Tampa Bay Buccaneers 53-man roster prediction after OTAs
By Josh Hill
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Tight End (3)
- Cade Otton
- Payne Durham
- Ko Kieft
One of the easiest positions for the Bucs to take care of when putting together the roster is tight end.
That's not a slight against the position, rather there's just not as much to choose from in terms of guys battling for roster spots. Cade Otton is a lock, so is Ko Kieft, and it's hard to see rookie Payne Durham missing the cut. David Wells and Dominique Dafney are both on the roster but will probably be added to the practice squad or end up being cut before training camp is over.
From there, it's a matter of who steps up during the season. Tight end might be the most competitive position on the roster because there's no clear-cut No. 1 guy. That should be Cade Otton, but it's anyone's guess as to how things will play out here in 2023.
Offensive Line (10)
- Tristan Wirfs
- Ryan Jensen
- Cody Mauch
- Matt Fieler
- Luke Goedeke
- Aaron Stinne
- Robert Hainsey
- Nick Leverett
- John Molchon
- Justin Skule
After what happened last year, the Buccaneers are probably going to load up on the offensive linemen they carry into the season. Hopefully, the team doesn't have to endure another injury-riddled journey through the season, but last year served as an important lesson that might cause some slight overcorrection.
It's clear who the roster locks are: Tristan Wirfs, Ryan Jensen, free agent Matt Fieler, and rookie Cody Mauch are etched into the starting lineup already. Luke Goedeke is rumored to be the frontrunner to land the starting right tackle position vacated by Wrifs moving to the ride side of the line but beyond that it's unclear what the depth will look like.
Nick Leverett and Aaron Stinne were brought back this offseason for a reason, which is notable and suggests they'll make the roster. Robert Hainsey has a lot of support in the building and John Molchon brings continuity to a new coaching staff. The wild card is that last roster spot, which could be filled by Justin Skule but could also be vacated to open up another roster spot elsewhere if battles get tight at other positions.