struggles in trying to adjust his defense for players who really aren’t all that good IMO. I have no idea if the defense is too complex for some, if its’ terminology baffles some others, if it blitzes too much, or whatever. It’s become obvious to me that he tries to adjust it to accommodate the talent & experience of the players who actually take the field, but that those adjustments all too often prove to be ineffective, causing Bowles’ defense to hiccup mightily.
His defenses perform a lot better IMO when he has highly talented players making it work (I suspect that’s true for most DCs BTW). I look back at 2020-2021 when our defense was humming along under Todd Bowles and I’m convinced that highly experienced guys like Suh, JPP, Shaq, Davis & LVD made it happen. We had enough talent AND field leadership at all levels to rank in the Top-10 both years and oh ya, bring home a Super Bowl trophy.
Licht & Bowles have made some huge personnel changes within our defense this off-season. Personally I think they’re gonna pay off, although maybe not initially (some things take time to gel). Just a gut feeling, but I think this defense could claw its way back into the Top-10 once again. I don’t have that same gut feeling (yet) about our offense, but IF it can improve to a Top-10 ranking also, the Bucs will be a team to contend with.
June 30th, 2026 at 12:43 pm
If he doesnt improve on pass defense he will not be an upgrade VOS better blitzer and run defender led team in tfl I believe.
June 30th, 2026 at 12:43 pm
DR
Cmon man. You know this staff isn’t adequate. It was bloated and nepotistic when BA was running the show. Now it’s just incompetent.
Too many “bored” players, loafers, walkthroughs and mid season collapses. It’s all a reflection of the HC, and quite frankly Jason Licht.
We’ll all know in 75 days or so.
June 30th, 2026 at 12:49 pm
The defense appears to have significantly improved its talent even with loosing Jamal Dean. However, I just don’t trust Bowles. He does not put a consistent winning game plan together. He has put this franchise in a strange position. If Zach Robinson gets the Bucs back into being a top five offense (which I think he can do if they stay relatively healthy) this team is probably a ten win or even an eleven win team, but Bowles will most likely hold this team back from doing anything special in the playoffs.
June 30th, 2026 at 1:07 pm
Todd wasting time already letting Dennis run with the ones during OTAs, and mini camp. Get Trotter in there with the ones first day of training camp. Dennis has had 4 years to prove himself, couldn’t do it. We spent a 2nd on his replacement. The sooner Trotter starts with the first teamers, the better.
June 30th, 2026 at 1:15 pm
Hodad … What was Rozeboom doing during OTAs & mini-camp? Dennis is S/Ts at best, but Rozeboom played in & started 15 games for the Panthers last year (and they ended up with the #15 defense, despite their defense having to spend an average of roughly 2 minutes MORE on the field each game than our defense did).
I’m with you though; Dennis is yesterday’s news (and it was bad news at that).
June 30th, 2026 at 1:20 pm
Hope Trotter pans out but he is more of a run stopper. What the Bucs need is two veteran CBs. Bucs still do not have a decent shutdown corner. Secondary has not improved at all in the off season. They will not be able to stop third and long and be out of position in the red zone.
At least Bowles will be gone next season.
June 30th, 2026 at 1:49 pm
Defense Rules: It’s easy to see why Joe would ask if Bowles is up to the task, after watching terrible defensive play for the last 2 years, ESPECIALLY guys like KJ Britt/Dennis trying to cover guys they obviously couldn’t cover.
June 30th, 2026 at 1:58 pm
“Is the Bucs coaching staff up to the task?” – Joe
Answer: A resounding no! Hasn’t Bowles shown us exactly who he is by now?
Tackling isn’t coached, pass rush isn’t coached or cared about, red zone defense is non existent, the scheme is softer than Swiss cheese on a September Sunday in Tampa.
Todd fired everyone except himself after the disaster of 2025.
I’m going to assume you already knew the answer to the question and you were just making a rhetorical point.
Careful, the Pom Pom squad doesn’t care for any negative comments towards their messiah.
Coach Bowles, the best coach in the history of the NFL. Hahahahahahaha!!!
June 30th, 2026 at 2:21 pm
Defense totally agree with that assessment. So true about the 20-21 Bucs defense and I’ll even call Joe out lol with the pass rushers and vea dropping into coverage. It worked but it was JPP , Shaq and vea all talented vets who know the game well and are elite players. Vea dropping back in coverage in the nfc champ game to cause a fumble was priceless. Deff helps is win that game and it was his 1st game back from a broken leg. Yea Bowles is real bad DC. 💩 🤡 commenters
June 30th, 2026 at 2:26 pm
Everyone loves the new toys,Todd !
June 30th, 2026 at 2:45 pm
Bowles Todd.
Mike Evans knows.
Futility is Todd’s super power.
June 30th, 2026 at 2:53 pm
“The more Joe watches Trotter’s college film, the more Joe sees a guy ripe for fast development. He’s a smart player with power and speed, and he’s a mature son of a Pro Bowl linebacker.”
Two things that stick out the more I watch:
1.) Very patient, instead of being hasty to just fire downhill off the snap he let’s the play develop in front of him just enough to make his commitment. Takes alot of good angles because of that tendency
2.) Sneaky good closing speed on ball carriers. A few different reps where he’s defending the option and almost closes on the pitch man faster than the pitch man can sell and serve the pitch.
From the interview with Casey Phillips he mentions how even in his youth football days, his dad made it clear he was teaching him how to play like a pro and that’s where that pedigree kind of bears its’ relevance because you’re literally being trained by a pro. Just so happens that’s your dad too. Comes off as very mature for a guy who’s only been 21 since April 15th. Could experience some growing pains, which should be expected but there’s nothing he cannot do.
So young, that there’s still plenty of his HS tape out there as he was just there 2-3 years ago.