Skip to main content

Bucky Brooks Weighs in on Buccaneers Head Coach Todd Bowles

Former NFL Scout and media personality gives his thoughts on Bowles' second shot at being a head coach

There has been some mixed reaction about Todd Bowles taking over as the head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. 

Not from media, per se, but from the fan base mostly. 

Specifically, many who doubt Bowles' ability to lead the team point to flawed play calls as evidence of an inability to make the right decisions at crucial times. 

And then there's the debacle that was the New York Jets experience. Bowles' only previous head coaching job before this one. 

READ MORE: Why Bowles Can Succeed as Head Coach with Tampa Bay

Someone who has been in and around the NFL landscape back when coach Bowles was leading the New York Jets and is still around today is Bucky Brooks. 

The NFL Media personality recently published his own thoughts on Bowles as the successor to Bruce Arians. 

"While some fans will scoff at the notion of a sub-.500 coach (24-40 in four years with the New York Jets) evolving into a championship-caliber head man," Brooks wrote. "The Bucs' new leader should be able to parlay his success as a defensive coordinator into better results this time around."

Brooks supported this claim, adding later, "Looking at the biggest challenge that lies ahead for Bowles in his new role, he must figure out how to get his offense to perform better than his units in New York did...must clearly convey his vision for how the team needs to play to ensure Tampa Bay executes the kind of complementary football that is needed to win the biggest games.

If Brady supports Bowles' efforts to build a foundation that pays great attention to detail, the rest of the team will fall in line and the transition should be a seamless process despite the change in leadership."

READ MORE: Where Will Bucs Target Specific Position Groups in NFL Draft?

As much as Bowles is inheriting a roster he helped build, things will be different under Arians. 

And as Brooks points out, Tom Brady's presence on the team is still as influential as ever, evidenced by the quick return of center Ryan Jensen and other key veterans shortly after the quarterback announced his return for 2022. 

It's said the relationship between head coach and quarterback is the most important on a team. 

So if Brady supports Bowles then the team will as well and that support will grow beyond the level it already sits, which is pretty high judging from reactions within the roster.

Follow BucsGameday on Twitter and Facebook

For more on this and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers check out James Yarcho and David Harrison on the Locked On Bucs Podcast!