Derrick Brooks: Bucs Have The Pieces To Transition Successfully After Mike Evans And Lavonte David
March 28th, 2026
New era.
Joe gets how most Bucs fans are in a bit of shock after Lavonte David classily hung up his cleats and Mike Evans ran away from Tampa as fast as he could.
Evans was so damn hungry to go, he didn’t even tell David why he left.
So what’s next? Fellow Buccaneers legend Derrick Brooks addressed that this week on SiriusXM NFL Radio.
“Transitions take patience. Do they have the players on the roster, the leadership in place to do it? Absolutely,” Brooks said of the Bucs. “This league is full of transition every single day. So this is nothing new.”
Brooks said he’s very confident Todd Bowles and Buccaneers Ring of Honor general manager Jason Licht have a strong plan. And yes, Joe knows Brooks stays very close to the organization. However, Brooks said that plan shouldn’t include the bosses meddling with changes on the ground.
“Front office and coaches, they can only do so much. A majority of this has to be done within the team, within the locker room,” Brooks said. I’ve learned being a part of this league a long time. When the front office and coaches try to dip those hands and toes too much over into that area of transition of that locker room, it doesn’t go well.”
Brooks said it’ll be key for the Bucs to trust their new additions and their core players to figure it out the inevitable culture change.
Joe isn’t hanging the Bucs’ collapse last season on Evans and David, but perhaps in some ways a lot of fresh blood and different voices rising in the locker room will be a good thing.
“This Joe” really expects Calijah Kancey to jump in and try to lead the defense his way.