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: Who’s your Bucs sleeper on protection heading into coaching camp?
Scott Reynolds: I’m Shopping for Inventory In OLB Jose Ramirez
Bucs OLB Jose Ramirez – Photograph by: Cliff Welch/PR
In final week’s PR Roundtable we every provided up our Bucs sleepers on offense heading into coaching camp. Now it’s time for us to call our sleepers on protection. One of many names we’ve heard this offseason courting again to the NFL Scouting Mix is second-year exterior linebacker Jose Ramirez. Bucs normal supervisor Jason Licht and head coach Todd Bowles talked about Ramirez as a participant that they had been excessive on heading into the 2024 offseason. Each Licht and Bowles are all-in on him? Okay, I’m shopping for inventory in Jose Ramirez.
Final yr’s sixth-round choose, Ramirez spent his total rookie season on the follow squad and reportedly gave suits to each offensive tackles, Tristan Wirfs and Luke Goedeke. The 6-foot-2, 242-pound Ramirez ran a pedestrian 4.73 on the NFL Scouting Mix, however his 6.95 time within the 3-cone drill was the quickest of any edge rush. As a result of he was undersized, Ramirez made the error of placing on weight through the offseason, bulking up near 260 kilos by pondering the Bucs wished him larger.
However the further weight slowed Ramirez down in coaching camp and the preseason and the workforce opted to offer undrafted free agent Markees Watts the ultimate spot on the surface linebacker depth chart. The truth that Ramirez, who recorded 18.5 sacks and 5 compelled fumbles over the past two years at Jap Michigan, suffered a hamstring harm and missed the ultimate two preseason video games didn’t assist his trigger, both.
Ramirez shed the surplus weight and appears leaner and faster this offseason because of this. His physique transformation may pay dividends if he can show that he can get to the quarterback on a constant foundation in August. With Shaq Barrett and Cam Gill gone, there’s a probability that Ramirez makes the roster this yr – particularly if newcomer Randy Gregory continues to be a no-show. I’m not predicting that Ramirez will stick on Tampa Bay’s roster, however he’s put himself in higher form to take action – by getting in higher form this offseason.
Matt Matera: SirVocea Dennis Can Play His Manner Into A Position
There’s definitely a altering of the guard at inside linebacker with Okay.J. Britt presumably beginning subsequent to Lavonte David. Does that imply he’s going to begin each sport or play on each down? Not essentially. We’ve talked about quite a lot of second-year Bucs gamers taking the following step – whether or not it’s Calijah Kancey, Cody Mauch or Yaya Diaby, however let’s not overlook about SirVocea Dennis both.
Bucs ILB SirVocea Dennis – Photograph by: Cliff Welch/PR
The place Dennis might be of help is in cross protection for the Bucs. In only one season, he’s already proven the flexibility to react rapidly and determine the suitable coverages. Beginning in rookie mini-camp and OTAs, Dennis dazzled as he recorded a number of interceptions throughout these practices. Might he be an alternative choice to Britt on third downs? Probably, and on the College of Pittsburgh he was additionally recognized for his blitzing prowess.
Dennis was slowed down a bit in addition to a hamstring harm compelled him to overlook among the preseason. Staying wholesome this preseason will hold him within the rotation gaining invaluable reps in follow. As a result of the Bucs cross prepare their linebackers, he can fill in for David or Britt this season if one thing had been to occur to them with harm.
Whereas David could be very sturdy, he did miss two video games final season in and 5 in 2021. Dennis is more likely to be the following linebacker in place for the Bucs in 2024, and may also be utilized in numerous packages on protection.
Bailey Adams: Tyrek Funderburk Is Producing A Lot Of Buzz
Bucs CB Tyrek Funderburk – Photograph by: Cliff Welch/PR
If we’re speaking sleepers on the Bucs protection, somebody has to go together with undrafted free agent cornerback Tyrek Funderburk. The rookie out of App State was one of many stars of OTAs and mini-camp, ensuring that he’s on everybody’s radar when coaching camp rolls round. He had one interception and dropped one other throughout mini-camp, and he definitely caught the attention of head coach and defensive play-caller Todd Bowles.
Bowles had excessive reward for Funderburk on the second day of mini-camp, pointing to his intelligence and talent to choose up the defensive scheme early on in his quest to crack the Bucs’ 53-man roster. The pinnacle coach stated that day — and on the ultimate day of mini-camp — that Funderburk is without doubt one of the gamers he’s trying ahead to seeing in pads come coaching camp and the preseason.
Bowles is all the time fast to level out that it’s onerous to pick who’s protruding to him in the summertime because the pads aren’t on, however even he stated that the 6-foot, 185-pounder was doing sufficient with out pads to make him and the coaches wish to see what he can do when the pads do come on.
Funderburk has momentum heading into camp, and what he also needs to have is a chance. The cornerback place is one which has room for a sleeper to stand up and seize a roster spot seemingly out of nowhere. With the Carlton Davis III commerce, Jamel Dean, Zyon McCollum, Bryce Corridor, Tavierre Thomas and (probably) Josh Hayes appear to be the highest 5 corners on the roster.
If Hayes’ spot is unsure or, extra probably, if the Bucs are going to maintain six cornerbacks on the roster out of camp like they did in 2023, that leaves a spot up for grabs. And I like Funderburk’s probabilities to construct on the robust summer season he had and beat out the remainder of the competitors, particularly Keenan Isaac, for that spot.
Josh Queipo: Unheralded J.J. Russell Continues To Flash When Given The Likelihood
Bucs ILB JJ Russell – Photograph by: Cliff Welch/PR
Okay.J. Britt has earned his shot on the beginning inside linebacker spot reverse Lavonte David. However whereas Britt had a stable preliminary exhibiting final yr after taking up beginning duties from Devin White, he’s nonetheless a restricted athlete who’s going to be requested to cowl quite a lot of house as a cross defender. Until Britt’s instincts match that of David’s (a close to inhuman chance) there’s a very actual ceiling on his affect in crucial a part of the protection, defending the cross.
That give an actual shot for some gamers behind him to probably get a foothold and working with it. SirVocea Dennis is the apparent alternative given he was drafted final yr and has a bodily profile much like that of White. Kalen DeLoach might be a vogue possibility because of the buzz he has generated of late. And whereas J.J. Russell isn’t an elite athlete, he examined higher than Britt in virtually each frequent check.
Then there may be the matter of his precise play and expertise. Russell enters his third season with the Bucs giving him an additional yr within the system over Dennis and two over DeLoach. Russell has performed starter snaps in two video games over his first two years within the league. Most not too long ago that was a fill-in begin in 2023 week 13 towards Carolina. In that sport he recorded six tackles, a sort out for loss and a sack whereas incomes a 67.8 protection grade and 79.2 general grade from Professional Soccer Focus.
Sleepers hitting is often an amalgamation of a number of components together with alternative, expertise and play. Russell looks like a very good wager for all three coming collectively to offer him the chance of being a participant who far outperforms his expectations this season.
Adam Slivon: Kalen DeLoach Is The Bucs UDFA To Hold An Eye On
Bucs ILB Kalen DeLoach – Photograph by: Cliff Welch/PR
So far as undrafted free brokers go, Kalen DeLoach has caught loads of eyes and the eye of the Bucs to date through the workforce’s offseason program. Inside linebacker Lavonte David sees the “undersized” DeLoach as being somebody who can carve out a protracted NFL profession and he demonstrated at Florida State that he is usually a playmaker regardless of his smaller stature (5-foot-11, 210 kilos).
DeLoach has additionally garnered some nationwide consideration from NFL analysts who imagine he’s a diamond within the tough, and it’s simple to see why. Coming to Tampa Bay, he has the possibility to get enjoying time in quite a lot of roles in head coach Todd Bowles’ protection.
He’s fast with a novel linebacker construct, having run a 4.47 40-yard sprint whereas possessing the body of a defensive again. That would permit him to work in a hybrid position, which might let his skills in protection and as a blitzer shine. In his senior yr with the Seminoles, DeLoach recorded 68 whole tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, seven sacks, two compelled fumbles, and an interception.
how he may consider at inside linebacker, Okay.J. Britt is the probably starter alongside David, with SirVocea Dennis probably working his method in on passing downs on account of his personal prowess in protection. But when DeLoach continues to shine in coaching camp, he may cross J.J. Russell on the depth chart and make it an fascinating place battle that carries into the preseason. He could begin in a particular groups position, however with versatility being paramount within the league and particularly for Bowles, it may permit for him to see the sphere in artistic sub-packages.
