For this weekend’s Pewter Report Roundtable, the crew tackles another tough question. This week’s prompt: “If you could add any former Bucs player to the 2022 roster, who would it be?”

Scott Reynolds: I’m Replacing SMB With Barber In The Slot

When the topic of adding any former Bucs player to the current Tampa Bay roster came up, my first inclination was to pick Warren Sapp. I love defensive line play, and the thought of the QB Killa in his prime lined up next to Pro Bowl nose tackle Vita Vea was enticing. I’m a big Sapp fan, so it made sense. But I also believe the tandem of Akiem Hicks and Logan Hall can be an upgrade over the aging duo of Ndamukong Suh and Steve McLendon. I think the Bucs will actually be okay at defensive tackle this year. Hicks and Hall can combine for 8-12 sacks between them.

Legendary Bucs CB Ronde Barber – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

The biggest weakness I see on defense is at slot cornerback. Sean Murphy-Bunting got hurt in the first quarter against Dallas and missed half the season with a dislocated elbow. When he returned, he wasn’t the same and didn’t even record an interception. The Bucs added veteran Logan Ryan to serve as a safety net if Murphy-Bunting can’t step up in his contract year. But if I could, I would replace SMB with Bucs legend Ronde Barber. The future Hall of Famer is the prototype slot cornerback. And he’s made some of the franchise’s most memorable plays from there. His 92-yard pick-six at Philadelphia in the 2002 NFC Championship Game was the signature play in Bucs history.

Barber, who played 16 seasons in Tampa Bay, recorded 47 interceptions and 28 sacks in his illustrious career. Most of those big plays came from the slot. Barber, who is 5-foot-10, 180 pounds, doesn’t have the ideal height or length to play in Todd Bowles defense. But he’s gone up against some bigger, taller receivers and thrived throughout his career. Barber has matched up favorably against the likes of Minnesota’s Cris Carter and Jake Reed, Detroit’s Herman Moore and San Francisco’s Terrell Owens to name a few. So, why not have the greatest to ever do it in Bucs history step in and turn a perceived weakness into an immediate strength?

Matt Matera: Try Moving The Ball Down Field When You’re Visiting Revis Island

There’s been a lot of discussions and questions on whether cornerbacks on the Bucs can take the next step. Instead of playing the guessing game, why not just bring in one of the most dominant shutdown corners in NFL history? You add Darrelle Revis to a secondary that has him and Carlton Davis III as a one-two combo and the opposing offenses aren’t throwing the ball down the field. We all know that Todd Bowles can dial up crazy schemes on defense. I can only imagine what he could do with two lockdown corners. The additional turnovers from quarterbacks trying to get the ball out would be continuous.

Greg Schiano and Darrelle Revis – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Having Revis and Davis available to play one-on-one against their opponents’ top receivers opens up a ton of possibilities. You don’t even have to think twice that they’ll put each wideout on their own island. This allows for the rest of the defense to either double team third and fourth options or send the house on a blitz and play man coverage. We’ve also talked about the Bucs needing another second to get to the quarterback. Well this provides that outlet for Shaq Barrett, Vita Vea and others.

Revis is the greatest coverage corner in the NFL outside of Deion Sanders. Revis has this miraculous instinctual ability to anticipate a play and react to the ball before it’s even thrown. He didn’t just play great coverage against the league’s best receivers, he blanketed them. Revis played just one year with the Bucs, but if we’re talking him in his prime, you’re getting a future Hall of Famer with four All-Pros, seven Pro Bowls and an NFL All-Decade team to his name. They call him Revis Island for a reason. Given the quarterbacks and receivers the Bucs play against the season, they need that duo back there. Plus, Revis could show the way to Davis for how to be an All-Pro.

J.C. Allen: Bringing The Juice From The Edge

The Bucs are in pretty good shape at edge rusher with Pro Bowler Shaq Barrett and Joe Tryon-Shoyinka. But imagine how dangerous this team could be with Simeon Rice opposite Barrett. With the defensive line constructed as it is, Rice would feast on opposing quarterbacks.

Former Bucs DE Simeon Rice – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Over the course of his six years in Tampa Bay Rice was an absolute nuisance for opposing quarterbacks. His 69.5 sacks during that period is the third most in franchise history. And the only time he didn’t post double digit numbers during his tenure was the 2006 season when he missed eight games due to injury. Rice was also a turnover machine, causing 19 forced fumbles and an interception, while also turning in 39 pass breakups. Not just a problem for the quarterback, Rice was adept at penetrating the line for to blow up plays before they could even get started. He racked up 67 tackles for loss over the length of his time with the Bucs.

Adding the three time All-Pro to the edge room would give them bonafide bookends to get after the quarterback. His presence would be felt immediately. Rice’s ability to get home would take pressure off the secondary, making that unit better as well. While Tryon-Shoyinka is definitely the future at the position , having a mentor like Rice would be beneficial in his development. In fact, Rice was seen at training camp last year giving the, then rookie, advice. Always the physical specimen, Rice looked like he could lace them up today – even in his 40s – and still get 10 sacks.

Bailey Adams: Let Me Pretend Like The Bucs’ Most Recent Retirement Didn’t Happen

Scott’s Ronde Barber pick is probably the one that improves Tampa Bay’s roster the most. And let me just say, I’m extremely tempted to go with fan favorite Mike Alstott. Who doesn’t miss seeing him run over defenders and punch the ball into the end zone at the goal line? And I can’t be the only one who would love to see a revival of the fullback position in the present day NFL? Not to mention, he was a capable pass-catcher out of the backfield. He’s No. 6 on the franchise’s career receptions list, finishing his career with 305. But my actual pick, speaking of pass-catchers, is Rob Gronkowski. Let’s just say that June 21 retirement announcement never happened, shall we?

Bucs TE Rob Gronkowski – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Gronkowski has a case to be considered as the best tight end in NFL history. He’s a first-ballot Hall of Famer. So, with his retirement last month, the Bucs have a massive hole at the tight end position. The team has veteran Cameron Brate and a host of unproven players looking to fill the void left by Gronk. Fourth-round pick Cade Otton could turn out to be a big-time player for Tampa Bay. Sixth-round pick Ko Kieft is a strong blocker, while undrafted free agents Ben Beise and JJ Howland might have some promise. Codey McElroy, a practice squad tight end over the last few years, is also in the mix. But even if there is talent in that group, it’s clear that any of those guys are a step down from a tight end like Gronkowski. That’s why we’re bringing him back here.

It’s obviously not difficult to imagine this Bucs team with Gronk. See the 2020 and 2021 seasons and you’ll understand how much better the offense is with him. His effectiveness as a blocker is top-tier. It was evident that Tampa Bay missed that part of his game in the time he missed last year. And the value of his pass-catching ability speaks for itself. In 28 games with the Bucs over the last two seasons, he caught 100 passes for 1,425 yards (14.3 avg.) and 13 touchdowns. And in six playoff games, he posted 17 catches for 226 yards (13.3 avg.) and three touchdowns. It’s not a hard sell to add Gronk to this roster, and of the possibilities here, it is the most likely to happen. So, consider this speaking it into existence.