It’s safe to say that no matter what you think of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, there is a clear sense of tension within the franchise. Now, there is beginning to be some outside noise..this time from a star former player.
After Todd Bowles cleaned house, firing both Josh Grizard and special teams coordinator Thomas McGaughey, questions began to arise about whether or not it was Bowles himself who was the problem. Also firing two defensive coaches did not go over well either as the defensive minded coach was not particularly adept at finding solutions on that side of the ball this year. Still, it is a former player and Bucs legend that remains critical of Bowles despite his extended stay in Tampa.
Ronde Barber, who spend all 16 season he was in the NFL in Tampa, was dissatisfied not just with the overall job Bowles was doing, but with how he treated the players as well. “(There are) too many busts because it asks too many different players to execute too many different jobs,” Barber said when he criticized the defensive side of the ball. “Like an edge player turning into a zone dropper or a flat defender, which in itself is fine from a static sense — on paper — but there is a nuance to that job that an edge player cannot master without elite coaching, teaching, understanding. Same can be said for every other position”.
A Legend’s Frustration With Player Usage
Funnily enough, Ronde Barber was one of the most revolutionary players at the corner position, in many ways inventing the idea of a modern nickel corner, who can both blitz and cover in space, combining elite ball skills with the intelligence to tackle in space as well. Barber’s displeasure is a result of Bowles not doing enough to set his current players up for success.
This is not to say that barber thinks the Bucs defense is inept or that Bowles’ scheme cannot work at all. After all, he had high praise for the 2020 team that won the Super Bowl with stars such as Lavonte David and Jamel Dean.
When Aggression Becomes a Liability
What Barber is critical of is the lack of elite play now and the consistent breakdowns tat cost them late in the season. Some may reference how Dolphins rookie QB Quinn Ewers was too easily able to throw a 63 yard touchdown pass to fellow rookie Theo Wease Jr in the Bucs’ Week 17 loss to the Dolphins. Even more will reference the consecutive big plays the Bucs gave up on both third and 28 and fourth and 14 to extend the Falcon’s game winning drive in their Week 15 loss.
Barber’s primary issue is that perhaps Bowles is a little too blitz happy, calling blitzes at the second highest rate in the league. However, what comes with it is that players have to fill in the gaps better and for the Bucs, they simply aren’t.
“To really understand what I see as flawed, and what my buddies on the other teams confirm, you kind of have to know,” Barber said. “Almost every call is essentially a pressure — even if it’s just simulated pressure (four-man rush). So, they don’t really have a ‘base’ defense they can rely on, that they’ve done repeatedly and have full control over”.
With little control, the question stands: were the staff members Bowles fired the problem? Or is it truly Bowles himself?
Former Bucs Star Gets Critical of Todd Bowles