Injuries and COVID-19 could spell danger for Buccaneers
By Rob Leeds
Replacements for injured Buccaneers
As previously mentioned, Ali Marpet is not an easy man to replace. He has been the one consistent part of the Buccaneer offense for so long that it is challenging for someone else to come in and perform at the same level.
Because Joe Haeg started at guard last week, he likely retains the role for consistency’s sake. Even though the Buccaneers lost and Haeg played below average, this keeps the majority of the line intact without making any massive changes.
Tampa Bay also has Aaron Stinnie and A.Q. Shipley on their roster who could step into a replacement role as well, but Shipley would require someone else to play a different position as he is a center. The Bucs probably want to know what kind of player they have in Haeg, so playing him could make the most sense if they’re going to keep him around long-term.
On special teams, the Buccaneers have more options to replace Mickens. Most kickers don’t even leave the ball in play for a return anyway, so Tampa Bay has a wealth of wide receivers that they can use in this role.
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The best options to take over the return job are Scott Miller, Justin Watson, Tyler Johnson, or practice squad running back Kenjon Barner. There isn’t a lot of time for the Bucs to react to this news, so Tampa Bay will need to pray that whoever they use is up to the task of shouldering the special teams duties.