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About the Author: Scott Reynolds

Avatar Of Scott Reynolds
Scott Reynolds is in his 28th year of covering the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as the vice president, publisher and senior Bucs beat writer for PewterReport.com. Author of the popular SR's Fab 5 column on Fridays, Reynolds oversees web development and forges marketing partnerships for PewterReport.com in addition to his editorial duties. A graduate of Kansas State University in 1995, Reynolds spent six years giving back to the community as the defensive coordinator/defensive line coach for his sons' Pop Warner team, the South Pasco Predators. Reynolds can be reached at: [email protected]

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FAB 5. SR’s BUC SHOTS
• So who was the most penalized Buccaneer in 2016? That would be left tackle Donovan Smith, who was flagged 13 times, including six false starts, four holding calls, two illegal use of hands and an unnecessary roughness flag.

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Bucs S Chris Conte – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Right tackle Demar Dotson, who missed three games due to a concussion, was second on the team with 11 penalties, in addition to having one declined. Dotson had five holding calls, three false starts, three illegal use of hands and an ineligible receiver downfield infraction called on him. Quarterback Jameis Winston and right guard Ali Marpet had eight penalties apiece. Winston’s biggest sin was his five delay of game penalties.

The most penalized Tampa Bay defender was safety Chris Conte, who had six penalties, but kudos to Vernon Hargreaves III, the team’s first-round pick, who was only flagged three times – a 15-yard facemask, a defensive pass interference and a defensive holding call – with two accepted penalties. The holding call came against the Rams in Week 3 and was declined. That’s impressive for a rookie.

Only three Bucs starters did not get penalized in 2016. Defensive end Robert Ayers, Jr., linebacker Daryl Smith and tight end Cameron Brate were the innocent parties in Tampa Bay.

• Will Tampa Bay bring in former Seattle kicker Steven Hauschka to serve as competition for Roberto Aguayo? The team’s second-round pick last year struggled during his rookie season, while the 31-year old Hauschka has nine years of NFL experience. The Seahawks parted ways with Hauschka after signing former Minnesota kicker Blair Walsh on Thursday.

Hauschka connected on 33-of-37 field goals (89.2 percent) last year, but missed six extra points, hitting just 29-of-35 (82.8 percent) during the regular season. Hauschka missed another extra point in a 26-6 win over Detroit in the playoffs, but was 4-of-4 on his postseason field goal attempts.

Hauschka was 2-of-3 in Seattle’s 6-6 overtime tie against Arizona, a game the Seahawks could have won. He also missed another field goal against the Cardinals later in the season in a 34-31 defeat.

I discussed Aguayo’s future in Tampa Bay with Bucs general manager Jason Licht this offseason at the 2017 Reese’s Senior Bowl.

“We will do everything we can to bring in the best competition at that position,” Licht said. “I think Dirk [Koetter] even said he’s not locked into this roster. He needs to have a great camp just like all of our players, but we will continue to find the best competition that we can and ultimately have the best kicker that we can on this roster – whether it’s him or somebody else.”

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Bucs K Roberto Aguayo – Photo by: Getty Images

While admitting Aguayo’s roster spot is not assured in 2017, Licht remains hopeful that his second-round pick will rise to the occasion.

“I do have confidence that he’s going to be better,” Licht said. “I have confidence that he’s going to come out and he’s going to improve. Once again, he should be out here [at the Senior Bowl], too. He realizes now that this is a job and he’s got 52 other players that are relying on him – not that he was never committed because he’s been committed but it’s just a maturation thing for him too. It’s part of growing into that position and just your whole routine is different than any other position on the field because you’re a lone wolf.

“One guy that’s going to be very good for him is [Bryan] Anger. Anger’s a very mature guy and he’s taking him under his wing. I know that those two are doing a lot of work this offseason together, so that’s a good thing.”

• Second-year Falcons defensive tackle Grady Jarrett had quite a game in Super Bowl LI, recording three sacks for Atlanta in the losing cause. Jarrett, Atlanta’s fifth-round pick in 2015, had three sacks during the 2016 regular season and tied that total in the Super Bowl, dominating Patriots guard Shaq Mason. So is Jarrett, whom the Bucs liked in last year’s draft, ready to become an elite defensive lineman after his breakout performance?

Maybe. Maybe not.

Remember that Carolina defensive end Kony Ealy had three sacks and an interception in Super Bowl 50 last year in his own breakout performance, but only had five sacks in 16 games for the Panthers last year. Ealy started out strong with a sack in the first two games of the 2016 campaign, but didn’t record a QB capture during the final seven games of the season.

• Congratulations are in order for Ben Steele, the new tight ends coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Steele, who has been on the Bucs staff as an offensive quality control coach since arriving in 2014, has paid his dues, working with the tight ends alongside Jon Embree, who left to become the tight ends coach and assistant head coach of the San Francisco 49ers.

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Bucs TEs coach Ben Steele – Photo courtesy of the Buccaneers

Steele coached under former Bucs offensive coordinator Jeff Tedford at the University of California, and was brought to Tampa Bay by Tedford, yet survived even after Tedford and the Bucs parted ways. Steele was retained by incoming offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter in 2015 and eventually promoted to replace Embree.

Steele got the opportunity to learn from one of the best tight ends coaches in the business, and played a role in helping Cameron Brate emerge as a big-time weapon on offense. Steele, who played tight end for San Francisco, Oakland, Seattle, Minnesota, Green Bay and Houston from 2001-07, will likely get the chance to help develop another young tight end as the Bucs are considering selecting a tight end early in the 2017 NFL Draft.

• As Tampa Bay Times Bucs beat writer Greg Auman noted earlier this week, New England head coach Bill Belichick has never won a game in Tampa Bay before, but will get that chance when the Patriots come to town to play the Buccaneers in 2017. In fact, the Bucs will play both Super Bowl participants in Tampa Bay for the second straight year as they host New England and division rival Atlanta.

Last year, the Bucs hosted Denver and Carolina, an NFC South foe, at Raymond James Stadium. The Broncos beat the Bucs, 27-7, but Tampa Bay prevailed over the Panthers, 17-16, in the 2016 season finale.

• If you are a loyal PewterReport.com reader I encourage you to follow us on social media. Please follow us on Twitter by clicking here, and on Facebook by clicking here. We appreciate your support, Bucs fans.

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