The Pewter Plank
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Best Buccaneers OTA and Minicamp Battles

By Brian DeFeo

Nov 9, 2014; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers outside linebacker Lavonte David (54) huddles up with the defense against the Atlanta Falcons during the first quarter at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 9, 2014; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers outside linebacker Lavonte David (54) huddles up with the defense against the Atlanta Falcons during the first quarter at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /
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Nov 9, 2014; Tampa, FL, USA;Tampa Bay Buccaneers tackle Demar Dotson (69) blocks against the Atlanta Falcons during the first quarter at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 9, 2014; Tampa, FL, USA;Tampa Bay Buccaneers tackle Demar Dotson (69) blocks against the Atlanta Falcons during the first quarter at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /

Right Tackle

Demar Dotson vs Gosder Cherilus vs Caleb Benenoch

Demar Dotson missed the first half of the season last year making the Bucs sign former first round pick Gosder Cherilus.  Cherilus performed solid but when healthy Dotson took over the starting job.  He didn’t look 100% when he came back.  Right tackle was the biggest disappointment on the line with two rookies starting.

The Bucs lost Logan Mankins to retirement but replaced him with JR Sweezy in the offseason.  Joe Hawley has been much better than Evan Smith, and Kevin Pamphile is a versatile player that can fill in anywhere but is much better suited for guard rather than tackle.  Dotson and Cherilus are in contract seasons while the least amount of pressure is on UCLA rookie Caleb Benenoch.

Benenoch was a solid tackle that came out early and definitely needs some time to develop but if he learns the game quicker than anticipated he could start at some point this season.  Dotson should be the starter but he’s on thin ice.  Cherilus is solid and Benenoch is a sleeper to keep an eye on.

Next: Noah Spence Named Most To Prove

There are many other positions that will have competition this off-season but these to me seem to be the most important.  It will be fun to see who can win it out but there is a lot of off-season remaining and many moves can still be made.  I’m very excited to see what happens because this team looks much better than any team they’ve had in the past couple of seasons.

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