Latest news with #Bowles
USA Today
7 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Bucs training camp notebook, Day 1: Defense making plays early and often
The Bucs roster has reported to Tampa Bay, and as a result, they have started their journey into the 2025 season. It starts at home in Tampa Bay, but they hope it ends on the road in Santa Clara, where they have a chance to raise the Lombardi Trophy for the second time in five years. Todd Bowles and Jason Licht have returned, both with contract extensions. Liam Coen is no longer part of the coaching staff, having left to lead the Jacksonville Jaguars. In his place is Josh Grizzard, who has been promoted from passing game coordinator to offensive coordinator. All in all, the coaching staff remains essentially unchanged, just as the roster does, which means there is some continuity. The first day of training camp has wrapped, though, for the team, and there is a lot to break down. We did our best to decide what was worth sharing and discussing, as a lot happened, we narrowed it down to four key points. Of course, we rounded up some quick hitters as well for your enjoyment. Defense made plays early and often During the offseason, most notably at the NFL Scouting Combine, Bucs head coach Todd Bowles said he needed more ball hawks on defense. He knew the Bucs defense needed to force more turnovers, get after the quarterback more efficiently, and in doing so, they would be able to keep the ball in the hands of their explosive offense. If day one's performance was any indication, the defense not only heard Bowles' comments but took them to heart. Bowles shared that Antoine Winfield Jr. picked off Baker Mayfield twice during the first practice session of the year's training camp. Cornerback Bryce Hall, who is returning from injury, also picked off a pass but it was off rookie Connor Bazelak. Bowles shared his excitement about it all when speaking to the media, saying, "We gotta continue, we gotta feed off them." Injury discussions dominate media sessions Whenever you have two of your star players attempting to return from injury, you have to expect to deal with questions dominating the media session. Despite that, Todd Bowles at times seemed caught off guard and grew annoyed with the amount of probing regarding the timeline for the return of both Chris Godwin Jr. and Tristan Wirfs. When it came to Wirfs, Bowles explained that his injury "didn't heal" from the original issue that arose during the 2024 season. Despite telling the media that his sitting out of minicamp and OTAs was precautionary, this indicates that the team knew there was always a possibility of surgery if it didn't heal as anticipated. Bowles insists, though, that there is not much more to it, saying it is not "a murder mystery." For Godwin, it was reported on Tuesday that he underwent a second procedure on his recovering ankle in the Spring, and now his status for Week 1 is also in question. Bowles told the media there is no timetable for his return and that he will continue his rehab as training camp rolls on. Football dads enjoyed practice Todd Bowles remained the focus of the first day of training camp when the team shared a clip on social media showcasing him taking in practice with Hall of Fame cornerback and current Colorado head coach, Deion Sanders. Despite it being a closed practice, Bowles invited the former NFL cornerback to Bucs practice so he could watch his son, Bucs safety Shilo Sanders, in his first NFL practice. Sanders spoke to Bowles on the phone when the team called the former Colorado safety to sign him as a UDFA following the 2025 NFL Draft. In the process, they spoke at length, and Bowles confirmed they have a friendship and shared respect for each other. Jalen McMillan is focused heading into his sophomore season Jalen McMillan ended the year on a run that no other rookie wide receiver enjoyed, not even Brian Thomas Jr. or Malik Nabers. He ended the year scoring a touchdown in five straight games, and it led many to believe he was poised for a major boost in targets in his sophomore season. However, that idea was dashed when the team drafted Emeka Egbuka with their first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft in April. Many moved on from McMillan immediately, but he is coming into the new season with a renewed focus. McMillan spoke to the media on Wednesday and shared that he is aiming to weigh between 193 and 197 pounds. He is currently at 194 pounds but may add more to his frame. The former Washington Husky added he is also working on adding new ways to get open in new playcaller Josh Grizzard's offense. All while McMillan acknowledges how good Egbuka is. He isn't shying away from the competition, and it shows that he is ready to earn his role within the offense. Quick hitters
NBC Sports
22-07-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Todd Bowles provides an update on Tristan Wirfs: He'll be ready sooner than later
Buccaneers left tackle Tristan Wirfs underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right knee earlier this month. Wirfs could miss the start of the season, but coach Todd Bowles isn't ready to rule Wirfs out. Bowles expressed optimism despite uncertainty about whether doctors will clear Wirfs for Week 1. 'That I cannot tell you,' Bowles told Joe Bucs Fan about Wirfs' availability for the season opener. 'I just know he'll be ready sooner than later. I don't know if it's Week 1, 2, 3. He'll definitely put the work in, so I don't have a problem with that.' Wirfs recently posted a workout video on Instagram. 'I would feel better if you told me he put out a video jumping out of a pool on one leg,' Bowles said. 'Then I'd know he'd be close to being ready to play.' Wirfs' knee was expected to be fine with rest, with Bowles saying during the offseason program that Wirfs would be full-go at training camp. Instead, Wirfs required surgery after the offseason program, and additional damage was found during the procedure. Bowles, though, defended the team's medical staff. 'Obviously, there have been talks since the season ended and for it to heal,' Bowles said. 'And [the medical staff and Wirfs] each other decided to get the surgery done. Sometimes when you let things heal, they don't heal the right way. That's just part of it. 'That's just like going for it on fourth down. Either you get it or you don't. Either it heals or it doesn't and you have to get surgery. But there was great communication throughout and Tristan's in great spirits right now. And if I was a bettin' man, I'd bet he'd be back sooner than later. And we can do is get the next guys ready.' Charlie Heck is expected to fill in for Wirfs.
New York Post
09-07-2025
- Science
- New York Post
Terrified Massachusetts paddleboarders capture close encounter with great white shark off Cape Cod beach: ‘We got to go'
A Jaws-some experience. A great white shark shocked two Massachusetts paddleboarders as it swam just feet away from the two friends enjoying their Fourth of July evening on the water. College students Margaret Bowles and Maddie Cronin were paddling in the waters off Woods Hole on the southwest end of Cape Cod when they saw the predator's estimated 8-inch fin. 4 The dorsal fin of a great white shark pops out of the water near Margaret Bowles in Woods Hole, Mass. on July 4, 2025. WHDH Cronin, a student at the University of Toronto, was recording a video of Bowles splashing around when the shark's dorsal fin surfaced, frightening the two friends. 'Oh,' Bowles said as she jumped up on her board, according to a video obtained by WHDH. Bowles and Cronin, who were high school friends, didn't believe what they saw and had to look back at Cronin's photos and to confirm their suspicions. The photo captured Bowles' terrified expression as the underwater predator's dorsal fin breached the water's surface, just feet away from Cronin's board. 'I see this big fin pop up next to her, it's like eight inches out of the water sort of fleshy, gray and I'm like 'Oh my goodness that's a shark, we got to go,'' Bowles, who attends Harvard University, told the outlet. 'Once we were back to shore, I was kind of like no way, they aren't here,' Bowles added. 'It took a second to register that was what happened but it was a complete surprise. I've spent time teaching marine biology here and swimming in the ocean. I certainly never expected for a great white shark to wander my way. 'I always operated under the assumption that there were no sharks in Woods Hole. I would have friends down and they'd ask, 'Are there sharks here?' And I'd be like, 'No, no way.'' 4 WHDH The photo was sent to experts, and the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries confirmed the friends had encountered a great white shark in Buzzards Bay. Knowing they were on top of their boards, the friends kept their 'cool' and paddled back to shore without incident. After returning to the safety of land, the friends joked that the shark got lost in the waters and was stopping for directions. The 'lost' creature was named 'Steve' and didn't scare the friends away from the beach. 'I've already gone swimming since then. I love the ocean. What happened was incredibly unlikely,' Bowles said. 4 Margaret Bowles sits on her paddleboard after seeing the shark pass her. WHDH 4 Maddie Cronin sits on her paddleboard during her outing with Bowles. WHDH Bowles did, however, say she was temporarily putting a pause to swimming in her wetsuit in the waters. 'That seems unadvisable at the time,' she said. 'Hopefully 'Steve' moves on and I'll get right back to it.' 'Steve's' sighting off the shore of Stoney Beach was the first in the area in over two decades. The last confirmed sighting of a great white in Buzzards Bay was in 2004, according to Cape and Islands. 'The general perception that white sharks are predominantly along the Outer Cape is actually quite true based on the data we've collected,' shark biologist for the Division of Marine Fisheries Greg Skomal told the outlet. 'But that's not to say that sharks don't move to other parts of Massachusetts, and we've been able to demonstrate that occasionally they do enter Buzzards Bay.' 'The best approach is that if you see a shark, don't panic. The probability of being bitten is very, very low,' he said. 'Nonetheless, if you're concerned about your safety, just move away calmly and avoid interacting with the shark in any way.'
USA Today
28-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Todd Bowles and Jason Licht have proven they are more than deserving of extensions
Easily the best GM in the league 👏 The Buccaneers' extensions of head coach Todd Bowles and general manager Jason Licht may appear to be low-key moves even during the lull of the offseason. However, their extensions are a testament to the stability and sustained success they have brought to the franchise. Despite a rocky start to his tenure as Bucs head coach, Bowles has a proven track record in Tampa Bay, winning three straight NFC South titles. Some may say Bowles' success is just the product of an otherwise disastrous division that has combined for a 57-96 record. Winning the NFL consistently is too difficult to rely solely on the folly of others. The Bucs also have the NFL's 10th-best point differential since Bowles took over as head coach, which cannot be attributed solely to wins over the rest of the division. Despite last year's defensive struggles, the Bucs have had one of the best defenses in the NFL since Bowles took over. Since 2019, the Bucs are sixth in defensive EPA (-0.032) and fifth in defensive success rate (42.7%). No team has been better defending the run than the Bucs under Bowles, whether looking at total yards allowed (9378), yards per attempt (4.0), EPA (-0.157), or success rate (36.6%). Bowles also bucked the NFL defensive head coach stereotype, as well as the stereotype of offensive inconsistency and impermanence. Tampa Bay's offenses have improved every year since he became head coach, in large part because of his willingness to take chances on offensive coordinators with no discernible connection to his coaching tree. Bowles hired Dave Canales and Liam Coen despite neither having any experience calling plays in the NFL. Both exceeded expectations so much that they were both hired as head coaches just one year after calling plays in Tampa Bay. Success as a head coach is never the product of just one man. Bowles enjoys the benefits of working with one of the NFL's best, if still somehow most underrated, general managers. Jason Licht embodies the NFL front office cliche of 'build with the draft.' Since Licht became Tampa Bay's GM, no NFL team has more games played or snaps taken by picks from the first through fifth rounds of the NFL draft: Licht already has two likely future Hall of Famers on his resume with Mike Evans and Tristan Wirfs. Draft picks like Antoine Winfield Jr., Chris Godwin, Bucky Irving, and Luke Goedeke established Licht as one of the premier drafting GMs in the NFL. Licht's success does not end at the draft. Though the Bucs rarely spend in free agency under Licht, the big moves often make major impacts. He was the sole general manager to take a swing at Tom Brady after he left New England, a move that paid dividends in Super Bowl rings. He also skipped the presumed rebuild following Brady's retirement by signing Baker Mayfield for a song, re-signing him to a team-friendly extension that helps keep Tampa Bay's roster solid from top to bottom. The free agent dice rolls are often where Licht shines. Signing Shaq Barrett in 2019 was an inexpensive gamble considering Barrett broke the Bucs' sack record and became the foundation for a dominant defense during their 2020 Super Bowl run. Additions like Ndamukong Suh, Jason Pierre-Paul, and even Antonio Brown paved the way for the Bucs' first Super Bowl since 2003. Perhaps more than anything, Bowles and Licht earned their extensions from the growth they have shown since taking on their respective roles. When Bowles became head coach in 2022, he appeared to inherit a Super Bowl-ready roster. Then, the offensive line imploded, and his inherited offensive coordinator failed to pivot. This led to an unceremonious wild card exit and questions about whether Bowles learned anything since his run as the New York Jets' head coach. Instead, Bowles trusted his defensive acumen and turned his attention to the offense, handing the keys over to young playcallers with something to prove. His success in selecting new offensive innovators could prove to be a blueprint for future defense-centric head coaches for sustaining success in an offense-tilted league. Licht endured his own struggles early in his tenure as general manager. His first year only yielded Mike Evans as even a viable player, and his 2016 draft class was nothing short of disastrous. Nevertheless, he built a Super Bowl-caliber roster despite misses on consecutive first-round picks in 2016 and 2017. The NFL typically operates on year-on-year success. The Bucs chose a more patient path, yielding one of the league's best general managers and a head coach with more success than he is often credited. Bowles and Licht proved themselves winners, worthy of the extensions granted by the franchise.
USA Today
27-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Former Jets head coach Todd Bowles earns extension from Buccaneers
Former New York Jets head coach Todd Bowles did not enjoy a fruitful stint with the franchise. The current Tampa Bay Buccaneers head honcho was in charge of the Jets for four seasons (2015-18). After a dreamlike 10-6 debut campaign, Bowles never managed to repeat that success. He compiled a lackluster overall record of 24-40 in East Rutherford and was fired at the end of 2018. Bowles then became the Buccaneers' defensive coordinator and won Super Bowl LV in that role. Bowles was promoted to the lead job in 2022 following Bruce Arians' retirement. He's been significantly more successful at his latest stop. On Thursday, he and general manager Jason Licht signed multi-year contract extensions with the Bucs. The Buccaneers have captured three consecutive NFC South division titles under Bowles' tutelage. In 2024, Bowles arguably enjoyed his best season yet, leading the Bucs to a 10-7 season, their first double-digit win campaign on his watch. The one caveat is the Buccaneers are 0-3 in the postseason under Bowles. This past season, they were upset at home by the Washington Commanders in an NFC Wild Card game. If Bowles wants to see out the entire terms of his new contract, he'll have to win a playoff game at some point. Either way, Bowles left the Jets and found head coaching success.
