New faces in new places: Buccaneers defense will look different

TAMPA, Fla. — The defense for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers has a new look, and it doesn’t have anything to do with coach Todd Bowles’ already robust arsenal of subpackages. Rather, it’s personnel based, with multiple players who were fixtures over the last several years being gone, giving way to new leadership.

“They may not be the household names that you’re used to, but as the season goes on, you’re going to get to know them very well,” Bowles said.

To recap — the team released outside linebacker Shaquil Barrett, who subsequently retired after a brief stint with the Miami Dolphins. They also opted not to re-sign inside linebacker Devin White, their fifth overall pick in the 2019 draft (he signed with the Philadelphia Eagles). And they traded cornerback Carlton Davis III just before the draft to the Detroit Lions.

Each played vital roles in the Bucs’ Super Bowl run from the 2020 season, so now, some new faces will be leaned on to step up and take on bigger roles.

As far as replacing Barrett, Tryon-Shoyinka is listed as the starter opposite Yaya Diaby. But the Bucs declined to pick up Tryon-Shoyinka’s fifth-year option so he’s in a contract year, something he says he accepts as a “personal challenge.” The team has made it clear that he needs sack numbers, as he registered five in 2021, and four in both 2022 and 2023.

“Sacks aren’t everything, but those are the things that definitely are looked at, and those are the goals that we have as an outside linebacker group,” Tryon-Shoyinka said.

Bowles called him their “most athletic guy,” and he’s inclined to move him around — as a defensive end, an inside linebacker and at three-technique even. But at his primary position, Bowles emphasized to him that it’s not enough for him to just beat guys off the ball. He’s currently dealing with a shoulder sprain though, so he’s had limited participation recently.

With Tryon-Shoyinka sitting out and Diaby nursing a calf injury that is expected to keep him out the entire preseason, it’s provided an opportunity to see more of the rookie second-round pick, who intercepted quarterback Baker Mayfield dropping into coverage Thursday. Whether he can eventually move into a starting role or serve as more of a rotational player like Anthony Nelson remains to be seen, but Braswell had solid production as a non-starter at Alabama.

In 2023, he registered 10.5 tackles for a loss, along with eight sacks and three forced fumbles (he also had a pick-six against Mississippi State).

“I think I need to work on just more of the long arm, a little bit more and stab club,” Braswell said, adding that he’s also been working on his bettering footwork and his stance. “That’s like just the main thing for me is just fixing my stance.”

In the case of White, Bucs fans already got a good look at Britt as his replacement when he stepped in while White was recovering from a foot injury last season.

The Bucs chose to ride with Britt in the postseason once White returned, as well. His job, in addition to covering the flats, stopping the run and rushing the quarterback, is to wear the helmet communicator and call the plays on defense.

“K.J. has been a leader since he’s been here — even when he wasn’t starting, he’s been a leader,” Bowles said. “He’s a natural leader. He’s very vocal — he’s probably the most talkative guy on the field.”

What Britt lacks in speed (he had a time of 4.75 seconds in the 40-yard dash at the combine), he makes up for with intelligence and physicality. He’s a downhill linebacker and a thumper, putting notable hits on running backs Rachaad White and DJ Williams in camp in addition to stopping the “Tush Push” at the goal line against the Eagles last year. But he’s had to work on his eyes in pass coverage. Bowles said his eyes “have gotten a lot calmer.”

Luckily for Britt, his counterpart Lavonte David, the longest-tenured player on the team, excels in coverage. There is also the possibility of bringing in second-year inside backer SirVocea Dennis on certain package plays as well, and Bowles alluded to that in saying, “Voss is going to be a big part of what we do this year — he’s going to play quite a bit.”

Like Britt, the Bucs got a chance see McCollum in action last season because of injuries from Davis and Jamel Dean. And when both starters returned, the Bucs felt so strongly about McCollum that they lined him up at safety and at nickelback so they could have all three on the field together.

Safety Jordan Whitehead, who spent four years with the Bucs but the last two with the New York Jets before returning this offseason, said McCollum he noticed when he watched the Bucs last season.

“He definitely was somebody who stood out just because he was playing every position, but just being here with him in this first couple of weeks of camp, he’s been doing a great job out there defending Mike [Evans] — he’s had a lot of good plays against Mike this camp,” Whitehead said. “He’s a smart guy, he’s fast, he’s strong, he plays man[-to-man coverage], he’s long. He has it all to be a great corner, and he’s been working. … He’s been doing great so far.”

Last week, McCollum jumped the route on a Mayfield pass intended for Evans in the red zone and intercepted him.

“I bought a JUGS machine, so my wife, we were going out in the backyard, and I was getting in 50-100 catches a day,” McCollum said.

A 2018 undrafted free agent who spent the last three seasons with the Houston Texans where he played nickelback, Thomas’ role in Tampa is less clear, as he’s learned nickel, strong safety and free safety in Bowles’ defense. One thing is clear, however: Thomas has been an interception machine, leading the Bucs’ secondary in this department in camp.

In fact, he already had three interceptions in the first six practices.

“The ball is money. Anytime the ball is around me, anytime I get my hands on it, I’m trying to take it away,” Thomas said. “Every play, [I try] to punch the ball out or get the ball. Lovie Smith taught me that, and I just stuck with it. Even on special teams, my goal is to get the ball out, and that’s what [I will] continue to try to do.”

Assistant general manager John Spytek said the Bucs had their eye on him for several years.

“He’s the kind of kid that we love to watch him compete,” Spytek said. “He’s another kid that is just playing hard and doing the right things a lot. When you do that, the ball finds you, especially in this defense. We put a huge emphasis on turnovers and you’re going to get your opportunities, so if you’re ready for them and you’re doing the right stuff, the ball is going to come to you and you’re going to find it.”

The reason Thomas’ role is uncertain is due to Smith being a potential breakout star. One of two third-round draft picks by the Bucs, he’s drawn rave reviews from coaches and teammates for his football IQ and practice and study habits.

“He’s come in, and he’s picked everything up without missing a beat,” Bowles said of Smith. “He has the experience of a seven-or-eight year player, so it seems. He has some things to learn, but he plays so calm and he plays under control. He knows where everything is and can read everything, along with his toughness. He’s a perfect fit for us.”

He’s currently competing for the starting nickelback job — one that is very likely already his — but has also lined up at safety. He recorded a sack on Mayfield and twice forced incompletions on passes intended for Chris Godwin this past week after an ankle injury limited his action.

“You never see him with ‘MEs’ [mental errors]. He plays with a calmness and a patience of understanding what people are trying to do to him. We don’t say much about him because he’s almost like a vet — he does everything right so much that you kind of forget that he’s a rookie and that he just came in here.”