Will Bucs Make Lineup Changes This Week At ILB, CB?

After surrendering 26.6 points per game, which ranks 28th in the league, and having the league’s 29th-ranked pass defense, allowing 255.4 yards per game, the Bucs are looking at some making some personnel changes.

That’s what head coach Todd Bowles said on Monday when he was asked about possible changes at the middle linebacker and cornerback positions. The play at both of those positions was very disappointing in Sunday’s 31-26 loss to the Falcons.

“We look at personnel changes every week and see what’s best for us,” Bowles said. “Sometimes we can’t do anything [due to injuries] but we’re doing everything this week to try to put the guys out on the field that will hopefully help us get better and kind of go from there. If we don’t have them, we don’t have them, but if we have them on the team, we’ll definitely try to put them in there.”

Bucs Potentially Looking To Platoon Vi Jones With K.J. Britt

Starting inside linebacker K.J. Britt has the worst pass coverage grade on the team, according to Pro Football Focus. Britt has allowed 20-of-24 targets (83.3%) to be caught for 226 yards, and he’s earned a horrendous 32.3 coverage grade as a result. PFF has Britt as the 146th-ranked inside linebacker in the league with an overall grade of 37.7.

Bowles has identified Britt’s weakness in pass coverage over the last two years. Even when Britt supplanted Devin White as the starting middle linebacker last year he platooned both linebackers. Britt played on early downs and in short yardage situations, while White, who was better in coverage and a better blitzer, played on third-and-long and obvious passing downs.

That platoon system carried over into the 2024 season with second-year linebacker SirVocea Dennis taking over for White as the passing down substitution. But when Dennis was lost for the season in Week 4, Britt has stayed on the field – and struggled – in coverage.

Bowles brushed aside suggestions that J.J. Russell could be a pass coverage replacement for Britt, instead saying that Vi Jones, a practice squad linebacker, would be the ideal candidate to platoon with Britt.

“There’s probably only one [player] that can do it and he has to get caught up to speed,” Bowles said, referring to Jones. “At the time, he wasn’t caught up to speed. Everybody else was more of a MIKE linebacker or pretty much the same from an athletic standpoint and K.J. was the smartest of the bunch.”

Jones, who spent time on the Bucs’ practice squad last year, showed enough talent and promise in the preseason to stick on the practice squad in 2024. He earned a PFF overall grade of 68.4 in the preseason and had a 64.3 coverage grade. He allowed 5-of-7 (71.4%) targets to be caught in pass coverage, but for just 33 yards in the preseason.

Jones totaled five QB pressures and a QB hit in the preseason, in addition to 11 tackles, including a tackle for loss. The 6-foot-3, 225-pound Jones is a faster linebacker than Britt. Jones was clocked at 4.52 coming out of North Carolina State, while Britt was timed at 4.76 coming out of Auburn.

While Britt’s coverage woes have been problematic in Tampa Bay, it hasn’t been just him who has struggled to cover the middle of the field. Fellow inside linebacker Lavonte David has also given up 83.3% of his targets (35-of-42) for a team-high 357 yards and two touchdowns. But unlike Britt, David has an interception to his credit, in addition to forcing two incompletions in coverage and breaking up four passes.

It’s interesting to note that the Bucs promoted rookie Antonio Grier Jr. from the practice squad to the active roster – not Jones – when Dennis went on injured reserve after Week 4. That is an indication that perhaps Jones hasn’t mastered enough of the defense to be a factor in pass coverage just yet for Bowles

Bucs Could Also Bench Tyrek Funderburk At Cornerback

Tampa Bay’s undrafted free agent cornerback Tyrek Funderburk was benched at halftime of Sunday’s 31-26 loss to Atlanta after surrendering a 30-yard touchdown pass to Darnell Mooney and failing to make a tackle on Kyle Pitts’ 49-yard score. Funderburk had replaced starter Jamel Dean when he was injured in the team’s 51-27 win at New Orleans and got his first start in the Bucs’ 41-31 loss to the Ravens.

But now it’s Funderburk who might be replaced, according to head coach Todd Bowles.

Josh Hayes, the team’s top gunner on special teams, and a sixth-round pick in 2023, replaced Funderburk in the second half and earned a 72.4 Pro Football Focus coverage grade on the 11 coverage snaps he had versus the Falcons. Hayes allowed just one catch for eight yards and was only targeted once.

When asked if Hayes was a candidate to start at cornerback opposite Zyon McCollum moving forward until Dean’s return, Bucs head coach Todd Bowles said, “Yeah, he’s definitely an option.”

After Sunday’s game, Bowles discussed Hayes’ performance.

“He fought hard and I know he didn’t give up too many [completions],” Bowles said. “He’s a tough kid and, as far as I know, he played well. I’ll look at the tape and see.”

In his three games on defense during his rookie season, Funderburk has allowed 11-of-12 (91.7%) targets to be caught for 146 yards and two touchdowns with one pass breakup. He has earned a 55.3 coverage grade, according to PFF.

The other option the Bucs may consider at cornerback is Keenan Isaac, who had a good preseason and was signed from the practice squad to the active roster.

Bucs Hope To Have Tykee Smith In Kansas City

The Buccaneers are hopeful to get starting nickelback Tykee Smith back in action against Kansas City next Monday night. Smith suffered a concussion against Baltimore two weeks ago and missed the Atlanta game.

“He’s progressing,” Bucs head coach Todd Bowles said on Monday. “We’ll see how he feels during the week. It’s a little early right now.”

The team’s third-round pick is one of the best pass defenders in Tampa Bay. He’s allowed 27-of-38 (71.1%) targets to be caught for 228 yards and has allowed two touchdowns, but also has four pass breakups and two forced fumbles. Smith, who earned the starting slot cornerback job thanks to a great training camp and preseason, has a 70.1 PFF coverage grade, which is the fifth-highest on the team.

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