For the Buccaneers, the preseason has been a crucible, casting rookies into the fiery pressure of proving they belong. But as injuries pile up in the secondary and the safety depth chart churns, a single name has risen, not out of nowhere, but meandering through the league’s back roads. Todd Bowles needs a new safety, and the answer he’s found is in the name: Will Brooks.

During the joint practice with the Steelers, J.J. Roberts went down with a leg injury, ending his 2025 campaign. During the matchup, defensive back Christian Izien also suffered an oblique injury. The depth had thinned out, and Bowles acted surgically, weaving his roster with fresh threads of hope. A standout from Tennessee, Will Brooks’ journey to Tampa Bay is marked by the hunger of a UDFA tryout pl

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