A brand new Pewter Report Roundtable debuts each Tuesday on PewterReport.com. Every week, the Pewter Reporters sort out one other powerful query. This week’s immediate: Which Bucs bubble participant will you stand on the desk for?
Scott Reynolds: Markees Watts’ Growth Is Value Investing In
Bucs OLB Markees Watts – Photograph by: Cliff Welch P/R
I’ve gotten to know second-year outdoors linebacker Markees Watts fairly nicely this yr. After having Watts on the Pewter Report Podcast earlier than coaching camp, the go rusher who’s Charlotte’s all-time main sacker, has been the topic of the Camp Diary collection on PewterReport.com. There’s no query that Jose Ramirez has come on robust throughout coaching camp. His three-sack efficiency within the 20-7 loss at Jacksonville comes on the heels of drawing two holding penalties at Cincinnati the week prior. Ramirez possible leads Watts within the race for OLB5 on the depth chart behind Yaya Diaby, Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, Anthony Nelson and rookie Chris Braswell, the workforce’s second-round choose.
However Watts is a developmental participant who’s price hanging on to. Groups can’t have sufficient good go rushers, and Watts confirmed what he may do final yr, main all edge rushers with a 23% go rush win fee. This yr, the 6-foot-1 outdoors linebacker has added 10 kilos of dimension and is as much as 250 kilos. His higher physique is extra highly effective now, and he confirmed that towards the Jaguars, flattening 6-foot-4, 313-pound left sort out Javon Foster on a bull rush en path to a sack on Saturday evening. Watts additionally was a half step away from getting one other sack within the second half however Ramirez beat him to it for his third of the sport towards Jacksonville.
With Watts enjoying on a number of particular groups items, he brings worth as a reserve go rusher and somebody who can cowl kicks and punts. With the brand new kickoff guidelines requiring greater defenders with velocity, the workforce must be justified in retaining six outdoors linebackers this yr. Plus, Tryon-Shoyinka and Nelson are in contract years and could possibly be gone in free company in 2025.
Watts is poised to make a much bigger leap as a go rusher this yr with added dimension. He’s already proven he’s higher at setting the sting and defending the run at 250 kilos than he was a yr in the past. I’m to see how he fares in 2024 in his second season with the Bucs, and maybe extra importantly, how he can additional enhance in 2025 with one other offseason within the weight room. The Bucs ought to do the correct factor and hold Watts and Ramirez on the 53-man roster this yr. Each deserve it.
Matt Matera: Constant Cody Thompson Has Earned A Spot
Bucs WR Cody Thompson – Photograph by: USA At present
A vibrant spot of a shock on this yr’s coaching camp for the Bucs has been huge receiver Cody Thompson. I’m calling him “Constant Cody” as a result of all he’s finished this preseason is proceed to ship every day. Exterior of the celebs of this workforce in Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, no Bucs receiver has constantly produced like Thompson. Others like Jalen McMillan and Trey Palmer have had greater splashes, however they’ve additionally had some drops at instances. Thompson is regular as he goes.
Take Saturday’s preseason recreation towards the Jaguars for instance. In a night the place the Bucs couldn’t do a lot on offense, it was Thompson who led Tampa Bay with 5 catches for 66 yards and a landing. He additionally rushed for 12 yards on an finish round and was in a position to attract a go interference penalty. Thompson has constructed good chemistry with Kyle Trask and John Wolford, as they’ve seemed for him throughout crimson zone dills at follow. Additionally, he performs on particular groups, making him far more beneficial.
In all probability the Bucs are holding onto 5 – 6 receivers going into the season. Contemplating Evans, Godwin, McMillan and Palmer are making the workforce, why wouldn’t Thompson be one to safe of of the final two spots? Let’s check out the opposite receivers, we could? Thompson has outperformed Raleigh Webb, Cephus Johnson III, Tanner Knue, Ryan Miller and Laetreal Jones, to allow them to be crossed off the checklist.
Veteran newcomer Sterling Shepard, who’s 30, has been injured for over two weeks, whereas Rakim Jarrett has missed over every week in follow and has been inconsistent. Though Kameron Johnson has been electrical in follow when accessible, he’s but to play in a preseason recreation. It makes all of the sense between what he’s finished as a receiver and his particular groups capabilities that Thompson must be on the 53-man roster.
Bailey Adams: There’s Loads To Like With Devin Culp’s Potential
Bucs TE Devin Culp – Photograph by: Cliff Welch/PR
One of many extra intriguing selections the Bucs will face after they lower the roster all the way down to 53 gamers is what number of tight ends to maintain. Finalizing the roster is lots in regards to the numbers recreation and deciding what number of gamers to carry onto at every place. Whether or not they go along with 4 tight ends or solely hold three, 2024 seventh-round choose Devin Culp ought to stick round. So far as bubble gamers go, I’d stand on the desk for the speedy rookie.
Culp hasn’t been dominant in camp or the preseason by any means, however he has flashed sufficient potential as a pass-catcher and finished sufficient within the blocking recreation to present me the impression that he has a a lot greater ceiling than third-year tight finish Ko Kieft. The one distinction is that Kieft has been a core particular groups participant, and Culp must contribute in that side of the sport if the Bucs are going to stay with three tight ends and hold Culp over Kieft. Or if it involves retaining 4, then so be it. However the former Washington Husky ought to stick round.
Culp brings one thing completely different to the Tampa Bay tight finish room that not one of the different gamers within the group can replicate, and that’s his velocity. As he continues to develop extra, he may carve out a pleasant function for himself within the offense by permitting the Bucs to benefit from any mismatches his velocity could trigger. He’s been praised for being a “feisty” blocker, too, and the load he has placed on since being drafted appears to have helped.
It was worrisome to see Culp sidelined for Monday’s follow, however given Todd Bowles’ declaration that the Bucs are fairly wholesome general, it wouldn’t seem that there’s something too severe happening there. In fact, his standing the remainder of this week and for Friday’s preseason finale is price monitoring. But when wholesome, No. 82 deserves a spot on the ultimate 53.
Josh Queipo: Keenan Isaac Might Present Extra Depth Than The Bucs Anticipated At Nook
Bucs CB Keenan Isaac – Photograph by: USA At present
One of many greater query marks on this Bucs roster is on the outdoors cornerback place. Jamel Dean has confirmed he’s a good-to-great participant at an admittedly fickle place. However past him there’s a appreciable quantity of projection getting used to piece collectively the place. Zyon McCollum had some vibrant moments in 2023, however can the previous fifth rounder take one other step in his third yr?
Bryce Corridor performed nicely over his first two years within the league however has lower than 200 snaps within the final two years. Will he be capable to regain his 2021 kind? It’s a good query to ask.
I’ve by no means been an enormous fan of Josh Hayes’ recreation, courting again to when the Bucs chosen him within the 2023 NFL Draft when he was more likely to be accessible as an undrafted free agent. Tyrek Funderburk has seemed good in coaching camp and had a stable displaying towards the Bengals within the Bucs first preseason recreation, however he’s now sidelined with a foot damage.
That’s why I really feel so passionately about Keenan Isaac being included on the ultimate roster. I made the case for the 6-foot-3 Isaac in a latest article, however I’ll reiterate my place right here. He has nice size the place his peak is within the 89th percentile and his arm size is within the eighty fifth percentile. Isaac understands how you can use that size to assist make up for under common velocity.
However his general athleticism is sneaky good. His begin/cease expertise and alter of course has confirmed to have the ability to sustain with each participant he’s been matched up towards up to now this preseason. He has allowed simply 0.03 yards per protection rep on a 50% completion fee allowed. Plus, there was his implausible interception at Cincinnati. Dimension, rep-to-rep consistency and splash performs…what extra are you able to ask for from a depth man who could grow to be extra?
Adam Slivon: J.J. Russell Is The Most Regular Depth Possibility In Bucs’ ILB Room
Bucs ILB JJ Russell and Bengals QB Joe Burrow – Photograph by: USA At present
Heading into this season, Lavonte David and Okay.J. Britt would be the Bucs’ high two inside linebackers. Past them, although, it has been an open competitors to spherical out the depth chart.
The workforce would have appreciated to see SirVocea Dennis take an enormous step in his growth getting into his second season, however he has been injured all through coaching camp. It’s unlucky as a result of he was additionally injured presently final yr which affected how a lot he was capable of contribute as a rookie. Kalen Deloach got here into camp with numerous buzz, however outdoors of some massive performs in follow, the previous Florida State Seminole has not finished sufficient to separate himself via two preseason video games and can possible want extra time creating in Todd Bowles’ protection.
That leaves J.J. Russell as somebody I might stand on the desk for to make the workforce in 2024. Russell leads the workforce this preseason with 11 complete tackles and every time he’s on the sphere, he produces. Execution and an absence of MEs (psychological errors) is one thing head coach Todd Bowles locations at a premium, and Bowles not too long ago talked about that the third-year linebacker has a “motor” and is an “clever” participant on protection.
One may level to Russell admirably filling in towards the Panthers in Week 13 final season as a time when he capitalized on an enormous alternative, ending that recreation with seven complete tackles and a sack. When he’s on the lively roster, he’s additionally a key cog on particular groups. Being a bubble participant, he has constantly proven that he could make performs and keep wholesome, which is tough to seek out and even tougher to let go. At an inside linebacker place full of uncertainty, retaining J.J. Russell on the 53-man roster is the correct transfer.
