Buccaneers: Pre-training camp 53-man roster predictions

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Mike Evans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images) /

Wide receivers (6)

Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Tyler Johnson, Justin Watson, Scotty Miller, Travis Jonsen

The Buccaneers will live in 12 personnel sets in 2020, meaning they will usually have two wide receivers on the field at a time. There may be some sets that get three receivers in the game, but Bruce Arians has made his love for two tight end sets very clear.

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The majority of this list should be expected. The Bucs have two All-Pros at the top, a former top college wide receiver, two proven entities that can earn some helpful reps from time to time, and then the end is where things get interesting.

Travis Jonsen is as versatile as they come, and while his primary designation is a receiver, he could potentially earn some reps at running back if the Bucs are in dire need. This would help get the most use out of the cap space and prevent the need for an additional running back on the roster.

Tight ends (4)

O.J. Howard, Rob Gronkowski, Cameron Brate, Antony Auclair

The 12 personnel sets can’t be stressed enough, and the Bucs will need as many tight ends on their roster as they can get. Given that Tampa Bay can also run three-tight end sets, keeping all four of these options on the roster seems to be the most likely scenario.

Howard and Gronk will get the lion’s share of the touches, but Brate and Auclair both offer good depth depending on the situation. Auclair is one of the best blockers in the group, and Brate would give a tremendous additional receiving option in passing sets.

It may be hard to move on from Tanner Hudson, but Gronk’s addition should help offset the loss of 2019’s preseason fan-favorite.

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