Bucs’ Weak Links On Offense

No soccer group likes to have weaknesses, however not each place generally is a group power. However the actuality is that each place has a weak hyperlink if one travels down the depth chart far sufficient. The Bucs aren’t any exception.

Regardless of fielding a group that also has 9 gamers which have made at the least one Professional Bowl, the defending NFC South champions do have weak hyperlinks at each place – some even within the beginning ranks. A few of these weak spots might be changed into group strengths with extra expertise and growth. And a few weaknesses might be erased merely because of higher play or deployment by the coaches.

Pewter Report’s Scott Reynolds appears on the Bucs’ weak hyperlinks over the following two days in two articles – offense on Monday and protection on Tuesday. Let’s begin with Tampa Bay’s offense.

Bucs’ Weak Hyperlinks On Offense

Quarterback – Kyle Trask

Expertise is the best instructor, and the issue for third-year quarterback Kyle Trask is that he has spent an excessive amount of time within the classroom. Exterior of a handful of preseason appearances in his first two years in Tampa Bay, Trask has solely appeared in a single common season recreation. That got here within the fourth quarter of a Week 18 loss to Atlanta the place Trask accomplished simply 3-of-9 passes for 23 yards.

With Tom Brady gone, Trask will lastly be given a possibility to vie for the beginning job in opposition to newcomer Baker Mayfield. However Mayfield has 69 begins within the NFL and is the present favourite to line up below heart in Week 1 at Minnesota. The one manner Trask can beat out Mayfield is that if he does a greater job of defending the ball in coaching camp and the preseason, as new offensive coordinator Dave Canales calls for that his quarterback shield the soccer.

Even when he loses the QB competitors and is relegated to being the backup, Trask’s lack of expertise nonetheless makes him the weak hyperlink of the quarterback place. As a result of if Mayfield will get damage and Trask has to play, his inexperience gained’t do him or the Bucs any favors. Trask merely gained’t enhance till he will get extra alternatives below heart.

And even among the finest quarterbacks within the league need to undergo a trial-by-fire whether or not it’s throughout their rookie yr or each time they get the prospect to begin. The truth that the Bucs don’t have an skilled backup like they’ve had the final three seasons with Blaine Gabbert, may come again to chunk the Bucs if Mayfield will get damage or struggles to the purpose the place Trask has to play.

Operating Again – Ke’Shawn Vaughn

Rachaad White enters the 2023 season because the projected starter now that Leonard Fournette has been launched. However the depth behind White is as skinny as White’s personal degree of expertise after splitting enjoying time with Fournette final yr as a rookie. There’s a noticeable drop off in expertise behind White with Ke’Shawn Vaughn, a third-round choose in 2020. Vaughn has seen restricted enjoying time over the past three seasons and has simply 79 carries for 342 yards and two touchdowns.

But he does have a positive 4.3-yard common and has proven some enchancment over his Bucs profession. Nonetheless, Tampa Bay wouldn’t really feel comfy with Vaughn because the group’s starter if White have been to endure an damage. Vaughn’s lone begin got here within the Bucs’ playoff win versus the Eagles in 2021 the place he had 17 carries for 53 yards and a landing together with a pedestrian 3.1 avg.

Vaughn has confirmed to be simply a median again with minimal explosiveness. Whereas his arms have gotten higher, he’s nonetheless not considered as an important receiver out of the backfield the place he might be trusted to play on third downs. The Bucs introduced in veteran Chase Edmonds to compete with Vaughn for the backup job and that must be a superb competitors – and one which Edmonds may in the end win. Tampa Bay simply must hope that White can keep wholesome for 17 video games this season because of the lack of a confirmed, succesful backup runner.

Broad Receiver – Russell Gage

Russell Gage dissatisfied in his first season in Tampa Bay, catching simply 51 passes for 426 yards and 5 touchdowns. His 8.4-yard common was the bottom of his profession. Gage suffered a hamstring damage in coaching camp and by no means absolutely recovered through the season. The Bucs have been upset at how he dealt with his restoration, which took longer than it ought to have, and compelled Gage to take a $3 million pay reduce.

New Bucs offensive coordinator Dave Canales has shared his pleasure over the group conserving Gage, and he may have a bounce-back yr in Tampa Bay’s new offense. Gage’s major trait is his quickness. Neither massive nor quick, Gage is fast out and in of his breaks and might separate from defenders when wholesome. However when damage, as he was final yr, Gage proved to be simply an strange run-of-the-mill receiver.

The Bucs drafted velocity receiver Trey Palmer within the sixth spherical and he may show to be an instantaneous menace to Gage by way of enjoying time. Even in restricted time in Tampa Bay with simply the rookie mini-camp and the primary week of OTAs, Palmer has impressed and will make a run on the No. 3 extensive receiver spot at the moment held by Gage. The issue for Gage is that he suffered an undisclosed minor damage that prompted him to overlook final week’s OTAs. If he can’t keep wholesome, Palmer may rapidly usurp him and declare the No. 3 spot on the depth chart.

Tight Finish – Ko Kieft

The Bucs spent a sixth-round choose on Ko Kieft within the 2022 NFL Draft to assist with the group’s floor recreation. Primarily a blocking tight finish at Minnesota, Kieft proved his value as an additional blocker in first yr in Tampa Bay lining up in-line, on the transfer as an H-back and in addition at fullback. Kieft additionally shined on particular groups as one of many prime tacklers.

However because of his restricted expertise as a receiver, when he was deployed by former offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich it was a giveaway to opposing defenses that the Bucs have been going to run the ball. Kieft’s utilization was a inform that the Bucs weren’t going to throw the ball and led to some very predictable – and unsuccessful – operating performs. For Tampa Bay to keep away from that predictability this season, Kieft should enhance as a receiver, and new offensive coordinator Dave Canales should name for the ball to be thrown to him extra usually – or just throw the ball typically when Kieft is within the lineup.

The issue for Kieft is that the Bucs drafted one other pass-catching tight finish in fifth-round choose Payne Durham to pair with Cade Otton. Durham had 126 catches for 1,275 yards and 21 touchdowns at Purdue. By comparability, Kieft had 12 receptions for 166 yards and two TDs at Minnesota, and simply seven catches for 81 yards and one TD as a rookie in Tampa Bay final yr. As an alternative of probably rising as a No. 2 tight finish with Cam Brate and Kyle Rudolph gone, Kieft will seemingly stay the No. 3 tight finish with the arrival of Durham – a much better receiving tight finish.

Offensive Line – Cody Mauch

Luke Goedeke, the projected starter at proper sort out, may have been the choose right here as a substitute of Cody Mauch, the group’s second-round choose this yr. However Goedeke already has gone via the trials and tribulations of his rookie season, and is returning to a spot he had success in school, which is his pure place at proper sort out. Whereas he’s unproven there on the NFL degree – apart from one recreation in Week 18 – he’s not as inexperienced as Mauch can be in his first season within the NFL.

Mauch isn’t solely making the leap from the FCS degree the place he starred at North Dakota State, he’s additionally making the place swap from left sort out proper guard. Whereas Ali Marpet made a really profitable transition from enjoying left sort out at Hobart School in 2014 to beginning at proper guard for the Bucs in 2015, Alex Cappa struggled to make that place swap initially. Cappa, a left sort out at Humboldt State, was drafted to grow to be a guard within the third spherical in 2018. He struggled mightily in cross safety and didn’t emerge as a full-time starter till 2019 till he obtained stronger.

Mauch is extra like Cappa than he’s Marpet, and desires lots of method work in cross safety. Whereas he ought to excel as a run blocker, his lack of sound cross safety may trigger him some points as a rookie. Couple that with the truth that he’s lining up subsequent to an inexperienced proper sort out in Goedeke, and choosing up stunts and twists efficiently may result in some severe rising pains. Mauch may turn into a very good guard sooner or later, however his lack of expertise makes him the weak hyperlink on the offensive line.