TAMPA — When Rakeem Nunez-Roches last wore a Bucs uniform, fans were still basking in the glow of a Super Bowl victory two years earlier. Tom Brady was winding down his Tampa Bay tenure, and Todd Bowles was coming off his first season as head coach.
Four seasons later, the veteran defensive tackle has returned to a different team — one that missed the playoffs for the first time in six years, is reeling over contract disputes and is looking to rebuild on both sides of the ball.
Nunez-Roches’ attitude does little to betray the difference. He has once again infused training camp with a lively enthusiasm, saying he looks forward to another season in Tampa Bay. He even rocked custom orange “Nacho” socks at Sunday’s practice, in honor of the nickname given to him by his teammates.
“Glad to be back home,” Nunez-Roches said. “It feels like riding a bike again. Just get back on and do what you do.”
The 33-year-old nose tackle played for the Bucs from 2018-22. He then signed a three-year, $12 million contract with the Giants before returning to Tampa Bay in April on a one-year deal, part of the team’s attempt to fortify its defense.
He said the addition of rookie talent is one of the biggest differences he sees between this squad and the one that won the Super Bowl six seasons ago.
“We’ve got a lot of young guys,” Nunez-Roches said. “So it’s just teaching them what it looks like, just giving them that tenacity and answering their questions, because sometimes they’re still trying to learn.”
Nunez-Roches brings a veteran perspective and a nostalgic glow to the roster. Across his five seasons in Tampa Bay, he played in 68 games, made 22 starts and recorded 81 tackles.
He started 11 of 16 games in 2020, moving up in the lineup after Vita Vea suffered a serious ankle injury in Week 5. In 2022, Nunez-Roches tallied two sacks and 33 tackles, including a career-high 19 solo stops.
There’s a chance he’ll have to step up in Vea’s absence again, should the veteran nose tackle remain at an impasse with the team over his contract. The depth chart remains murky, but Nunez-Roches would be well prepared to take more snaps.
In his final season with the Giants, he tallied 23 tackles and three sacks across nine games (five starts) before going on injured reserve with an ankle issue. Nunez-Roches said Sunday that he’s fully recovered and more explosive than ever.
“I feel like my game is like it was last year,” Nunez-Roches said. “I still feel powerful. I don’t want to talk about the age, but I still feel like I can do what I do.”
Rakeem Nunez-Roches has infused training camp with a lively enthusiasm since returning to the Bucs after spending the past three seasons with the Giants. (Jefferee Woo/Tampa Bay Times)
He is joined on defense by several young players — including top draft picks Rueben Bain Jr. and Josiah Trotter — as well as former Lions linebackers Alex Anzalone and Al-Quadin Muhammad, and former Panthers defensive lineman A’Shawn Robinson, among others.
The experience of that core will be important, especially if Vea refrains from playing or is traded. The players already jell well. Nunez-Roches called himself and Robinson a “yin-yang” pair, given their time together in New York in 2023.
“That’s my guy,” Nunez-Roches said. “I’m loud … but A’Shawn’s just behind the scenes, and he puts paws on people.”
Attitude aside, the defense has looked strong in training camp, consistently working its way into the backfield. The rookies, returning players and new additions have all contributed.
But is this one of the best defenses Nunez-Roches has ever been a part of?
“I will say this is one of the most talented defenses,” Nunez-Roches said. “Now you have to sit there and show it, day in and day out.”