Following a 17-14 win over the Bengals in Cincinnati to open the preseason final week, the Bucs will end up their week in Jacksonville with a recreation in opposition to the Jaguars on Saturday night time.
Given Tampa Bay and Jacksonville held joint practices collectively on Wednesday and Thursday and the starters may have gotten a number of reps in on these days, Bucs head coach Todd Bowles is prone to make use of the same technique to the one he went with final week. Which means most starters, together with quarterback Baker Mayfield, won’t play in opposition to the Jaguars.
Bowles beforehand mentioned that he was concentrating on subsequent week’s preseason finale in opposition to the Dolphins because the one the place his starters would get their recreation reps.
Nonetheless, there are many intriguing gamers to control when the Bucs and Jaguars kick off the second recreation of their respective exhibition slates at 7:30 Saturday night time. After having a look at one participant at every offensive place to look at within the recreation in opposition to Jacksonville, we’ll do the identical with the protection right this moment.
Bucs To Watch vs. Jaguars: Protection
Listed here are among the Bucs to look at on the defensive aspect of the ball in Week 2 of the preseason on Saturday night time:
DT Logan Corridor
Bucs DT Logan Corridor – Photograph by: USA At present
Most starters didn’t play final weekend in Cincinnati, and all indications are {that a} related group will open the sport Saturday in Jacksonville. That will imply third-year defensive lineman Logan Corridor ought to be within the combine once more, even when it’s just for a drive or two. Corridor performed 13 snaps final week with out a lot to point out for it, grading out about common per PFF with a 58.2 total grade, a 55.7 run protection grade and a cross rush mark of 62.6.
Given how vital Corridor is to the Bucs protection and the strides he wants to point out, maybe he’ll get extra play in opposition to the Jaguars. Nonetheless a lot he does play, he must profit from his reps.
The 2022 second-round decide has underwhelmed so far in his Tampa Bay profession, although now that he has added some weight and gotten two full seasons below his belt, it’s time for him to take the subsequent step in 2024. Whereas there isn’t precisely one other defensive lineman respiratory down his neck for his beginning place, Corridor wants to point out progress this season to keep away from being changed as a starter subsequent 12 months.
He flashed some cross rush skill as a rookie earlier than seeing his snap share lower final 12 months, however extra consistency out of the previous Houston Cougar could be a welcome sight. Getting issues going Saturday night time could be an excellent first step.
OLB Jay Individual
Whereas the Bucs have the primary 4 exterior linebackers on the depth chart fairly locked in with Yaya Diaby, Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, Chris Braswell and Anthony Nelson main the best way, there’s an intense competitors for no matter spots stay, whether or not that’s simply the OLB5 position or if Tampa Bay retains a sixth participant on the place as effectively. Markees Watts and Jose Ramirez have lengthy been the favorites, however Jay Individual could also be rising as a darkish horse choice, as Scott Reynolds talked about in Friday’s SR’s Fab 5. The previous UT-Chattanooga cross rusher registered the game-ending sort out final week and had a powerful displaying on this week’s joint practices.
Individual posted 233 tackles (133 solo), 56 tackles for loss, 27 sacks, 9 pressured fumbles and three fumble recoveries throughout his time with UT-Chattanooga, and the Bucs favored him sufficient to signal him when a roster spot opened up on account of Sua Opeta’s season-ending knee damage. The 6-foot-2, 237-pound rookie had a sack in Wednesday’s follow and will see extra time on Saturday than the seven snaps he obtained final week in opposition to the Bengals. Watts and Ramirez are nonetheless sure to be the leaders for no matter exterior linebacker spots stay, however as Scott Reynolds mentioned Friday, control Individual.
ILB J.J. Russell
Bucs ILB J.J. Russell – Photograph by: Cliff Welch/PR
It was straightforward to purchase into the Kalen DeLoach hype given his Florida State profession and his spectacular begin to camp. However everybody (together with myself) rapidly forgot what a menace J.J. Russell is throughout the preseason and will have been too keen at hand his roster spot over to DeLoach.
That’s to not say the previous Seminole star deserves to now be forgotten about and his possibilities of making the ultimate 53 are shot, however Russell’s efficiency final week in opposition to the Bengals was an excellent reminder of what he can do. To not point out, he proved final 12 months that he’s lots able to stepping in and stepping up at any time when the Bucs want him at linebacker.
If Russell continues to play stable, assignment-sound soccer whereas flying round and making tackles like he did in opposition to Cincinnati (and has usually completed in previous preseasons), it’s going to be arduous for Tampa Bay to push him out the door in favor of DeLoach. So, what occurs?
Properly, if Russell retains taking part in effectively and the staff doesn’t need to danger dropping DeLoach by making an attempt to stash him on the follow squad, may 5 inside linebackers make the staff? There might quickly be a dilemma that the Bucs brass is confronted with, and Russell goes to maintain doing his finest to make sure that such is the case.
DB Tykee Smith
Tykee Smith, one of many Bucs’ 2024 third-round picks, seems to be the favourite to win the beginning nickel job out of camp. However the versatile rookie has been cross-training at nickel, free security and powerful security and has been praised by teammates and coaches for the way rapidly he’s choosing up Todd Bowles’ protection. Veteran security Jordan Whitehead even mentioned earlier in camp that Smith is means forward of the place he was as a rookie, which is excessive reward for the previous Georgia Bulldog. Smith performed 20 snaps final week in Cincinnati, with 19 coming within the slot and one coming within the field. May he get some snaps at security in Saturday’s recreation?
Tampa Bay has two top-tier safeties in Antoine Winfield Jr. and Whitehead, however each are positive to be among the many group of starters sitting in opposition to the Jaguars. And whereas the Bucs have loads of gamers they need to get appears from on the security place, Week 2 of the preseason might be an opportunity for Smith to get some recreation time in at security. Whereas he’s sure to be the first nickel cornerback come time for the season, the staff wouldn’t be cross-training him on the security spots for nothing. Whether or not he sees nearly all of his time within the slot or he does get snaps at security, Smith will proceed to be one to look at all through the preseason.
CB Keenan Isaac
Bucs CB Keenan Isaac – Photograph by: USA At present
With Tyrek Funderburk’s spectacular summer time and powerful begin to camp, he started to appear like an actual risk to win the CB5 job in Tampa Bay come time for the roster cut-downs. That will be on the expense of second-year cornerback Keenan Isaac. Properly, Isaac had his say within the preseason opener.
He could have solely performed 16 snaps, however he graded out because the Bucs’ finest defender, per Professional Soccer Focus. He completed with a 92.6 total grade, with a 92.4 protection mark. That was actually helped by the truth that he picked off Jake Browning within the first half. That was the one time he was focused in his 14 protection snaps.
Isaac, at 6-foot-3, 190 kilos, has spectacular measurement for the cornerback place and initially burst onto the scene in camp final 12 months after signing as an undrafted free agent out of Alabama State. He was signed to the follow squad out of preseason and was elevated to the sport day roster twice earlier than being signed to the energetic roster when accidents struck in November.
Isaac will surely like to construct on his efficiency within the preseason opener and additional strengthen his case to stay with the Bucs come September.
S Kaevon Merriweather
Outdoors of Isaac, Kaevon Merriweather was maybe the opposite huge standout from the Buccaneer secondary in final week’s preseason opener. He graded out fairly effectively himself, however his efficiency on the primary drive of the sport in opposition to the Bengals’ starters was an excellent snapshot of how a lot he’s grown as a participant over the past 12 months or so.
First, he broke up a deep ball from Joe Burrow that was meant for Tee Higgins, knocking the ball away to forestall a landing. Quickly after, he pressured an incompletion on a blitz earlier than developing with a sort out for loss to pressure a third-and-long scenario. Discuss doing all of it, proper?
If Merriweather continues doing all of it, the Bucs’ security group shall be as sturdy because it’s been in years – maybe since 2020 and 2021. The group is led by Antoine Winfield Jr. and Jordan Whitehead, however the aforementioned Merriweather, the versatile Tykee Smith and doubtlessly the also-versatile Christian Izien rounding out the room would give Tampa Bay some severe depth.
Contemplating Merriweather tied J.J. Russell for a team-high 38 snaps final week, the second-year security is prone to get one other probability to point out out and additional cement his roster spot Saturday night time in Jacksonville.
