Is Todd Bowles the Right Coach for the Future in Tampa?
Todd Bowles had an extremely disappointing debut as the head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The Bucs' production in 2022 didn't come anywhere close to meeting the expectations that existed based on the recent success, talent, and experience on the roster.
Bowles managed to maintain his reputation when it came to scheming a quality defense this past season, something he's done for the Bucs since he was first hired as the team's Defensive Coordinator under Bruce Arians back in 2019.
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But things have changed since then. Arians is no longer on the sidelines. Todd Bowles is the head coach now. Which obviously means his responsibilities extend far beyond what they were when he was operating strictly as the DC. Which in turn means that he himself is measured by a completely different, and more expansive set of criteria.
Offense. Defense. Special Teams. Clock management. Personnel decisions. Coaching staff. Practice plans. Media appearances. The responsibilities that fall onto the plate of an NFL head coach are extensive.
After seeing how Todd Bowles handled these additional responsibilities in his first season as the head coach of the Buccaneers, with plenty of changes on the horizon for this football team, it's fair to pose the question: Is he the right coach for the future?
Obviously, we don't have an answer to this right now. But we will.
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All indications coming out of Tampa Bay are that the Buccaneers — following the retirement of Tom Brady — will not enter a rebuilding phase, but instead try to 're-load', or 'reorganize' the roster. Based on the talent already in-house, and the lack of competitive teams within the NFC South Division, this shouldn't exactly come as a surprise.
It will be a challenge though. Especially with the creative cap management — centered around contracts containing voidable years — over the last three seasons finally beginning to rear its ugly head.
As it stands, the Buccaneers have one of the worst cap situations in the NFL. They're approximately $55M over the projected salary cap. The team also has an extensive list of free agents. Some of whom the team will want to retain if they do indeed hope to extend their window of contention.
So the Buccaneers are inevitably going to need to move on from a number of players who were on the roster this season. They can continue to kick some money down the line with contract re-structuring, which would free up some space to retain high-priority free agents (such as Lavonte David and Jamel Dean), and a quarterback.
But until general manager, Jason Licht, and Director of Football Administration, Mike Greenberg, work their magic, it's going to be difficult to forecast what type of team Todd Bowles is going to have to work with this season.
But regardless of the roster he has, Todd Bowles is going to need to demonstrate some serious improvement from his debut season as the head coach of the Buccaneers.
Too often in 2022, Bowles reverted to an extremely traditional, and overly conservative thought process in key moments. Most notably, fourth-and-short situations in the opposing team's territory. This mindset is common with certain defensive-minded head coaches, and that train of thought, which is ultimately predicated on the notion that defense wins championships, is stale and outdated.
There were also numerous instances where Bowles left timeouts on the board going into halftime, as opposed to using them to try and sustain a final offensive drive, and potentially put some additional points on the board.
My biggest concern with Bowles is whether or not he is capable of shifting this philosophical perspective that seems to play a significant role in his in-game decision-making. The pessimist in me points to the fact that if he was willing to make these conservative decisions with Tom Brady and a talented assortment of weapons on offense, there isn't a chance in hell he's going to show a more aggressive side without him.
Bowles is generally viewed as an aggressive defensive play-caller, which is part of what has made him so successful on that side of the ball. It is my opinion that he should apply that same aggression to his offensive philosophy as well. At least much more than what we saw this past season.
If the Bucs hire the right offensive coordinator, and Bowles is able to demonstrate a more aggressive philosophy in his decision-making as the head coach, I see no reason why he couldn't be the right coach for the present, and the future.
If he is unwilling to adapt, and we see a similarly conservative approach to game management, and end-of-game situations that we did in 2022, then I think Bowles needs to go.
Ultimately, this is a huge year for Todd Bowles.
Prove it or lose it, if you will.
No matter the roster, and no matter the coaching staff in place beneath him, Todd Bowles will need to demonstrate a willingness to adapt to the times, and more specifically, a more aggressive approach on offense, if he has any hope of finding success as a head coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2023, and potentially beyond.
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