Buccaneers a deeper team than in 2016

Dec 11, 2016; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Dirk Koetter prior to the game against the New Orleans Saints at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 11, 2016; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Dirk Koetter prior to the game against the New Orleans Saints at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

After day two of rookie mini-camp, Dirk Koetter is already noticing the depth on this Buccaneers team is greater than this time last year.

This is what happens when your football team is on the rise. Each season, you see your starters get a little better, but the back-ups, role players and overall depth gets even better. That’s what we’re beginning to see with the Buccaneers – which is refreshing given how many starters we’ve seen on this team that wouldn’t even be backups on contenders over the past ten years or so.

Dirk Koetter spoke about just that following the second day of rookie mini-camp. We see it as a sign of a team that has turned the corner, but how does the coach view it?

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"“I think just in general our roster is deeper than it was a year ago. I think it’s getting tougher and tougher to make it. When you start thinking about, ‘Yeah, we’d like to have this guy, but who do you want to let go?’ Not so easy, I know Jason [Licht] and his guys are watching practice and thinking the same thing. There’s some guys that maybe a year or two ago might have had a better chance, but we’ve got a deeper football team right now than we did a year before.It’s a nice problem if it ends up with more points on the scoreboard on Sundays.”"

As Pewter Report’s Trevor Sikkema said on the latest Walking The Plank podcast (below), one of the most crowded groups is at wide receiver, which is an amazingly pleasant change from last season’s issues at the position. You’re seeing the depth and talent at tight end rise, the running back group – which is still a bitter topic for me personally – is a formidable committee given everyone stays healthy.

Next: Riley Cooper Excited For Opportunity With Bucs

This is an exciting team to see being constructed and rookie camp is just the beginning.

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