Todd Bowles reveals likely starter for regular season
If you watch the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for any length of time, it won't take you long to see that their defense essentially lives in nickel. Head coach Todd Bowles has created some nightmarish units utilizing nickel, perhaps seen most clearly in the Super Bowl win over Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs a few years […]
If you watch the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for any length of time, it won't take you long to see that their defense essentially lives in nickel.
Head coach Todd Bowles has created some nightmarish units utilizing nickel, perhaps seen most clearly in the Super Bowl win over Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs a few years back.
To make nickel work, the defense has to be able to rely on the nickel back as much as anyone, and it looks like Todd Bowles has found his newest guy for this role in rookie Chris Izien.
Bowles had the following to say about Izien after the first preseason game:
Now, this is just one game, but this seems like a pretty decent indication from Bowles that Izien is a good bet to keep that job throughout the postseason, especially when you acknowledge the fact that there isn't a mountain of competition for that role on the roster right now.
Could that change over the coming weeks? Absolutely, but Bowles saying this seems to imply the team won't jump out into the free agent market to find a veteran DB to add to the mix at the last minute as they have in the past.
With two preseason games left, it is certainly worth keeping a very close eye on Izien and how he plays when (if) he gets reps with the starters against other high-quality players.
Buccaneers still have huge issue in first preseason game
It has to get fixed.
Kim Klement Neitzel-USA TODAY Sports
