The Todd Bowles era has begun in Tampa Bay. The longtime defensive coordinator was named the head coach of the Buccaneers following Bruce Arians’ shocking retirement on Wednesday night.
With Bowles getting his second chance to lead an NFL team, he’s set up much better than he was during his four-year stint with the New York Jets.
Todd Bowles named Buccaneers head coach
Bowles, 58, takes over for his longtime mentor, Arians, a little over a year after both men led the Bucs to a Super Bowl 55 win in Tampa Bay. Bowles has put together consistently good defenses in Tampa Bay, just as he did under Arians during their time together with the Arizona Cardinals. For the second time in his career, Bowles thriving opposite Arians has paid off with a head coaching job.
Bowles posted a 26-41 record with the Jets during his initial stint as head coach. That said, Bowles’ rosters were typically devoid of talent due to mediocre draft selections and faulty free agency additions. Bowles has been considered a top candidate for multiple head coaching vacancies since his departure from the Meadowlands. Now, he inherits a coaching staff and roster that knows him well. This is a team built to succeed.
But before Bowles can start leading the Bucs into battle, he still has quite a few tasks to complete as the Bucs’ new head coach.
Make sure Tom Brady is sticking around
This is the big one. With Arians heading to the front office, Bowles needs to make sure Brady is committed to the Buccaneers, as rumors swirl about him potentially having interest in the recently upgraded Miami Dolphins. Brady is really the difference between the Bucs being contenders and the franchise rebuilding.
Brady came out of a brief “retirement” hiatus earlier this month, so Bowles getting a clear answer on his commitment is paramount. The 44-year-old QB and offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich are said to have a great working relationship, and the play-caller taking on an even bigger role could serve as an incentive for Brady to stick around.
Promote a replacement at defensive coordinator
While Bowles is likely to remain the play-caller on defense, he can’t solely focus on that side of the field. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the likely scenario is that inside linebackers coach Larry Foote and defensive line coach Kacy Rodgers will split the DC duties.
If that’s the case, Bowles will need to make sure the pair of first-time co-coordinators are prepared for the task.
Rework pre-draft plan
While the roster and coaching staff will largely stay the same under Bowles, the head coach needs to take command of his depth chart by making sure he and GM Jason Licht are on the same page with the draft.
The system will remain in place, but Bowles should now have a much louder voice in the war room. Bowles might have interest in a prospect that Arians was keen on and vice versa, so it’s important Bowles and Licht re-address their draft strategy in the coming weeks.
Continue to build roster in Todd Bowles’ image
Bowles and Arians have shared a coaching history for many years, but everyone has their own way of doing things. With Bowles now in charge, that change could lead to little tweaks here and there. Also, with Leftwich being the sole commander of the offense, he might have some suggestions for his unit as well.
Bowles and Leftwich have the opportunity to leave their mark on the roster now, and that could lead to some minor moves in free agency, especially after the draft.
Figure out if any other internal free agents are worth bringing back
The Buccaneers have gone through the first wave of free agency, re-signing some internal free agents and replacing others with veteran talent. But there’s still a long list of names on the internal free agent spreadsheet, and Bowles and Licht need to figure out if they want to bring any of those veterans back to the fold.
Tight end Rob Gronkowski, pass rusher Jason Pierre-Paul, backup quarterback Blaine Gabbert, defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, and strong safety Andrew Adams are among the notable internal free agents still left on the market for the Bucs.