Bucs after Dark: Preseason schedule released for Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are set to face a handful of talented teams this offseason after the NFL released all of the preseason schedules today.

The NFL released their preseason schedules today and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will host the Miami Dolphins and Cleveland Browns while traveling to Pittsburgh and Dallas to compete against the Steelers and Cowboys respectively. In addition, the Browns and Dolphins will spend the week in Tampa Bay for joint practices with the Buccaneers.

The preseason should give the Buccaneers a great barometer of competition as the Browns, Steelers, and Cowboys should all compete for playoff spots in 2019. The Dolphins should be a fun week for Tampa Bay as Miami is looking to tank for the future this year.

New Buccaneers wide receiver Breshad Perriman will get a chance to compete against the team that helped him rebuild his career in Cleveland, while Ryan Fitzpatrick gets to come back to Tampa Bay for a week to play against his old friends.

While the preseason is mostly meaningless, it allows the Buccaneers to install their gameplan and give the new faces a chance to get in some much-needed reps. With a new coaching staff coming in this season, any added practice and game simulations will benefit the Buccaneers.

Tampa Bay also has a ton of old faces that need to prove their worth to the new coaching staff, and the preseason will be the time to do just that. Buccaneers such as Noah Spence, Ryan Smith, and Caleb Benenoch will need to take advantage of every rep that they get this offseason as they currently enter the season on the bubble and could fall out of favor with the new regime.

Head coach Bruce Arians and staff will look to instill chemistry and get the best idea of the best fits for their scheme this summer. The Buccaneers look to get a taste of Baker Mayfield, Odell Beckham Jr., Dak Prescott, Ezekiel Elliott, and others this preseason as they warm up for the regular season this preseason.