No one can fill the shoes of legendary Bucs linebacker Lavonte David. Everyone knows that, and head coach Todd Bowles said as much the day David retired after 14 illustrious seasons.

But new addition Alex Anzalone will replace David’s role on the field as Tampa Bay’s weakside linebacker – a position called Moneybacker in Bowles’ scheme, or Mo’ ‘backer for short. The 31-year old Anzalone is entering his 10th year in the league, including the last five seasons in Detroit where he became one of the best coverage linebackers in the NFL.

With the Bucs linebackers struggling in coverage over the last two seasons as David’s skills declined with age, Anzalone’s skills will be a welcomed addition. While new middle linebacker Christian Rozeboom, who played last season in Carolina and with the Los Angeles Rams before that, isn’t exceptional in coverage, he has been very productive, notching 135 and 129 tackles over the last two seasons.

Rozeboom is expected to compete with last year’s starter SirVocea Dennis, who is entering a contract year, and a rookie, as Tampa Bay will be looking to add a young inside linebacker through the draft.

“Alex is positioned to be the Mo right now and then we’ll see,” Bowles said. “Rozeboom can play the Mike. Voss can play the Mike. They all three have to learn both spots anyways, but right now I see Alex as my Mo.”

Bowles praised the free agent addition of Rozeboom, who sacked Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield in Week 16 at Carolina and picked him off in Week 18.

Bucs ILB Christian Rozeboom – Photo by: IMAGN Images – Bob Donnan

“I think he was a very good addition,” Bowles said. “I think he’s very tough. He can play inside and he can play either ‘backer spot and he’s a very good special teams player as well. From a depth standpoint with Alex coming on and him coming on we are a lot deeper at the ‘backer position than we were with guys that have played in a bunch of ball games. So I’m really happy to have him and really glad he came.”

David is a Tampa Bay legend that will one day be in the Bucs Ring of Honor and hopefully in the Pro Football Hall of Fame wearing a gold jacket. But that doesn’t mean Anzalone can’t have his own impact and be a leader in his own way in Tampa Bay. He was a captain for the Lions in recent years.

“We’ll never replace Lavonte, but Anzalone in his own right is a very good linebacker in this league and he wears the green dot and commands respect as well,” Bowles said. “So he’s going to be very good. And adding [Miles] Killebrew and [Al-Quadin] Muhammad, guys like that, just adds other side pieces to that [on defense]. I feel like we got different and hopefully got better.”

Bucs ILB Alex Anzalone – Photo by: Cliff Welch P/R

Bucs Head Coach Todd Bowles Likes This Year’s Draft Class At Inside Linebacker

While the Buccaneers added Alex Anzalone and Christian Rozeboom in free agency, the team isn’t done at the inside linebacker position. Tampa Bay opted not to re-sign veteran free agents Deion Jones and Anthony Walker Jr., and saw Lavonte David retire. Head coach Todd Bowles and general manager Jason Licht will be on the lookout for a starting-caliber inside linebacker in this year’s draft – maybe two of them, as it’s deep at the position.

“I feel like there are some guys in this draft that can really play,” Bowles said. “There are quite a few of them – at least 10 or 12 of them for sure.”

Georgia ILB CJ Allen – Photo by: IMAGN Images – Allen Poizner

Several linebackers have been mocked to the Buccaneers in various rounds, including Georgia’s C.J. Allen, Texas Tech’s Jacob Rodriguez, Texas’ Anthony Hill Jr., and Cincinnati’s Jake Golday among others. Tampa Bay had formal interviews with eight inside linebackers at the NFL Scouting Combine.

Bowles revealed what trait he looks for the most at the inside linebacker position.

“The trait we look for the most is probably instinctiveness,” Bowles said. “You look for instincts right there, how they read, how they scrape and how they go. I think there is a bunch of those in the draft.”

– Pewter Report’s Matt Matera contributed to this story