LINEBACKER LAVONTE DAVID

(On Todd Bowles becoming head coach)

"I love it, I love the move. They did a great thing just putting the right guy in front. I think everybody's going to love him, everybody's going to get along with him. I talked to him and he said, 'You defensive guys, y'all know me already.' You won't get any bad words from anybody talking about [Coach] Bowles. Coach Bowles is a great dude. He's a team-first guy, he's a player-first guy. Just got to get an opportunity for the offense, throughout this process, for guys on the offense to learn and get to know him. I'm sure there's going to be great things. But, I'm very happy for him. If it wasn't here, it was going to be somewhere else. Definitely a guy who you can definitely go out there and play hard for four quarters of a football game."

(On how last season's playoff loss to Rams motivates the defense)

"It's big motivation. Huge motivation because we kind of got us back in that game. Then for us to end the game like that, that's not what we want to be remembered as. We have a majority of our guys coming back again. So, we're definitely going to have to take another huge leap this year. That taste is definitely going to be in our mouths for a while. I believe we play them in the regular season, not trying to saying we're going to circle that game, but it's a game that's obviously going to be very important. But we definitely, as a whole throughout the season, we want to improve on what we had last year. We want to be more consistent in certain areas, and we're just going to try and get better every time."

(On the additions of safeties Keanu Neal and Logan Ryan)

"I thought those were great additions. Great additions, obviously, for what Coach Bowles wants to do. We lost a great guy in Jordan Whitehead, who was a close friend of mine and a close friend of everybody. I believe Keanu Neal can do some similar things that Jordan can do and is a more veteran-savvy guy. Then, Logan Ryan, who's been a captain on several football teams that he's been on. He's a veteran in the game, won two Super Bowls with the Patriots, as well. It's good to add pieces like that - more veteran guys to reach the younger guys. People that you can hang your hat on and people you can trust. They are definitely some great additions – take your hat off to the front office for that."

SAFETY KEANU NEAL

(On how his signing with the Buccaneers came about)

"It feels like home. I've got a lot of respect for the organization, what they stand for as a team. Talking with Coach [Todd] Bowles, I mean, he's a mastermind. He's really good at what he does. So I'm really excited to be a part of this group, what they stand for and what we've got to offer."

(On how much of a factor it was for him to come to a team located not far from his hometown)

"After weighing out the options, it was a huge factor. I was born and raised about 45 minutes north of here in Webster, Florida. I mean, it's home for me. Everybody from my hometown was super-excited. It's really cool to be so close to where I grew up."

(On if he has respect for the Buccaneers players he played against while with the Falcons)

"Of course, of course. I've got a lot of respect for the guys here and I'm sure it goes both ways. It will be cool playing with them on the same team, so I'm really looking forward to it."

(On if he likes how creative Todd Bowles is with his safeties)

"I love it. That was one of the reasons why I decided to come here. Like I said, he's a mastermind with what he does and I'm excited to see what he can cook up, for sure."

(On his impressions of the Buccaneers)

"It's a very disciplined group. They love to have fun. They enjoy the game, enjoy being around each other. Just the environment, just being here, I can tell they really love coming to work and love being around each other, and that's so important. That's vital to winning. The culture that was built here so far over the past couple years has been awesome and I'm glad to be a part of it."

(On fellow new Buccaneer and former Falcon WR Russell Gage)

"Russ is versatile, he can play anywhere. He's good enough to play outside and he's smooth enough and agile enough to play inside in the slot. He's a very versatile player, great hands, great attitude, great dude. You guys are going to enjoy him, for sure."

OUTSIDE LINEBACKER JOE TRYON-SHOYINKA

(On Todd Bowles becoming head coach)

"It's really exciting. We've got a new head coach, but it's a familiar face in the building. I believe it's going to be a smooth transition as long as the defense is all on the same page. Similar things is what we are going to be doing, similar terms. So, it's going to be a pretty good transition for me and the defense. I'm pretty excited."

(On new outside linebackers coach Bob Sanders)

"It's been all great interactions - positive things, just trying to learn each other. Just see how each other sees this game and how we all can fit together as a unit. I'm excited for things going forward."

(On what he is working on during this offseason entering his second season)

"Just fine-tuning the things that I see that fits. Getting stronger, faster. Try to stay in shape. A lot of different things I see in my game that I can just improve on and just focus on those things."

(On how losing to the Rams in playoffs last year has motivated the defense moving forward)

"Fuel to the fire."

TACKLE TRISTAN WIRFS

(On QB Tom Brady returning to the team)

"I think it just opens up the window again. With him at the helm, everyone is always excited. I was excited either way but having Tom Brady back there and getting to protect him for one more year is pretty cool. I've got to go delete my Instagram post – I did a big thank you and everything, so I'll have to postpone that."

(On how tough it has been to overcome the playoff loss to the Rams)

"It's a tough feeling, especially having my first year go how it went. It was just a really weird feeling, like I couldn't get it out of my head. Especially not playing, I was just going through these scenarios – what if I could have done something? I still think about it. We were talking about it in the sauna the other day. It's frustrating but it's a new year and we've got work to do."

(On having Offensive Coordinator Byron Leftwich back for another season)

"I think that's huge for us. I would've been really happy for Byron if he got a head coaching job, but I'm glad he stayed here. I'm being a little selfish, but I'm really glad he stayed here. I know he has a lot of trust in us, and we have a lot of trust in him, so I'm excited for what is to come."

(On the retirement of G Ali Marpet and how the competition might turn out to replace him)

"I was really happy for Ali. He got to go out on his own terms with a Super Bowl and a Pro Bowl. He finally was getting the recognition he deserved. Getting to play with him for two years was incredible, and to see how our relationship progressed through my two years here. But yeah, it's going to be a really fun competition come fall camp. It's cool because those are all my boys. [Aaron] Stinnie, Nick [Leverett], [Robert] Hainsey – those are all my boys, so it's going to be fun to watch them compete. I'm going to do my part to be there for those guys and I know they're going to do the same for me, so it's going to be fun."

(On having C Ryan Jensen re-sign)

"Yeah, that was really exciting to see. Me and him have talked on the phone a couple of times this offseason just kind of to check in and everything. I think having him back as kind of that center cog in our O-line is huge. It's going to be cool. I'm glad we got three of our guys back – it will be good."

-BUCCANEERS-