Crucial player for 2025 season named biggest surprise of the offseason for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers' defense had a big hole in the middle of it after the loss of LB SirVocea Dennis to a shoulder injury back at the end of September. It was a hole that Todd Bowles never found a way to completely close, as the Bucs were gashed in the middle and deep […]
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers' defense had a big hole in the middle of it after the loss of LB SirVocea Dennis to a shoulder injury back at the end of September. It was a hole that Todd Bowles never found a way to completely close, as the Bucs were gashed in the middle and deep all season in the passing game.
However, Dennis will be back for the Bucs in 2025 alongside Lavonte David, and Tampa Bay fans are hoping the defense looks a lot more like the one that shut down Washington, Detroit, and Philadelphia in September.
Fortunately, it appears as though Dennis is rounding into form nicely this offseason. ESPN put out their list of surprise players for each of the 32 teams, and Dennis got the nod for Tampa Bay.
This is what ESPN had to say about Dennis:
The Bucs only caught a glimpse of Dennis due to a season-ending shoulder injury in Week 4, and the middle of the field was quite vulnerable last season as a result. But he had one of the most impressive offseasons of any Bucs defender.
"First day of OTAs, made one of the best plays I've ever seen a linebacker make," linebacker Anthony Walker Jr. said. Dennis moved across the field to jump a route on a Baker Mayfield pass for an interception. "He's special, man. Very cerebral and knows the game very well. Can really do everything on the field as a pass dropper, a blitzer and a run defender," Walker said. — Jenna Laine, ESPN
Dennis' pass defense skills have been a big boost to Tampa Bay's defense. In four games played in 2024, Dennis earned a coverage grade of 74.3, highest among the Bucs' linebackers.
After Dennis' injury against the Eagles, Tampa Bay would go on to lose five of their next six games, and opposing quarterbacks had a field day against Tampa Bay's defense, with Atlanta QB Kirk Cousins setting a franchise record with 509 passing yards the next week in a 36-30 win.
There was plenty more fault to go around for the Bucs' defensive woes, and Jason Licht has addressed that with free agency and the draft, adding a veteran pass rusher in Haason Reddick and rookie CBs Benjamin Morrison and Jacob Parrish coming into the fold.
But there's no doubt Tampa Bay's defense is better with Dennis back in the middle of it, and it sounds like he hasn't missed a beat, which is a great sign for 2025.
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