see the Crosby thing concerns me because are we 1 player away on defense? If we only have to give up a 1st for him, then ok, but if it's multiple picks, thats probably where im not interested.
I agree and this is where -- to ehinote's point I think - there could be some real setback BECAUSE its entirely possible the Bucs overreach, if for no other reason than the OPTICS (irony) and that the overreach doesnt pay off, big contact issues etc, fire Bowles.
the thing is thogh, if Reddick comes in and hes an 8 sack guys then Diaby is maybe 10 sacks, vea gets a few. In other words, it only takes a competent, productive edge. Kancey maybe stays healthy adds 7 or 8
@donthireharbaugh2026 - I hear you, and your point is well taken. Problem is that does nothing for us next season. Most of the time even the best of rookie defensive linemen and edge players, aren’t able to provide much production during their rookie seasons. The Falcons James Pearce was an anomaly this year, but that rarely happens. And you’re normally not getting much from an edge after the first round. Your chances of hitting on the pick are less and less as you go deeper in the draft, especially at edge.
Tom Moore retired as well.
Probably heard the news the dope wasn’t being replaced and said, “Nah. I’m good.”
Probably heard the news the dope wasn’t being replaced and said, “Nah. I’m good.”
or his wife had a stroke
"“It’s time for me to go home and take care of my wife,” Moore said. “For 62 years, she made a lot of sacrifices so I could live a dream and it’s always been about Tom but now it’s about Willie. “It’s time. I’ve been fortunate to land in a lot of great places. This is a great place. The Glazers are fantastic owners. It doesn’t get any better than Jason Licht as general manager. Todd [Bowles] is great . . . it’s a tough business. I’ve been blessed.”
shit heel
So what are I’m hearing here is that it’s simple. We need to improve our roster, replace some coaches, score a few more points, and allow a few less points. I didn’t realize how easy this was going to be? We should just give this list to Bowles and Licht and all will be good.
So what are I’m hearing here is that it’s simple. We need to improve our roster, replace some coaches, score a few more points, and allow a few less points. I didn’t realize how easy this was going to be? We should just give this list to Bowles and Licht and all will be good.
haha if only
For my part . .
here is the BIG DISCLAIMER:
It is INCREDIBLY difficult for a HC who loses some players and has a collapse like that to get the team back the very next season
So what are I’m hearing here is that it’s simple. We need to improve our roster, replace some coaches, score a few more points, and allow a few less points. I didn’t realize how easy this was going to be? We should just give this list to Bowles and Licht and all will be good.
The roster wasn’t good enough. Do you need a list of what positions need to be upgraded?
So what are I’m hearing here is that it’s simple. We need to improve our roster, replace some coaches, score a few more points, and allow a few less points. I didn’t realize how easy this was going to be? We should just give this list to Bowles and Licht and all will be good.
The roster wasn’t good enough. Do you need a list of what positions need to be upgraded?
it was an 11-6 roster. Were we good enough to win Superbowl? probably not, but the roster was more improved than in 2024 and we regressed
we went 2-4 against a schedule that we should have went 5-1 at worst, 4-2 if we were struggling
the collaspe had nothing to do with the roster.
8-9? no fuckin way
While I get the sentiment, born from the frustration for the last 9 games, I disagree that this will set us back years. It could be argued that the poor drafts and lack of augmentation with legit FA’s, has already done that.As a fan, I’ll eventually move past this disappointment and rally behind the team, but as an analyst, I need to express my frustration.
The Bucs have decided to retain Coach Todd Bowles for the 2026 season, a choice rooted in fear of making the bad decision, which could be the worst decision of all. This hesitance could lead to a prolonged downturn for the franchise.
Current Team Confidence
The team’s confidence is at its lowest point in a decade. It’s rare for players to publicly call out a coach at season’s end and then see that coach return. When players feel safe enough to speak out, it often signals that they are anticipating a change.
The collapse this season could set the stage for a major falloff next year, especially if things start to go awry. Pulling out of downturns gets harder and harder. This situation was far worse than the 3- or 4-game skids seen in 2023 and 2024. This demoralized an entire franchise.
Status of the Current Situation
Without significant player additions or coaching changes, the current team is primed for a significant decline that could take years to reverse. Building a winning culture takes time, and while many current players have experienced success, they can quickly become accustomed to losing.
Given the tough schedule for 2026, I wouldn’t be surprised to see this current make-up of the team having a record that ranges from 3-14 to 5-12. If Bowles continues with the same defensive scheme and personnel, opposing offenses will continue to exploit the Bucs’ defensive weaknesses, especially with strong offensive teams on the schedule. If Atlanta hires a coach like Klint Kubiak, that’s two more challenging games, even without Kirk Cousins leading the way.
If OC Josh Grizzard were to return, he’d continue to constrained by Bowles’ run first philosophy. Grizzard has plenty of room for growth, but he won’t see that growth under the leadership of a defensive minded coach like Bowles, who will always look to his offense to first reduce the chances opposing offenses get to attack his defense. When you don’t have a true base defense, and instead rely on exotic defensive pressure packages, reducing the amount of looks the offense gets, helps it work deeper into the game. That why you see many offenses light up Bowles defenses later in games. This leaves Grizzard, or any OC, handcuffed with their play calling. You saw this with Coen as we went deeper into the 2024 season. Watch early games when Coen wasn’t worried about the run to pass ratios. The offense looked different. We threw the ball early, so that we could run late.
Best-Case Scenario
The best players on this team are aging. Lavonte David is going to retire, and Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, and Vita Vea will be another year older.
Bucs’ Tristan Wirfs and Vita Vea – Photo by buccaneers.com
This leaves us with Baker Mayfield, Tristan Wirfs, Luke Goedeke, and Calijah Kancey as our most promising players—if they can stay healthy.
The next tier includes Bucky Irving, Yaya Diaby, Antoine Winfield Jr., Zion McCollum, Graham Barton, Luke Goedeke, and Cody Mauch, all of whom have uncertainties surrounding them.
Then there’s the younger group—Tykee Smith, Jacob Parrish Johnson, Benjamin Morrison, Emeka Egbuka, Jalen McMillan, Elijah Roberts… who show potential but are still unproven.
Our roster is a blend of average youth. GM Jason Licht and Bowles have missed on too many early picks since 2020. When a team misses on high draft picks and fails to supplement them with quality free agents, it results in a roster filled with mid-round talent thrust into key roles.
It’s perplexing that I, as an average fan, can see how Joe Tryon-Shoyinka played too light, ran around blocks, and lacked the explosiveness needed for success at this level. Or that Logan Hall struggled with pad level and first-step quickness—these were our top picks in 2021 and 2022. Misses.
While we’ve heard about this team being homegrown, the reality is that since the Arians era, we’ve slowly seen a decline in talent. Yes, most starters are homegrown, but we lack elite young talent, particularly on defense. We have good young men who are team first players, but are mostly average.
Much of this falls on Licht. However, Bowles has had significant input in the defensive players we’ve drafted. These are his guys, and his coaching staff hasn’t developed many talents. Players enter with their collegiate coaching and attributes, like Calijah Kancey, who came well-coached from Pitt.
What Will Change at One Buc Place This Offseason?
Now that we know Bowles will remain as head coach, what changes can we expect? Will he be willing to shake up his coaching staff? The Bucs’ special teams coverage units were among the worst in the league—there’s no justification for keeping that intact. Many of his long-time assistants have been coaching since the ’70s and ’80s; perhaps it’s time for fresh ideas in the defensive room.
While hopes were high with a new edge position coach, sometimes the issue lies with the players. I’ve maintained for four years that without a dominant edge rush, we can’t reach our goals. It’s short-sighted to continue rolling out subpar edge players year after year. Invest in this position or continue to struggle defensively.
Solely drafting an edge player this year won’t suffice; he won’t make a significant impact. We need to spend money on free agency or trade for a real pass rusher. If not, we’ll be lamenting by week five that “we can’t generate pressure with our front four.” Sound familiar… Licht and Bowles?
Offensive Outlook
The hopes for the 2026 season hinge on the offense since I have little faith that Bowles can create a top-15 defense. If he can’t substantially improve the pass defense, it won’t matter how solid our run defense is; teams typically won’t bother running against us if they don’t have to.
This puts pressure on the offense. Bowles’ best record with the Bucs came in 2024, under Liam Coen’s top-five offense. Reviving that level of offensive play is our primary hope, but there aren’t many coaches like Coen out there. And I won’t even delve into the Coen debacle—I’ve long said that championship teams must make tough, unpopular decisions. We didn’t, and here we are.
There are offensive candidates available. Perhaps someone will see Tampa as a chance for a one-year leap to head coach. Let’s hope for that, because without it, we’re in for a long season ahead. At this point, I’d suspect we’re in for a few long seasons.
I believe (choosing to believe?) the team is forcing Bowles to establish a succession plan. I think it could be that the OC we choose will have the inside track to become the next head coach. Doubly true if the team forces Bowles to hire a DC. It may be the only way we avoid the years-long slide, and attract legitimate coordinators.
Not the outcome or strategy any of us would have chosen, or preferred, but it’s the reality with which we’re forced to deal. Depends on the coordinator(s) we choose, so I’m not ready to throw in the towel, yet.
But hey, the 2026 season is still young, anything could happen!
I believe (choosing to believe?) the team is forcing Bowles to establish a succession plan. I think it could be that the OC we choose will have the inside track to become the next head coach. Doubly true if the team forces Bowles to hire a DC. It may be the only way we avoid the years-long slide, and attract legitimate coordinators.
possibly!
But hey, the 2026 season is still young, anything could happen!
uh. its still the 2025 season so the 2026 season is actually over . . before it starts
I understand your point, but it feels like we're placing a lot of hope in a situation that may not change. A leopard can’t change its spots—Bowles is who he is, and that hasn’t changed. We’re essentially asking a coach to achieve things he has struggled with or been unwilling to do. It seems like we’re micromanaging him, which raises the question: what’s the point? We need someone we can trust to be the face of our franchise, rather than trying to shape someone who hasn’t shown they can succeed.
My main concern is that an organization's fortunes can shift rapidly, but recovering from a downturn can be much more challenging. I’m not in favor of repeating the same approach continuously; it’s becoming stale.
trying to shape someone who hasn’t shown they can succeed.
But, he did succeed and he did so twice when the Glazers and Licht likely had limited expectations of success. That actual, tangible success is why his detractors around here say "yeah, but it was a crap division." They say that because to get to the point you are making above ("someone who hasn’t shown they can succeed") you have to first discount the actual success as not worthy of calling it success.
It shouldn't be that crazy a concept that the owners might disagree with that discounting? Especially with a GM who publicly stands behind the HC as succeeding with what he was given to work with.
In other words, and just to avid any doubt, I am not saying you are wrong.
I am just saying that in the process of trying to decipher what is actually happening (analyzing), its worth noting that there is a reasonable alternative explanation for the current state of things. The Glazers disagree with the Red Board. Those who cannot accept that possibility will lead the charge in all manner of conspiracies (DEI, Glazers are cheap etc) to explain to themselves why "someone who hasn’t shown they can succeed" is still the HC. They may be right. Who knows, but generally speaking the simplest explanation is best. Maybe the Glazers just disagree with the Red Board? They see Bowles as having the success that the Red Board discounts. Not perfect for sure, but successful. They also see Licht as successful....successful enough to not jettison for a chance at Harbaugh, for example.
Just another way to see it.
