A brand new Pewter Report Roundtable debuts each Tuesday on PewterReport.com. Every week, the Pewter Reporters sort out one other robust query. This week’s immediate: Who’s your Bucs sleeper on offense heading into coaching camp?
Scott Reynolds: WR Kameron Johnson Is Producing A Lot Of Buzz
Bucs WR Kameron Johnson – Picture by: Cliff Welch/PR
Tampa Bay’s huge receiver place is loaded with some actually proficient gamers heading into coaching camp. The receiver room is prime heavy with 1,00-yard veterans Mike Evans and Chris Godwin being essentially the most skilled together with newcomer Sterling Shepard, an eight-year veteran. The remainder of the room options 11 others which have little to no recreation expertise, however loads of untapped expertise. Trey Palmer and Jalen McMillan, this yr’s third-round choose, are the highest candidates for the WR3 job with Rakim Jarrett main the way in which for WR5.
Ought to the group hold six receivers – and I feel they are going to – will probably be a free-for-all with Shepard going in opposition to a slew of unproven gamers for the WR6 function. However regulate Kameron Johnson, an undrafted free agent out of tiny Barton School. I wrote about him in a latest SR’s Fab 5 column after mini-camp.
Final yr he caught 51 passes for 875 yards and 7 touchdowns, and likewise threw a 58-yard landing go to his quarterback. The 5-foot-8, 190-pound rookie receiver is an athletic dynamo who ran a 4.46 within the 40-yard sprint on the N.C. State professional day and had a 37-inch vertical leap. A number of Bucs gamers have advised me that Johnson is the one unheralded man who has actually stood throughout the OTAs and the mini-camp.
Johnson additionally brings kick and punt return expertise to the desk and he’ll be within the combine to exchange Deven Thompkins as Tampa Bay’s return specialist. It’s a crowded receiver room filled with competitors, but when he can keep his pre-camp momentum when the pads come on in late July and shine within the preseason, Johnson could possibly be a shock addition to the 53-man roster as WR5 or WR6.
Matt Matera: G Elijah Klein Has A Likelihood To Begin
Bucs G Elijah Klein – Picture by: Cliff Welch/PR
It’s not usually that an offensive lineman could possibly be a “sleeper,” however after we’re speaking a few beginning place, then it matches the billing. There was loads of dialogue this offseason about veteran free agent pickups Ben Bredeson and Sua Opeta competing for the beginning left guard place, however don’t overlook about Klein, both.
The Bucs chosen Klein within the sixth spherical of this yr’s draft. He’s a developmental undertaking, and we’ve seen Tampa Bay primarily redshirt a rookie earlier than with Alex Cappa. However, Tampa Bay can be accountable for drafting tackles Tristan Wirfs and Luke Goedeke and proper guard Cody Mauch – all of whom began immediately.
There’s an opportunity Klein can develop quick sufficient and be within the working for the beginning job. He comes from UTEP the place all they did was run the soccer. That’s a plus for the Bucs, who wish to enhance their working recreation this season. He’ll must get the go blocking down, which can take a while.
Klein was enthusiastic about studying this offense and has gone to flash playing cards to get it down. Tampa Bay hopes that they’ll restrict the quantity of questions alongside the offensive line, corresponding to if Mauch is taking a step ahead and can Graham Barton present immediate assist at middle? These questions additionally stay about having the fitting participant at left guard. Bredeson and Opeta had been introduced in, however who’s to say they’re even an improve of Matt Feiler from a yr in the past? Perhaps Klein surprises the coaches and will get the nod to begin the season.
Bailey Adams: TE Payne Durham Can Be A Greater Pink Zone Risk
Bucs TE Payne Durham – Picture by: Cliff Welch/PR
Payne Durham was a participant I preferred going all the way in which again to 2023 Senior Bowl week, as the previous Purdue tight finish shortly stood out as a big-bodied goal able to being a risk within the purple zone. And contemplating Cam Brate’s retirement and the truth that Cade Otton was the one tight finish on the roster who had somewhat-proven upside, Durham felt like an excellent match.
So when the Bucs drafted him within the fifth spherical of final yr’s draft, I used to be a fan of the choice. However Durham didn’t make a lot of an impression as a rookie, catching simply 5 passes for 58 yards (11.6 avg.) in 13 video games. Alternative — or lack thereof — was partially accountable. He did solely have seven targets on the season.
It took Durham some time to climb from inactive on recreation days early within the season to the Bucs’ TE2 function behind Otton. However he began to point out up later within the season, twice coming only a couple yards shy of his first profession landing. A kind of got here at Indianapolis, when a 12-yard catch set Tampa Bay up on the objective line. And the opposite was at residence in opposition to Jacksonville, when a 25-yard catch bought the offense to the 2-yard line. Durham additionally had an 18-yard catch within the Wild Card win over the Eagles.
So when coaching camp rolls round later this month, I’ll have an interest to see what strides Durham has made this offseason — his first full offseason within the NFL. His blocking might want to enhance to make sure he will get on the sector extra usually and has extra alternatives to make an impression. And Liam Coen working extra three-wide receiver units and fewer 12 personnel goes to make it much more tough for the previous Boilermaker to take the following step in 2024.
However at 6-foot-6, 253 kilos, he merely has an excessive amount of measurement to not be an element within the purple zone. So I’ll be in search of extra out of Durham throughout 11-on-11s and in purple zone intervals, particularly if he will get an opportunity to play with the primary group — and quarterback Baker Mayfield. After which it’s time to make it occur on Sundays contained in the 20.
Josh Queipo: WR Trey Palmer Has The Most Large-Play Potential
Bucs WR Trey Palmer – Picture by: USA In the present day
Bucs huge receiver Trey Palmer ran a 4.33 within the 40-yard sprint on the NFL Scouting Mix final yr. That’s within the 94th percentile for all huge receivers. He’s quick. Like Jimmy John’s quick.
And he isn’t only a monitor star. Palmer’s velocity interprets to the sport. You might have seen how different offenses have unlocked velocity like that. The Miami Dolphins are re-writing file books through the use of related speedy weapons like huge receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle and working backs Devone Achane and Raheem Mostert.
Former Tampa Bay offensive coordinator Dave Canales sometimes took benefit of Palmer’s velocity (see Week 5 vs. Detroit final yr) however was not in a position to persistently faucet into his trump card as Baker Mayfield and the rookie receiver usually weren’t in sync on downfield photographs. At one level within the season Canales had Palmer’s common depth of goal at lower than 6.0.
No different receiver on this roster has anyplace near Palmer’s capability to get deep shortly. New offensive coordinator Liam Coen has the chance to weaponize that velocity and create game-changing performs. Placing Palmer right into a short-motion, speed-release function the place he doesn’t have to fret about working off jams and giving him free entry to the sector – much like how the Rams had been in a position to elevate Puka Nacua’s skillset final yr – might make him a participant nobody sees coming in 2024. And it might land Palmer the WR3 function as a starter this season, too.
Adam Slivon: TE Devin Culp May Shock In Pads
Bucs TE Devin Culp and TEs coach Justin Peelle – Picture by: Cliff Welch/PR
Shock, shock, one other tight finish.
The Bucs tight finish room stays one of many youngest going into this season, and the group added one other younger participant into the combination after deciding on Devin Culp within the seventh spherical. Though he had a quiet senior yr at Washington with their prime three huge receivers getting many of the targets (new Buccaneer Jalen McMillan being considered one of them), Culp’s 4.47 velocity stood out on the NFL Scouting Mix and led to him being drafted.
With offensive coordinator Liam Coen having a monitor file of involving the tight finish within the offense – see Tyler Higbee with the Rams in 2022 – it might not be shocking to see him discover a option to make the most of Culp’s skillset. His velocity presents a distinct dynamic than any of the opposite tight ends within the room, and if it reveals up on the sector with some huge performs, then he has an opportunity to make an impression and see the sector throughout the common season. After Cade Otton performed 97% of the group’s offensive snaps final season, anticipate the opposite tight ends to offer him extra breaks and eat into that timeshare.
For Culp, his main competitors will come from Payne Durham and Ko Kieft for the No. 2 tight finish spot behind Otton, however with Kieft not seeing the sector throughout offseason actions to date, Culp could have already got handed him up on the depth chart. What is going to separate him and Durham is who’s extra well-rounded and never only a area of interest participant.
The previous Huskie weighed solely 231 kilos coming into the NFL, however he said again in Could that he’s nearer to 245-250 kilos, which is able to assist him not be as overmatched when requested to dam. He nonetheless is comparatively uncooked on the place, however his type of play can profit the offense and open the sector up extra for Baker Mayfield to distribute the soccer round, which can be one thing to regulate.
