Family Matters For Todd Bowles, Jason Licht
May 17th, 2026
One’s football pedigree can sometimes be a blessing.
The Bucs seem to like signing or drafting sons of coaches and players. How are they different from the sons of accountants, NASCAR drivers or school teachers?
That’s debatable.
One could argue the son of an ex-player will have better instincts after being taught at a high level from a young age. One also could argue that player has a lower ceiling and more of a business mindset — one that makes him more likely to make business decisions on the field.
Ages ago, Joe was a Cody Grimm fan. A Bucs 2010 seventh-round pick, Grimm was the son of Hall of Fame guard Russ Grimm.
The young Grimm was a heck of a sleeper pick and started at safety, but injuries got him. He’s now an assistant coach with the Raiders.
Now, the Bucs have guys with strong football pedigree on the roster. Cade Otton’s dad and grandfather were coaches, and Antoine Winfield’s dad was a three-time Pro Bowl cornerback, among others.
Bowles now has another one in rookie linebacker Josiah Trotter, whose dad Jeremiah is a former All-Pro linebacker.
Todd Bowles told SiriusXM radio recently that he appreciates guys who grew up in and around the game, and that’s a bonus when it comes to development.
Buccaneers Ring of Honor general manager Jason Licht told Wake Up Barstool last week that “sometimes the DNA doesn’t transferm” but it has with his new second-round draft pick.
“I don’t want to say that’s part of our strategy, I think it’s an added bonus,” Licht said of targeting sons of players. ” … It’s an added bonus. I mean, [Josiah Trotter] understands the league and a lot of wisdom can be passed down. And there’s a lot of wisdom there from Jeremiah. That’s for sure. In that case, it worked out. In some cases, it doesn’t.”
It’s clear the Bucs are banking on 21-year-old Trotter to be an effective starter from Day 1 — just like they banked on then 22-year-old Winfield in 2020.