TAMPA — K.J. Britt is an old movie buff. Some are silent films. No dialogue needed. A few decades ago, the Bucs linebacker would have been just fine with a grainy image and the whirring sound of a projector.
That’s because he spends a lot of time studying the old-school greats.
“Like Mike Singletary says, ‘Every play is trying to tell you something, you’ve just got to see it,’ ” Britt said of the 1985 Bears’ Pro Football Hall of Fame linebacker.
“So just watching him. Watching linebackers like (Larry) Foote, Lavonte (David). Everybody knows what’s going on. Everybody knows what you’re going to get and that’s going to put you a step faster. Just knowing what’s going on helped put me in position to make plays.”
Britt goes deep into the archives to watch highlights of linebackers who haven’t played in the NFL since before the turn of the century.
“Harry Carson. Willie Lanier. Ray (Lewis),” said Britt, rattling of the stars of his football films. “Takeo (Spikes). All the great (middle) linebackers. Middle linebackers that came before me. That came before, years and years. You can just watch as you go back, it’s still the same game. It’s a team game. It ain’t golf. It’s a team game.
“Watching how those guys demanded a lot from their teammates. Sam Mills. The Dome Patrol. All those good linebackers. Rickey Jackson. Just watching all those teams and how they were good and what they did. The performances were still the same.”
Everything about Britt tells you he’s part linebacker, part throwbacker.
High among the reasons why the Bucs did not offer a contract extension to Pro Bowl linebacker Devin White, the team’s fifth overall pick in 2019, was the improved play of Britt.
White’s decreased productivity had something to do with it, as well, which is why he signed a one-year, $4 million contract with the Eagles as an unrestricted free agent.
But when Britt took over as the starter at Green Bay on Dec. 17 after White refused to rotate with him and was inactive, the Bucs defense started playing better, allowing an average of 16 points while going 3-1 to end the regular season.
Britt is best known as a downhill run stuffer. He had 19 tackles in his last four games. By contrast, he only had 13 tackles total in 2022.
“I just went out there and played ball,” Britt said of his first start. “I didn’t let the game get too big.”
What Britt lacks is speed. He only ran a 4.76 in the 40-yard dash. That doesn’t mean he can’t play fast. Film study helps him identify plays. But in this era of NFL teams spreading the field with four or five pass catchers, you need the ability to cover tight ends and running backs.
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Explore all your optionsIt remains to be seen whether Britt is a three-down linebacker or whether the Bucs will rotate him with another player, such as SirVocea Dennis, on certain passing downs.
#Bucs LB KJ Britt took over for Devin White last season, getting his first start at Green Bay. “I didn’t let the game get too big,” Britt said. The Bucs won five of their final six regular season games. pic.twitter.com/SYpzzPpJFD
— Rick Stroud (@NFLSTROUD) June 17, 2024
“Obviously, he can play all three downs,” coach Todd Bowles said. “We have so many packages and guys to move around — it’s a little early to determine who will be on what. ... But he’s ready to play all three downs. I love his maturity. He’s grasping the mental part of the game and becoming the leader of that defense along with (David) and (Antoine Winfield Jr.) and Vita (Vea).”
Even though Dennis only played 101 snaps on defense as a rookie last season, he’s formed a solid bond with Britt.
“We’ve got an approach to the game that if we ain’t getting better, we’re wasting time,” Britt said. “It’s hot. It’s humid. If we ain’t getting better, what are we doing? We have accountability to each other and we just make sure we hold each other up because it’s ball at the end of the day.”
While Bowles has typically had both inside linebackers on the field for all three downs, his roster presents the opportunity to platoon Britt if he chooses.
David isn’t likely to come off the field.
But Bowles has talked about using “chess pieces,” players with the versatility to move anywhere on the field such as Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, Winfield and Jordan Whitehead. That might allow Bowles to take an inside linebacker off the field in certain situations.
One thing is clear: Britt is ready to take over for White. He has a retro look to him, but the film doesn’t lie.
“K.J. is real passionate about the game of football and I just love to see that,” David said. “He’s always willing to get better. He’s always picking my brain and coach’s brain. That’s something I love to see. He’s definitely ready to take on that challenge. Right now, he has the opportunity to take the (middle) linebacker’s spot and so far, so good.”
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