The Bucs were repeatedly affected by the injury bug on defense throughout the 2024 season, with the secondary being most affected.
The team had one of the worst pass coverage units in the NFL during the 2024 season. They knew that, so they addressed it with some moves in the offseason, but not to a crazy extent. General manager Jason Licht and coach Todd Bowles have shown they believe in the group they have.
On Wednesday, Bowles was asked about the team’s depth at the position, and he detailed how he felt about the players in the group and what he has seen of them so far.
“I think we’re getting a lot of depth from that standpoint with [Rashad] Wisdom coming into his second year and making some plays. But, then you’ve got J.J. [Roberts] and you’ve got Shilo [Sanders] also coming along and learning the system and starting to get more comfortable and make some plays back there, as well. Then you’ve got ‘Izzy’ (Christian Izien) there and you’ve got [Antoine] Winfield Jr. obviously and you’ve got Tykee [Smith] sitting there and you’ve got [Kaevon] Merriweather sitting there. We’ve got a lot of guys. That’s going to be one of the more heavily competitive spots once training camp starts.”
Bowles and other coaching staff members continue to plug the name Shilo Sanders, going all the way back to rookie minicamp. If he can make the roster, it would speak to what they see in him despite going undrafted.
For the veterans, getting the group healthy will be a battle. The competition will bring out the best in the players and prepare them for training camp. The battle for who joins the starting safety group alongside Winfield Jr. during training camp will be interesting to follow.