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Pewter Report’s Scott Reynolds answers your questions from the @PewterReport Twitter account each week in the Bucs Mailbag. Submit your question to the Bucs Mailbag each week via Twitter using the hashtag #PRMailbag.  Here are the Bucs draft questions we chose to answer for this week’s edition.

QUESTION: Where do you think Ryan Neal fits in? He played all over but mostly as a box safety in Seattle, which makes sense for the Bucs.

Bucs S Ryan Neal – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

ANSWER: The Bucs will look to play Ryan Neal at strong safety in his first season in Tampa Bay. With his 6-foot-3, 200-pound frame, Neal is a big safety and a hard hitter. His size is somewhere in between Jordan Whitehead and Keanu Neal and that’s ideal for Todd Bowles’ scheme, which likes to have an enforcer-type at strong safety.

But Neal is also rangy enough to play some at free safety. Because the Bucs play more Cover 3 instead of Cover 2, they typically deploy a single-high safety. That will usually be Antoine Winfield Jr. because Todd Bowles wants to use his vision and ball skills as a centerfielder more this year to create more interceptions. However, Winfield is also one of the best blitzing defensive backs in the league and recorded a career-high four sacks last year.

That means that Neal will also have to move back and play some single-high safety when Winfield is moved into position to blitz from the box or the slot. Neal earned an 85.7 pass coverage grade from Pro Football Focus, and has three interceptions and 16 passes broken up in his career, including eight last season. He’s more than capable of making plays in coverage down the field, making him a dual threat at safety. But he does his best work in the box and that’s where he’ll be used the most.

QUESTION: If Antoine Winfield Jr. plays at a Pro Bowl level at free safety and Ryan Neal plays as well as he did last year in Seattle, do the Bucs have the best pair of safeties in the league?

Bucs S Antoine Winfield, Jr. – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

ANSWER: It’s really early to make that assumption. Antoine Winfield Jr. had a very good rookie season in 2020, helping the Bucs win Super Bowl LV. Then he followed that up with a truly remarkable Pro Bowl season in 2021, as he earned an 86.1 grade from Pro Football Focus. Last year was a solid year for Winfield, but he played a great deal of nickelback in the slot and didn’t make as many plays on the ball as a result. He’s still regarded as one of the league’s best up-and-coming safeties.

As for Ryan Neal, he’s coming off a breakthrough season in Seattle where he earned an 85.6 overall grade from PFF. He’s shown the ability to be a do-it-all safety, capable of stuffing the run, making plays in coverage and also blitzing from the slot. The big question is can he follow up his brilliant 2022 season and consistently play at a high level? And also, how quickly can he pick up Todd Bowles defense and star in it?

If Winfield can have another 2021 season in 2023 and Neal can repeat last year’s season this year, then it’s not out of the question for this dynamic duo to be considered one of the league’s best. Staying healthy and playing in all 17 games will be paramount for both players. Neal missed three games last year and Winfield missed four. But objectively speaking, Buffalo’s Jordan Poyer and Micah Hyde might be the league’s best safety duo, followed by Tennessee’s Kevin Byard and Amani Hooker. Winfield and Neal have the chance to be the best in the NFC, though.

QUESTION: Will the Bucs sign a veteran running back – maybe Dalvin Cook or Ezekiel Elliott? We seem young and thin on the depth chart behind Rachaad White.

Bucs RB Sean Tucker – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

ANSWER: While it’s tempting for Tampa Bay to consider adding a proven veteran runner to the roster, the Bucs really like Rachaad White’s potential and don’t want to stunt his growth. Former offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich liked to lean on veterans as opposed to rookies. That’s why we saw more of – and probably too much – Leonard Fournette and not enough White last year. It was the same thing with Cam Brate and Cade Otton at tight end with Leftwich last year.

So White will get the first crack at the starting running back job under new offensive coordinator Dave Canales, who loves White’s skillset. Remember, White’s only 100-yard game last year came against Canales’ Seahawks team last year in Germany. Canales had a front-row seat to watch White top the century mark and throw a wicked stiff arm. And the Bucs did sign a veteran in Chase Edmonds, who will compete with Ke’Shawn Vaughn for the backup job. Edmonds is a quick, slashing runner who is a good scheme fit for Canales’ mid-zone and wide zone scheme.

While Dalvin Cook would also be a great fit in Tampa Bay, the Bucs simply can’t afford him. The recently released Cook, who was scheduled to make $10.4 million in Minnesota, will command north of $7 million from some team – possibly Miami. Ezekiel Elliott would have to have his price tag come down to the $1 million range so the Bucs could afford him. But even if it did, I think the Bucs would rather see what their young stable of backs can do this year. Vaughn is in a contract year and Edmonds signed a one-year deal. Both will be plenty motivated to make the most of their opportunities.

The real wild card is undrafted free agent Sean Tucker. The former Syracuse back went undrafted because of a heart condition that was detected at the NFL Scouting Combine. That condition is clearing up and he should be medically cleared to practice by – or during – training camp. Tucker’s running style is a great scheme fit and the Bucs feel he and White could develop into a 1-2 punch for years to come in Tampa Bay.

QUESTION: Who are the Top 10 coaches and GMs in the NFL? And where would you rank Todd Bowles and Jason Licht?

Bucs GM Jason Licht and head coach Todd Bowles – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

ANSWER: Pro Football Network came out with their ranking of the top coaches in the NFL and I agree with their Top 10. Kansas City’s Andy Reid and New England’s Bill Belichick are the top two, followed by Baltimore’s John Harbaugh, Pittsburgh’s Mike Tomlin, Denver’s Sean Payton, L.A.’s Sean McVay, Philadelphia’s Nick Sirianni, San Francisco’s Kyle Shanahan, Buffalo’s Sean McDermott and Seattle’s Pete Carroll.

You can reorder the rankings if you want, but it’s hard to find fault with that list. Pro Football Network had Todd Bowles as the No. 27 head coach, just below Las Vegas’ Josh McDaniels and just ahead of Chicago’s Matt Eberflus, New Orleans’ Dennis Allen and the three first-year head coaches. This is a big year for Bowles, who is coming off an 8-9 debut and a playoff loss. I’m more bullish on Bowles and would have him ranked in the middle of the pack. The recent hire of unproven offensive coordinator Dave Canales will be the sink-or-swim move for Bowles and the Bucs this season.

As for general manager Jason Licht, he ranked significantly higher than Bowles. According to Pro Football Network’s rankings, Licht came in at No. 6 on the list. He was just behind Philadelphia’s Howie Roseman, Kansas City’s Brett Veatch, Buffalo’s Brandon Beane, Baltimore’s Eric DeCosta and L.A.’s Les Snead. I think Licht has proven to be a Top 5 general manager in the league with a Super Bowl victory and back-to-back division championships to show for it over the last three years. NFL.com’s Gregg Rosenthal had Licht significantly lower at No. 17, and I think that’s way off base.