Entering year three of the Tom Brady era, the Bucs are once again Super Bowl contenders. After winning the Lombardi Trophy two seasons ago, they fell excruciatingly short in the NFC Divisional Round last year. Now, 2022 presents another chance for them to capitalize on having the greatest quarterback of all time on their roster.

Of course, this offseason hasn’t come without its challenges and uncertainties. Brady retired for 40 days in the spring. When he returned, Tampa Bay went through a coaching change. Bruce Arians stepped into a front office role and passed the mantle to longtime protégé Todd Bowles. There were also retirements for both Pro Bowl guard Ali Marpet and future Hall of Fame tight end Rob Gronkowski. Add in the usual free agency frenzy and new draft class and you have an extremely busy offseason for the Bucs’ front office.

So, with most roster moves over with and training camp only a few weeks away, how do things stand for Tampa Bay? Well, ESPN’s Ben Linsey just ranked all 32 NFL roster heading into 2022, and the Bucs fared well. He had them at No. 2, which was the top spot in the NFC. The Bills had the top spot in Linsey’s rankings. A potential Super Bowl matchup between Tampa Bay and Buffalo would certainly make sense.

Picking Out The Biggest Strength For The 2022 Bucs

Bucs G Shaq Mason – Photo by: USA Today

Linsey assessed each team’s strengths and weaknesses heading into the new season, with a particular focus on projected starting lineups. With Brady under center, the quarterback position feels like the Bucs’ biggest strength. But Linsey gave credit to the boys blocking up front, naming Tampa Bay’s offensive line as its biggest strength.

“The Buccaneers lost a quality starter at right guard in Alex Cappa and still managed to improve at the position by trading for Shaq Mason. The right side of their offensive line has a strong case for best in the NFL,” Linsey wrote. “Tristan Wirfs and Mason are both top-three players at their position in PFF’s wins above replacement (WAR) metric over the past two seasons.

“Add in Ryan Jensen’s return at center and the strides made by Donovan Smith at left tackle, and Tom Brady once again will have one of the best offensive lines in the league entering 2022.”

This is the first time the Bucs have seen turnover along their offensive line in the last couple of years. All five starters from the Super Bowl season returned in 2021. Now, two of them are gone. With Marpet’s retirement and Alex Cappa’s departure in free agency, the Bucs suddenly had two open guard spots. But they’ve done exceptionally well in filling them. Trading a late draft pick to New England for Shaq Mason arguably upgraded the right guard position. Meanwhile, Aaron Stinnie, Luke Goedeke and Robert Hainsey are among those competing for the left guard spot. All three guys have a case to win the job, and Tampa Bay likely feels good about any of them winning it.

Two new guards join a phenomenal core on the offensive line. Ryan Jensen re-signed, ensuring that one of football’s best centers is still around to anchor the unit. And with All-Pro Tristan Wirfs manning the right guard position and the perennially underrated Donovan Smith holding down the left, you can see why Linsey likes the Buccaneer offensive line.

Resorting To Nitpicking For A Weakness

Finding a weakness on Tampa Bay’s roster is difficult. Linsey admits as much.

“You have to poke around to find weaknesses on a roster as strong as Tampa Bay’s,” he wrote.

Bucs DT Logan Hall – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Ultimately, Linsey settled on the Bucs’ reliance on youth and inexperience as their biggest deficiency.

“The Bucs have lost some veteran depth at a couple of spots and will be relying on younger, more inexperienced players to step up,” he wrote. “That’s the case on the defensive front, where recent draft picks such as Joe Tryon-Shoyinka and Logan Hall will be asked to fill roles held by Jason Pierre-Paul and Ndamukong Suh, though the recent addition of Akiem Hicks certainly helps.

“On offense, the same can be said for rookie tight end Cade Otton filling the void left by O.J. Howard and Rob Gronkowski.”

It’s a fair assessment, but it’s clear that the Bucs feel good about their young up-and-comers. Tryon-Shoyinka is a breakout candidate in his second season, while much is expected of rookie Logan Hall. At the same time, Hall has Hicks there to rotate with, so there’s not a ton of pressure on him to produce at the highest levels right away.

More Love For Tryon-Shoyinka Ahead Of Year Two

There’s no shortage of analysts and outlets tagging Tryon-Shoyinka as a player to watch for the Bucs in 2022. It’s not hard to see why. With Jason Pierre-Paul gone after four strong seasons in Tampa, Tryon-Shoyinka is getting a chance to play the starter’s share of snaps on the other side of two-time Pro Bowl selection. Shaquil Barrett. And after a solid rookie season, the 2021 first-round pick seems primed to take a bigger role in the defense and run with it.

Bucs OLB Joe Tryon-Shoyinka – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Linsey agrees, as evidenced by his pick for Tampa Bay’s “x-factor for 2022.”

“Tryon-Shoyinka, Tampa Bay’s first-round selection in the 2021 NFL draft, played 608 defensive snaps while working behind Shaquil Barrett and Pierre-Paul in 2021,” Linsey wrote. “He wasn’t able to generate consistent pressure (9.8% pressure rate) in his time on the field, but he’ll be counted on to make an impact as a starter in 2022. The physical tools are there for him to make that second-year leap.”

As a rookie, the former Washington standout was impressive. He finished with four sacks, but was a combined few seconds away from potentially picking up at least three or four more. There’s a lot to love about the player and the type of athlete he is, and the Bucs are expecting a lot of him this year.