In a Thursday column on PewterReport.com, two Pewter Reporters will debate a Bucs subject with completely different viewpoints. Which Pewter Reporter wins the controversy? You get to resolve within the feedback part beneath.
This week’s subject: Which Place Have Bucs Upgraded The Most?
Level: Bucs Inside Linebacker Room Injected With A lot-Wanted Stability And Upside
By Adam Slivon
Heading into the offseason, fruitful debates have been had when discussing the Bucs’ greatest roster wants. There was little question the crew wanted to improve the entrance seven, whether or not or not it’s at inside linebacker or outdoors linebacker. Relating to which space was addressed essentially the most by means of free company and the 2026 NFL Draft, inside linebacker deserves to steer the dialog.
It has been crystal clear the previous couple of seasons that it was a rising space of weak spot as Lavonte David gracefully aged with no appropriate sidekick to make up for it. So, what was Tampa Bay’s offseason method, even earlier than David determined to hold them up in late March? They sought stability after which added upside.
Bucs ILB Alex Anzalone – Photograph by: IMAGN Pictures – Kirthman F. Dozier
Alex Anzalone will try to fill the void and checks a number of bins as a dependable, do-it-all linebacker. For as a lot as David meant to the group all through his profession, Anzalone can be a expertise improve heading into this season. He’s a certain tackler, posting 8.6% and 6.9% missed sort out charges in 2025 and 2026, in comparison with 15.9% and 15.6% marks posted by David over the identical stretch.
At 31 years outdated, Anzalone is spry in passing protection taking up opposing tight ends and working backs and can be a disruptive presence on the line of scrimmage. He’s a match for what head coach Todd Bowles asks from the Mo linebacker place, and pairing subsequent to him will possible be the crew’s 2026 second-round decide – Josiah Trotter.
Trotter has obtained criticism upon being drafted for his lack of polish, significantly in move protection. The Bucs don’t appear to care about that narrative, because the newly turned 21-year-old does a number of issues Bowles will covet. With Tampa Bay’s protection rating close to the highest of the league on the subject of blitzing, he serves as a downhill thumping Mike linebacker that may get dwelling and be stout towards the run. He doesn’t have to be elite in protection, for so long as Anzalone is wholesome, he can concentrate on affecting the sport with splash performs.
Bucs ILB Josiah Trotter – Photograph courtesy of Missouri Athletics
As Pewter Report’s Josh Queipo not too long ago opined, Trotter matches as an sort of linebacker the protection has lacked since Devin White’s peak in 2020-2021, which coincidentally was when Bowles was in his bag essentially the most dialing up his scheme. He was the most effective match at forty sixth general for what the unit needs to be, which is an imposing protection with perspective and physicality.
Exterior of the Anzalone-Trotter duo being an on-paper improve over the David-SirVocea Dennis tandem final 12 months, the depth on the place is notably improved. Gone are Deion Jones and Anthony Walker Jr., two veteran linebackers who have been previous their prime and offered little on-field manufacturing. Changing them are Christian Rozeboom and Dennis, rounding out the room with extra youth and a greater ground.
Rozeboom has began 26 video games the previous two seasons with the Rams and Panthers, recording 257 tackles, three sacks, and two interceptions throughout that point. There are the explanation why he’s solely seen as a depth piece, however he’s a succesful spot starter ought to the necessity come up. The identical might be mentioned for the crew’s 2023 fifth-round decide, as he failed to actually lock down a beginning position. Nonetheless, Dennis improved down the stretch final season, particularly as an additional blitzer and run defender.
Nobody goes to confuse the Bucs for having the most effective inside linebacker room within the NFL. From the place they have been in 2025, there’s a lot to love about how they constructed it out for 2026. The place has gotten youthful from prime to backside, led by a strong veteran and promising rookie. If all of it clicks, it will likely be the most effective linebacker room the crew has had in virtually half a decade.
Counterpoint: Tampa Bay’s Exterior Linebacker Seems Remarkably Improved
By Scott Reynolds
Adam Slivon isn’t essentially mistaken when pointing to the potential enhancements made on paper on the Bucs’ inside linebacker place. I believe Lavonte David made the proper transfer to retire after 14 illustrious seasons in Tampa Bay. Gamers don’t get higher and keep more healthy of their 30s. In actual fact, the other is true and we noticed David’s expertise decline over his final two years in pink and pewter.
Are you aware what else has been on the decline in Tampa Bay during the last two years? Sack numbers in Todd Bowles’ protection, going from 48 in 2023 to 46 in 2024 and at last all the way in which all the way down to 37 final season.
That’s the fewest quantity of sacks for Bowles’ protection since he started to name the Bucs protection in 2019. Bowles primarily counts on his edge rushers to prepared the ground by way of sack manufacturing, however Tampa Bay hasn’t had a double-digit sacker since former outdoors linebacker Shaq Barrett had 10 throughout his Professional Bowl season in 2021.
Bucs OLB Rueben Bain Jr. – Photograph courtesy of: The College of Miami – JC Ridley
Yaya Diaby led the crew with seven sacks final 12 months after Haason Reddick proved to be a free agent bust with simply 2.5 sacks. Exterior linebacker was simply as a lot of a urgent want this 12 months heading into the 2026 offseason as inside linebacker was. The Bucs have been in a position to land Lions edge rusher Al-Quadin Muhammad in free company after which chosen Miami edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr. within the first spherical of the 2026 NFL Draft.
Bain will begin reverse Diaby very quickly and provides Bowles the harmful one-two punch he’s been lacking on the surface for the reason that heyday of Barrett and Jason Pierre-Paul – though it will not be that dynamic at first. However what I like even higher is the move rush potential of Tampa Bay’s second-string unit of Muhammad, who had 11 sacks for the Lions final 12 months, and David Walker, the Buccaneers’ fourth-round decide from a 12 months in the past.
Bucs OLB David Walker and TE Payne Durham – Photograph by: Cliff Welch/PR
Final 12 months Bowles’ second line of edge rushers consisted of Anthony Nelson, who’s extra of an edge setter within the run sport, and Chris Braswell, who seems like a second-round bust. When Diaby was out of the sport there was just about no likelihood that Nelson and Braswell have been going to strain the QB – not to mention sack him. Now with Muhammad and Walker, who will function a bonus draft decide this season after lacking his rookie 12 months with a torn ACL, I really feel just like the Bucs even have 4 outdoors linebackers that may get to the quarterback.
The Bucs have a said objective of attending to 50 sacks every year and the crew has all the time comes up just a few sacks quick. Final 12 months Tampa Bay’s protection missed that mark by a whopping 13 sacks. But with the addition of Bain and Muhammad, Walker’s return, and the truth that Diaby must be motivated to have an enormous season in his contract 12 months, I really feel significantly better concerning the Bucs’ possibilities of pressuring – and sacking – the quaerterback. I believe Tampa Bay has improved the surface linebacker place by leaps and bounds this offseason.
