Lots of Love for Head Coach Todd Bowles as Buccaneers Arrive in Tampa

Players present for voluntary workouts praised the elevation of their new head coach

The retirement of Bruce Arians as the head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers shocked everyone, and the promotion of now-former defensive coordinator Todd Bowles to the same position upset some. 

Detractors of Bowles' promotion to head coach didn't sit well with those who point out flaws in the defense he's been building since his arrival in 2019, and especially those who blame him for the team's loss to the Los Angeles Rams in the 2021 NFL Playoffs. 

Regardless, what's done is done, and as Bowles enters his second stint as an NFL head coach, he has the full support of players who spoke with the media on Tuesday. 

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“I love it, I love the move," said linebacker and team captain Lavonte David. "They did a great thing just putting the right guy in front...You won’t get any bad words from anybody talking about [Coach] Bowles...He’s a team-first guy, he’s a player-first guy. Just got to get an opportunity for the offense, throughout this process, for guys on the offense to learn and get to know him. I’m sure there’s going to be great things. But, I’m very happy for him. If it wasn’t here, it was going to be somewhere else. Definitely a guy who you can definitely go out there and play hard for four quarters of a football game.”

David, the longest-tenured Bucs player who has spent his decade-long NFL career with the team and is now into his 11th, wasn't the only player shedding praise on the move. 

Recently signed safety Keanu Neal pointed to Bowles specifically as part of the reason he joined the Buccaneers this offseason.

"It feels like home. I've got a lot of respect for the organization, what they stand for as a team," Neal said. "Talking with Coach [Todd] Bowles, I mean, he's a mastermind. He's really good at what he does. So I'm really excited to be a part of this group, what they stand for and what we've got to offer."

Coach Bowles got some offseason consideration to be potentially hired for one of several vacant NFL head coaching jobs in recent months, but ultimately returned to Tampa Bay. 

The same can be said for offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich, who will now be seen as a more influential part of the scheme and design as Arians heads to his front-office role with the team. 

Bucs All-Pro right tackle Tristan Wirfs, is thankful Leftwich is returning as well, despite the coach's near move to leave the team. 

“I think that’s huge for us. I would’ve been really happy for Byron if he got a head coaching job, but I’m glad he stayed here," Wirfs said about Leftwich. "I’m being a little selfish, but I’m really glad he stayed here. I know he has a lot of trust in us, and we have a lot of trust in him, so I’m excited for what is to come.”

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In what has been anything but a normal offseason for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, seeing the players getting back into the building, and knowing the coaching staff is working with general manager Jason Licht to construct the best NFL Draft plans for late April brings normalcy back into the atmosphere surrounding the team. 

It's as welcome as it is stabilizing, and while some of the players and coaches will look different or be in new roles, it's clear the mission and the focus is the same.

For more on this and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers check out James Yarcho and David Harrison on the Locked On Bucs Podcast!