Buccaneers: At the wire final 53-man roster prediction
By Cory Kinnan
Quarterbacks
Jameis Winston
Winston is the bonafide starter as there was no competition this year for the starting job. With no pressure on him this summer to win a job, the Buccaneers hope that he can play a little more free this season and cut down on the turnovers as he looks to play out his contract year.
More from The Pewter Plank
- Devin White posts cryptic message to Lavonte David on Twitter
- ESPN predicts surprising outcome to Devin White trade saga
- Updated Buccaneers depth chart after signing two players from rookie minicamp
- Todd Bowles sends clear message about Baker Mayfield’s role with Bucs
- The Athletic is wrong about Bucs one ‘must-watch’ game in 2023
Blaine Gabbert
Entering the preseason as the leader for the backup quarterback job, Blaine Gabbert left the third game against the Cleveland Browns as he dove forward after a scramble instead of sliding down. When healthy, expect Gabbert to retain the backup job, but the Buccaneers will have to roster three quarterbacks until the former first round pick of the Jacksonville Jaguars heals up.
Ryan Griffin
While Gabbert heals, Ryan Griffin will step in as the backup to Winston for the Buccaneers in the regular season. Griffin has rode out with the Buccaneers for years as their third quarterback, seeing some time as the backup last year while Winston was suspended.
The gap between Griffin and Gabbert is not too wide, so the dropoff behind Winston will not be significant while Gabbert is out. Griffin saw significant time this preseason and was able to play well against the backups of their opponents.