“Okay.J. [Britt] received a style final yr, he’s a pure chief for us.”
Take it from Bucs head coach Todd Bowles when requested about what Okay.J. Britt brings to Tampa Bay’s protection. After filling in and getting six begins to shut out the common season and the playoffs in 2023, he’s primed to be the group’s different inside linebacker subsequent to Lavonte David in 2024.
Whereas he can be one to keep watch over all through coaching camp as he stakes his declare for the beginning job, Bowles may even be holding a detailed eye on him – however for a special motive.
If Any Bucs Get Into A Combat, Okay.J. Britt Will “In all probability” Be In The Center Of It
Bucs ILB Okay.J. Britt and HC Todd Bowles – Photograph by: Cliff Welch/PR
An inside linebacker’s job is to patrol the center and get in as a lot of the motion as potential.
Okay.J. Britt takes this to coronary heart, and whereas he has been a vocal chief for the Bucs since being drafted within the fifth spherical again in 2021, he additionally could be the one to get into the center of an on-field scrum. Todd Bowles doesn’t wish to see it, however he is aware of that if it occurs, Britt’s trash-talking would be the doubtless motive why.
“Okay.J. has been a pacesetter since he’s been right here,” Bowles stated on Wednesday. “Even when he wasn’t beginning, he’s been a pacesetter. He’s a pure chief. He’s very vocal, he’s in all probability probably the most talkative man on the sector. Hopefully, I hope this by no means occurs in camp, but when they get right into a combat, I’m fairly positive it’s in all probability going to be him as a result of he does a lot of the speaking about it and we received to maintain a great eye on that.”
That trash-talking is one thing that All-Professional security Antoine Winfield Jr. has observed as effectively.
Bucs ILB Okay.J. Britt and Packers QB Jordan Love – Photograph by: USA Right this moment
“He’s a ballplayer, man,” Winfield stated of Britt. “He’s a hard-nosed ballplayer, he’s like a kind of old-school linebackers, which I like about him. He all the time has good power about himself, and you understand he’s a pacesetter, he’s vocal and issues like that. He’s one of many guys that you really want in your group.”
Not solely is Britt an old-school bodily linebacker who will get his nostril to the soccer, however he additionally will get his nostril in some back-and-forth banter.
Together with with quarterback Baker Mayfield, who isn’t afraid of chirping himself.
“He trash talks rather a lot, particularly to Baker [Mayfield], which is sort of humorous,” Winfield added. “Even within the locker room, some stuff you don’t hear however it’s humorous.”
Even Britt agreed along with his head coach’s evaluation.
“In all probability is,” Britt stated of him being the one in the midst of any on-field altercations. “It’s simply how I play the sport, I play with slightly chip on my shoulder. I received a light-weight swap, so I simply attempt to verify if it’s on I don’t wish to be messed with.”
Okay.J. Britt Needs To Be A Chief – On The Greatest Protection In The League
Bucs ILB Okay.J. Britt – Photograph by: Cliff Welch/PR
Whereas Okay.J. Britt’s management and trash-talking means has been established, the query going into this season is that if he can set up himself because the full-time starter at inside linebacker.
Britt performed effectively down the stretch final season filling in for the now-departed Devin White, particularly by way of being a gentle tackler, however the problem for him is now taking what he did in a small pattern dimension and extrapolating that over a full 17-game season.
There are many new transferring elements on the Bucs’ protection, however in any respect three ranges, there may be loads of high-end expertise already in place. As Britt seems to suit into the puzzle, he solely has one expectation for the unit.
To be primary.
“My expectation is for us to be the most effective protection within the league,” Britt stated. “That’s what we’re working for, we received all of the items, we received all of the individuals, we received the wish to. We’re going to exit every single day and be sure that we’re doing our factor.”
Okay.J. Britt can be working onerous on the AdventHealth Coaching Middle within the coming weeks doing every little thing he can to show that he’s a starting-caliber inside linebacker. Count on to see him across the ball – and any potential fights.
