INTRO: I’m back from my vacation and my SR’s FAB 5 column has returned, too. I’ll get to SirVocea Dennis and the Bucs players that stood out in OTAs in a minute. But first I’ll explain my two-week absence from this column.

Ashley and I celebrated 12 years of marriage on May 17 as well as my 30th year covering the Bucs for Pewter Report (previously Buccaneer Magazine) on May 19. We took a week-long cruise to the Caribbean for some much-needed rest and relaxation.

Thirty years is an incredible milestone, and I would like to thank everyone who has helped me along this journey – from all of the Pewter Reporters who have been my teammates to you, the amazing Pewter People who have made Pewter Report the best source of news, analysis and inside scoop on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The problem is I’m overwhelmed with memories and moments over the last three decades.

My biggest fear is forgetting to thank someone or forgetting a key moment in any written tribute that I put forth this summer. It’s actually a daunting task that will require me thinking and reflecting on what I’ve accomplished, and what I’ve been able to do in serving you – the Pewter Report reader – since 1995.

Bucs head coach Todd Bowles and Pewter Report’s Scott Reynolds – Photo by: Bailey Adams/PR

I’ve spent this offseason consumed with the Senior Bowl, the NFL Scouting Combine, free agency, the NFL Annual Meeting and the Bucs draft, all of which have been important to YOU, the Bucs fan who consumes our Pewter Report content – rather than my own personal achievements over the past 30 years. I take my responsibility as a conduit between you and the team you love, the Buccaneers, very seriously.

So please allow me a few weeks this summer to reflect on my 30 years of covering the Bucs – after mini-camp is over on June 12. And before training camp I’ll have a more comprehensive column – and hopefully one that you find very entertaining and informative – of Bucs memories and people that have stood out to me along this amazing journey. This has been a dream job that YOU have allowed me to have. From the bottom of my heart – thank you!

FAB 1: SirVocea Dennis Is A Boss At Bucs OTAs

The Bucs players call inside linebacker SirVocea Dennis “Voss” for short. But he might be trading in his “Voss” nickname for a new one.

“Voss The Boss.”

Pewter Report wrote about how impressive Dennis looked as the team’s starting middle linebacker during Tuesday’s OTA where he picked off Baker Mayfield, as he’s had a penchant for doing to quarterbacks in practice since his arrival in 2023 as a fifth-round pick. But sources tell me that Dennis has been a stud all week and looks poised to take over for K.J. Britt as a starter as he enters his third season in Todd Bowles defense.

“He’s been like that the last couple of years,” said Bowles about Dennis’ interception on Tuesday. “We’ve just got to keep him healthy. We feel like he’s a lot healthier going into this season than he’s ever been. Knock on wood, if he’s healthy, we think we’ve got a heck of a player.”

Knock on wood.

Cross your fingers.

Avoid those injuries.

Just stay healthy.

Bucs ILB SirVocea Dennis – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

If the Bucs can get a full season – or close to it – from Dennis, it could be a real game-changer for Bowles’ defense. Not only is Dennis a terrific coverage linebacker, but he’s also an incredible blitzer, evidenced by 15 career sacks at Pittsburgh, where he played behind defensive tackle Calijah Kancey, including seven as a senior.

Dennis got off to a hot start last year platooning with Britt on passing downs and actually out-produced him in the first three games of the season. Dennis recorded his first NFL sack of Washington quarterback Jayden Daniels in the 2024 season opener, then recorded a career-high 12 tackles in a Week 2 win at Detroit.

Dennis missed the preseason with a shoulder injury that began in college and flared up last August. During the Week 4 win against Philadelphia, it got agitated to the point where it was best that he fix the shoulder permanently and underwent season-ending shoulder surgery.

That proved to be a huge blow to the Bucs defense, especially in pass coverage where Britt and J.J. Russell struggled mightily to fill the void that was created by Dennis’ departure.

The Bucs were not opposed to drafting another inside linebacker this year, although they didn’t do it. Part of the reason why the team didn’t pull the trigger is because of their strong belief in Dennis. If he can stay healthy, Tampa Bay believes he can be one of the best inside linebackers in the league.

Bucs ILB SirVocea Dennis and Commanders QB Jayden Daniels – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

“Staying healthy is not only No. 1 for not only him, but for all of us,” Zyon McCollum said of Dennis. “We have a lot of trust in Voss. As corners we have a lot of trust in him. He reminds me of Fred Warner – a linebacker who can speak and get everybody lined up. He’s really good against the pass. He’s a real smart, savvy guy.

“I love playing with him because he just brings a new energy. He’s always in the huddle hyping people up. He’s always smiling. You know he’s going to be where you expect him to be.”

Had the Bucs drafted a linebacker, it would have been to find a running mate for Dennis in 2026 and beyond – not replace him as a starter this year. Lavonte David will be 36 in January and this might be his last season in Tampa Bay. Anthony Walker Jr. turns 30 in August, while Deion Jones turns 31 in November.

Tampa Bay had high grades on UCLA’s Carson Schwesinger and South Carolina’s Demetrius Knight Jr. but was unable to draft either as both were selected in the second round before the team was on the clock again.

The hope is that Dennis can stay healthy and live up to his vast potential. Then the Bucs can look at drafting another linebacker in 2026 to ultimately replace David should he retire after the season.

Dennis’ ability – and availability – will be a major factor for Bowles and the Bucs this year. The heady inside linebacker is a powerful striker and has the chance to be the next great linebacker in Tampa Bay.

If he can stay healthy. Cross your fingers for Voss The Boss.

FAB 2. Bucs OLB David Walker Is A Pass-Rushing Mutant

In 1996, I gave Bucs rookie cornerback Donnie Abraham the nickname “The Iceman” after he showed that he had ice in his veins in going up against Jaguars veteran receiver Andre “Bad Moon” Rison in a joint practice session with Jacksonville. Rison, a five-time Pro Bowler, was shut down in practice by Tampa Bay’s third-round pick out of East Tennessee State.

I remember putting a silhouetted picture of Abraham in front of a picture of a glacier on the cover of Buccaneer Magazine that year with the title “The Iceman Cometh.” That nickname stuck throughout his Bucs career and Abraham even uses it to this day in his X handle Iceman__21. Abraham was one of my favorite players to cover and he broke the franchise interception record in 2001 with 31 interceptions in six seasons until Ronde Barber eclipsed that record with 47 picks in 16 years.

Well I’ve got a new nickname to bestow on a Bucs player. I’m going to be calling rookie outside linebacker David Walker “Nightcrawler” because of his ability to teleport into the backfield. As a fan of Marvel’s X-Men comic books and movies, Nightcrawler is a very agile mutant that has the power of teleportation.

Nightcrawler from Marvel’s The X-Men

Walker seemingly teleported into the backfield to make a would-be tackle for loss on one play in Tuesday’s practice and then did it again to record a would-be sack on the next one. This is not just me hyping up the Central Arkansas product, either. I’ve had multiple Bucs sources tell me the same thing about Walker. Even comparisons to James Harrison have been mentioned.

The Bucs might have done it again this year with a fourth-round pick upstaging other talented members of the draft class the way that fourth-round running back Bucky Irving did last year. Walker is currently buried on the depth chart behind starters Haason Reddick and Yaya Diaby and even Chris Braswell and Markees Watts, who were running with the second team on Tuesday when the media was allowed to watch the first OTA of the offseason. But that won’t last for long.

Bucs OLB David Walker – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

I realize that Walker has yet to go up against the likes of All-Pro left tackle Tristan Wirfs and Luke Goedeke, a Pro Bowl-caliber right tackle. He’ll certainly get manhandled on some reps this summer and take some big fat L’s against the Bucs’ veterans during training camp. But Walker will learn, as iron sharpens iron.

Sooner rather than later, I believe that Walker will surge past Braswell into the OLB3 role at some point this season. And that’s not a knock on Braswell, who I think will be a fine pass rusher. It’s just that Walker has special traits.

Walker is a mutant. He’s a teleporter. He’s Nightcrawler.

FAB 3. Other Bucs Rookies Standing Out In OTAs

While the media only got to see one OTA practice this week, which was on Tuesday, I’ve heard that three other Bucs rookies made a strong impression in practice on Wednesday and Thursday.

Wide receiver Emeka Egbuka continues to receive high praise. He’s just a pro already. Smooth, polished route runner. If Chris Godwin didn’t see the field at all in 2025 (but he will), I would feel confident that Egbuka could be a 1,000-yard receiver in the slot as a rookie.

Bucs WR Emeka Egbuka – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

He’s smart, savvy, always in the right place at the right time and almost always makes the catch. At a nearly identical 6-foot-1, 205 pounds, Egbuka literally is a less experienced version of Godwin. And like Godwin, Egbuka is not flashy and dynamic. Just incredibly steady and productive.

Imagine how much Egbuka’s learning curve will be accelerated once he’s around the likes of Mike Evans and Godwin as the summer progresses.

Rookie cornerback Benjamin Morrison continues to make strides and looked very impressive during the week in OTAs. His movement ability has fully returned since his hip surgery last fall that shortened his junior season at Notre Dame.

Morrison, the team’s second-round pick, got the green light to begin practicing with the team in 11-on-11s during OTAs, as he was limited to just individual drills during the team’s rookie mini-camp as he was still getting back in to football shape. He showed how incredibly smart he by quickly grasping Todd Bowles’ defense and his coverage ability was on display.

As expected, Morrison is emerging as the top threat for Jamel Dean’s starting job as an outside cornerback.

Bucs CB Benjamin Morrison – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

The other rookie who is really standing out is John Bullock, the undrafted free agent from Nebraska. He’s been incredibly solid rather than spectacular in practice, but Bullock has impressed by not making mistakes and showing that he has enough athleticism to play at the NFL level. He’s also really good coverage, which is a welcomed sight after last year’s struggles in defending the middle of the field.

Just wait until Lavonte David shows up for the mandatory mini-camp and begins to take the young Cornhusker under his wing. If Bullock shines on special teams, as he did at Nebraska, he could force Tampa Bay to keep five inside linebackers on the depth chart. Bullock will have to beat out Antonio Grier Jr. for that to happen, though.

FAB 4. Should We Be Concerned About Haason Reddick Missing OTAs?

I’m going to keep this brief because I have a new Pewter Pulse video coming out on Friday afternoon discussing Haason Reddick’s absence from the first week of OTAs in greater detail. And yes, Reddick missed all three OTA practices this week – not just Tuesday’s.

Don’t be concerned about Reddick. The Bucs aren’t concerned – at all.

This is not another Randy Gregory situation.

Click below for my new Pewter Pulse video on PewterReportTV for more on this situation.

And speaking of PewterReportTV, thank you for helping us to get 19,000 subscribers on our YouTube channel! Our goal is to reach 20,000 subscribers by the start of the Bucs’ 2025 season.

FAB 5. Todd Bowles Will Appear On The Pewter Report Podcast On Monday, June 2

Pewter Report has had a tremendous offseason in terms of getting several Bucs guests to appear on the Pewter Report Podcast. We’ve had outside linebacker Yaya Diaby, quarterback Michael Pratt, rookie defensive lineman Elijah Roberts, VP of player personnel Mike Biehl and cornerback Zyon McCollum join us so far.

On Monday, we’re honored to have Tampa Bay head coach Todd Bowles join the Pewter Report Podcast at 4:00 pm ET. You can watch that episode live on PewterReportTV on YouTube as well as it being streamed live on our @PewterReport channels on X and Facebook.

We will take a handful of questions from Bucs fans who tune in live and superchat us (as it’s much easier to have those questions stand out among the hundreds of questions and comments that we’ll have in the live chat). The ground rules are that the questions must be respectful in nature and deemed appropriate by the Pewter Report staff.

And we may not be able to get to every question that we get via superchat depending on how much time we have with Bowles answering our own questions. But Matt Matera and I will do our best to at least provide answers if the show lasts longer than an hour and Bowles has to depart at 5:00 p.m. ET.

And we’ll have Bucs general manager Jason Licht on the Pewter Report Podcast on Monday, June 9 from 4:00-5:00 p.m. ET. We’ll take some fan questions for that episode, too – same ground rules apply.