The Tampa Bay Buccaneers went out of their way to revamp the defense in 2026. However, while the moves show a different unit, Matt Verderame of Sports Illustrated might compare it to rearranging deckchairs on the Titanic.
Verderame noted that the Bucs signed two veterans in Alex Anzalone and Al-Quadin Muhammad with the thought that both would be impact players in 2026. However, neither was good enough to be that type of player on a Lions defense that was not nearly playoff-caliber. So, what would make these signings good enough to turn around the Bucs’ defense?
“The defense will be relying on veteran additions, including linebacker Alex Anzalone and defensive end Al-Quadin Muhammad,” wrote Verderame. “Both are 31 and weren’t deemed important enough by the Lions to bring back after finishing 18th defensively.”
These are just two names, but they can highlight the overall idea that the Bucs are trying to patch up a huge hole on defense with a band-aid.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers Defensive Additions This Offseason Might Not Be Enough
GettyTampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Christian Rozeboom.
The good news is that the additions of Anzalone and Muhammad are not the only things the Bucs did to improve their defense. The bad news is that a lot of their decisions can be looked at in a similar light.
The team signed Christian Rozeboom from the Carolina Panthers. He is 28 years old, so a bit younger than Anzalone. However, he is entering his sixth season in the NFL, and he will be joining his fourth NFL team.
He started for the Rams and Panthers, and made the playoffs in each of the past two years. However, both teams saw moving on from him as their route to upgrading the playoff defense.
Rozeboom, Anzalone, and rookie Josiah Trotter make up the remade linebacker room. However, it could feature two castoffs and a rookie who is not ready if things do not break right.
A’Shawn Robinson has been in the NFL for 10 years, but now he is 31 years old, and he was not quite an impact player last year. Lastly, they signed Rakeem Nunez-Roches. He will be 33 years old this season. He is also coming off a season where injuries held him to just nine games healthy.
The Bucs hope to have Calijah Kancey healthy so that they only need these additions as depth. Still, there is reason to be pessimistic about the moves the Bucs made on defense.
Bucs Leaning into Veteran Leadership on Defense
The talk around all of these additions is that they are veteran leaders. They are all going to do just as much off the field as they can do on the field. This can make sense considering Muhammad and Anzalone played in big moments with the Lions.
Rozeboom and Robinson played on a playoff defense last season. Nunez-Roches won a Super Bowl with the Buccaneers a few years ago.
The Bucs also have a young core that could use leadership. They will lean heavily on rookies Ruben Bain and Trottter. Jacob Parrish, Tykee Smith, and Benjamin Morrison are all secondary members who are in the first three seasons of their careers. Kancey is young as well. They have young talent, but it has not been harnessed in. The question is whether these veterans can help bridge the gap.
Buccaneers’ Defensive Revamp Faces Harsh Reality