Jason Licht Lauds Alex Anzalone
March 29th, 2026
New Bucs linebacker Alex Anzalone is known for tight coverage.
The Bucs lost a fading legend at inside linebacker and picked up a pesky veteran with plenty left in the tank.
Joe asked readers here if the retirement of iconic Lavonte David is a net positive or a negative for the 2026 roster.
Fans were split. Was that because the Bucs signed Lions free agent linebacker Alex Anzalone in free agency? That’s unclear.
What is clear is that Buccaneers Ring of Honor general manager Jason Licht is excited about his new signing.
“He’s always been a little bit of a thorn in our side because of the fact that he’s a tough player, he’s sideline-to-sideline, you know, he’s got all that,” Licht said of Anzalone. “But he’s a really good cover linebacker, which is very, very important in this league since we’re playing against nickel the majority of the time. And it’s been some areas that we’ve struggled in the past and he brings that element, which is really going to be cool to see. It’s good for us. It’s a good asset for us.”
Licht’s comment were delivered to Buccaneers.com.
Joe doesn’t think it’s a stretch to say Anzalone was better in coverage than David was last season. Anzalone also managed 9 official passes defensed. The last time David had that many in a season was 2015. And, of course. fellow Bucs linebacker SirVocea Dennis was sort of lost in coverage last season.
Bucs fans have seen rookie middle linebackers arrive in Tampa and have strong seasons. Mason Foster (2011), Kwon Alexander (2015) and Devin White (2019) come to mind. Alexander, a fourth-round pick, was electric in 12 games as a rookie and posted impressive stats.
If the Bucs can find another hit-the-ground-running rookie at inside linebacker to play alongside Anzalone, the Bucs defense will look a heck of a lot different this season.