Buccaneers 53-man roster prediction before final preseason game
By Josh Hill
Tight End (4)
Depth Chart | Player |
|---|---|
TE1 | Cade Otton |
TE2 | Ko Kieft |
TE3 | David Wells |
TE4 | Payne Durham |
While there was a ton of drama to go around at almost every position, tight end seemed to exist outside of all that. There was never really much question about how things would shake out and there didn't seem to be any position battles waging at training camp.
The only question that might exist when final cuts are discussed is whether the Bucs carry three or four tight ends into the season. With the loss of Russell Gage for the entirety of the season, the likelihood that Tampa Bay carries four tight ends went way up since it allows Dave Canales to run some two tight end sets.
No one was ever really in danger of losing a job here.
Offensive Line (10)
Depth Chart | Player |
|---|---|
LT1 | Tristan Wirfs |
LG1 | Matt Feiler |
C | Robert Hainsey |
RG1 | Cody Mauch |
RT1 | Luke Goedeke |
C-G | Nick Leverett |
LT-RT | Justin Skule |
G-T | Brandon Walton |
LT-RT | Raiqoun O'Neal |
C (IR) | Ryan Jensen |
Among the many things that went sideways on the Bucs last season, the offensive line
Outside of quarterback, the biggest question hanging over the Bucs this offseason involved the offensive line.
Tristan Wirfs switched to a new position to account for the loss of Donovan Smith, moving over to left tackle and creating a void at right tackle that Luke Goedeke is filling. Cody Mauch is a rookie right guard who has a ton of hype heading into the season but is as unproven as he is fun and likable. When the Bucs drafted him, Mauch instantly drew comparisons to Ryan Jensen both in attitude and appearance, and the Bucs are hoping he joins Wirfs in being an anchor up front for years to come.
Speaking of whom, Ryan Jensen presents an interesting and problematic dilemma for the Bucs. He returned to camp back in July but has yet to suit up or play in any live action. He remains sidelined with the same knee injury that wiped out his entire regular season campaign last year, and there's uncertainty about whether he'll ever be able to play again because of it.
Jensen elected not to have surgery on his knee, which allowed him to return for the Bucs Wild Card game but seems to have caused a longer-term issue. He's expected to start the season on injured reserve, which means Tampa Bay is starting a second consecutive season with major questions about the offensive line.