Scout Team Boss David Walker
October 22nd, 2026
It seems the Buccaneers’ nastiest and most productive edge rusher is relegated to scout team duty during game weeks.
Yes, fact always is stranger than fiction.
David Walker, Tampa Bay’s second-year menace, has 4 sacks, 17 combined tackles and 6 quarterback hits. Combine the stats of three other Bucs edge rushers — Anthony Nelson, Rueben Bain and Al-Quadin Muhammad — and you won’t find stats totals like Walker’s.
But somehow, Walker doesn’t play too much.
Interestingly, edge rusher coach Larry Foote hopped on the Buccaneers Radio Network this week (Joe listened on SiriusXM) and talked about Walker.
“Just dominating tight ends, like I mentioned earlier, he is very strong for his size,” Foote said. “He’s explosive and he’s mean. You see him on kickoff running down there making tackles inside the 30 [yard line] and he just loves playing the game.
“…He works hard in practice, you know, he gives Tristan [Wirfs] and those guys good looks and is showing up on Sunday and he likes to play. He doesn’t complain about his reps in practice. And he’s putting his league on notice that he’s a force.”
Unless things have changed, Foote talking about Walker facing the first-team offensive line in practice means Walker is running with the scout team. That’s likely why Foote said Walker “doesn’t complain about his reps.”
It’s possible Walker’s light workload all week and in games is keeping him crazy fresh and focused. But more likely, it’s some sort of odd ego or loyalty-based decision hurting the Bucs on Sundays.
When will the “hot hand” Todd Bowles often references apply to the Bucs’ edge rush?
October 22nd, 2026 at 5:46 pm
Joe … ‘Unless things have changed, Foote talking about Walker facing the first-team offensive line in practice means Walker is running with the scout team.’
I’d assume the same thing Joe. But MAYBE Walker’s current use is by design. MAYBE David going against our best talent is letting him try a whole bunch of different techniques that he MIGHT NOT get to try IF he was playing OLB on the #1 defense.
But then again, you need to ask Todd Bowles about what’s driving that. WHY isn’t he using our most productive OLB more? Surely Todd still talks to you & Ira, doesn’t he? I mean, you’ve written many times what a nice guy he is; that must mean SOMETHING? He’s probably well aware that’s you’re not his biggest fan as a HC or DC (cough, cough), but nice guys don’t hold grudges.
October 22nd, 2026 at 5:59 pm
If I bought the team this morning, I would know why Walker isn’t being used this evening. Depending on the answer, there might be an unemployed head coach tomorrow.
October 22nd, 2026 at 6:00 pm
Bspn says baker will play
October 22nd, 2026 at 6:06 pm
Lol you guys did the same thing when yaya was a rookie…
October 22nd, 2026 at 6:32 pm
I will defer to Joe on overall football knowledge for obvious reasons. Could we entertain the fact that maybe DW has a snap count to ease him in? He came off a serious injury, let the man ease in. It is in fact his 1st season playing and that’s a good thing, he had a redshirt year.
October 22nd, 2026 at 6:33 pm
“It’s possible Walker’s light workload all week and in games is keeping him crazy fresh and focused. But more likely, it’s some sort of odd ego or loyalty-based decision hurting the Bucs on Sundays.“
Lmao, now it’s loyalty out of ego 🤣
Or is it being loyal to the 4th rounder at the position that’s been slotted ahead of him since Walker was drafted?
Y’all trying really hard to turn this into some negative thing, know the OLB room was deeper than it was before pads went on.
Why not ask Bowles about the NASCAR front? You know that thing he used to do with 3-4 OLBs on the front? Also, If AQM produces say 3 sacks in ou next two games? Y’all gonna start saying he’s not playing enough too?
Y’all weren’t buying the hype months ago, now you’re talking like you had it on layaway
October 22nd, 2026 at 6:33 pm
What a s-show of a season and we aren’t even halfway through it. I can’t wait for it to be done already!
October 22nd, 2026 at 6:36 pm
@Joe
“Sacks don’t win games,” remember Joe? Defensive “Guru” Todd Bowles said so and then had his defense go out and prove it against Pittsburgh so, he most definitely knows what he’s doing and talking about.
October 22nd, 2026 at 6:38 pm
It it is a mystery only Todd Bowles can answer. Even Ronde is wondering or won’t say.
October 22nd, 2026 at 6:48 pm
Bowles wants to keep Walker a secret until he (Bowles) gets fired (personal commentary…the sooner the better)!!!
October 22nd, 2026 at 6:54 pm
Further proof that Bowles can do anything he wants without any threat of being terminated.
Losses pilling sky high have absolutely zero impact on his job status.
We could be 1-8 at the bye and no changes will be made to the coaching staff.
And that is why Walker isn’t getting reps despite his production.
Todd is trying to drive the car without gas. The needle has broken off.
October 22nd, 2026 at 6:58 pm
Licht doesn’t know how to draft edge rushers.
Bowles doesn’t think the pass rush is important.
It will cost both of the job, as soon as the season ends.
Walker should be on the field, on every passing down.
After they fire Bowles and Licht, He will be.
And Barton will be at guard.
And We’ll draft a pass rusher with the top 5 pick, and then actually let him rush the passer!
And We’ll draft a center in the first 3 rounds.
And the Bucs will live happily ever after.
October 22nd, 2026 at 7:04 pm
Well, every one of us is watching now. If Bowles loses this weekend I am pretty confident that we can put a pin in this season and move on. And I am pretty sure Bowles knows it.
October 22nd, 2026 at 7:20 pm
Hahaha. Walker is playing well. Defense is playing well. So of course Joe second guesses why the defense can’t play better. The defense is working guys.
October 22nd, 2026 at 7:39 pm
Ronde was criticizing the talent on the team a week ago and rightfully wondering just how many starters the Bucs have that would immediately jump into a starting role on another team…..direct dig at Jason Licht no question.
Ronde now has pivoted to saying the quiet part out loud about David Walker. Why is our statistically best defender not getting snaps…..direct dig at Bowles.
Ronde may be not so quietly announcing to the Glazers and all other NFL teams that he is quite ready , willing, and able to take over as HC or GM. Sure sounds like it to me
October 22nd, 2026 at 7:56 pm
Top down mess bros
October 22nd, 2026 at 8:03 pm
Ah, another in a long list of “Is Bowles Crazy?” articles, and the answer is a rhetorical —!!!
Same can be said for the Glazers, in all probably a well-meaning duo with no concept of football. Hurts to even write that about our team owners, but it’s an unfortunate truism.
In order to be apolitical and secular … MAY THE UNIVERSE HELP US!
For we are doomed without some sort of divine, metaphysical intervention!
Couldn’t be more serious.
October 22nd, 2026 at 8:18 pm
just another in what has become a long line of reasons why Bowels is not a good coach. It is Time!!
October 22nd, 2026 at 8:44 pm
Defense was working on Sunday until Bowles put the brake on in the fourth quarter. Todd defies logic and expects it to go his way. He told us — it’s because he’s afraid.
October 22nd, 2026 at 8:57 pm
Everyone’s pointing fingers at Bowles, like ‘Hey Todd, this is all your fault; you created this mess, now fix it’.
MAYBE the reality is that Todd DIDN’T create this mess. MAYBE BA did. He ‘retired’ on 30 Mar 2022 (very late in the process), and hand-picked Bowles to replace him. Todd didn’t have much choice but to keep Leftwich & his offensive staff. That 2022 season Bucs scored 313 points … 18.4 PPG average (ranked #25). Leftwich was sent packing.
Dave Canales, hand-picked by Todd, replaced Leftwich for the 2023 season. His offense scored 348 points … 20.5 PPG average (ranked #20), with Baker Mayfield in his 1st year as a Buc. For some reason, that was good enough to get Canales hired as the Panthers coach, so he left.
Liam Coen, also hand-picked by Todd, replaced Canales for the 2024 season. His offense was spectacular, scoring 502 points … 29.5 PPG average (ranked #4), with only a couple of personnel changes on offense. Very predictably Coen got snatched up to be the HC & OC of the Jaguars.
Josh Grizzard, once again hand-picked by Todd, replaced Coen, but this time it was a promotion from within the Bucs’ staff (Grizz was Coen’s Passing Game Coordinator). His offense was actually the 2nd-best of any in the Todd Bowles years, scoring 380 points … 22.4 PPG average (ranked #18). But the team fell off a cliff in the 2nd half of the season, and someone had to go. Grizz drew the short straw.
Enter Zac Robinson, hand-picked by the Todd to replace Grizz for the 2026 season. Bucs offense has been anemic, scoring only 119 points thru our first 6 games … 19.8 PPG average (#25 ranking).
The real problem is that Bowles has been the Bucs’ HC for 5 years now, and has had a different OC EVERY YEAR. He got ‘lucky’ once (when he hired Coen), but the rest of the OCs he’s had haven’t set the world on fire (offensive rankings starting in 2022: #25, #20, #4, #18, #25). For any dual-hatted HC/DC, it’s essential that he have a counterpart on the offensive side who can operate pretty much autonomously and get quality production from his offense. That’s only been the case in 2024 when Liam Coen was here. Todd took over BA’s offensive & S/Ts staff in 2022, and just kept applying bandaids for all these years. Mediocre results were very predictable.
October 22nd, 2026 at 8:59 pm
Ah yes, Todd Bowles is indeed an enigma. We all are just not smart enough to understand the genius behind his decisions. Its either this, or he was the kid licking the glass on the short bus growing up. Fire Bowles!
October 22nd, 2026 at 9:00 pm
More proof of the genius greatness of Coach Bowles. Use your best pass rusher to disrupt your starting offense while simulating the opposing defense. And that way, even though Todd doesn’t want it, sometimes Walker gets a sack for the Bucs. But that doesn’t factor into winning anyway. The Bucs are 1-5 so obviously David Walker’s sacks don’t matter. It’s the other things that matter.
October 22nd, 2026 at 9:03 pm
As White correctly pointed out prior to departing, that “going with the hot hand” talk is just coach-speak BS with todd and his coaching staff.
October 22nd, 2026 at 9:05 pm
Only team in the league w/o a designated DC… todd is showing the league how things need to be done.
October 22nd, 2026 at 9:13 pm
Play our best player on special teams, thats looking for trouble.
October 22nd, 2026 at 10:07 pm
Call me when Bowles is gone
LFG RAYS !
LFG Lightning !
October 22nd, 2026 at 10:25 pm
Damn DR
You would think that at some point you’d be exhausted from being a Bowles apologist.
The man is not a good HC. Just as Koetter wasn’t. Licht isn’t either.
October 22nd, 2026 at 10:29 pm
Why don’t you just ask him Joe? Ask him a real question for once and demand a real answer! Afraid To? Will they kick you out for wanting to know the truth?
October 22nd, 2026 at 10:44 pm
Asking why Todd doesnt do the things a good coach does this a broken record joe its because he is a bad coach.
October 22nd, 2026 at 11:00 pm
Todd does the other things. Everyone can do the obvious and expect the obvious. Todd believes in deception and confusion for an opponent. It has served him well. A SB and four division titles. No one here will comprehend the mastery that is really going on behind the curtain at One Buc Place. With some real and objective referees, Bucs would be 4-2 instead of 1-5. If you care about records and such.
October 23rd, 2026 at 12:06 am
DR
Nice breakdown but you missed a couple of points.
Lefty was our OC for the 2021 season as well with Brady under center and (No risk it no bisquit) Arens as head coach.
We went 13-4 with 511 points.30.1 per game.
The only difference in 22 was the HC swap (And the end of NRNB era, replaced by the try not to lose era). That and Brady’s first losing season in over twenty years.
Have you ever looked back at Bowles history with the Jets HC job?
It looks eerily similar to his tenure here. Except that none of his yearly OC’s were hired away. All of them left with tire marks on their backs.
Every OC he has hired here has been a head scratcher as well, including Coen.
Honestly, Zac has the most experience of all of his hires at the point of hire. It’s almost as if he’s hiring patsy’s with plans to throw them under the bus when the season goes south. Good on Canales and Coen for bucking the trend.
October 23rd, 2026 at 12:25 am
DR good comment. This is a super unpopular opinion but Bowles is a good DC you can say he’s not but he has a SB to prove you wrong. Wasn’t just Brady and the offense that got it. That defense was savage that year. I don’t like Bowles as a HC. I also don’t agree with throwing licht overboard. Everyone wants to hate on him but he’s had some good drafts and has gotten better every year since taking over.