Passion.
The Bucs made it clear last winter; they want dawgs on defense.
They wanted to add guys with heart. Guys with passion. Guys with unbridled enthusiasm. And if they trend violent, that’s icing on the cake.
The 2025 Bucs defense was a soft, quitting lot. That had to change if folks wanted to keep their jobs.
The guy who embodies everything in the new Bucs defense is rookie inside linebacker Josiah Trotter. The second-round pick is a fire-breathing dragon of a player on the field.
Off the field? He’s a regular guy. But man, he goes Incredible Hulk on the field. His chirping (specifically at opponents) and his passion is clearly contagious.
ESPN is doing a recap of how each drafted rookie in the NFL stands with his team. Jenna Laine notes Trotter’s veteran teammates have given him the [stamp of approval](https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/49717208/nfl-rookie-2026-nfl-draft-training-camp-preseason-257-picks-report-cards).
> … “He’s not afraid, and he can back it up,” defensive tackle Rakeem Nunez-Roches said. “That’s what I love.”
The change in the defense with Trotter on the field (in padded practice) is night and day. Joe’s seen it at every practice this summer at One Buc Palce.
Joe is confident Trotter will be starting. A team that would start SirVocea Dennis over a promising rookie like Trotter after Dennis puked all over the field simply is not a team serious about winning.