On Friday, Bucs head coach Todd Bowles shared updates on several key starters for the Bucs ahead of Sunday’s matchup with the Chargers.
From an injury standpoint, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been receiving some of the worst luck this season. On Wednesday, the Bucs were missing a whopping 10 starters combined on both sides of the ball from practice.
On Friday, Bucs head coach Todd Bowles shared updates on several key starters for the Bucs ahead of Sunday’s matchup with the Chargers.
Linebacker, K.J. Britt, safety Antoine Winfield Jr., and safety Mike Edwards have all been ruled out with their injuries for Sunday’s matchup. Cornerback Josh Hayes, running back Bucky Irving, and defensive back Christian Izien are all questionable with their injuries.
The team missing Bucky Irving would be a less-than-ideal situation based on his recent performances. If Irving is unavailable, Rachaad White will assume the starter role again with Sean Tucker serving as a change of pace back. The absence of Antoine Winfield Jr., though, will hurt, but getting Josh Hayes back to combat Justin Herbert and the Chargers passing attack would be good news this team could use.
After losing Chris Godwin earlier in the week, the Bucs have now lost linebacker SirVocea Dennis for the season.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been bit by the injury bug about as many times as a team can through seven weeks of the season. Injuries have affected every layer of the roster, and on Wednesday, one player’s injury became a season-ender.
After losing Chris Godwin earlier in the week, the Bucs have now lost linebacker SirVocea Dennis for the season.
Dennis was placed on injured reserve earlier this year with a designation to return in four weeks. Unfortunately, the injury proved to be more serious than expected, and he is now out for the year following surgery.
In Dennis’ absence, Lavonte David will look for a full-time replacement to work alongside, and that replacement is expected to be K.J. Britt. He has not been playing to the best of his ability this year in his absence, but his best game was against the Falcons earlier in the year.
Perhaps the Week 8 matchup between the teams will help him get momentum back on his side.
The 27-year old is coming off a 2023 season in which he led the UFL with 6 receiving touchdowns.
Former Auburn Tiger [autotag]Sal Canella[/autotag] inked a deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Friday. Canella, who spend the 2017-2019 seasons of the Plains, had most recently played football in the UFL for the Arlington Renegades.
Signing former Tigers has become quite a theme for the reigning NFC South Champions. For the majority of the last three seasons Tampa Bay’s starting cornerbacks were both Tigers, with [autotag]Jamel Dean[/autotag] and [autotag]Carlton Davis[/autotag] holding down the fort. Now with Davis in Detroit, the 27-year-old Canella joins former Tigers [autotag]K.J. Britt[/autotag] and the aforementioned [autotag]Jamel Dean[/autotag] on the Buccaneers roster.
During his three years on the Plains, Canella accumulated just 330 yards, although he did find the end zone 5 times. He improved his numbers drastically during his professional career however, where his affinity with the end zone payed off in the UFL. The 27-year old is coming off a 2023 season in which he led the league with 6 receiving scores. He also added 496 receiving yards, good for fifth in the league.
While third year tight end Cade Otton is all but a lock to earn starting duties on the Bucs, Tampa’s depth behind Otton is extremely unproven. Canella has a golden opportunity to force his way onto the roster with a solid showing in training camp over the next few weeks. The 6-foot-5, 245-pound tight end has the size and tools to be successful in the league. We’ll see if the former Tiger can earn a spot on the 53-man roster as training camp rolls on.
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Could Keenan Britt carry on the legacy started by his older brother, KJ?
2026 four-star defensive line [autotag]Keenan Britt[/autotag], the younger brother of former Auburn standout linebacker [autotag]K.J Britt[/autotag], announced he will choose which school he will be attending on July 29 in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Monday.
The 6-2, 230-pound edge rusher has visited the Plains on seven separate occasions since receiving an offer, most recently this March. Britt was also in attendance for all but two of Auburn’s home football games last season. Although the Oxford, Alabama native has no clear “crystal ball” projections from recruiting analysts at 247Sports, but has a 73.8% chance to sign with Auburn according to On3. It would be a major surprise if he chose any program other than the Tigers considering his family ties and elevated interest.
If he were to choose Auburn, Britt would be carrying on a fantastic legacy left by his older brother, who now plays professionally for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Consistency a major cog in the defensive backfield, Britt collected 116 total tackles during his four years at Auburn despite playing sparingly in his freshman and senior campaigns.
As for Keenan, the younger Britt brother is coming off a sophomore season at Oxford High School in which he totaled 107 total tackles, 8 sacks, and 20 tackles for a loss in 11 games. His commitment would add depth to a positional group that is becoming a strength of the Tigers.
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Tampa Bay’s long-time captain believes K.J. Britt is ready to take over the Bucs’ other starting linebacker spot
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers already have one of the NFL’s best linebackers in Lavonte David, but they’ll need a new full-time starter next to him this season.
Devin White was allowed to leave in free agency, and the top candidate to replace him in the starting lineup is the same one who supplanted him down the stretch last season.
K.J. Britt, a former fifth-round pick out of Auburn, is primed for a breakout season alongside David, as the Bucs look to continue improving under head coach and defensive play-caller Todd Bowles.
David believes that Britt is up to the challenge:
The Bucs didn’t make any huge additions at the position this offseason, which speaks to their confidence in the players they already have on the roster.
While second-year man SirVocea Dennis could push Britt for that spot, the more experienced defender should win out, and Britt appears ready for the spotlight.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are expecting a big jump from K.J. Britt has he replaces Devin White in the starting lineup
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers still have one of the NFL’s best linebackers in Lavonte David, but after five years of inconsistent play from Devin White, they let the former top-five draft pick walk in free agency this offseason.
Replacing him this season will be K.J. Britt, a former fifth-round pick out of Auburn who supplanted White in the starting lineup late last season.
Bucs head coach Todd Bowles says that Britt’s continued growth and improvement has him ready to rise to the occasion as a full-time starter this year alongside David.
“Obviously, he can play all three downs,” Bowles said earlier this week. “We have so many packages and guys to move around – it’s a little early to determine who will be on what. In one week, he could be, in one week, he may not be, depending on who we’re playing and what we have available. But, he’s ready to play all three downs. I love his maturity. He’s grasping the mental part of the game and becoming the leader of that defense along with Lavonte [David] and ‘Win’ (Antoine Winfield Jr.) and Vita [Vea]. We’re kind of happy with where he’s progressing right now.”
Bowles says Britt’s mental processing is translating to physical improvements, as well.
“It was never his coverage skills, with him,” Bowles said of Britt’s struggles prior ot this season. “It was always his eyes. His eyes have gotten a lot calmer. He’s settled down, he knows what’s going on, and he understands where he needs to be on the field. I think he’s doing a lot better at that.”
White provided his share of splash plays throughout his five seasons in Tampa Bay, but Bowles and the Bucs will be looking for Britt to bring the down-by-down consistency that always eluded his predecessor.
K.J. Britt supplanted White in the starting lineup down the stretch last season, but while he might have the inside track heading into training camp, SirVocea Dennis showed promise during his rookie season in 2023, can could give him a run for his money.
Bucs linebackers coach Larry Foote recently broke down what should be a spirited competition to replace White, and much more:
Breaking down the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ situation at inside linebacker heading into the 2024 offseason
As with several other positions on the roster, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ inside linebacker group is entering a transitional period this offseason. Moreso likely than any other unit on the team, the inside linebackers in Tampa Bay could look completely different in 2024 from last season.
Since 2019, the presumed starters have been veteran Lavonte David and 2019 fifth-overall pick Devin White. Together, they formed a potent duo at the center of Tampa Bay’s defense, helping lead the team to their Super Bowl LV victory.
However, over the last few seasons, the shine has come off White. While he has been consistent as a blitzer, his tackling, coverage and run fits have been more down than up. Since the Bucs drafted him, White has missed 12.8% of his tackles and allowed a passer rating of 104.6 according to Pro Football Focus.
White’s inconsistency is likely why the Bucs opted to let him play on his fifth-year option in 2023 rather than sign him to a multi-year, ten-digit contract extension. After an aborted demand for a trade, White had about as bad a season as a player could have in a contract year.
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A foot injury hobbled him early and made him look slower than any point in his career. He was replaced for three games late in the season by 2021 fifth-round pick K.J. Britt. Though he is not nearly the athlete White is, Britt was the better linebacker, helping lock down the rushing attacks of Atlanta and Green Bay.
Britt’s emergence and White’s contract demands made the former top-five pick expendable. With the recent re-signing of Mike Evans and expected extensions of Baker Mayfield and Antoine Winfield Jr., White appears to be the odd man out in Tampa Bay.
Lavonte David may also have played his last snaps in Tampa Bay, though they would also likely be his last snaps as an NFL player. He has made no secret of his desire to “retire a Buc,” and at 34 years old, his options in free agency will be limited.
The Bucs could very well bring David back. Though he is not quite as fast as he used to be, David is still one of the best linebackers in the NFL, finishing with the 10th-most tackles for a loss (17) among all defenders. He also recorded the second most defensive snaps in Tampa Bay, attesting to his durability in spite of his age.
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Signing David to another one-year deal under $10 million would be a safe and easy move for the Bucs to make. David has been the bedrock of Tampa Bay’s defense for over a decade and as long as he has the desire and health to continue playing, the Bucs are likely to oblige.
In any case, the Bucs have at least one starting job to fill at inside linebacker and plenty of options to consider. The most likely is the Bucs staying in-house and fully promoting K.J. Britt to the starting lineup. Britt is not the splashy playmaker Devin White could be, but he is far more reliable down to down in addition to being a leader on special teams.
Tampa Bay also has linebackers SirVocea Dennis and J.J. Russell waiting in the wings. Dennis excels in coverage though his tackling certainly needs work after missing 30.8% of his attempts in 2023 per PFF. Russell saw limited playtime last year, but he was PFF’s highest rated linebacker in the preseason and could shine in a larger role.
If David were to depart, the Bucs would face greater pressure to add outside talent to the linebacking corps. The current paradigm in the NFL has devalued rookie linebackers, who tend to struggle adapting to the sophistication and speed of NFL offenses. A free agent addition should be Tampa Bay’s initial move.
Kim Klement Neitzel-USA TODAY Sports
Carolina LB Frankie Luvu should be near the top the Bucs’ free agent list. He excels as a pass rusher, recording 12.5 sacks and 43 total pressures over the past two seasons. Kansas City LB Drue Tranquill would also be a solid addition after he resuscitated his NFL career in 2023.
If the Bucs do look to address the long-term prospects of the decision in the draft, they will likely wait until the middle rounds to take a prospect. Clemson LB Jeremiah Trotter Jr. has the obvious pedigree to be an NFL linebacker, though like most of his contemporaries he is undersized.
A sleeper linebacker pick for the Bucs is Washington LB Edefuan Ulofoshio. Although he too is undersized at 6’1″ and 236 pounds, Ulofoshio was excellent in coverage, allowing an opposing passer rating of 60.5 in the pass-happy Pac-12 last season.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers moved on to the Detroit Lions right after winning their game against the Philadelphia Eagles, but the league had one last thing to say about the game ahead of Tampa Bay’s Divisional Round showdown.
NFL reporter Tom Pelissero reported Sunday that Bucs linebacker K.J. Britt was fined $5,592 dollars for unnecessary roughness against quarterback Jalen Hurts during last week’s Wild Card game. Toward the end of the play where the Eagles attempted their patented “tush push”, Britt grabbed the facemask of Hurts and pulled him down. He was not penalized on field for the incident.
The play saw the Bucs stop the tush push for the second time this season. Tampa Bay was also able to put a stop to it in Week 3, when it stopped a fourth down conversion.
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