Critical 2025 “Lab” Work At Bucs Headquarters
March 3rd, 2025
Once upon a time at One Buc Palace, Jon Gruden had a laboratory where he worked on hidden talents.
Per the words of Buccaneers Ring of Honor general manager Jason Licht, it sounds like Todd Bowles has maintained the Bunsen burners and sterilized the old beakers and test tubes.
Bowles has been busy in the lab, Licht told NFL Daily last week.
The Bucs’ head coach has said publicly that he likes to bring major tweaks to his defense every two or three years because offensive coordinators will figure out a defense without those changes.
Makeover season has arrived, per Licht.
Joe hopes Kirk “I’m only great against the Bucs” Cousins had something to do with it.
“Todd’s always, every few years, completely does a makeover and changes a lot of the things he does defensively to keep it fresh,” Licht said. “I know he’s been in the lab lately doing some things to make things a little bit different this year. But it all depends on the personnel that you have, so we have to help as much as we can there.”
Bowles arrived in Tampa with Bucco Bruce Arians in 2019. And given the Bucs’ success, it’s obvious Bowles didn’t do much to change the defense through the 2021 season. So perhaps he brought behind-the-scenes change in 2022.
And if he’s following a three-year plan, then it makes sense that this is an offseason of defensive overhaul.
What that looks like and what different kinds of players he needs to execute it is a mystery.
March 3rd, 2025 at 10:03 am
Bowles in the lab creating a Frankenstein defense? A Frankenstein from who’s perspective, the opposing defense or Buc’s fans? I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt for now… A wild thought – Nick Saban is retired and put together some great defenses at ‘Bama, maybe bring him in to give Bowles some ideas?
March 3rd, 2025 at 10:36 am
Maybe he will use a traditional 4 man front more often? I’d like to see a 4-2-5 type defense with one of the 5 DBs blitzing a lot. Seems to me the smaller guys are quicker and harder to see.
March 3rd, 2025 at 10:59 am
Well certainly the ole’ “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” adage doesn’t apply to the Buc’s defense. It’s definitely broke. Can you imagine if we had a top 10 defense to go along with our offense. Look out NFL!
March 3rd, 2025 at 11:12 am
I heard the same thing about Winslow II.
March 3rd, 2025 at 11:31 am
The Super Bowl champions are a clue
March 3rd, 2025 at 12:01 pm
Cappa was released, wouldn’t mind him back in the offensive “lab”
March 3rd, 2025 at 12:08 pm
Jihaad Campbell had a great combine. He had a great year at Bama. This pick just makes too much sense for the Bucs in Round 1. This should be a layup for the Bucs.
March 3rd, 2025 at 12:33 pm
Hope he gets rid of the CB 12 yard off coverage completely
The permanent 4-2-5 is not a bad idea, it’s a short passing league predominantly
3LB has become a run heavy set in todays NFL
March 3rd, 2025 at 12:54 pm
Jihaad Campbell great pick if available. If not, need to take the big safety Ennaworri.
March 3rd, 2025 at 12:57 pm
Darius Slay just became available. Being released by Eagles.
March 3rd, 2025 at 1:02 pm
If it involves us getting a pass rush? I’m all In.
March 3rd, 2025 at 1:16 pm
These days I see so darn many truly exotic defensive alignments. It reminds me of those old Stanley Haine Tire Kingdom commercials. Cigar in hand he went: “sometimes the treads go this way while slashing his hands to the right. Then he said sometimes the treads go that way while slashing his hands to the left. Don’t make no difference!”. Ya gotta have playmakers to make a difference. The right guys could jump down from the moon to make a play. An idiot like JTS could start the play halfway up the opponents bung hole and still foul it up.
March 3rd, 2025 at 2:06 pm
Think of all the teams that have won a super bowl the last 20 + years… Yes a QB is always a great piece but its usually the team with the best pass rush that wins. Even go back and look at teams that weren’t that great if they won the super bowl it was usually due to the pass rush.
Our team is good enough that is we get some pass rush going we will be very hard to stop.
March 3rd, 2025 at 3:15 pm
AL121976 Says:
March 3rd, 2025 at 12:01 pm
Cappa was released, wouldn’t mind him back in the offensive “lab”
———-
Apparently last year with the Bengals he was pretty awful pass blocking – but was a really solid guard when here. Then again this is a very different offensive scheme that demands a lot more out of their lineman in that you’re moving a ton in this system – and Cappa was always a marginal talent when it comes to athletic ability.
With that said Licht knows more about offensive lineman than me or anyone else here, so if he goes after Cappa we know he’d be a good fit. If they don’t go after Cappa, it means he must have fallen off since he left, or, again, he’s just not a good fit.
March 3rd, 2025 at 4:16 pm
Exactly Rod
March 3rd, 2025 at 5:05 pm
The Bengals released Alex Capps. Upgrade over Bredeson?
March 3rd, 2025 at 5:19 pm
Definitely needs some assistants in that lab as he is more Dr Doolittle with pass defense than Dr Frankenstein
Pass defense needs to be emphasized versus the run defense, it’s not the 80’s Todd
March 3rd, 2025 at 5:28 pm
Get Mack and Ward, double up in draft along with couple ILBs and let these guys play their positions. Diaby, Mack, Braswell setting edge and rushing 90-95% of the time. Constantly dropping them fools no one. Let the young ILBs and CBs chase and cover.
That would be quite a change and welcome.
March 3rd, 2025 at 8:37 pm
Obviously the last “three year plan” was an abject failure, the defense getting worse each season. I hope someone is helping him in the lab.
March 3rd, 2025 at 9:43 pm
I just hope that whatever’s getting cooked up in the lab for our defense doesn’t involve the soft zone defense.
March 3rd, 2025 at 9:46 pm
Vanessa – yes hopefully the lab doesn’t smell like Swiss cheese.
March 3rd, 2025 at 9:50 pm
I think Cappa was a cap casualty. Would’ve got $17.5m if I’m not mistaken. Slay was horrible this year with too many penalties and got beat way too much.
March 3rd, 2025 at 11:57 pm
Slay is 34.
March 4th, 2025 at 2:59 am
The problem with smoke and mirrors is that people eventually figure out the trick.
We just do not have the players to do what Todd wants to do. OLBs who can cover and rush do not grow on trees. Corners who can play ten yards off and still get picks? not sure there has ever been one. We all know ILBs like Lavonte are rare. Safeties who cover like corners and tackle like LBs? We had one.
Go Bucs!