We only have a two-game sample size to go off of but so far, the Bucs’ headline acquisitions of the 2026 offseason largely look like major duds. Running back Kenny Gainwell has been sparsely used in Zac Robinson’s offense. Outside linebacker Al-Quadin Muhammad is playing in a reserve role. Defensive tackle A’Shawn Robinson has been quiet.

And then there’s veteran linebacker Alex Anzalone and rookie outside linebacker Rueben Bain Jr. – two players who were expected to hit the ground running and immediately become upgrades over Haason Reddick and Lavonte David/SirVocea Dennis from last season. Again, it’s a two-game sample size, but nothing looks different about Todd Bowles’ defense with several new pieces in place.

Generating pressure from a four-man rush continues to be a strenuous exercise. Tackling in space and covering the middle of the field is still a major issue. Anzalone and Bain were supposed to be the fix to these problems but instead, look like two players who would be better off watching from the sidelines.

But in the case of Anzalone, Pro Football Focus‘ 68th ranked linebacker (out of 69) through two weeks of play who has been credited with four missed tackles, a trip to the bench doesn’t appear to be on the table. Anzalone, who wears the green dot and is responsible for relaying Bowles’ calls to his teammates, is currently in no danger of losing his starting spot despite another disappointing showing in Sunday’s 23-19 Week 2 defeat to the Cleveland Browns, Bowles indicated Monday.

Bucs ILB Alex Anzalone – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

“He wasn’t the only one to miss tackles. We had a few guys miss tackles in the second half that led to some plays. We just gotta tackle better,” Bowles said. ” … Still confident in him. Like I said, we got a lot of guys who got a lot of things to clean up. If you put someone on the bench for messing up, then everyone is on the bench.”

Alex Anzalone Looks Unplayable

Todd Bowles isn’t wrong in saying that other players have to step up as well. Anzalone, however, has clearly been the weak link of the defense despite wearing a C on his chest. And when you play in the middle of the defense and you’re around the ball as much as he is, failing to make plays and missing tackles becomes even more magnified.

It doesn’t help that Anzalone is a player they targeted on the first day of free agency, inking him to a two-year, $17 million deal. While not an overly significant investment, it’s an investment nonetheless, and the Bucs aren’t getting anywhere near worth their money’s worth.

Anzalone’s most critical gaffe against Cleveland came late in the third quarter. With Tampa Bay holding a 16-9 lead, quarterback Deshaun Watson completed a pass over the middle to wide receiver Denzel Boston for what *should* have been just for a first down gain. Anzalone was first on the scene to make the tackle, but he failed to bring the rookie wideout down. Safeties Antoine Winfield Jr. and Tykee Smith were next up in missing the tackle, and Boston ran into the end zone for a 55-yard score.

That singular play shifted the momentum of the entire contest. From there, the Bucs’ offense would go on to put up to just three points, while the defense allowed a game-winning touchdown with just over six minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. Anzalone also whiffed on tight end Harold Fannin Jr. on a screen pass, allowing the second-year man to run for a first down instead of the play being stopped for no gain.

Rueben Bain Jr. And The Rookie Wall

Now, perhaps if the Bucs had a consistent pass rush, it wouldn’t have gotten to that point – an embarrassing loss on home soil to one of the NFL’s worst teams. But if you’ve been watching the Bucs over their last 11 games dating back to last season, you wouldn’t be shocked that the group up front didn’t get the job done.

In that time, according to FOX Sports‘ Greg Auman, the Bucs have just 15 sacks. That is tied with the San Francisco 49ers for the fewest of any team in that span. Not surprising, the Bucs are just 2-9 in their last 11 games.

Forget sacks, Rueben Bain Jr. can’t even sniff the quarterback. Bain has just two pressures in as many games and is ranked near the bottom of the league in pass rush win rate. Bain didn’t record a statistic against the Browns. As we saw in Cincinnati the Sunday prior, he looked slow off the ball and without any sort of plan for winning his matchup. Bain even got locked up by tight end Harold Fannin Jr., who is listed at 241 pounds and isn’t known for his blocking prowess.

Nobody should be writing off Bain or using the “B word” to describe him just yet, but it’s a fact to point out that his current play is simply not good enough for this defense to be successful. Neither is the play of Yaya Diaby, who has underwhelmed thus far in the last year of his rookie deal. You almost have to wonder if Bain is potentially still dealing with lingering issues from the AC joint sprain he suffered during joint practices in Jacksonville.

On Monday Bowles, though, sees Bain as “good enough to play.”

Browns TE Harold Fannin Jr. and Bucs OLB Rueben Bain Jr. – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

“He says it’s not. I don’t think he’s completely healthy but at the same time, he’s good enough to play,” Bowles said. “So, we gotta get more production there.”

At 0-2 and with critical games against the Minnesota Vikings, Green Bay Packers, and Dallas Cowboys approaching, the Bucs can’t afford to wait around for Bain to figure it out. At the very least, a rotation at that spot is required, and we saw a little bit of that against the Browns.

Bain saw 60% of the snaps in the home opener. Muhammad got 36% and David Walker saw the field on nine plays, recording the first sack of his NFL career and just one-of-two for the Bucs in the contest.

Bain, in this moment, might benefit from seeing more of the game from the sidelines. Whatever it takes to get him going, Bowles has to find what that is and Bain has to execute.

As always in Tampa Bay, indeed, “we have to play it better and we have to coach it better.”