Buccaneers' Todd Bowles Finally Answers A Burning Question

In a recent episode of the Pewter Report Podcast, Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles answered the question that has frustrated the fan base during his tenure with the team. That question is why the cornerbacks play so far off of the line of scrimmage.

The Buccaneers gave up 350 yards per game on average defensively last year. A large portion of those yards or on short or medium throws. The cornerbacks play so far off of the line of scrimmage that the underneath options last season were almost always available to their opponents.

One of those reasons why this was the case could be the loss of cornerback Carlton Davis III before the 2024 season, losing him to the Detroit Lions. Davis has 11 interceptions and 84 pass deflections in his career, so those numbers are hard to replace. Another answer could be because of injuries that plagued the team last season in the secondary, such as stud safety Antoine Winfield Jr. He ended up only playing in 9 games last season.

However, according to Bowles, this option is not something they would like to see. 

“Honestly I do not,” Bowles said. “That’s something we’re working through right now and that is not required by the staff. The communication that we have and the situations that these guys got to understand that they have to move up more and we’ve talked about it probably all year. I would like to see them up as well. I will see them up a lot more, there’s only a few instances where you will see them back and I’m on the same page with you so I certainly understand.”

It does sound like this is something that will be changing for the team this upcoming season. Buccaneers fans will wait and see if this makes their defense return to an elite defensive unit by not allowing as much of a cushion moving forward. Todd Bowles recognizes the need for change, and undoubtedly, his answer will give the fan base some hope for this season.