Tampa Bay Buccaneers final 53-man roster projection: Who is in, who is out?

Now that the preseason has come to an end, the final order of business for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers is cutting the roster down to 53 players.

The deadline to do that is Tuesday, and while the team has already started reducing the roster, there are still plenty of tough decisions ahead. That's mostly a testament to how well the team played in the preseason and the number of guys who stepped up to try and earn a roster spot.

Only 53 players will make the cut, though, and while some picks are obvious others are likely going to come down to the wire.

Final Buccaneers roster projection: Who will make the cut?

Quarterback (3)

This is one of the easier positions the Buccaneers need to figure out, although it's not as cut-and-dry as it seems. Tampa Bay carried just two quarterbacks into the year last season but needed to sign John Wolford to a contract midway through the year to protect him against getting poached off the practice squad.

If Wolford is waived, it's no sure thing that he'll clear waivers which might motivate the Bucs to use a roster spot to ensure he sticks around.

Running Back (3)

This one comes with a bit of a caveat, as the running back group will grow once the season starts. Chase Edmonds is beginning the year on IR, but he's designated to return. A new rule allows teams to place up to two players on injured reserve withough sacraficing a roster spot, which is what the team is doing with Edmonds.

In the meantime, Sean Tucker will be getting a well earned roster spot for a second straight year. He made the final cut last season and should once again be on the team Week 1, this time behind the potentially dynamic duo of Rachaad White and Bucky Irving.

Wide Receiver (6)

One of the deepest position groups this year was wide receiver, which also makes it one of the hardest to cut down to size. Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, and Jalen McMillan were all locked in pretty early on with Trey Palmer not far behind.

The drama started after that group, with questions revolving around Sterling Shepard and whether or not he'd make the final roster or retire. No matter what happens there, both Cody Thompson and Kameron Johnson earned their keep during the preseason and belong on the 53-man roster.

If Shepard sticks around, that doesn't mean one of those guys is gone. Thompson fills an important depth role while Johnson will make the team as a kick returner and replacement for Deven Thompkins.

Tight End (4)

There's a chance that this group gets cut down, but it's hard to see the Bucs giving up on either Ko Kieft or Devin Culp too soon. Kieft has been part of the team for the last few seasons while Culp was a late-round pick who could simmer at the fourth man on the depth chart.

If Culp gets cut, he'll probably end up on the practice squad -- a scenario that is entirely possible. It all comes down to whether the Bucs want an extra roster spot elsewhere, which very well could be the case given how deep things are defense.

Offensive Line (10)

Tampa Bay is hoping to finally fix the offensive line this year, and it's hard to not get excited about the group they'll carry into the season being able to do exactly that. Tristan Wirfs became the highest-paid offensive lineman in NFL history this offseason and Graham Barton is a highly-touted first round pick, but the rest of the depth on the line is pretty inriguing.

Ben Bredeson was a low-key free agent signing who has seemingly earned a starting job, while Cody Mauch is expected to take a step forward in his development after an up-and-down rookie season. Luke Goedeke is looking like perhaps the biggest revelation on the line and may very well emerge as a sleeper at right tackle when all is said and done.

The Bucs have needed a deep rotation on the line in years past, but this feels like the first time that it'll be the talent that speaks rather than desperation for healthy bodies.

Defensive Line (4)

Among the hardest positions the Bucs will have to cut down is in the defensive trenches. Given how many roster spots might be needed elsewhere, there's a chance the team only carries four defensive lineman into the season.

The big question revolves around who will land the fourth spot, as Logan Hall, Vita Vea, and Calijah Kancey are all locks. William Gholston makes sense as veteran presence, but MIke Greene and Greg Gaines could also make a run for that last spot.

There's also an outside chance the team carries five lineman into the season, which would make things a little easier but emphasizes how tight things are in this group.

Linebacker (10)

Just like last year, the Bucs have a ton of linebackers and just as many decisions to make about who makes the final cut. It's not outside the realm of possibility that the team carries 10 players into the season at the position which still presents some challenging decisions.

Kalen DeLoach was waived in the first wave of cuts but is likely to be added to the practice squad after suffering an injury that limited him in the final preseason game. He seemed like the last guy on the bubble, but this could also indicate that more tough cuts will be made.

In a perfect world, the Bucs would take J.J. Rusell and Jose Ramirez into the season on the active roster and not the practice squad like last season. They earned their keep and would provide important depth behind two of the group's shakiest rotations.

Cornerback (6)

Cornerback is another tight group, but there could be some wiggle room when it comes to how to handle the nickel corner spot. Tykee Smith appears to have won the starting job, which belonged to Christian Izien this time last season; that might call into questions the job security Izien has heading into the final cut but his ability to play safety and add depth their might help him out.

Zyon McCollum is taking over for Carlton Davis III and has so far looked impressive. Jamel Dean is the team's top corner and Bryce Hall will make the cut as depth that was added in free agency. Second-year player Josh Hayes didn't do much last year, but could find himself stepping up in a role behind McCollum on the left side.

Safety (4)

This is a swing position in that the Bucs could carry five players here and cut down at another spot on the roster. That final spot could belong to one of two players: Marcus Banks or Rashad Wisdom, both of whom showed a lot of promise in the preseason.

If the Bucs end up sticking with just four safeties, the group will be in a totally different spot than it was this time last year. Antoine Winfield Jr. was the only safe bet and the Ryan Neal experiment failed miserably, but this season the Bucs brought back Jordan Whitehead and are hoping for big things out of former UDFA Kaevon Merriweather.

Tavierre Thomas was signed in free agency and not only adds depth at safety but could help out elsewhere in the secondary if needed.

Special Teams (3)

The only loose end here is the play of Jake Camarda, which is an unfortunate development. He's in the dog house after a rough preseason, and while the Bucs threatened to carry an extra punter to add competition, the release of Nolan Cooney means the pressure is off Camarda for the time being.

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