A new Pewter Report Roundtable debuts every Tuesday on PewterReport.com. Each week, the Pewter Reporters tackle another tough Bucs question. This week’s prompt: What is the biggest takeaway from what Bucs head coach Todd Bowles and general manager Jason Licht had to say at the NFL Scouting Combine?

READ: Pewter Report’s Bucs 2026 Combine Interview Tracker

Scott Reynolds: Todd Bowles Doesn’t Think His Defense Is Complex (It Is)

The most interesting thing from Tuesday’s press conference with Todd Bowles at the NFL Scouting Combine was how clear it has become that he doesn’t have any idea how complex his defense actually is. I began a question to Bowles about how complex and complicated his defense is, and he immediately laughed and quickly shot down my premise, suggesting it’s not complex.

“We probably did less this year than we’ve ever done,” Bowles said. “Ironically, the plays we got beat on were bread and butter plays. They weren’t anything exotic. That’s the part that makes you sick about it. So we just gotta get better there – we’ve got to coach it better and play it better.”

I took no offense, of course. But ask his own Bucs players, ask Tampa Bay Hall of Fame cornerback Rondé Barber, who knows a thing or two about defense, and they’ll tell you otherwise. Bowles’ defense is complex and not easy to learn.

Bucs HC Todd Bowles – Photo by: Jeffrey Jones/PR

“We always [teach] our defense to our players, and definitely a rookie can come in and start,” Bowles said. “We’ve shown that in all levels of our defense with guys that have been playing in the past. So you know, we’re just looking for the right kind of football player for us.”

Bowles thinks his defense is easy to learn and I don’t based on multiple players I’ve interviewed. So we disagree. But one thing that cannot be disputed is that his defense is especially tough to master. That’s why mistakes occur and coverages get busted at times – even by long-term veterans like cornerback Jamel Dean and Pro Bowl safety Antoine Winfield Jr., who are not immune to busted coverages.

My colleague Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times challenged Bowles on this premise on Tuesday, saying that when a defensive back blitzes the rest of the defense has to rotate and adjust to the blitz. And Bowles will also often drop outside linebackers who are far more adept at rushing the passer than dropping into coverage.

“Outside ‘backers have been dropping for the past 30-40 years,” Bowles said. “And we don’t we don’t ask them to drop very far, and we don’t ask them to match and go do all those things. When they drop it’s pretty much curl-to-flat, or straight hook. So that’s not very complicated to do. Obviously it puts you in space a little bit, but it’s not complicated for the things that we give up.”

Easier said than done, Todd.

I just think Bowles is oblivious to this fact because this is his scheme and he’s run it for well over a decade. Hopefully his new assistant coaches can teach it better to the players than their predecessors could.

Matt Matera: Bucs Seem More Willing To Trade Players Over Draft Picks

Bucs general manager Jason Licht refuted the idea that “it’s in his DNA” to hold onto the draft picks and avoid surrendering them in a blockbuster trade. He’s certainly open to giving them away in a blockbuster type of trade – if he has to. But reading between the lines, if Licht could save one draft pick in exchange for giving up a player instead, he’d likely prefer to do so.

Licht made a bit of a cryptic statement on Tuesday whether he knew it or not. He talked about the importance of maintaining flexibility from a salary cap standpoint in case a surprise were to happen like a player being released or suddenly available via a trade. But then quickly pivoted to the difficulties of having to say goodbye to good players.

“Moving on from players that have been very good is very tough,” Licht said. “Especially when they’re still playing at a high level. But you also have to look into the future. Everyone is an individual case, you can’t just use a broad stroke and say ‘When are you going to get rid of a player that’s maybe getting up there in age?’ I think everybody is different. Some players can play longer than others.”

Bucs GM Jason Licht – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

What exactly is Licht alluding to here? Talking about older players would indicate Mike Evans or Lavonte David, but they’re not under contract, so Licht isn’t “moving on” from them. That kind of goes for Vita Vea as well, who’s in the last year of his deal. Bringing it back to “staying flexible,” maybe Licht is talking about the possibility of trading either Antoine Winfield Jr. or Chris Godwin Jr. – both of whom have salary cap values of over $20 million and cash payouts in the $20 million-plus range.

Each player is under contract until 2027, although Godwin doesn’t have any guaranteed money after this season. Given the crop of talent the Bucs have at receiver with Emeka Egbuka, Jalen McMillan and Tez Johnson, maybe Licht would try to use Godwin in a trade. Licht did say during his media session when Godwin came back from injury and was feelling good, “He was back to Chris.”

Maybe that’s a signal to other GMs around the league.

Adam Slivon: Jason Licht’s Words Held Less Conviction Than Before

The biggest takeaway from Jason Licht and Todd Bowles speaking to the media on Tuesday was not just about what was said, but how it was delivered. Bowles holds more press conferences throughout the year than Licht, so nothing was really surprising from the Bucs head coach. On the other hand, the general manager’s words understandably carry weight and are delivered more pointedly.

Yet, during his local scrum with reporters and standing on the podium, his comments were more reserved, and his body language was telling. Not necessarily that he did not want to be there, but that he does not know what the future holds.

Throughout his time in two separate interviews, Licht’s eyes meandered to the ceiling and to the ground. It did not exactly inspire confidence responding in this manner, especially when the questions revolved around Mike Evans’ future and how the team can overcome last season’s struggles.

Bucs GM Jason Licht – Photo by: IMAGN Images – Kirby Lee

Licht seemed like someone who is currently waiting for the outcomes to reveal themselves rather than sounding direct about making things happen. When it came to Evans and Lavonte David, he seemed to hesitate about them returning. While mentioning this offseason bringing “new life,” it was admittedly hard to feel that much change being in the works.

It is worrisome to all who follow the Bucs that this offseason will be one where the team is gun-shy about making bold moves and sticks to the status quo. While it was defensible before, seeing the team limp to a 2-7 finish leaves much to be desired. It is clear that changes need to happen, but the answers to the big questions ahead simply left room to be desired.

Actions speak louder than words, though, and perhaps Jason Licht was caught at a time when his mind was consumed with everything that must be done, and that something is in the works. The next couple of months will tell just how much change comes about and what kind of moves are made.

Bailey Adams: Todd Bowles Told The Truth About The Bucs’ 6-2 Start

When asked about what happened in the second half of Tampa Bay’s 2025 season, which saw the team turn a 6-2 start into an 8-9 finish with a 2-7 stretch, Bowles gave a pretty refreshing perspective on it. He didn’t flat-out say it, but he alluded to the fact that, actually, the Bucs might’ve been a little lucky to be 6-2 through eight games. They won some close games, largely because they came through in the clutch late. Down the stretch, they lost some close games because they didn’t muster up that same magic… or the right level of execution.

“We didn’t execute. Even at the beginning of the season when we went 6-2, there were some hard-fought ball games, so it’s not like we were blowing people out,” Bowles said. “We were kind of winning because we were doing the right things at the end of the ball game. I don’t think we did the right things in the second half at the end of ball games. Whether it was special teams, defense or offense or from the coaching standpoint, and from a playing standpoint, we’ve just got to be better at that.”

Really, is Bowles wrong? Tampa Bay’s first four wins came by a combined nine points. For the most part, it was Baker Mayfield and the offense coming through late. They did so against the Falcons, Texans and Jets, and then they did it again against the Seahawks, though a Lavonte David interception late in that game also keyed the victory. Even within those games, there were small moments of luck. Younghoe Koo missed a kick in Week 1 that would’ve sent the game to overtime, for example.

Bucs HC Todd Bowles – Photo by: Jeffrey Jones/PR

The point is, the Bucs were really never as good as their 6-2 record might’ve indicated. And down the stretch when they went 2-7, they probably weren’t quite as bad as that 2-7 record might’ve indicated. During their winless December, they lost games by four, one, three and three points. So, in the end, you could say it all evened out and Tampa Bay ended up exactly where it was supposed to: at 8-9.

This was an 8-9 team because the roster wasn’t constructed well enough in some ways, and it simply wasn’t built to overcome the rash of injuries the Bucs dealt with in other ways. Bowles and his coaching staff didn’t coach the team to be better than 8-9. And the players didn’t play well enough to be anything other than a mediocre 8-9.

That’s why, in conjunction with Bowles’ quote transcribed above, Jason Licht’s admission that everyone has to take some blame was completely correct. This wasn’t all on the head coach. This was on everyone, and it’ll be on everyone to fix it.