What’s on the Line for Several Buccaneers in 2026?

There are several Buccaneers players playing for their continued careers on this team and I really don’t think that’s an exaggeration. I really think this season may shape what the Buccaneers will look like for quite some time. Especially if some of these players don’t play well. Or, in one very specific case, coach well.

Todd Bowles probably shouldn’t be getting another chance on the team, but he will. And I truly don’t see how he could survive if they crater again. His defense should be exactly what he wants. On paper at least, his LB room should be significantly better. The secondary has questions for sure with injuries to Benjamin Morrison and Zyon falling off the proverbial cliff, but the edge room should be reinvigorated with the free agency additions and Rueben Bain. He should have all the pieces he needs to field at least a competent defense. It is all on him. And if the defense falls apart again, there is no one else to blame.

—

Looking at an actual player, Baker needs to step up again. Last year to end the season was painful. If the defense wasn’t as bad as it was, he would be getting more flack for what he was doing on the field. However, we know that he is capable of good football. Injuries did play a part in the decline, but I still expect more when he’s on the field. He will have the whole off-season to recover. That also applies to the offensive line where hopefully the interior can last for more than five snaps. As of right now, he has not been given an extension. I was on the side of signing him now while his value is down, but I’m not sure a new deal will happen before the season. The bad news for him is that if he underperforms, next years draft will have plenty of signal callers to pick from (in theory at least) even for a middling team and not a truly bad one. He has the weapons and should have the line plus a competent play caller (I hope). Let’s see what he can do.

I’m going to put these two together, but Yaya and Calijah Kancey both have something to prove. For Kancey, he has shown plenty of talent when he is on the field. That is not the problem. He just needs to stay on the field. The team did pick his fifth year option up, so they clearly still have some faith in him. However, if he has yet another injury riddled season, I don’t know if the team can give him any sorta big extension.

—

For Yaya, he has to prove he can be more than good. Diaby has been good not great. He is exceptionally good at getting pressures, but his sack numbers for what should be the number one edge rusher are pretty pathetic. But, to be fair to him, he hasn’t had a talented partner on the opposite side his whole career. He no longer has that excuse. If Rueben is even half as good as advertised, NFL offenses now have to contend with him and Diaby rather than Anthony Nelson. If he still can’t produce, than that means he just is a B-tier pass rusher.