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About the Author: Trevor Sikkema
Latest Bucs Headlines
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have interviewed a handful of candidates since letting defensive line coach Jay Hayes go, but according to a report from Mike Garafolo, they have settled in on and have agreed to terms with Cardinals defensive line coach Brentson Buckner.
Bucs are hiring Brentson Buckner as their DL coach, source says. Spent the last five years with the Cards. Now Buck heads to the Bucs.
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) February 19, 2018
Bucs general manager Jason Licht knows Buckner, who is 46, from his days in Arizona in 2013 before coming to Tampa Bay. Buckner was the Cardinals’ defensive line coach for the past five years under Bruce Arians.
In his first season as an NFL defensive line coach in 2013, Buckner helped the Cardinals record 47 sacks, led by John Abraham’s 11.5 sacks, while Calaias Campbell had nine and Darnell Dockett contributed 4.5. The next season, rookie Alex Okafor notched eight sacks, while Campbell posted seven sacks and Frostee Rucker had five. In 2015, newly arrived Dwight Freeny finished with a team-high eight sacks with Campbell pitching in five, along with four from rookie Markus Golden and three from Rucker.
