The Tampa Bay Buccaneers lost a tight game to the Cincinnati Bengals, 33-27. While the result was disappointing, the regular-season debut of rookie Josiah Trotter was highly encouraging.
Trotter recorded 10 tackles along with a sack and an interception that he took back to the house for a touchdown. Trotter was the first player in franchise history to record an interception for a touchdown in his NFL debut.
The performance was also the first time a player recorded a sack, an interception, and five or more tackles in their NFL debut since T.J. Watt did it in 2017. That is quite good company to be included in.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Rookie LB Josiah Trotter Shines in NFL Debut
Trotter is a former second-round pick, going 46th overall. He was known for his strong run defense at Missouri, but there were questions about his ability in coverage. So, while the tackles and the sack might have been impressive, it was the interception that really surprised and raised eyebrows.
Coming into the year, there was still a question as to whether he would even start in the game. Alex Anzalone is the Bucs top linebacker, although Trotter outplayed the veteran. Tampa Bay also signed Christian Rozeboom in free agency.
The veteran signed a cheap contract, but he started in 17 games for the Carolina Panthers last year, so there was a real expectation for him to start. More than that, the team had SirVocea Dennis.
Dennis struggled last year and is entering the last year of his rookie contract. However, he was the only returning starter at linebacker, so Trotter did have to unseat him first.
The Bucs did not confirm until right before the start of the season. However, it turned out to be a great decision to start Trotter.
Buccaneers Rookie Ruben Bain Struggles in Debut
For as good as Trotter was, the opposite appeared to be the case for the first-round pick by the Buccaneers. Ruben Bain struggled in his NFL debut. He only recorded one tackle, was not noticeable in the run game, and did not make much of an impact as a pass rusher.
There were a few clips of him getting blown up off the football in the run game. Bain had higher expectations than Trotter, not only because he was drafted higher. Bain fell in the draft because he is physically limited. However, he went so high despite his short arms because he was expected to be one of the more polished players in the draft. He was expected to hit the ground running.
It is too early to get worried about the rookie. However, expectations were much higher than what he produced for the team. Third-round rookie Ted Hurst had three catches for 36 yards.
Bucs Rookie Makes Franchise History in NFL Debut