The Super Bowl-winning coach believes Tampa Bay’s revamped front seven is the franchise's best since 2020, fueled by high-energy veterans and relentless rookie pass-rusher Rueben Bain Jr.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have revamped their defense throughout the offseason, and a great showing during OTAs and minicamps has received massive praise from former coach Bruce Arians.
Arians appeared as a special guest on last Tuesday's Pewter Report Podcast with Matt Matera and Scott Reynolds. He raved about the Buccaneers' addition on the defensive side of the ball throughout the episode.
Tampa Bay bolstered its depth by acquiring players like linebacker Alex Anzalone, defensive tackle A'Shawn Robinson and outside linebacker Rueben Bain Jr. with the 15th pick in this year's draft. Bain Jr. has been a standout player throughout the offseason, and Arians believes he'll make the offensive linemen better.
“Talking to (outside linebackers coach) Larry Foote, he loves the guy," Arians told Matera and Reynolds. "The relentlessness he brings to practice -- he’s getting after them every day. He’s going to make those (offensive) tackles better, too. Tristan (Wirfs) is going to make him better. It’s a great battle.”
The hype around Bain Jr. has not cooled off even two months after the NFL draft ended. Foote has compared Bain Jr. to Pittsburgh Steelers legend James Harrison, and coach Todd Bowles said he's grateful to coach him.
He fits the aggressive defensive scheme Bowles employs, and his offensive line teammates are in for a battle when he rushes the quarterback. The 21-year-old recorded 9.5 sacks at Miami during his junior campaign, adding a dominant pass-rusher to improve Tampa Bay's attack.
Alongside Bain Jr. are other key additions: Rakeem Nuñez-Roches, Al-Quadin Muhammad, DeMonte Capehart (No. 155) and Robinson. David Walker is returning from a torn ACL that ended his rookie season before it started.
The Buccaneers' defensive line is deep and talented. It's an impressive group that Arians drew comparisons to the 2020 defensive line.
"Nacho, that’s a big pickup bringing him back because he brings so much energy to practice every day,” Arians said. “Capehart, I love him. Getting David Walker healthy, Muhammad. We have a front seven that’s probably our best front seven since the Super Bowl.”
The best front seven since 2020 is very high praise from Arians, who was the coach, and Bowles, the defensive coordinator. However, with the talent up front, they could live up to their predecessors' success.
Bain Jr. is a pass-rushing monster, and Muhammad is coming off a career-high 10 sacks with the Detroit Lions. Capehart can contribute in Week 1; Nuñez-Roches is a stable veteran who's familiar with the organization and Robinson is great at pressuring the quarterback.
Tampa Bay's defense could be the engine driving the team back to the playoffs after missing them last year.
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