George Edwards - Head Coach, buccaneers Event: Press Conference | Date: 2026-09-10 | Full transcript (primary source).
George Edwards, Head Coach of the Buccaneers, addressed the media on September 10, 2026, to discuss the upcoming game against a formidable opponent featuring standout players like quarterback Burrows and receivers Chase and Higgins. During the press conference, he highlighted the recent additions to the team's front seven and their potential impact on the game.
Transcript
Edwards: How's it going? Good. Tough opponent this week offensively we're facing. I mean, I'm sure everybody's been talking about it. Burrows the quarterback. Both receivers are outstanding. The running back is outstanding. So we've got our work cut out for us. Zach's done a great job offensively. And those guys have been in that system for a while. So they've given us a lot to really prepare for. Questions?
Reporter: George, I'm sure you can appreciate it. But in terms of trying to go into a game against Burrows, Chase Higgins with confidence, how much easier is it with just the talent that you guys added to the front seven this week?
Edwards: I think our scouting department and Jason, those guys have done a great job. You look at us depth-wise, especially in our front seven. We've really added some guys that we're looking to come in and make contributions right away from A'shaun to get Nacho back up in the front drafting Bain in the first round to you go to our second level with Angeloni being added to the mix and drafting Trotter. And then at every level, we've got a young guy, even in our secondary with Keanu as a nickel, working different packages and different things. So at every level, we've got a young guy. At every level, we seem to have gotten some guys with experience that can come in and help us. We're really looking forward to see those guys grow within what we're asking them to do systematically in the different packages as we continue this journey during the season.
Reporter: Coach Bowles was talking about with Burrows, he's so good at recognizing coverages. And you have to be so on point with your disguises. But just being able to get that pressure up front and not necessarily having to deploy extra resources, how much can that help you on the back end against that?
Edwards: Oh, tremendous. I mean, past rush and past coverage always go hand in hand. So the more we can do to disguise our looks, that we think it'll help us to get the extra step in the rush. I mean, all of those things are tied so well together, whether we're pressuring or four-man rushing or whatever that number is, rushing out the quarterback. Those are all critical to us having success on the back end as well as our rush up front. So we spent a lot of time this off season emphasizing those things. And like you said, you're talking about a veteran quarterback that has seen a lot of disguises over the years. So he does a good job of recognizing coverages. And I mean, when you've got Chase on one side and Higgins on the other, it's pretty easy to just raise up and throw it to those guys and give them a shot to catch a 50-50 ball. So our work will be cut out for us. We're excited about it. We're looking forward to seeing the new pieces that we've added to us defensively and the different defenses and schemes that will run with those guys. We're excited to go compete. I mean, that's what this is about competition at the end of the day. And it's going to be a tough opponent. I think it'll be a long battle. And we're looking forward to it.
Reporter: You mentioned Bain. How can he just be a game record really from day one? How much of an impact can he have?
Edwards: I think you noticed him throughout the preseason. The one thing about him, and it's the one thing that stuck out with him in college, he's going to bring in a full day's work. He's going to work hard. He's going to play physical. And he outworks a lot of people. That engine just keeps going. So we're excited to see him this week to get him going. And the roles, different roles that we're playing him in. So we're excited to have him. And glad we've got him.
Reporter: You want to take a couple of weeks for the defense to find the identity of itself, right? But what identity do you and Coach Bowles want from this defense? It seems like you've got more physical players. And that's been ratcheted up.
Edwards: Physicality is definitely. But you want to have a smart defense. You want to have a team that goes after turnovers. You want a group that is excited to go have the opportunity to play together and take advantage of those opportunities. And like I said, understanding situational football, all of those things. So it's all encompassing. And those are the things that we've really worked hard this offseason to get everybody caught up to speed, to feel comfortable with each other. There's a lot of new voices out there. And making sure everybody's on the same page in the situations that we're in.
Reporter: Eric started like five games, I think, at corner last year. So he's been out there, right? But he's primarily going to be there. I can still move him around a little bit. But when your first start this year is against those two receivers, what have you seen from Jacob that makes you think we're OK there?
Edwards: Well, since Jacob has been here, he's done everything anybody's asked him to do. And he's done it at a high level. So we're excited with his skill set, moving him around at different things and asking him to do different jobs. He's never said no. And he's always showed up to work and going to work at it. And done a great job at it. So we're excited to have him. We're glad we've got him. And look forward to him maturing here even more in the second year.
Reporter: Anything else?
Edwards: All right, thanks. Appreciate it.
