Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 4 Position battles to watch vs. Jaguars
By Ryan Doyle
Swing Tackle
It isn’t often that one of the best battles in training camp and preseason comes from the offensive line.
Typically an afterthought, the Buccaneers offensive line has been a huge story this preseason. With injuries taking their toll up front, some unsung heroes have made their case. Mike Liedtke and Brad Seaton, in particular, have played significant snaps for Tampa Bay over the last few weeks.
Not only have they had the opportunity to play with the first team, but they have also played well. Tampa Bay has allowed just three sacks so far.
Injuries have hit the big bodies in the trenches hard, the Bucs keeping two backup tackles on their roster wouldn’t be a major shock. Especially with Donovan Smith‘s Week one availability still up in the air.
Leonard Wester remains in play for another tackle spot, even though he has been sidelined for most of camp.
Running back
Two undrafted players are still vying for the final running back position. Dare Ogunbowale and Shaun Wilson are hoping one more strong performance to latch on the team right before the season opener.
While there has been no confirmation, all indications are that Wilson is the favorite heading into the last preseason contest.
Ogunbowale has slowly but surely made his presence felt. A late addition he has used strong performances in games to throw his name into the mix at running back. Wilson, on the other hand, has had the hype all along.
A premiere undrafted free agent, Wilson was the obvious replacement to Charles Sims. With Sims on the IR, Wilson had an even clearer path to the team. With a big night, Ogunbowale could jump Wilson and take the role for himself.
Again, it would take a crazy performance, but with both players eligible for the practice squad, they will likely both be with the organization in some capacity.