Tampa Bay Buccaneers need to write Todd Bowles a blank check
By Rob Leeds
Reshaping the horrific Buccaneer defense was a tall order for Bowles. After an underwhelming stint as the head coach for the New York Jets, Bowles took on a significant challenge in Tampa Bay alongside Bruce Arians.
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The incredible part of Bowles’ tenure is that he hasn’t completely turned the roster on its head. Players like Carlton Davis, Jordan Whitehead, and William Gholston have taken significant strides as players under Bowles, even though many analysts believed the Bucs could address these positions with free agents or the draft.
Instead of asking Arians to make trades or bring in many familiar players, Bowles was able to take one of the worst defenses in the NFL in 2018 and morphed it into one of the best units in the NFL in roughly two years.
Bowles has been able to bring in players that fit his system that were mostly underrated in the draft and shown how effective his approach is. Jamel Dean wasn’t the first corner taken in the 2019 NFL Draft, yet he is playing at an unbelievable level now. Antoine Winfield Jr. wasn’t the first safety taken in 2020, yet the story is precisely the same.
Todd Bowles doesn’t need big-name free agents or top overall draft prospects, yet he has still constructed one of the deepest defensive units in the NFL in a shockingly short period.