Todd Bowles Makes His Message Clear About Bucs’ Needs

One move might be letting go of cornerback Jamel Dean and going for a player who takes the ball away at a higher rate when it’s in his direction. Another could be moving Tykee Smith to safety, which puts him on the field for every snap, giving him more opportunities to be a playmaker. Since Jordan Whitehead’s option was not picked up, this becomes a very real possibility.

When it came to the pass rush, he gave a more specific example.

“We have to do a better job rushing four. We can get pass rush with pressure, but you don’t want to pressure all the time. I think we have to do a better job with four.”

Outside linebacker Yaya Diaby is penciled in to be one starter at the position, though he’s better as a No. 2. What comes after that is still very much in the air. Chris Braswell barely had any playing time at the end of the year. Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, Anthony Nelson and Shaq Barrett are free agents. JTS won’t be back, while Nelson and Barrett (especially at this point of Barrett’s career) aren’t needle movers.

Tampa Bay also has edge rushers Markees Watts and Jose Ramirez, but neither seem like more than just practice squad players. The Bucs need to find a top level pass rusher, whether it’s through a trade, free agency or in the draft because the group they had didn’t cut it.

Todd Bowles Wants Ballhawks

The message could not be more direct from Todd Bowles about what he wants from a drafting standpoint. It doesn’t matter if it’s a shut down corner, a linebacker who is a tackling machine or a premiere pass rusher, these players better take the ball away. That is where is putting most of his attention during these draft evaluations.

“Right now for me, I want ballhawks,” Todd Bowles said. “Whether that’s a down guy, a defensive lineman, whether he bats balls down or gets strip sacks. Whether that’s an outside linebacker, whether that’s a backer that can punch the ball out and get turnovers. Whether that’s a safety that can hit and jar the ball loose and get turnovers.

“Whether that’s a corner that has a nose for the ball. We need ballhawks, we need turnovers, we need guys that are very astute in the game that can see things and make plays and go get them. That’s what I’m looking for.”