Is there anything more tedious than laying down predictions on the roster of a Super Bowl-contending team? Did this post really just start off by telling how boring this premise is? Are we compelled to continue with this exercise nonetheless?
This would have been unimaginable four years ago. The Bucs were in the thick of NFL mediocrity, but a few solid drafts had the roster looking like your favorite hipster analyst’s dark horse to make the playoffs. Thirty interceptions later and the Bucs still didn’t win anything, but it was enough to lure Tom Brady in to put his stamp of legitimacy on what general Jason Licht had been building since 2014.
The 2022 Bucs are still in run-it-back mode, thanks to a brief not-quite retirement by Brady. Most of the key pieces from the 2020 Super Bowl run are still red and pewter, and the pieces that left were quickly replaced by other veteran players and draft picks.
Few surprises lay in store for Bucs fans at the end of the preseason, fewer still due to the signing of former Minnesota Vikings tight end Kyle Rudolph:
The Bucs did the boring thing and kept a Super Bowl-ready roster intact. Does it make for the most exciting content? Well, you read this far, didn’t you?
Quarterback: Tom Brady, Blaine Gabbert, Kyle Trask
Thank Tom Brady for the relative sleepiness of the Bucs’ offseason. Had he stayed retired, this roster would likely look far different. Gabbert and Trask are back riding the pine instead of battling to be Brady’s successor, which is the preferred outcome for everyone, including Gabbert and Trask.
Running back: Leonard Fournette, Rachaad White, Ke’Shawn Vaughn, Gio Bernard
This group is about as settled as any on the roster, Leonard Fournette’s weight issues notwithstanding (per Rick Stroud via Bucs Wire’s Luke Easterling). In the unlikely event he shows up to camp with a few extra pounds, he is sure to lose them before the season starts. In any case, Fournette should remain the bell cow back we have seen the past two years, with rookie Rachaad White potentially offering a spark as a backfield receiver.
Wide Receiver: Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Russell Gage, Cyril Grayson, Jaelon Darden, Scotty Miller
The battle to watch at training camp is everything happening from WR4 on down. After Evans, Godwin and Gage, there is a lot of potential and a lot of inconsistency. Grayson is coming into camp with the most heat from last season, catching nine passes for 162 yards and a touchdown over the last three weeks.
Meanwhile, Jaelon Darden looked every bit as green as his North Texas pedigree promised. However, rumor out of the Bucs’ front office hints that Darden is looking to make a Year 2 leap after “[diving] into the playbook” and is “playing really fast,” per Heavy’s Matt Lombardo
Scotty Miller was shelved most of the season with a lingering foot injury. When healthy, Miller has the talent to make the roster, no question.
Missing the cut are Tyler Johnson and Breshad Perriman. Johnson just has not been very good since entering the NFL. Unless he make a big leap during training camp, it’s hard to imagine him on the roster Week 1. Perriman still has a shot, but Darden and Miller’s upside make them more valuable.
The X-factor here is the health of Chris Godwin. Coming off an ACL tear, chances are good he starts training camp on the PUP list and could start the regular season still on it, keeping him on the shelf until October. In that case, Johnson and Perriman still have a shot to make the opening day roster.
Tight End: Cameron Brate, Kyle Rudolph, Cade Otton, Ko Kieft
While the tight end group experienced the most movement this offseason, it is by no means bereft of talent. Cameron Brate is a solid TE1 and the addition of Kyle Rudolph while unspectacular balances an otherwise green tight end room.
Fourth-round pick Cade Otton has the skillset to be Tampa’s primary “Y” tight end and could see significant action early. Ko Kieft projects as more of a pure blocking tight end, but the Bucs may need him. Without Gronk and with Godwin starting slow, look for Tampa to lean on its run game, which often features heavy blocking sets.
Just don’t expect Gronk back (at least until November).
Offensive Line: Donovan Smith, Ryan Jensen, Shaq Mason, Tristan Wirfs, Luke Goedeke, Aaron Stinnie, Fred Johnson, Robert Hainsey, Josh Wells
The Bucs are set at left and right tackle, center and right guard, but this group features the one of the only real position battles for a starting job. Losing Pro Bowl left guard Ali Marpet to retirement, Tampa was more than ready to fill his spot.
The safe money is on Aaron Stinnie, who had been a backup on the Bucs’ line since 2019. He even filled in for Alex Cappa during Tampa’s 2020 Super Bowl victory. His experience and chemistry with the line would be very difficult to overcome.
The intriguing option is 2022 second-round pick Luke Goedeke. That the Bucs traded up to get him should indicate what they think about the former Central Michigan offensive tackle. Goedeke is just a mood. The phrases “glass eater” and “controlled rage” have been used to describe him. He may not get the starting job to start the season, but it is difficult to imagine that he won’t be starting at some point in 2022.
Defensive Line: Vita Vea, Akiem Hicks, Will Gholston, Logan Hall, Rakeem Nunez-Roches, Patrick O’Connor
The biggest change for this group is swapping Ndamukong Suh for Akiem Hicks and Logan Hall. Swapping Suh for Hicks is an interesting choice considering Suh’s durability and Hicks’ lack thereof. Logan Hall is a little raw but should bring a little more explosiveness inside than the Bucs had been getting last year. Otherwise, expect more of the same with Vita Vea setting the tone and Nunez-Roches and Gholston not getting their due from national media.
Outside Linebacker: Shaq Barrett, Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, Anthony Nelson, Cam Gill
This group will look a lot like it did last year, just without the empty promise of a “healthy” Jason Pierre-Paul. Tampa’s defense badly needs Tryon-Shoyinka to take the next step in his development not just as a pass-rusher, but as a complete defender. While his 9.6 percent pressure rate could certainly be improved, his 48.5 run defense grade from PFF and 28.1 percent missed tackle rate are not going to make him a viable starter.
This is one position to watch for the addition of a veteran pass-rusher. While the main looks will come following the 53-man roster cut-down, guys like Trey Flowers and Carl Nassib are currently available. With one last shot at a Super Bowl in the barrel, the Bucs may need to pull that trigger.
Inside Linebacker: Lavonte David, Devin White, KJ Britt, Grant Stuard
No mystery here. David and White are a top-3 inside linebacker duo. Anything behind them is gravy… special teams crushing, ginger Troy Polamalu-hair gravy.
Cornerback: Carlton Davis, Jamel Dean, Sean Murphy-Bunting, Zyon McCollum, Dee Delaney, Ross Cockrell
For whatever reason, national media has questioned the Bucs’ cornerback depth following the injuries suffered last year, but what team doesn’t struggle when two of the three top corners miss at least seven games each? When healthy, Davis, Dean and Murphy-Bunting are a fine trio of corners. Dee Delaney and Ross Cockrell may not be guys Tampa wants playing a huge number of snaps, but as deep CB depth it could be worse. Zyon McCollum’s draft status alone should get him on the roster, but he will likely only see the field on special teams this year.
Safety: Antoine Winfield Jr., Mike Edwards, Keanu Neal, Logan Ryan
Losing Jordan Whitehead hurts, but the Bucs have a top-10 safety in Winfield Jr. and Mike Edwards is as underrated as any defensive back in the NFL. While neither Neal or Ryan are currently the caliber of player that the Bucs lost in Jordan Whitehead, together they should diminish the impact of his departure to New York.
Specialists: Jose Borregales, Jake Camarda, Zach Triner
It just wouldn’t be a Buccaneers training camp without a kicking competition, which upon reflection seems like a really bad omen. Ryan Succop is a steady if unspectacular kicker. His 83.3 field goal and 94.9 extra point percentages are nothing to write home about but are far from disastrous. There also isn’t much behind his leg, with his longest field goal coming in a 48 yards.
Todd Bowles has already said Succop will be in a full-blown competition with Jose Borregales up to the first preseason game:
Opening up a competition at all is a pretty clear sign the Bucs are looking to improve on what they get from Succop. Barring a full-scale meltdown, this is likely to be Borregales’ job to win.
The Bucs bypassed the punting competition and just gave it to rookie Jake Camarda. It would be hard to imagine him being any worse than Bradley Pinion, though he was fighting through injury last season. Camarda also inherits kick-offs, which shouldn’t be a problem with the leg strength Camarda demonstrated at Georgia.
The Bucs District 