With Bucs head coach Todd Bowles being a former NFL defensive back himself, he knows a thing or two about the importance of his secondary needing to create takeaways.

The defense’s ability to do so will be all the more vital in orchestrating victories this season with less certainty on the offensive side of the ball than in recent years. That fact was not lost on Bowles nor cornerback Carlton Davis III and safety Antoine Winfield Jr. after Sunday’s practice.

Bucs HC Todd Bowles Says Secondary Can’t Just “Knock Them Down”

On a sunny hot afternoon, the Bucs’ secondary was in full disrupt mode in breaking up passes. In particular, Davis had a few pass breakups and showed off his ball skills in individual drills. When 11-on-11s began, however, the lone takeaway of the day came from rookie inside linebacker SirVocea Dennis.

Bucs CB Zyon McCollum – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

While it’s still early to fully read into this trend as the pads have yet to come on and players are still ramping up, it’s worth keeping an eye on.

If anything needs to change compared to last season, it’s turning these pass breakups into picks. Bucs head coach Todd Bowles drove this point home.

“Just gotta learn how to catch ’em,” Bowles said. “We knock down more balls than we catch. We’ve got to be able to get turnovers this year – we can’t knock them down.”

With both Carlton Davis III and Jamel Dean making over $25 million between the two of them, they will be expected to make more plays on the ball after combining for three interceptions last season. If they are able to do so, it will lessen the pressure on first-year offensive coordinator Dave Canales and his to-be-determined quarterback.

“It’s always critical,” Bowles added. “Any time you can get the offense back as many times as possible, you try to get them the ball back. So, turnovers lessen the possessions on the other side of the ball and it helps us.”

Bucs S Antoine Winfield Jr. Wants Turnovers To Be A Habit

Bucs S Antoine Winfield, Jr. – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

After ranking 24th in interceptions last season, the Bucs’ defense has to adopt the mindset of getting after the ball. Safety Antoine Winfield Jr., who snared his first interception of training camp on Monday at Baker Mayfield’s expense, recently mentioned how his personal goals tie into the teams of getting more takeaways and being a number one defense.

“For me personally, touching the ball more man, interceptions,” Winfield said on the Richard Sherman Podcast earlier this month. “I gotta get my interceptions up; it’s a contract year. I’m happy, I’m excited, so making sure I touch that ball and stay healthy. Those are the two big goals, creating takeaways and just staying healthy for real.”

Even if that means picking off quarterbacks Baker Mayfield and/or Kyle Trask in practice.

“Obviously for every defense, [the key is] takeaways,” Winfield added Sunday. “But that’s really our emphasis this year, creating takeaways. The more opportunities you can put the ball in the offense’s hands, the better chance you have of winning. Making sure we create takeaways and making it a habit instead of just getting to games and – ‘All right, now we need takeaways.’ Nah, we’ve got to do it in practice. So, just trying to keep that mindset.”

To create more takeaways, a big variable in the equation is the secondary establishing rapport with one another. As that happens, they will begin to understand how to coexist and get in the proper position to take calculated risks and make plays.

With the addition of safety Ryan Neal, the backend of the defense has already been taking steps to build chemistry. As they get comfortable, they will begin playing with confidence – and swag. Does Winfield think that the defense still has that?

“The swag is still there for sure. We’ve still got pretty much the same base of a secondary, so I would say it’s still there.”

Bucs CB Carlton Davis III Getting Closer To Interceptions

Regardless of what outsiders may say about the team, cornerback Carlton Davis III has already made it well-known that Bucs’ adversaries this season will be in for a rude awakening. Especially as he sees himself needing to have a big impact in order to shift the outcome of the games circled on the calendar.

Bucs CB Carlton Davis III – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

There is little question on whether Davis can shut down No. 1 receivers, but there is with his ability to pick off quarterbacks. Besides his four interceptions in 2020, Davis has not had another season with multiple picks.

He is already taking steps to change that, and that is the biggest obstacle standing in his way of taking his game to another level.

“That’s the biggest thing,” Davis said. “I’m really trying to push for that. How I look at the film and if I’m a step closer, that’s an interception rather than a PBU. Which is what we need this year from me especially, and that’s what my focus is.”

With the first preseason game already less than two weeks away, Carlton Davis III, Antoine Winfield Jr., and other Bucs’ defensive backs will have plenty of chances to make turnovers a habit. That will surely make Todd Bowles satisfied on Sundays during the regular season.