Bucs head coach Todd Bowles addressed the media on Monday as the team prepares to face the Cowboys on Sunday Night Football to open the 2022 season. Bowles announced the team’s captains, as voted on by the players.

“It will be Mike Evans, Tom Brady, Lavonte David, Devin White and Vita Vea,” Bowles said.

The Bucs offense has two captains, while the defense will have three. Evans and Brady are returning captains on offense. Retired left guard Ali Marpet was another offensive team captain last year.

Bucs NT Vita Vea – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

White and David are also returning captains on defense. Vea, who was a first-time Pro Bowler last year, has been voted a captain for the first time.

“Vita got a lot of votes,” Bowles said. “He prepared very well, had a good offseason and came back in shape. And he shed some weight. He’s been leading the film room charges and he’s become a leader on this team and that speaks a lot about him.”

“We’ll hold one [captain] at a later date for special teams,” Bowles added.

Former Bucs linebacker Kevin Minter was the team’s special teams captain for the last two years. Thee 31-year old was not re-signed this offseason and replaced by second-year linebacker K.J. Britt. Undrafted rookie free agent Olakunle Fatukasi replaced Grant Stuard on the 53-man roster as the fourth inside linebacker. Stuard, who was the Bucs’ leading special teams tackler last year, was traded to Indianapolis at the end of the preseason.

“The players vote on it, so that’s a plus,” Bowles said of his team’s leadership. “That’s a feather in those guys’ caps. To have the respect of the players is more important than anything else. When your peers vote on you being a captain, it means a lot more.”

Bowles Confirms Bucs Starters At LG And CB

Bucs CBs Sean Murphy-Bunting, Carlton Davis III and Jamel Dean – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Bowles also declared official starters at left guard and right cornerback for Week 1. As expected, rookie Luke Goedeke, a second-round pick, will make his first official NFL start against the Cowboys. Goedeke started the final two preseason games at Tennessee and Indianapolis.

Bowles also said that Jamel Dean will start opposite Carlton Davis III. Dean has been the No. 2 cornerback behind Sean Murphy-Bunting all of training camp and the preseason. In the end, Bowles made the right call and announced Dean, who has outplayed Murphy-Bunting, as the starter.

“Dean will start on that side,” Bowles said. “He’s made great improvement since he’s gotten here. He studies, and he comes back in shape. It was a tough battle because Sean had a heck of a camp. He really did. Dean just had a notch better. They both will play a lot.”

Dean played in 15 games last year with 11 starts at right cornerback. He finished with a career-high two interceptions in his third season in the league.

Murphy-Bunting was limited to nine games last year due to a dislocated elbow that he suffered in Week 1. All of those starts came inside at slot cornerback in nickel defense. The Bucs plan on starting Antoine Winfield, Jr. at slot cornerback this year in nickel defense.

Both Dean and Murphy-Bunting are entering a contract year.