The Bucs will not only use the 2024 offseason program to work on the players getting bigger and stronger in the weight room as well as getting faster, but also to improve in certain areas. While head coach Todd Bowles will be installing some new wrinkles on defense and new offensive coordinator Liam Coen and his new assistants will be installing a new playbook, each Bucs player will be tasked with honing their skills and working on some individual weaknesses.

With input from the Bucs coaches and front office members, as well as my own analysis and observations, I’ve come up with one specific area for each player to work on heading into training camp and the 2024 season. I’m only evaluating players who saw true playing time last year in Tampa Bay and leaving rookies and newly acquired free agents that played elsewhere out of the equation.

This is the fourth part of an eight-part series that will examine a position group or two of Bucs players. Today, it’s Tampa Bay’s defensive line. Next up will be the Bucs outside linebackers.

Where Each Bucs Player Can Improve: QB, RBs

Where Each Bucs Player Can Improve: WRs, TEs

Where Each Bucs Player Can Improve: O-Line

Where Each Bucs Player Can Improve: Defensive Line

DT Vita Vea – Dominate More Often

Bucs DT Vita Vea and Saints QB Derek Carr – Photo by: USA Today

Bucs defensive line coach Kacy Rodgers was exactly right when he said it’s time for Vea to go from becoming a very good defensive tackle to a dominant one playing at a Pro Bowl level. That’s the offseason message to Vea, and he appears to be taking seriously, reportedly coming into the offseason program in tremendous shape having already lost some weight that he usually sheds during the OTAs in years past. It’s good news that Vea is ahead of the game and putting himself in position to earn just his second-ever Pro Bowl berth in 2024.

According to Pro Football Focus, Vea had seven games out of 17 games he played in last year (he missed two games due to injury), including the playoffs, where he achieved a grade of 70. Vea had an overall grade of 80, which was the second-highest PFF grade he has earned in his six years in Tampa Bay. After leading the team with a career-high 6.5 sacks in 2022, Vea posted a respectable 5.5 last year, but didn’t get to the quarterback during the last six games of the regular season perhaps due to injuries or season-long fatigue slowing him down. Being in better shape in 2024 should help, as there have been times in his career where Vea has played much higher than his listed weight of 347 pounds.

Vea added half a sack in the playoffs, but has the potential to get 10 sacks in a season as he’s still in the prime of his career at age 29. Playing next to Calijah Kancey, who had four sacks in the regular season and 1.5 more in the postseason, should help. The better Kancey plays and the more threat he poses as a pass rusher should force offensive coordinators to start double-teaming him and leaving the massive Vea in favorable one-on-one situations. Vea has been a very good run defender since entering the league in 2018. Now it’s time that he becomes a more consistently well-rounded, dominant player in Tampa Bay.

DT Calijah Kancey – Learn To Play Better Against The Run

Bucs DT Calijah Kancey – Photo by: USA Today

Pro Football Focus wasn’t kind to Kancey during his rookie season when it came to grades. The Bucs’ first-round pick had a low 49.7 overall grade from PFF. That was because Kancey had a woeful 29.5 PFF run defense grade. Known as a pass rusher coming out of Pittsburgh, Kancey finished with four sacks in the regular season and added another 1.5 sacks in the postseason to earn a 68.9 pass rush grade.

But it’s clear that the undersized defensive tackle has some work to do in run defense. At 6-foot, 286 pounds, it’s not like Kancey can get much bigger, but he can get stronger in the weight room despite his size limitations. His game draws some resemblance to Aaron Donald’s – and not just because both defensive tackles went to Pitt. Donald was a short defensive tackle that weighed less than 300 pounds and had a lightning quick first step and excellent speed and agility to shoot through gaps and penetrate the backfield.

Yet Donald was stronger than Kancey is, so hitting the weight room this offseason is paramount for Tampa Bay’s stud defensive tackle. He’ll also need to watch film on how he was attacked last year in the running game with double teams and bump blocks and learn to navigate that better this year. Learning how to anchor in the run game when necessary is key, and also studying his opponents and having a better understanding of opposing offenses will help Kancey beat blocks by anticipating where the run is going and avoiding the blocks of guards and centers and down-blocking offensive tackles.

DT Logan Hall – Make More Splash Plays

Bucs DT Logan Hall – Photo by: USA Today

While Calijah Kancey made a splash with four sacks during his rookie season, Hall also had a promising rookie season as a pass rusher with 2.5 sacks despite limited usage in 2022. So when his second season rolled around and Hall had added 10-15 pounds of size and muscle to play around 280-285 pounds, the Bucs expected him to build on his rookie numbers. Hall had plenty of opportunity at the start of the year as he got more playing time due to Kancey missing the first month of the regular season due to a lingering calf strain.

But Hall only finished with half a sack and two fumble recoveries despite more playing time, including four starts next to Vita Vea in the first month of the 2023 campaign. That was very disappointing and puts him under the microscope to play much better in 2024 or risk the Bucs moving on from him next season. Hall did add more size this offseason and is now around 295 pounds. That added size and strength should allow him to finish more plays this season.

Hall was drafted due to his pass rushing ability, so not even registering a full sack was disappointing. He still has a bad habit of going to a swim move that worked in college, but won’t work in the NFL. Hall needs to work on his pass rush this offseason and during training camp and make more impact plays like tackles for loss, forced fumbles and a few more fumble recoveries. Simply put, he needs to live up to his draft billing as the Bucs’ first pick of the 2022 NFL Draft at the top of the second round and become a playmaker – even in a reduced role playing behind Kancey and Vea.

DT Greg Gaines – Be The Run-Stuffer He’s Supposed To Be

Bucs DT Greg Gaines – Photo by: USA Today

The Bucs thought they had an upgrade over Rakeem Nunez-Roches in Gaines, and in some ways they did. Gaines is probably a more impactful pass rusher, although that’s not his main purpose in Tampa Bay. The Bucs signed Gaines to replace Nunez-Roches because he was a more active, agile nose tackle, and also because of the familiarity with Vita Vea, as they were both teammates at the University of Washington.

Gaines is the Bucs’ primary backup at nose tackle, although he rarely plays in nickel defense. The 6-foot-1, 312-pound defender subs in for Vea typically on early downs when opposing offenses are more likely to run the ball. But Gaines recorded a subpar 48.5 run defense grade from Pro Football Focus last year and a 43.2 tackling grade from PFF. Ironically, he had a 60.2 pass rush grade, even though that’s not Gaines’ calling card.

Tampa Bay needs there to be less drop off in a run-stuffing capacity from Vea to Gaines on run downs. Gaines has the size and strength to effectively anchor against double-teams in the running game. Now it’s just having an even better understanding of Todd Bowles’ defense entering his second season and learning how opposing offenses are trying to attack him so he can be in better position to stuff the run in 2024.

DT Will Gholston – Get To The QB More Often

Bucs DE Will Gholston – Photo by: USA Today

Gholston will turn 33 this year and was re-signed due to his experience in Todd Bowles defense and the fact that he still brings value as a run-stuffer on early downs. Entering his 12th year in Tampa Bay, Gholston is also a sage veteran who is known as a “glue guy” in the locker room. He’s served as a mentor to several young defensive linemen, most notably Logan Hall. Due to his age, Gholston’s snap percentage has gone down understandably, and he’s considered to be DT5 on the depth chart as a result.

But when Gholston is in the game, he needs to be more effective as a pass rusher. Gholston is not known for his pass rush, and it’s been two years since he’s recorded a sack. While used primarily on first and second downs as a run-stuffer, Gholston doesn’t have the pass rushing opportunities that Tampa Bay’s defensive linemen in nickel packages have. But opposing offenses will still throw the ball on first and second downs, and he needs to be more of a threat to get to the quarterback.

Gholston is just three years removed from a career-high 4.5 sacks in 2021. His opportunities moving forward will decline, as will his production, evidenced from his 49 tackles in 2022 to just 19 tackles last year in a reduced role. But that doesn’t mean that Gholston can’t contribute a sack or two in 2024, and perhaps create a fumble in the process. Playing fewer snaps should keep Gholston fresher each week and thus increase the chances of him getting to the QB more often.

DT Mike Greene – Be More Than A Practice Squad Player

Bucs DT Mike Greene – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Greene, a former practice squad player, played in 10 games last year with most of that playing time occurring at the beginning of the season when Calijah Kancey was sidelined due to a calf strain. The undrafted James Madison product was the Bucs’ lowest-rated defender last year with a 40.4 overall grade, including a 29.5 run defense grade. Simply put, Greene was a liability on defense when he was in the game last season.

In his first season on an active roster, Greene produced just four tackles. The 6-foot-3, 293-pounder looked like a practice squad player rather than someone who belonged on Sundays. Greene missed some time on injured reserve last year that cut into his development, but if wants to stay on the active roster this year, he needs to get bigger, stronger and faster in the offseason program and become more in tune with Todd Bowles’ defensive scheme in the film room.

The good news for Greene is that the Bucs did not draft a defensive tackle this year. And since Tampa Bay hasn’t re-signed Pat O’Connor, the spot for the sixth defensive tackle is wide open. Greene has more experience in Bowles’ defense than newcomers like C.J. Brewer, Judge Culpepper, Eric Banks and Lwal Ugak do. But can he use that toward his advantage and show he’s more than just a practice squad-caliber player?