Bucs make subtle but important change that can help fix annoying problem from the last several years

It's Sunday and you just watched the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense -a unit that is typically Top-10 when healthy- blow an assignment or mess up a play call that leads to a huge touchdown pass from out deep.

How in the hell did the defense screw that up?

Is what you ask yourself as you rewind your livestream during the ensuing commercial break, trying to figure out exactly what happened. As you watch, you kind of get an idea, but you aren't in the huddle nor do you own a copy of the Bucs playbook. So, you don't truly know what's being called on the field or what players are responsible for, so we can't fully point in a certain direction.

Therefore, you can't make a final/firm assessment on why the play went the way did. However, after the game, Todd Bowles sums it up simply and succinctly.

Communication. That's where things broke down. The secondary wasn't on the same page and the final outcome was six points for the other team.

For a coaching staff that, for the most part, has been together since 2019, that's an alarming thing to hear. Especially when it involves bonafide veteran starters who have been in the system for several years like Jamel Dean, Zyon McCollum, Antoine Winfield Jr., and others from past rosters.

It's been a pervasive problem and frankly, a tiring one. If the environment stays the same, but things continue to go wrong on a fundamental level, then it's nearly impossible to sit there and talk yourself out of the idea that the environment itself is what's non-conducive to creating proper communication. At this point it has to be, right?

Fortunately, Bowles and Co. realized something has to change on their end and they did just that over the offseason. Now, the entire secondary -both safeties and cornerbacks- are meeting together in the same room. Before, they met separately, which could've easily (and likely) played a role in the on-field mishaps

"They're able to talk a little more to each other across the aisle," Bucs safeties coach Nick Rapone told reporters Tuesday. "... Todd brought them in, and now we're able to [ask], okay, how do you see this play? How do you see that play?"

Not only is the change good for the incumbents - it's massive for rookie cornerbacks Benjamin Morrison and Jacob Parrish. The Bucs need both guys to make a positive impact in 2025 and this will certainly help them. Instead of getting just the corners' collective view, they'll get the safeties' as well, which will only help them diagnose better during in-game action.

"This team does so much with the corner spot - they have a lot of learning to do," Bucs cornerbacks coach Kevin Ross recently said of the rookies. "It's gonna take a lot of reps. That's why it's very important [that] these guys get healthy. It's one thing to, you know, do it on the field [via] walkthroughs... and all that stuff. But it's another thing to go in that stadium and start moving."

"One thing Todd loves to do, and I think you saw why [last year], is he wants everybody cross-trained," said Rapone. "Because you never know how a season is going to evolve with injuries. I mean, 'Izzy' [Christian Izien] played all four positions.So right now, Izzy is at free safety and nickel. Tykee [Smith] is at strong safety and nickel. Todd loves to cross-key, so that when we do have somebody out, they at least have the knowledge to play that position."

"We have versatility - that's one thing we have," said Ross. "Parrish won't be the only guy that has played nickel. Izzy has played nickel. Tykee's played nickel. Winfield's played nickel. The more versatile those guys are, the more they have to offer, the better off they are."

So, now guys won't only be on the same page when playing different positions, they'll be able to provide tips and insight on what helps them succeed at the same positions. Through and through, they'll have a hive mind of sorts that they can all feed off of in connected fashion. 

When the core of a team has been around for a length of time similar to the Bucs' situation, the easiest way to sustain success is to strengthen said core. Starting within and then adding the pieces to make the core even stronger as time passes. 

That's exactly what the Bucs are doing. Now, whether or not it works as planned is something we'll have to wait for, but the process is sold. Usually, that leads to good things, at the end of the day.