Earlier this month ESPN graded and analyzed the Bucs’ offseason, going over the handful of strikes made by Tampa Bay within the hopes to enhance upon a season by which they went 9-8 and received the NFC South for the third straight yr.
Though the group has garnered some surprising reward from one nationwide media outlet, a current ESPN+ article (subscription required) ranked every roster and doesn’t have the Bucs as extremely esteemed. NFL analysts Mike Clay, Aaron Schatz, and Seth Walder every dived deeper into the strengths, weaknesses, X issue, and a nonstarter to be careful for heading into this season.
What Is The Greatest Energy, Weak spot Of The Bucs?
The Bucs positioned twenty second in ESPN’s rating forward of the 2024 season, simply behind the Falcons and Saints, who ranked nineteenth and twentieth, respectively. Mike Clay started going over Tampa Bay’s roster by figuring out its greatest energy and weak spot, with each residing on the defensive aspect of the soccer.
Bucs Ss Jordan Whitehead and Antoine Winfield, Jr. – Picture by: Cliff Welch/PR
Greatest energy: Security. This group is anchored by 2023 first-team All-Professional Antoine Winfield Jr., who turned the highest-paid defensive again in league historical past in March. Previous good friend Jordan Whitehead is again for his second tour with the Bucs after enjoying over 1,000 snaps every of the previous two seasons with the Jets. Tampa Bay added depth by way of Tykee Smith within the third spherical of April’s draft.
Greatest weak spot: Edge rusher. This was a toss-up between edge rusher and inside offensive line, however the departure of Shaquil Barrett (45.0 sacks in 5 seasons) swung my resolution towards the previous. Tampa Bay will now flip to a mix of Yaya Diaby, newcomer Randy Gregory, second-round rookie Chris Braswell, former first-rounder Joe Tryon-Shoyinka and Anthony Nelson as its core on the place. None of these veterans performed greater than half of his group’s snaps in 2023. This can be a tough state of affairs for a group that completed twenty second in move rush win price final season.
There may be little doubt that the security room has drastically improved over the offseason. Whereas Winfield’s presence raises any group, the additions of Whitehead and Smith will assist take among the stress off him on the backend as they may present extra protection and playmaking assist at robust security than Ryan Neal did.
A current matter on the Pewter Report Podcast went over simply how stacked this place group is, which Clay additional asserts.
Bucs OLB Chris Braswell – Picture by: Cliff Welch/PR
On the flipside although, edge rusher is the place a whole lot of eyes are fixated on heading into the season. After dropping Barrett, head coach Todd Bowles is hoping to discover a constant move rush from a rotation of men, except one emerges from the group to pair alongside Diaby.
With there being a mix of youth and expertise to depend on although, I’d argue that the inside offensive line stays a much bigger weak spot than outdoors linebacker with the beginning left guard spot remaining up for grabs in addition to the relative uncertainty of the extent of play the group receives from each the middle and proper guard spots.
Whereas Clay talked about a lot of the group’s depth on the place, one additionally has to contemplate the potential of Markees Watts and/or Jose Ramirez factoring in, and even with out a top-tier move rusher, this can be a group crammed with gamers which will profit from working in a rotation to get probably the most manufacturing out of them.
What Is The Bucs’ X Issue?
With the Bucs’ greatest energy and weak spot being laid out, Seth Walder then took to trying on the greatest X issue on this yr’s group. One that can very a lot make or break the extent of success Tampa Bay has.
Bucs C Graham Barton and RG Cody Mauch – Picture by: Cliff Welch/PR
X issue for 2024: The offensive line. Exterior of Tristan Wirfs, your complete line is both a query mark or a priority. Cody Mauch ranked final amongst guards in move block win price (85%) final season, and Ben Bredeson (88%) wasn’t that a lot better with the Giants. Luke Goedeke (86%) was beneath common within the metric amongst tackles, and Graham Barton is a rookie. Whether or not QB Baker Mayfield can repeat his 2023 efficiency could hinge on this group.
As Walder explains, there’s some concern for the offensive line room, however there must also be extra optimism. One other yr of their respective spots ought to assist Wirfs, Mauch, and Goedeke enhance their stage of play, and doing so in an analogous system below offensive coordinator Liam Coen offers much-needed continuity.
Barton ought to present a spark to the offensive line, and there’s a probability that he’ll hit the bottom working and turn into a high-level starter immediately, or on the very least, function an improve to Robert Hainsey. If Mayfield has any probability of replicating his success final season although, that is the group that will probably be entrusted to make it occur.
Can This Bucs DB Nonetheless Make An Affect In 2024?
Bucs DB Christian Izien – Picture by: USA At present
With a lot of the overview and rationalization of the Bucs’ rankings being coated, Aaron Schatz took to pegging defensive again Christian Izien as somebody to know heading into the season. Though he isn’t assured a beginning function for the time being, he very a lot might nonetheless make an influence all throughout the secondary.
Nonstarter to know: Security Christian Izien. Nominally a security, Izien was Tampa Bay’s nickelback for many of his rookie season. He was focused a ton in comparison with different nickelbacks however had moderately good charting metrics, together with a better-than-average protection DVOA of minus-4.2%. What will probably be his function this season? Is he a depth cornerback? A depth security? Some kind of mixture of the 2?
Taking part in in all 17 video games final season, Izien was an under-the-radar contributor.
He recorded 65 whole tackles, two interceptions, and a compelled fumble, however greater than that, the undrafted free agent held down the nickelback spot with out Todd Bowles having to fret a lot. He might want to iron out his consistency, however Izien has the potential to think about once more at nickelback or as a cornerback/security in Bowles’ protection.
The place Tykee Smith traces up will issue tremendously on this equation, however count on Izien to stay concerned and on the sector in some capability.
