In the national football league, people say defense wins championships. This explains why the Buccaneers were far from being a championship contender in 2018.
The Buccaneers offense finished third in the NFL in total yards. Their high-octane attack provided the defense with plenty of points all season long.
But the Bucs defense cost them multiple games that their offense put up 30 or more points in. This was the story of the 5-11 2018 Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The Bucs defense gave up 29 points per game en route to finishing second-worst in points allowed.
With a new coaching staff in place and Todd Bowles running the defense heading into 2019, the Bucs hope that the unit improves greatly. Here are four steps to improving the Bucs defense this off-season.
Step One: Health
The first step to the Bucs defensive rebuild is simple; the unit needs to be healthy. Multiple players are coming off season-ending injuries. Starters Kwon Alexander, Vernon Hargreaves, Chris Conte, and others all lost their seasons early due to major injuries. The Buccaneers must make sure that these players heal fully before rushing them into OTA and minicamp activities.
Step Two: Use fifth overall pick on a top defensive prospect
The second step to fixing the Bucs woeful defense is to select the top defensive player available when they are on the clock.
The Buccaneers have the fifth overall pick in the 2019 NFL draft, and with this pick, they are going to get an elite talent. What’s great news for the Bucs is that the 2019 draft class is dominated by defense.
Some of the names that may be available for the Bucs at five are Houston defensive tackle Ed Oliver, LSU cornerback Greddy Williams and perhaps Kentucky’s outside linebacker Josh Allen if he falls out of the top four. The Bucs have holes at every position on their defense. This pick needs to be used on the best defensive player available.
Step Three: Add an experienced secondary player through free agency
In free agency, the Buccaneers need to look into bringing a veteran cornerback or safety to help groom their young secondary that is full of second and third-year players.
The Bucs don’t have too much cap space but should look to use a good amount of the available dollars to add quality secondary help.
A veteran presence such as Bashaud Breeland or Ha-Ha Clinton-Dix would be a great way to both bolster the secondary and help groom some of the younger players who will be patrolling the Bucs secondary for years to come.
Step Four: Bringing back Kwon Alexander
One of the biggest names on the Buccaneers is star linebacker, Kwon Alexander. Alexander is coming off of a season that ended early due to a torn ACL.
Alexander is now set to become a free agent if the Buccaneers cannot come to terms on a new contract.
Losing Alexander would be a massive loss to an already struggling Bucs defense.
Alexander is the heart and sole of the Bucs defense. Signing him back by trying to restructure Gerald McCoy’s contract would greatly benefit the defense’s future.
Saving the defense starts from within with Todd Bowles and the front office. It will be intriguing to see where the off-season leaves the state of the Bucs defense heading into 2019.
