Bucs Still Need Two More Inside Linebackers
March 17th, 2026
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Joe is on record claiming the Bucs need three new inside linebackers this offseason. The Bucs last year had zero depth at the position.
If the Bucs want to keep SirVocea Dennis around, OK. As a backup only. Maybe he can be good on special teams.
The Bucs signed Alex Anzalone last week and that’s a good start. Whether Lavonte David comes back or not is no matter to Joe: The Bucs still need two inside linebackers.
So, the Bucs will likely draft one next month. They may need to draft two, unless the Bucs find a decent guy who is on the fringe. And any free agent who hasn’t yet signed is likely a fringe player.
Over at the PFF tribe, Gordon McGuinness — heh-heh, heh-heh, he said “Guinness” — seems to think the Anzalone signing may mean the Bucs won’t draft an inside linebacker with their first few picks.
Anzalone has [played well] the past three seasons and now turns that into a solid deal with the Buccaneers. He excels in coverage, against the run and as a blitzer, providing the Buccaneers with a three-down presence at linebacker. Perhaps this signing means they aren’t tied to selecting a linebacker early in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Joe cannot imagine the Bucs not drafting an inside linebacker on the first two days of the draft. That would be grossly irresponsible unless Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht has a trick up his sleeve.
Man, some folks howl because Joe fantasizes over tight end Kenyon Sadiq getting picked by the Bucs at No. 15. Or even when Joe suggests tight end Michael Trigg gets picked by the Bucs in the second round.
Imagine the chaos and panic if the Bucs waited until Day 3 of the draft to hunt for an inside linebacker?