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Buccaneers: Five players to watch versus Washington

By Zach Sauers

CINCINNATI, OH - AUGUST 11: Jeremy McNichols of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers runs the ball ahead of Jordan Willis of the Cincinnati Bengals in the fourth quarter of a preseason game at Paul Brown Stadium on August 11, 2017 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
CINCINNATI, OH - AUGUST 11: Jeremy McNichols of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers runs the ball ahead of Jordan Willis of the Cincinnati Bengals in the fourth quarter of a preseason game at Paul Brown Stadium on August 11, 2017 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /
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NEW ORLEANS, LA – DECEMBER 24: Head coach Dirk Koetter of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers watches a play against the New Orleans Saintsat the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on December 24, 2016 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LA – DECEMBER 24: Head coach Dirk Koetter of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers watches a play against the New Orleans Saintsat the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on December 24, 2016 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images) /

FB-Austin Johnson

Through three pre-season games, if there is any player that has flown under the radar with solid performances it has been fullback Austin Johnson. After being picked up off the streets at the end of the 2016 season, Head Coach Dirk Koetter had a plan to finally find his true fullback… or so we thought.

Johnson, like McNichols, has seen time with both the first team and the back-ups mainly due to the fact that he is the only true fullback on the roster. Unlike his competitors in veteran Luke Stocker and second year man Alan Cross, Johnson does not split out into the wing role that you may see in this offensive scheme. This also means Johnson’s work does not show up in the stat sheet.

Johnson’s lead blocking ability has proved its worth over the past few contests, but will that win him a job over one of the younger tight ends?

As it stands now Johnson’s fate is in the hands of General Manager Jason Licht. Will his play this summer win him a job over his competitors? Watch tonight for Johnson to get a full workload on his plate.

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