Category: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Dolphins block a potential Shaq Barrett reunion with Bucs

This week, Barrett announced he was filing for reinstatement to the league, but the Dolphins aren’t budging. 

Shaq Barrett signed with the Dolphins this offseason before shocking everyone by retiring just a few months later. The move meant he would be under contract with the team if he ever decided to return to the NFL.

This week, Barrett announced he was filing for reinstatement to the league, but the Dolphins aren’t budging.

The Dolphins chose not to remove Barrett from the reserve/retired list so he could be added to the roster. That move also blocks the Dolphins from releasing him so he could sign anywhere else.

This means anyone hoping for a potential reunion between Barrett and the Bucs will have to wait a little while longer.

Of Barrett’s 59 career sacks, 45 of them came while being a member of the Bucs from 2019 to 2023. The Bucs have remained active in improving the defense in 2024, and that pursuit will continue in the next offseason.

Perhaps down the road, a reunion is possible.

Bucs HC Todd Bowles praises Vita Vea’s performance in 2024

This week, Bucs head coach Todd Bowles spoke about the dominance he has displayed this season.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have loved the growth of defensive lineman Vita Vea over the years. Through 11 games of the 2024 season, Vea is looking like one of the best interior defensive lineman in the league today.

This week, Bucs head coach Todd Bowles spoke about the dominance he has displayed this season.

“I mean, he has a good season every year for me. It’s not about the Pro Bowl, it’s about helping us win and the accolades will come as they come. . .In my opinion, he’s playing good football, he’s got the sacks to show it – that’s not the whole story that it tells because he’s destroying the middle and he’s keeping us in ballgames.”

Pro Bowl voting opened this week and Bowles also discussed how Vea has been deserving of a spot In past years but recognizes that a team’s record plays a role. If the Bucs can win a couple more games and Vea plays a part then perhaps we can see him being apart of Eli or Peyton Manning’s team.

Former Bucs player applies for reinstatement after Summer retirement

Shaq Barrett, who played for the Bucs from 2019 to 2023, is applying for reinstatement to the NFL after filing his retirement this Summer.

Over the years, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have had several impactful players on the defensive side of the ball. One imparticular is seeking a comeback after announcing his retirement earlier this year.

Shaq Barrett, who played for the Bucs from 2019 to 2023, is applying for reinstatement to the NFL after filing his retirement this Summer. Adam Schefter of ESPN reported the news early on Tuesday.

Barrett signed with the Miami Dolphins in 2024 after his time with Tampa Bay ended. If he is reinstated, he will remain a member of the Dolphins until they take action with his contract. The Dolphins have had issues with pass-rushers remaining healthy in 2024, so his return could be welcomed.

On the flip side, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers could also use his pass-rush skillset int heir linebacker group. His situation is one to monitor for the team and the NFL as not many players have his skill set and are unretired at the age of 32.

Bucs’ Calijah Kancey explains how pass rush and defensive backs help each other

When speaking to the media on Monday, Calijah Kancey was asked if defensive backs doing their jobs makes it easier for the defensive line.

The Buc’s pass rush and the coverage ability on defense have been so-so this year. When one group has a good game, the other isn’t when in reality they should be feeding off each other’s success.

When speaking to the media on Monday, Calijah Kancey was asked if defensive backs doing their jobs makes it easier for the defensive line to generate pressure.

Kancey responded saying, “It’s really the same thing – a team effort thing, as far as defense. We’re kind of forcing the blitz towards each other. It’s just all about everybody getting to their assignment and executing. I [will] force it to the DB, the DB [will] force it to me or Yaya [Diaby] or Vita [Vea] or Joe [Tryon-Shoyinka], or anybody else who’s out there. It’s really just all [of] us just executing together as a team.”

Kancey hits the nail on the head here. When both groups are executing their designed plays the way they are intended, the results speak for themselves.

On Sunday, they will face the Carolina Panthers, another team with offensive woes. This should allow them to keep building momentum within each group before facing some tougher matchups in December.

Cade Otton joins rare company in Bucs franchise history after Week 12

Cade Otton would emerge from the shadows of this offense and now joins rare company after Week 12.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers offense has had to give itself some new looks over the course of the 2024 season. When they lost Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, we weren’t sure what the offense would look like, but they figured it out.

Cade Otton would emerge from the shadows of this offense and now joins rare company after Week 12.

With his lone catch against the Giants, Otton became just the fifth Tampa Bay Buccaneer to catch 50 passes or more in a season for the team. He is the first tight end to do it since Rob Gronkowski did it for them in 2021 when he caught 55 passes.

Otton is on pace for 77 catches, which would tie the team record by a tight end in a season. Kellen Winslow Jr. caught 77 for the team in 2009.

Otton has seemingly set himself up to be part of the offense for the long haul. Regardless of Evans’s return, the offense and Liam Coen will find a way to work him in.

Bucs set franchise record for rushing TDs vs Giants

Buccaneers running back Rachaad White found his way into the end zone to get the Bucs a 30-0 lead and allowed the record to be set.

Coming off a bye week and on the heels of a four-game losing streak, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were looking to make a statement against the New York Giants and keep their playoff hopes alive.

With 3:45 remaining in the third quarter, Buccaneers running back Rachaad White found his way into the end zone to get the Bucs a 30-0 lead. White’s touchdown would mark the Buccaneers’ fourth rushing touchdown of the day.

With White’s 1-yard score, the Buccaneers would set a franchise record with four rushing touchdowns scored by a different player. Baker Mayfield, Bucky Irving, Sean Tucker, and White all found paydirt against the Giants through the first three-quarters of the game. As of this writing, the Buccaneers have just 77 yards on the ground combined between the four players who have scored rushing touchdowns.

The Buccaneers are the only team to accomplish such a feat this season and the first since the New York Jets did so in 2022.

WATCH: Baker Mayfield taunts the new Giants starting QB after touchdown

For an unknown reason, Mayfield copied Tommy DeVito’s touchdown celebration after diving into the endzone for the score. 

Baker Mayfield has been a confident player throughout his football career, regardless of the level he has played at. On Sunday against the New York Giants, Mayfield demonstrated that confidence in the form of a taunt directed at the new Giants starting quarterback.

For an unknown reason, Mayfield copied Tommy DeVito’s touchdown celebration after diving into the endzone for the score.

The Bucs have been all over the Giants in the first half, not allowing them to get much going offensively. The team has sacked the aforementioned DeVito three times and has three more registered quarterback hits on him.

Mayfield is 19 for 23 passing with 230 yards in the first half alone. His lone touchdown came on this scramble, but he has been much more efficient through the air.

The return of Mike Evans doesn’t hurt things, of course, but Cade Otton is also playing well despite the added presence of their All-Pro wide receiver.

Joe Tryon-Shoyinka injury vs Giants: Latest news on Bucs LB

TEAMA POSITION PLAYER NAME (ex Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa) is dealing with a [BLANK] injury. Here are the latest updates.

(This story was updated to add new information.)

Buccaneers outside linebacker Joe Tryon-Shoyinka left Tampa Bay’s Week 12 matchup against the New York Giants with an ankle injury and is questionable to return. He was seen heading to the locker room with team trainers.

Joe Tyron-Shoyinka injury update

The team announced that the former Washington Husky will be out for the remainder of the game.

Bucs LB depth chart and situation

While Tryon-Shoyinka has started for the Bucs all year, he has not been particularly effective. He recorded just two sacks this season and one tackle in today’s game before exiting. The Bucs already utilize a heavy rotation of their outside linebackers, but Tryon-Shoyinka’s exit will only mean more opportunities for rookie Chris Braswell and veteran Anthony Nelson.

Remember the last time the Bucs played at the Meadowlands in 2022?

The team and fans around the world were given a front-seat viewing of the antics of Antonio Brown on the NFL stage one last time. 

History in the NFL can bring back some fun and random memories for its fans, regardless of the team you root for. In the case of the Tamp Bay Buccaneers, their return to the Meadowlands to play the New York Giants marks the first time the team has played at Metlife Stadium since 2022.

In that previous game, the team and fans around the world were given a front-seat viewing of Antonio Brown’s antics on the NFL stage one last time.

In that game in January 2022, we saw Antonio Brown ripping his gear off, including his jersey and undershirt, and throwing it into the crowd. He then proceeded to run across the endzone while the game was in play, into the tunnel, and out of the stadium.

As Jon Ledyard points out on X, Tom Brady was forced to finish that game with Tyler Johnson and Cyril Grayson. Despite that receiving corp, Brady was able to lead a comeback win and managed the rest of the season just fine with Brown on the team.

Todd Bowles speaks on what the film showed on defense during Bye Week

Todd Bowles spoke to the media on Wednesday, and his message remained the same: the Bucs have to get back to basics.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers had a lot to address during their Bye Week, and Todd Bowles was vocal about that after the team’s Week 11 loss to the 49ers. One of those major things he wanted to address was defense and the ability to achieve the basics.

Todd Bowles spoke to the media on Wednesday, and his message remained the same: the Bucs have to get back to basics.

“It’s just everybody needing to do their job. If we take care of us and everybody has their responsibility, not trying to do too much, we’ll be fine. [We’re] focusing on fundamentals and technique and that’s at every level of the defense. . .”

The tackling has been an issue all year, and so has the discipline. This defense has been an issue, but getting back to basics may be the message this team needs to hear. Keeping it simple against an opponent that they can execute well against, so why not?