The countdown to the Bucs’ 2026 season is on. Proper now, we’re:
62 days away from Bucs common season kickoff32 days away from Bucs preseason kickoff16 days away from Bucs coaching camp
Within the lead-up to coaching camp, Pewter Report’s Bailey Adams can be diving into storylines for 26 key figures who can be essential to the Bucs’ success in 2026.
Right now, the collection continues with defensive deal with A’Shawn Robinson.
26 For ‘26: A’Shawn Robinson Bucs Storylines In 2026
How Will The Results Of A’Shawn Robinson’s Mentality Present In The Bucs Protection?
The Bucs don’t simply need to get meaner and nastier on protection in 2026. The Bucs have to get meaner and nastier on protection in 2026. Quite a lot of what has gone incorrect with Todd Bowles’ unit in recent times comes right down to the four-man move rush falling quick, shoddy inside linebacker play and miscommunications within the secondary resulting in blown coverages.
However on the identical time, Bowles’ protection has merely lacked a killer intuition. The group has lacked a sure edge. And that’s a part of the explanation the staff signed Robinson this offseason.
Bucs DT A’Shawn Robinson – Photograph courtesy of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The 6-foot-3, 320-pound defensive deal with helps the Bucs get larger up entrance on protection, however he’ll additionally assist in setting the tone. He was introduced in to ship a message: Tampa Bay’s protection received’t get pushed round anymore. Robinson is a fire-starter, and fairly than making an attempt to clarify for him the place that comes from, take it straight from the 10-year veteran who received a Tremendous Bowl with the Rams in 2021.
“It comes from a little kid they used to pick on for not having anything – for being so poor,” Robinson stated in March. “So you recognize what I did day-after-day? I whipped any person’s ass. Day-after-day. Day-after-day you stated one thing, I’d beat the shit out of you. That’s the place that got here from. Even in school, joke round, I’m gonna beat your ass. That’s simply how I turned and I’m the identical approach on the sphere.
“People talk and try to do dirty stuff. I just got tired of it. I just started letting people have it, let them know that I’m going to be the shit out of them, how I’m going to do it. I just destroy. I guess that’s how I was as a kid. If I can (create) madness, that’s how I saw it.”
Robinson was introduced in to create that insanity for the Buccaneer defensive entrance. He provides the group one thing totally different by way of perspective, one thing you might argue has been lacking because the days of Jason Pierre-Paul and Ndamukong Suh. How will that manifest on the sphere? It must be thrilling to search out out.
#Bucs DT A’Shawn Robinson says his recreation plan to assist Vita Vea is “Free my dog up, let him eat.”
Everyone has to do their job to have an important protection.
How A lot Of An Improve Can A’Shawn Robinson Be For The Bucs Protection In 2026?
Quite a lot of the discuss Robinson facilities on his perspective and what he’ll do for the mentality of the Bucs protection. However will he be an improve for Tampa Bay by way of his play? And in that case, how a lot of an improve can he be?
Usually talking, Robinson is available in as a substitute for Logan Corridor, the Bucs’ high decide — at No. 33 total — within the 2022 Draft. So, will the veteran Robinson show to be an improve over the youthful Corridor? It’s onerous to say it’s an unequivocal sure primarily based purely on the numbers, so it comes right down to how you are feeling about each gamers.
Bucs DT A’Shawn Robinson – Photograph by: Cliff Welch/PR
their PFF grades from a 12 months in the past, Corridor posted a 66.8 total grade with a 66.0 run protection grade, a 34.6 tackling grade and a 65.5 move rush grade. Robinson, enjoying with the Panthers, had a 63.7 total grade with a 60.9 run protection grade, a 59.2 tackling grade and a 62.5 move rush grade. So, issues have been pretty comparable.
Stats-wise, Corridor had 39 tackles (18 solo), 1.5 sacks, two tackles for loss, six quarterback hits, one compelled fumble and one move defensed. Robinson posted 65 tackles (21 solo), 2.5 sacks, three tackles for loss, eight quarterback hits, one fumble restoration and three passes defensed. The benefit there goes to Robinson primarily based totally on the deal with numbers.
The Bucs clearly assume Robinson can be an improve — and a reasonably important one — provided that they signed him to a one-year, $10 million deal. Corridor signed a two-year, $13.75 million cope with the Texans. Not solely that, however certainly one of Tampa Bay’s said objectives this offseason was to get larger, and Robinson helps with that at 6-foot-3, 320 kilos versus Corridor, who’s taller at 6-foot-6 however lighter at 283 kilos.
How A lot Threat Was There In Giving 31-12 months-Outdated A’Shawn Robinson A $10 Million Contract?
Talking of that $10 million deal the Bucs gave Robinson, how a lot danger was there in that? It’s solely a one-year deal, so it’s clearly not a long-term dedication. However contemplating he’s 31 years previous and is extra position/bit participant than star defensive deal with, was this a little bit of a chance on Tampa Bay’s half? Will Robinson stay as much as that kind of cash for a one-year deal this season?
The staff would definitely argue that it believes Robinson is price each greenback of that $10 million, $9.15 million of which was assured. Given the aforementioned said objective of getting larger and extra bodily up entrance in addition to the perspective adjustment the protection wanted, you might purchase the argument that a few of that contract covers the off-field, in-the-locker-room and intangible contributions Robinson will present for this 12 months’s staff. So, what about the remainder of the contract? What precisely does the veteran defensive deal with should do to stay as much as a contract that some criticized as an overpay again in March?
Bucs DT A’Shawn Robinson – Photograph by: Adam Warren/PR
Robinson is just not that far faraway from a profession 12 months with the Panthers. In 2024, he totaled 80 tackles (43 solo), 5.5 sacks, eight tackles for loss and eight quarterback hits — all profession highs. Throughout his introductory press convention with the Bucs again within the spring, he in contrast himself to a high-quality wine, stating his perception that he’s solely gotten higher with age. The numbers do communicate to that, because the mixed eight sacks he tallied in 2024 and 2025 with the Panthers account for greater than half of his profession complete (15.0). To not point out, 16 of his 37 profession quarterback hits have come within the final two seasons.
That each one factors to the concept that, sure, Robinson is enjoying his greatest soccer as he’s growing older. He spent his first 4 seasons within the NFL with the Lions, then spent three years with the Rams earlier than a 12 months with the Giants. Then got here his two seasons with the Panthers. Regardless of being a part of that Tremendous Bowl-winning Rams staff, the veteran defensive deal with’s greatest soccer appeared to return with Carolina. And now, he jumps over to Tampa Bay and is targeted on serving to the Bucs get the NFC South title again to Tampa Bay and away from the identical Panthers staff he simply received it with in 2025.
There’ll be extra to Robinson’s worth than what the stat sheet says, as he’ll play simply as necessary of a task in releasing up Vita Vea as he’ll by way of compiling his personal numbers. He understands that, and he’s been huge on preaching that from the second he signed with Tampa Bay. Vea tends to eat up an entire lot of double groups, however with the huge, ass-kicking Robinson enjoying subsequent to him, groups might need to assume twice about how they’re deploying their blocking schemes. And that might be huge for Vea and the remainder of the Bucs’ defensive entrance.
#Bucs DT A’Shawn Robinson says his recreation plan to assist Vita Vea is “Free my dog up, let him eat.”
Everyone has to do their job to have an important protection.
That form of position could imply stats which are lower than eye-catching. And which will make it troublesome to quantify the worth Robinson is giving to this protection for the $10 million contract he signed. However don’t be stunned if his presence and the intangibles he brings to that aspect of the ball manifest themselves within the type of an all-around higher and extra productive defensive position in 2026.
Catch Up On Earlier Installments Of Bailey Adams’ 26 For ’26 Collection
OFFENSE:
Baker MayfieldBucky IrvingKenny GainwellChris Godwin Jr.Emeka EgbukaJalen McMillanCade OttonTristan WirfsBen BredesonGraham BartonCody MauchLuke Goedeke
DEFENSE:
Yaya DiabyRueben Bain Jr.
