Buccaneers 53-man roster prediction before final preseason game

We've reached the end of the preseason -- almost -- which means final roster decisions are going to be made soon.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have one more preseason game left on the schedule, and it will be one that some players use as a final audition for a roster spot. There are a few guys on the roster bubble who need an impressive outing against the Ravens to save their jobs, but for the most part, Saturday's game will be one final tune-up before Week 1 and a chance for coaches to lock in their roster decisions.

Ahead of the game, let's take a look at the lay of the land and what the 53-man roster could look like when all is said and done.

Buccaneers 53-man roster prediction before final preseason game

Quarterback (2)

What would happen at quarterback was the biggest question surrounding the Buccaneers this offseason. The decision on who would be the starter was one that everything else hinged on, but the result ended up being about as anticlimactic as we expected it might be.

In the end, it was Baker Mayfield who earned the starting job, just like it seemed he might the moment he signed back in March. To his credit, Kyle Trask looked better than we've ever seen him this preseason and earned high marks from new offensive coordinator Dave Canales. It wasn't enough to win the starting job, but it seems like the pieces are being put in place for him to potentially win it next year -- or if Baker struggles.

The odd man out here is John Wolford. Teams are allowed to carry an emergency quarterback without activating him but Wolford looks destined for the practice squad regardless. An injury against the Jets didn't help his case, but the Bucs will want to find a way to keep him around to help fill out the quarterback room with as much knowledge for Baker and Trask as possible.

Running Back (3)

One of the biggest roster shakeups might end up happening at running back.

On the surface, it comes as little surprise that the league's worst rushing attack from a year ago would undergo a major facelift. New offensive coordinator Dave Canales comes from a run-heavy offense in Seattle and brought over the man behind Tony Pollard and Ezekiel Elliott's success in Dallas to help him.

That's why it's a bit of a stunner, and a major bummer, that Ke'Shawn Vaughn effectively played himself off the team this preseason.

Vaughn began training camp with an outside chance to usurp Chase Edmonds as Rachaad White's backup, but that quickly evaporated once he started literally going backward in live action. Vaughn enters the Bucs final preseason game with a grand total of -4 yards on 11 carries -- which is big yikes.

Meanwhile, undrafted rookie Sean Tucker lived up to the hype he carried with him into training camp and then some. Tucker was dubbed 'Baby Nick Chubb' by White earlier in the offseason and Canales praised his ability and skillset. He delivered on expectations and made the most of almost identical opportunities that were given to Vaughn.

Edmonds was signed in free agency to help add some veteran leadership to the running back room, and feels like the kind of guy Canales would have convinced Pete Carroll to sign if he were still in Seattle. It's a much different running back room for the Bucs, but one to get very excited about.