Buccaneers: At the wire final 53-man roster prediction
By Cory Kinnan
Outside Linebackers
Shaquil Barrett
While he started the summer listed with the second string, newcomer Shaquil Barrett has more than likely won the starting job over Noah Spence. In his first season with the Buccaneers, Barrett will also see his first reps as consistent starter in his career after playing behind big named players like Von Miller, Demarcus Ware, and Bradley Chubb with the Denver Broncos.
Carl Nassib
Expected to start across from Barrett in the absence of Jason Pierre-Paul, who is still recovering from a neck injury from his car accident this summer, Carl Nassib’s roster spot is safe. Entering a contract year, Nassib could parlay himself into a significant pay increase with a solid season, and if the Buccaneers were smart, they would get a deal done now before he breaks the bank.
Noah Spence
After flashing early in camp, it turns out that Spence is potentially just a solid rotational piece. Expect him to lose his starting role to Barrett as he has just one move to break off the edge. While Spence always gets the hopes of Buccaneers’ faithfuls up every year, what we have seen from Spence thus far is what we are going to get.
Anthony Nelson
Even though he was hurt for the majority of training camp, rookie Anthony Nelson is in no danger of losing a roster spot. He is back practicing now, and with the injury to Pierre-Paul, he will be a significant contributor right away in a rotational role for the Buccaneers’ defense.