QUESTION: What do you see the snaps trying like early within the season on the “second” ILB spot subsequent to Alex Anzalone? Full load for Josiah Trotter?
ANSWER: I feel the Bucs would love for Josiah Trotter, the workforce’s second-round decide, to have the ability to are available and begin straight away at center linebacker. I wouldn’t be stunned if head coach and defensive play-caller Todd Bowles offers Trotter the chance to indicate he can deal with it straight away quite than ready to verify Trotter is able to begin as a result of expertise is the best trainer. Generally a participant needs to be thrown into the hearth to really be taught and develop as a result of there may be solely a lot you’ll be able to be taught from psychological reps on the sidelines and watching movie.
Bowles already is aware of what he’s acquired in SirVocea Dennis, who was the 17-game starter final yr. Dennis proved to be an sufficient starter and an improve over Ok.J. Britt, however not a really perfect starter, which is why the workforce spent a second-rounder on Trotter. So if Trotter fails to succeed early on and must take a step again to regroup, Bowles can all the time flip to Dennis resulting from his expertise.
Bucs ILB Josiah Trotter – Photograph by: Adam Warren/PR
And with Dennis in a contract yr in 2026, he’ll seemingly attempt to play his greatest soccer to greatest place himself in free company. There’s additionally a world the place Bowles may platoon Dennis and Trotter at Mike linebacker, however is both one actually adept in protection? Most likely not. Dennis was higher than Britt in protection early within the 2024 season earlier than he suffered a season-ending shoulder damage.
How good Trotter might be in protection on the NFL degree stays to be seen and we’ll learn how a lot work he wants on this space in coaching camp and the preseason. Trotter is simply 21 and had simply two years of taking part in expertise on the school degree. But he confirmed in a single season at West Virginia as a real freshman and one season at Missouri as a real sophomore that he was gifted sufficient and sufficient of a fast examine to see the sphere early. So possibly that development continues on the NFL degree in his first season in Tampa Bay.
Regardless of taking part in the weakside linebacker place, referred to as the Cash ‘backer – or Mo linebacker, Alex Anzalone may wear the green dot and call the defense early on if Trotter is the starting Mike. That would take a big responsibility off the rookie’s plate and possibly enable him to play sooner consequently.
QUESTION: SR, how severe do you suppose the hold-in by Vita Vea is? Is that this simply just like that of Tristan Wirfs from a number of years in the past? What are his expectations? Does he desire a long-term deal, or is that this one thing {that a} pay elevate this yr will alleviate this till subsequent offseason?
ANSWER: I’m unsure how severe Vita Vea’s hold-in is, and I don’t wish to essentially converse for him. But you’re asking me these questions, so I’ll have to take a position a bit. I feel in an ideal world for Vea, he will get a long-term contract extension with a pay elevate previous to the beginning of coaching camp. Who wouldn’t need that, proper?
On the identical time, the Bucs most likely don’t really feel comfy doing a long-term take care of a 31-year previous defensive sort out. It’s not unusual for accidents to set in and for manufacturing to fall off a cliff for many defensive linemen in some unspecified time in the future of their 30s. Does that occur at age 31, 32, 33 or later? It’s completely different for each participant as a result of each defensive sort out is a novel human being in a novel human physique.
Ndamukong Suh was nonetheless in his prime on the age of 32 when he got here to Tampa Bay in 2019 and helped the workforce win the Tremendous Bowl a yr later. His remaining season with the Bucs got here simply two years later in 2021 on the age of 34 when he slowed down and his sport clearly regressed. Suh wasn’t re-signed after the 2021 season and performed in simply eight video games with Philadelphia the following yr at age 35 earlier than retiring from the NFL.
Bucs DT Vita Vea – Photograph by: Cliff Welch/PR
There’s no crystal ball to look into Vea’s future and decide when his prime will probably be over. What the Bucs have performed in years previous with gamers age 30 or older is often do one- or two-year extensions. In 2021, Lavonte David was given a two-year extension on the age of 31 after his five-year extension expired. In 2023 on the age of 33, the Bucs did a one-year extension, and continued that observe of one-year extensions in 2024 and in 2025. Mike Evans solely signed a two-year extension in 2023 on the age of 30.
I feel the Bucs can be open to giving Vea a pay elevate as a result of he’s underpaid and hopefully that will fulfill him. Proper now, Vea is the nineteenth highest-paid defensive sort out within the league. If the workforce have been to extend his 2026 pay by slightly below $4 million that will get his common per yr from $17.75 million as much as $21.5 million. That will tie him with 31-year previous Leonard Williams of Seattle, for the thirteenth highest-paid defensive sort out within the league, and simply forward of Miami’s Zach Sieler and Dallas’ Kenny Clark, each of whom are 31, who make $21.333 million per yr.
I’m unsure if Vea will probably be a hold-in throughout coaching camp or not. We’ll have to attend and see. Tristan Wirfs was a hold-in in the course of the obligatory mini-camp in 2024 but participated in particular person drills in coaching camp as a result of he missed being on the sphere together with his teammates. Wirfs didn’t take part in workforce drills till his contract extension acquired finalized a number of days into camp.
But Wirfs was additionally 25 – not 31 – and knew that the workforce was dedicated to getting an extension performed earlier than the beginning of the season. I feel Tampa Bay makes Vea play out his contract yr earlier than he will get an extension.
QUESTION: What proportion probability does Garrett Greene have at making the ultimate roster?
ANSWER: This can be a nice query as a result of Garrett Greene, a observe squad receiver final yr, is among the forgotten gamers on the roster. Greene generated some actual buzz within the preseason as a punt returner and a receiver, catching a landing go final August. The previous quarterback-turned-receiver remains to be an intriguing prospect that the workforce continues to develop.
The issue for Greene, who is a good athlete, is that he’s battling simply as crowded of a receiver room as he was final yr. Whereas Mike Evans is gone, third-round decide Ted Hurst is his alternative. Tampa Bay’s depth chart options – so as – Chris Godwin Jr., Emeka Egbuka, Jalen McMillan, Hurst and Tez Johnson, who scored 5 touchdowns final yr because the workforce’s seventh-round decide.
Bucs WR Garrett Greene – Photograph by: Cliff Welch/PR
With these 5 receivers nearly set, Greene is vying for the sixth receiver spot on the depth chart, and that’s normally reserved for a return specialist. Final yr, Kam Johnson was the first punt and kickoff returner. He averaged 11.2 yards per punt return with a protracted of 54 yards, and averaged 25.4 yards per kick return with a protracted of 44 yards.
So Greene should beat out Johnson in addition to newcomers like David Sills V, Eric Rivers and Dean Patterson, along with Dennis Houston, a holdover observe squader from a yr in the past. The guess right here is that Greene may make the observe squad once more with one other spectacular camp and preseason, however it is going to be an uphill battle for him to win a spot on the ultimate 53-man roster.
QUESTION: With the Bucs taking a step again in DB expertise shedding Jamel Dean and Christian Izien, are there any veteran cornerbacks or safeties obtainable that might present expertise and depth?
ANSWER: Sure, however they could be on different groups proper now. The present obtainable cornerbacks and safeties are principally age 30 or older and are deemed to have misplaced a step, or maybe in some instances these gamers both need an excessive amount of cash or don’t wish to play on particular groups at this stage of their profession. In actuality, the Bucs may be searching for an skilled CB4 on the depth chart behind Zyon McCollum, Jacob Parrish and Benjamin Morrison, and an skilled S3 behind Antoine Winfield Jr. and Tykee Smith.
The issue is that CB4 and S3 should play on particular groups if they don’t seem to be starters. That’s to not say {that a} 32-year previous defensive again can’t cowl kicks and punts, however the enthusiasm for doing so – or the aptitude – will not be excellent. I feel veteran cornerback Rasul Douglas, who’s 32, can be a really perfect candidate for the Bucs so as to add, however we’ll see what occurs.
Chiefs CB Kristian Fulton – Photograph by: Reuters Join
The nearer it will get to the beginning of the common season the extra the prospect of a veteran sitting at residence on the sofa lacking the sport of soccer and the paychecks that include it begins to sink in. That’s when the mindset of some veterans shift and their willingness to pay for much less or play a job on particular groups modifications. The choice is self-imposed retirement in any other case.
Josh Queipo talked about that Kansas Metropolis cornerback Kristian Fulton, a former second-round decide, is 27 and may not make the roster this yr. He might be had through a commerce or Jason Licht would possibly purchase him or the same defensive again on waivers or in free company as soon as roster cutdowns happen. Licht is legendary for saying that he’s all the time searching for gamers, and that roster building isn’t full heading into coaching camp.
Working again Leonard Fournette was signed in early September previous to the beginning of the 2020 season. Edge rusher Carl Nassib was a waiver wire pickup in August of 2018 and wound up beginning that yr and the following season. So I’d search for the Bucs to make a transfer in camp or after the preseason so as to add one other skilled defensive again or two to the roster.
