Bucs Mailbag: Edge Rusher, RB, O-Line Are Hot Topics

QUESTION: Scott, how a lot do you count on the Bucs run protection to undergo with Shaq Barrett being minimize? He’s all the time been a high-end run defender.

ANSWER: That’s an excellent query. There definitely could possibly be some drop off in run protection subsequent 12 months with out Shaq Barrett in Tampa Bay. Regardless of being simply 6-foot-2, 250 kilos, Barrett was an excellent run defender for years with the Bucs. He performed with nice get off and leverage, and that helped him provoke contact with tight ends and offensive tackles somewhat than simply catching blocks and getting pushed backwards.

Even at age 31 and coming off a torn Achilles, Barrett’s 68.9 Professional Soccer Focus run protection grade was the very best amongst all Bucs defenders on the line of scrimmage – defensive backs and outdoors linebackers. That was barely forward of nostril sort out Vita Vea (67.9), who weighs over 100 kilos greater than Barrett.

UCLA EDGE Laiatu Latu – Photograph by: USA Right now

Of the returning Buccaneers, outdoors linebacker Markees Watts had the following greatest grade at 66.9, though he has a particularly small pattern dimension of simply seven snaps in run protection. YaYa Diaby, who’s slated to begin at one outdoors linebacker spot, had a 66.5 PFF run protection grade, whereas Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, who is probably going the present front-runner to interchange Barrett, had a 60.2 run protection grade. Anthony Nelson, who can be in rivalry with JTS, earned a 53.4 PFF run protection grade.

After not addressing the place in free company, the Bucs are anticipated to pick out one other edge rusher on this 12 months’s NFL Draft. UCLA’s Laiatu Latu, who would get consideration at No. 26 if he was nonetheless on the board, earned an 82.1 PFF run protection grade final 12 months. Latu formally met with the Bucs on the NFL Scouting Mix.

Western Michigan’s Marshawn Kneeland, who additionally had a proper assembly with Tampa Bay in Indianapolis and is scheduled for a High 30 go to, had an 83.4 run protection grade. Penn State’s Adisa Isaac, who additionally formally met with the Bucs on the Mix, had an analogous 82.4 run protection grade. Kneeland and Isaac are thought of to be second-round choices for Tampa Bay.

QUESTION: Which edge rushers ought to the Bucs goal for commerce equally to the Jason Pierre-Paul commerce, and what would the fee be for every goal?

ANSWER: I don’t know of any edge rushers which can be essentially out there for commerce proper now outdoors of Philadelphia’s Haason Reddick. The Eagles had been considering buying and selling defensive finish Josh Sweat, however determined to increase his contract as an alternative for wage cap causes. Carolina used the franchise tag on outdoors linebacker Brian Burns after which traded him to the New York Giants for a second-round choose in 2024 and a fifth-rounder in 2025. That could be the going fee for Reddick, or maybe barely much less since he’s an older participant who’s about to show 30.

Two of the extra larger title edge rushers – Washington’s Chase Younger and Montez Sweat – had been traded to the 49ers and Bears, respectively, final 12 months. Sweat inked an extension with Chicago, whereas San Francisco moved on from Younger, who signed a one-year cope with New Orleans.

Eagles OLB Haason Reddick – Photograph by: USA Right now

Exterior of Reddick, I’m unaware of every other outdoors linebacker candidate that Bucs normal supervisor Jason Licht may commerce for proper now. In final week’s Bucs Mailbag I mentioned a number of the reason why the crew would unlikely be curious about buying and selling for Reddick. I gained’t go into nice element right here apart from saying he’s going to show 30 this 12 months and is within the remaining 12 months of his contract value $15 million per 12 months.

Coming off back-to-back Professional Bowls, it’s unlikely Reddick would need to take much less. So any crew buying and selling for Reddick must tackle his $6.9 million wage for 2024 and would probably need to work out an extension to justify surrendering a draft choose. In any other case that crew would solely be renting Reddick for a 12 months.

Whereas Reddick has had 4 straight seasons with double-digit sacks, together with final 12 months in Philadelphia the place he notched 11, he has by no means recorded a sack in opposition to Tampa Bay regardless of taking part in the Bucs twice final 12 months and two video games within the 2021 season when he suited up for Carolina. So I’m undecided he’s made the best impression for Licht and the Bucs’ brass.

At 6-foot-1, 240 kilos, Reddick isn’t the most important edge rusher, both. In actual fact, he’s an inch shorter and 10 kilos lighter than the Bucs had with Shaq Barrett. If he was youthful the Bucs could be , though Jason Pierre-Paul was 29 when Tampa Bay acquired him in a commerce with the New York Giants. The Falcons desperately want a move rusher and Atlanta has been rumored to be curious about buying and selling for Reddick together with Arizona, which is the crew that drafted him within the first spherical in 2017.

QUESTION: I’m not bought on the Bucs operating backs. Any likelihood we draft one within the early rounds?

ANSWER: I don’t assume the Bucs would think about drafting a operating again previous to the third spherical this 12 months. That looks like the candy spot for Jason Licht, who has drafted three operating backs within the third spherical since taking up as normal supervisor in 2014. In his first draft in Tampa Bay, Licht chosen operating again Charles Sims within the third spherical, and later made Ke’Shawn Vaughn a third-round choose in 2020. Two years later, Licht drafted present starter Rachaad White within the third spherical in 2022.

Wisconsin RB Braelon Allen – Photograph by: USA Right now

The Bucs do want one other rusher as Chase Edmonds is the one confirmed commodity behind White on the depth chart. The Bucs correctly minimize Vaughn, who wound up being a nasty draft choose. Sean Tucker was hyped as an undrafted free agent signing final 12 months, however underwhelmed and was typically inactive. Patrick Laird isn’t overly proficient and spent final 12 months on the follow squad and may wind up there once more.

The operating again class isn’t sturdy on high quality expertise this 12 months. There are not any first-round caliber backs like Christian McCaffrey, Saquon Barkley or Bijan Robinson in years previous. Florida State’s Trey Benson could be the primary again off the board this 12 months someplace within the second spherical. Texas’ Jonathon Brooks is essentially the most proficient runner, however is coming off a torn ACL. He may nonetheless go within the second spherical, however the damage may trigger him to slide into the third spherical.

With extra urgent wants at inside offensive line and edge rusher, the Bucs will probably deal with operating again someplace on Day 3. Tampa Bay solely had formal interviews with two operating backs on the NFL Scouting Mix that Pewter Report is conscious of in USC’s MarShawn Lloyd and Kentucky’s Ray Davis. Lloyd is an explosive again with good fingers out of the backfield with nice elusiveness. He could possibly be an possibility with one of many crew’s two third-round picks.

Wisconsin’s Braelon Allen is intriguing in that he’s an enormous again at 6-foot-1, 235 pound, and can solely be 20 on draft weekend. Allen and Troy’s Kimani Vidal run with nimble ft and energy, and could possibly be choices within the fourth spherical. If Tampa Bay was going to pick out a operating again late within the draft Louisville’s Jahwar Johnson and Georgia’s Kendall Milton could possibly be choices. All 4 of those runners interviewed with the Bucs informally in Indy.

QUESTION: If he’s nonetheless out there in Spherical 2, will Tampa draft Texas A&M’s Layden Robinson?

ANSWER: I don’t assume Texas A&M guard Layden Robinson warrants a second-round grade. In actual fact, he will not be chosen on Day 2 in any respect. Robinson struggled at occasions on the Senior Bowl and at didn’t do a lot on the NFL Scouting Mix. That doesn’t give him a variety of momentum heading into the 2024 NFL Draft.

Robinson could possibly be a third-round choose, however I wouldn’t be shocked to see him final till Day 3 choose. At that time, he could possibly be an possibility for the Bucs in the event that they don’t deal with guard on the primary two days of the draft, or if the Bucs need to double up on the place to hedge their bets and add depth on the place.

Boston Faculty G Christian Mahogany – Photograph by: USA Right now

Robinson is a reasonably good athlete, however at 6-foot-3, 303 kilos, he doesn’t supply a variety of dimension. Go safety consistency is an enormous concern for Robinson, and it’s one thing that’s going to maintain him out of the beginning lineup on the subsequent stage till he makes important strides in approach in that space. To Pewter Report’s data, the Bucs didn’t interview Robinson on the Mix – both formally or informally.

There are a number of different guard candidates I like loads higher than Robinson, beginning with Duke’s Graham Barton, who will likely be a first-round draft choose, presumably by Tampa Bay if he’s there at No. 26, or if normal supervisor Jason Licht trades as much as get him. UConn’s Christian Haynes and Boston Faculty’s Christian Mahogany could possibly be choices within the second spherical. Barton and Haynes met formally with the Bucs on the Mix, whereas Mahogany had a casual interview.

The Bucs additionally had formal interviews with Arizona left sort out Jordan Morgan, Oklahoma proper sort out Tyler Guyton, Kansas State guard Cooper Beebe and Notre Dame proper sort out Blake Fisher. All 4 may play guard on the subsequent stage with Morgan and Guyton being late first-rounders or early second-rounders, and Beebe and Fisher probably candidates for the third spherical. Keep in mind, Licht has had success drafting offensive tackles and transferring them inside, doing that with left sort out Cody Mauch final 12 months and middle Robert Hainsey 4 years in the past.

QUESTION: What Bucs offseason scenario to date has been essentially the most shocking?

ANSWER: I can’t actually consider something that was terribly shocking. Pewter Report precisely forecast the discharge of outdoor linebacker Shaq Barrett and the buying and selling of Carlton Davis III, so we had been forward of that information. I absolutely anticipated Bucs normal supervisor Jason Licht and assistant G.M. Mike Greenberg to re-sign all 4 of the crew’s huge free brokers – Professional Bowl quarterback Baker Mayfield, Professional Bowl huge receiver Mike Evans, legendary linebacker Lavonte David and kicker Chase McLaughlin.

Bucs WR Mike Evans and GM Jason Licht – Photograph by: Scott Reynolds/PR

And Pewter Report precisely predicted that All-Professional free security Antoine Winfield Jr. would get the franchise tag. Even the re-signing of former Bucs sturdy security Jordan Whitehead, who performed the final two seasons with the New York Jets, made a ton of sense and didn’t catch us off guard.

I suppose the truth that huge receiver Mike Evans was signed for simply two years was a little bit of a shock. I believed he would get a three-year deal. The 2-year deal works to the crew’s benefit in my view. And the truth that Evans didn’t make $25 million per 12 months, and solely averaged $21 million as an alternative was a bit shocking. But Evans has some incentives the place he can earn as much as $29 million.

If I’ve to supply up which signing was essentially the most shocking I’d say Jets cornerback Bryce Corridor. I didn’t see that transfer coming, and I feel it’s an amazing one. Corridor is a superb match for Todd Bowles’ protection and brings expertise and size to the surface cornerback place. He’ll compete with Zyon McCollum to begin, however will probably fill the No. 3 cornerback function on the depth chart.