A new Pewter Report Roundtable debuts every Tuesday on PewterReport.com. Each week, the Pewter Reporters tackle another tough question. This week’s prompt: What can the Bucs learn from the Eagles’ success as Super Bowl LIX champions?

Scott Reynolds: Bucs Can Never Have Too Many Good Defensive Linemen

Bucs DTs Calijah Kancey and Vita Vea – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

We all witnessed the Eagles’ destruction of the Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX and how it started along the defensive line. Eagles general manager Howie Roseman and Bucs general manager Jason Licht think alike in that football is a game won in the trenches. Licht has spent a lot of premium draft capital on both sides of the line of scrimmage in building a formidable offensive line and defensive line.

This has been evident in the fact that Pro Bowler Vita Vea, Logan Hall and Calijah Kancey – Tampa Bay’s top picks in 2018, 2022 and 2023 – all combined for 20 sacks in 2024. But Licht needs to do better at outside linebacker, as the Bucs need an alpha edge rusher capable of double-digit sacks opposite Yaya Diaby, who led the unit with 4.5 sacks last year.

Roseman has gone to the extreme to build Philadelphia’s defensive line since the team drafted defensive end Derek Barnett in the first round. Barnett wasn’t a huge draft hit and hasn’t been in Philly since the 2023 season. But since Barnett was drafted, Roseman continued to stockpile defensive linemen in the draft at an almost absurd rate, adding defensive end Josh Sweat, who had 2.5 sacks in the Super Bowl, in the fourth round in 2018.

Since Sweat’s selection, Roseman has drafted 12 – twelve! – defensive linemen (tackles and edge rushers) over the last six years. Out of those 12, seven remain on the roster and five are starters in the Eagles’ 3-4 defensive front.

Defensive lineman Milton Williams, a third-rounder in 2021, had two sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery in the Super Bowl. Defensive tackles Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter were back-to-back picks out of Georgia in 2022 and 2023, and outside linebacker Nolan Smith was also a first-round pick in 2023. Davis had a sack in Super Bowl LIX, while Jalyx Hunt, a third-rounder in 2024, had half a sack on Patrick Mahomes on Sunday night. Licht needs to continue the practice of finding quality defensive tackles, as Hall is in a contract year and Vea just turned 30. And do better at finding pass-rushing outside linebackers.

Matt Matera: Bucs Need Another Game-Changing Linebacker

Bucs RT Tristan Wirfs and Eagles LB Zach Baun – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Tampa Bay has had a game-changing linebacker for several years with Lavonte David, who will eventually be in the Bucs Ring of Honor. We also have to be realistic about the outlook of the Bucs linebacker room and their leader. David is 35 years old. He’s still playing at a high level, which is just about unheard of for a linebacker at his age and in today’s game, but there are some flaws.

Pass coverage is one of them and it won’t get any better if he wants to play next season. What Zack Baun just did for the Eagles is exactly what Tampa Bay needs.

There are so many areas in which Baun has impacted the game for the Eagles. He recorded 152 tackles on the season, putting him at sixth in the league. While the Eagles don’t blitz all that much, he still managed to sack the quarterback 3.5 times and he was a turnover machine with five forced fumbles and an interception. This also earned him his first All-Pro. Those numbers are what David used to produce.

Baun was even better in the postseason, recording an interception in the Wild Card game and then another in last night’s Super Bowl, which led to a touchdown for the Eagles as they eventually won in a lopsided affair. Baun impacted the game everywhere for the Eagles this season and in the playoffs. The Bucs can’t rely on David to do that anymore if he returns. They might have that with SirVocea Dennis, but his injuries are a concern. Maybe just signing Baun in free agency is the best solution.

Bailey Adams: Generating Takeaways Can Make A Major Difference

Bucs FS Antoine Winfield Jr. – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

While there’s plenty to learn from the way the Eagles built up their pass rush, another facet of what Philly did so well that Tampa Bay needs to replicate is generating takeaways. If you were to pinpoint the biggest issues with the Bucs’ defense this past season and in the last couple of years, there’s no doubt that a lack of takeaways would be a huge part of the conversation. Todd Bowles’ unit just has not done a good job of taking the ball away, and it’s something the Eagles did exceptionally well all year and throughout the playoffs.

The Bucs had just 18 takeaways in the regular season, which ranked around the middle of the pack compared to the rest of the NFL. They had the third-fewest among playoff teams, and their seven interceptions tied them with the Commanders for the least of any of the playoff teams. The Eagles, on the other hand, ranked top five in the league with 26 takeaways. Turnover differential obviously takes the offense’s giveaways into account, but Philadelphia’s plus-11 differential and Tampa Bay’s minus-5 mark is a stark difference.

As much disparity as there was between the Bucs and Eagles defenses in terms of regular season takeaways, the playoffs served as another reminder of just how far away Bowles’ defense is from being a game-changing unit. Tampa Bay failed to force a turnover in its Wild Card loss to Washington, while Philadelphia forced four Green Bay turnovers in the Wild Card Round, two Los Angeles turnovers in the Divisional Round, four Washington turnovers in the NFC Championship Game and three Kansas City turnovers in the Super Bowl.

Throughout their playoff run, the Eagles forced 13 takeaways and turned the ball over just once. That’s winning football. The Bucs offense needs to do its part to contribute to a better differential in 2025, but if there’s something that can be gleaned from the Eagles’ success, it’s that the Bucs absolutely need some ballhawks and playmakers on their defense. Some need to emerge, some need to reemerge and some certainly need to be added. There’s no exact science to it, but if it’s an area where Tampa Bay improves in 2025, that could make a significant difference to the team’s championship aspirations.

Josh Queipo: External Additions Are A Key Component to Elevating A Team’s Roster

Bucs GM Jason Licht and QB Baker Mayfield – Photo by Cliff Welch P/R

No general manager is perfect when it comes to the draft. The most successful GMs miss on 50% of their picks. So, while “build through draft,” is absolutely the best route to create the basis for a Super Bowl roster, it cannot be the only strategy. Eagles GM Howie Roseman knows that.

Eight of the Eagles’ 22 offensive and defensive starters were free agent or trade additions. These included linebackers Zack Baun and Oren Burks, safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson, cornerback Darius Slay Jr., right guard Mekhi Becton, wide receivers A.J. Brown and Jahan Dotson and running back Saquon Barkley. Brown and Dotson were both acquired via trade while the rest were free agent additions.

Roseman paid near top-of-the-market money for Slay Jr., Brown and Barkley while he took flyers on Baun and Becton. It was a solid mix of proven performers and upside plays that allowed him to compliment his drafted core.

The Bucs have a similar core in place now. Almost their entire offensive and defensive lines are homegrown. Same with their receiver, tight end, linebacker and secondary rooms. The Bucs starting defense last year was comprised entirely on players drafted by Tampa Bay. Jordan Whitehead is a weird hybrid so if you want to say 10 of 11, fine. Their offense featured 10 of 12 starters that were drafted by Licht. Only quarterback Baker Mayfield and left guard Ben Bredeson started their careers outside away from the Bucs.

Compare that with the team’s 2020 Super Bowl roster that featured five external players on offense: Tom Brady, Antonio Brown, Rob Gronkowski, Ryan Jensen, and Leonard Fournette. That team also had three starters on defense who were not homegrown in Ndamukong Suh, Jason Pierre-Paul and Shaq Barrett who helped push the Bucs over the top.

Licht has the core in place. He has the cap flexibility and should have the cash available from ownership to make two to five key moves that will help complement the current roster to get the Bucs over the top.

Adam Slivon: Investing In The Secondary Really Does Pay Off

Eagles CB Cooper DeJean – Photo by: USA Today

Super Bowl LIX was the latest example that defenses do win championships. The Eagles defense made Patrick Mahomes uncomfortable all night long. While a lot of credit must go to Philadelphia’s front seven for recording six sacks and not allowing Mahomes a chance to go through his reads, the secondary also shined.

Looking back on the 2024 NFL Draft, general manager Howie Roseman pulled off an absolute highway robbery by drafting cornerbacks Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean, who starred throughout the year. If that wasn’t enough, DeJean had one of the biggest plays on the biggest stage on his 22nd birthday, getting a 38-yard pick-six off Mahomes in the second quarter making it a 17-0 game.

Having Darius Slay, Isaiah Rodgers, Avonte Maddox, and drafting Kelee Ringo in the fourth round in 2023 did not deter Roseman from adding Mitchell and DeJean to deepen the position. Following a similar blueprint would not be a bad idea when looking at what the Bucs need to do next season to get closer to the Super Bowl.

Jason Licht knows firsthand the impact of drafting a talented young defensive back key to winning a Superbowl, selecting Antoine Winfield Jr. in the 2020 NFL Draft. Not only did Winfield infamously taunt Tyreek Hill with a peace sign, but he also recorded an interception and was a key part of being another stain on Mahomes’ legacy.

Badly needing playmakers on defense, the Bucs could add life to the unit by adding young ballhawks. Outside of Winfield, the only other defensive back on the roster with plus ball skills is Zyon McCollum. While the Eagles had the chance to fully address their secondary issues in the draft thanks to a plus front seven, Licht will not be afforded a similar opportunity with the team badly needing outside and inside linebacker help. Still, he should recognize how much investing in the secondary pays off and can lead to hoisting – and throwing – the Lombardi Trophy.