INTRO: On what started off as the happiest of days with the announcement of Pro Bowl left tackle Tristan Wirfs becoming the highest-paid offensive lineman in NFL history, Thursday’s practice ended on a very grim and solemn note when star pass rusher Yaya Diaby went down with a left ankle injury that required him to be carted off by team trainers.

Diaby was down on the ground for several minutes as teammates knelt in prayer around him while Bobby Slater and the Bucs medical staff assessed the situation. The injury happened in the final period during the two-minute drill.

Thankfully, the Bucs avoided a disaster as Diaby’s injury is not season-ending. So breathe a sigh of relief and enjoy this training camp version of SR’s Fab 5 as I talk about Diaby and the need for other edge rushers to step up in his absence, among other topics.

FAB 1. Losing Yaya Diaby Would’ve Been A Disaster For Bucs

Crisis averted.

Bucs outside linebacker Yaya Diaby suffered a left ankle injury at the end of Thursday’s practice, which turned out to be a high ankle sprain. That injury will sideline Diaby for four-to-six weeks, but he should be ready to roll by the season opener when Washington comes to town on September 8.

The Bucs medical staff quickly determined that Diaby, who had to be carted off the field, didn’t suffer a torn Achilles tendon, which would have been a season-ending injury. X-rays later determined that there was also no ankle fracture.

Whew!

Bucs HC Todd Bowles and OLB Yaya Diaby – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Tampa Bay just lost new guard Sua Opeta to a torn ACL injury on Tuesday night. That was a tough injury as Opeta was battling Ben Bredeson for the starting left guard spot, but not insurmountable. Bredeson was leading the competition and taking most of the starting reps.

Losing Diaby would have been a disaster for the Bucs and Todd Bowles’ defense. Not only was last year’s third-round pick the leading sacker last season with 7.5 quarterback captures, Diaby was clearly the best defensive player through the first week of training camp.

Simply put, Diaby has been dominant, and was giving fits to offensive tackles Tristan Wirfs, Luke Goedeke and Justin Skule every day in practice and piling up would-be sacks. It’s clear that the time Diaby has put in the weight room to increase his strength, in the Pilates classes to increase his flexibility and agility, in the film room getting a better understanding of Bowles’ system, and on the practice field honing his pass rush moves have paid off.

But the fact that Diaby has been head and shoulders above all other edge rushers has been a bit concerning. Had Tampa Bay lost him for the season, the Bucs’ pass rush would’ve taken a huge hit. He’s simply on another level right now that no other Bucs edge rusher is on. There is a real chance that Diaby will not only lead the team in sacks again this season, but that he could hit double digit sacks given his exceptional and unique combination of size, speed, strength and raw power.

Simply put, there is no replacement for Diaby on the Bucs’ current roster. He’s truly irreplaceable and a vital cog to Tampa Bay’s defense, which wants to get better with its four-man pass rush this year so Bowles can blitz when he wants to and not have to rely on blitzes to generate pressure.

Bucs OLB YaYa Diaby and 49ers QB Brock Purdy – Photo by: USA Today

While there is no doubt that the time off the field rehabbing and recovery from this injury will inhibit the progress he could be making on the practice field and in the preseason games, the strides that Diaby has already made make me believe he’ll pick right up where he left off once he is healthy again.

It would have been fun to see the strides Diaby could have made this August in camp and in the exhibition games, but keeping him out of the preseason now ensures that he’ll be healthy at the start of the regular season when it matters the most.

Defensive tackle Calijah Kancey, last year’s first-round pick, missed all of training camp and the preseason and essentially the first four games of the regular season with a serious calf strain. When he finally re-entered the starting lineup, he recorded a sack in his return to action against Detroit in Week 6.

Perhaps that same situation occurs for Diaby when he returns to action in Week 1 against the Washington Commanders.

Look out, Jayden Daniels.

FAB 2. Yaya Diaby’s Injury Could Be A Blessing In Disguise

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

Let me be clear – Bucs outside linebacker Yaya Diaby suffering a high ankle sprain is not a good thing. Nobody wanted to see that happen.

But the fact that it has happened leads us to look at the ramifications of having No. 0 out of the lineup for the rest of training camp and the preseason. With no clear-cut starting candidate opposite Diaby in camp, there will be some extra reps to go around in his absence.

Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, who is the most experienced outside linebacker in Tampa Bay with 34 starts under his belt, is entering a contract year. He’s penciled in as a starter for now and has taken the starter reps opposite Diaby since OTAs. But Tryon-Shoyinka hasn’t put his name atop the depth chart in pen yet.

If the season starts without Diaby, head coach and defensive play-caller Todd Bowles would likely start his two veterans at outside linebacker – JTS and long-time reserve Anthony Nelson, who is entering his sixth season in Tampa Bay, and is also in a contract year. That is, unless someone else steps up in camp.

Bucs OLBs Chris Braswell, Eric Banks and Jose Ramirez – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Right now, the gap between Tryon-Shoyinka and Nelson and the rest of the team’s edge rushers is a big as the gap between Diaby, who is clearly the best outside linebacker on the team, and JTS and Nelly is.

The time is now for second-round pick Chris Braswell and a pair of second-year edge rushers in Markees Watts and Jose Ramirez to take advantage of the extra reps that will be available at Diaby’s expense. It’s time for one of them to make a move up the depth chart and really challenge Tryon-Shoyinka and Nelson for more playing time and perhaps the starting job opposite Diaby.

Braswell has struggled so far in camp, and that’s not uncommon for rookie edge rushers. Diaby didn’t come on strong until midway through his rookie season last year. His first sack didn’t come until Week 8 at Buffalo.

The Alabama product is still having a hard time hitting the one-man sled correctly in practice. Remember that Braswell played behind Will Anderson Jr. and Dallas Turner for years and didn’t really start until his senior season. He’s going to be another late bloomer like Diaby was.

Bucs OT Silas Dzansi and OLB Markees Watts – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Watts has struggled against the run in camp, but still shines as a pass rusher. He’s added more size and gotten up to 250 pounds this year, but was flattened on back-to-back running plays by tight end Ko Kieft and third-string left tackle Silas Dzansi during Monday’s fully-padded practice. Not a great look. Watts will need to continue to improve as a run defender to show Bowles and the team that he’s more than just a designated pass rusher only worthy of a handful of snaps per game on third downs.

Ramirez faces a similar challenge. He’s not as fast and electric as Watts is as a pass rusher, and he’s also not big enough to set the edge in the run game quite yet. Both he and Watts have had some good reps and some sacks in camp, but neither has begun to really stack reps and stack days enough to make a move up the depth chart.

With Diaby’s absence in August, we will see some natural elevation on Tampa Bay’s edge rusher depth chart. Tryon-Shoyinka and Nelson will likely be the starters in the preseason, and Braswell and either Watts or Ramirez will be on the second string. We’ll see which outside linebacker – or outside linebackers – can take advantage of a few more reps with Diaby out of action.

FAB 3. Bucs 2024 Rookie Class Should Field Four Eventual Starters

Ask any general manager about the draft and he’ll say that the hope – and perhaps the expectation – of any given draft class is to find two immediate quality starters and find a few depth pieces – with perhaps another starter emerging from that group over time. If that happens, most teams are quite happy. That’s usually a very successful draft.

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

The more a team wins with a talented roster, the less reliant it is on finding starters through the draft. That’s why it’s wild to think that a team like Tampa Bay that won its third straight division title and a total of 10 games last year, including a Wild Card home playoff win over Philadelphia, will wind up with four starters out of the 2024 draft class.

That’s right – four starters from this year’s draft class.

Graham Barton, the team’s first-round pick, will be the starting center, supplanting Robert Hainsey. Barton is on his way to becoming an eventual Pro Bowl center. All he needs is playing time and experience for that to happen. He’s the real deal.

Both of the Bucs’ third-round picks, wide receiver Jalen McMillan and defensive back Tykee Smith will also be rookie starters. McMillan has a firm grip on the WR3 role. He’s been spectacular in camp, showing off sure hands, steady route-running and a knack for making big plays and catching touchdowns. Liam Coen’s offense will feature a lot of 11 personnel usage (one back, one tight end, three receivers), so the team’s No. 3 receiver on the depth chart will be a starter.

Smith is the front-runner for the nickel cornerback job. He played the Star position at Georgia, which is a hybrid safety/nickelback role, and he’s impressed Todd Bowles with his heady play and strong football I.Q. Smith is also an excellent blitzer. Tavierre Thomas has three interceptions in camp and is giving Smith a run for his money, but it looks like Christian Izien, last year’s starting slot cornerback, seems destined to be the backup free safety this season.

Bucs DB Tykee Smith – Photo by Cliff Welch/PR

As previously mentioned, outside linebacker Chris Braswell, the team’s second-round pick, looks like he’ll be a late bloomer. If he makes rapid improvement in the preseason, he could wind up starting opposite Diaby sooner rather than later. But remember that Diaby didn’t become a starter until late November. So I think Braswell will follow a similar path and wind up as a starter by the end of the year.

Oh, and running back Bucky Irving, Tampa Bay’s fourth-round pick, will also see plenty of playing time. He’s really been impressive running and catching the ball in the first week of camp, and Irving has held up well in pass protection, too. I don’t think he’ll unseat Rachaad White as a starter during his rookie season, but Irving figures to get plenty of snaps this fall.

Considering that general manager Jason Licht drafted five starters from the 2022 class in right tackle Luke Goedeke (second round), running back Rachaad White (third round), tight end Cade Otton (fourth round), punter Jake Camarda (fourth round) and cornerback Zyon McCollum (fifth round), and then found three more in last year’s draft class in defensive tackle Calijah Kancey (first round), right guard Cody Mauch (second round) and Diaby (third round), landing four more starters in the draft at this point is simply incredible.

FAB 4. Bucs Have An Interesting – And Deep – O-Line Room

Bucs OT Silas Dzansi and OL Brandon Walton – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

I’m really excited to see Tampa Bay’s offensive line perform in the preseason. The season-ending injury to guard Sua Opeta stings for sure, but Jason Licht, John Spytek, Mike Biehl, Rob McCartney and the team’s scouts have done a good job of getting some quality NFL-caliber talent in the offensive line room.

It usually takes offensive linemen a few years to truly develop into competent performers. Once a lineman has come from college and hits an NFL weight room to add the necessary size and strength to go up against grown men – and “grown man strength” is definitely a thing in the trenches – talent will ultimately determine if he can become a starting-caliber player or just a reserve.

The instant success of linemen like Pro Bowl left tackle Tristan Wirfs and former Pro Bowl guard Ali Marpet is the exception, not the norm. Typically, it takes a year or two or three for linemen to truly develop. Guys like Alex Cappa, Luke Goedeke and Cody Mauch are examples of that slow and steady growth over time.

Playing time is truly the best teacher. There is no substitute for experience. So, the true development of veteran reserves like tackles Justin Skule and Brandon Walton, who will also see some time at guard now with Opeta’s injury, is something that will continue to take place in the preseason. Skule appears to be a lock to be the swing tackle again this year due to his experience, but the Bucs also have some intriguing, young tackle prospects.

Bucs LT Lorenz Metz and OLB Jose Ramirez – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Silas Dzansi, who spent all of last year on the practice squad, has had his moments in training camp this year. A big, powerful tackle out of Virginia Tech at 6-foot-5, 335 pounds, he has shown the ability to play either left or right in practice. He’s proven to be a people-mover at times in the run game and is adept enough at pass protection to stick around.

Lorenz Metz, who hails from Germany and is the Bucs’ international player, is a 6-foot-9, 310-pound left tackle whose frame is reminiscent of that of former Tampa Bay right tackle Demar Dotson. If Metz, who is a 27-year-old from Cincinnati, can show that his feet are quick enough to pair with his immense wingspan, he could be a candidate for the practice squad as a developmental prospect like Dzansi was last year.

The other reserve offensive lineman who is coming on strong is rookie Elijah Klein, Tampa Bay’s sixth-round pick. He was working as Mauch’s backup at right guard until Opeta’s injury. Now, he’s getting snaps at left guard too, and could eventually push newcomer Ben Bredeson for the starting job if he levels up during the preseason.

Bucs G Elijah Klein – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Klein’s forte is run blocking, but he’s proven to be more than adequate as a pass protector so far. Opeta’s injury likely means that Klein makes the 53-man roster as a reserve just from a numbers standpoint.

So when you consider the fact that the Bucs have quality starters like Goedeke, Mauch, Tristan Wirfs, Graham Barton, and some experienced linemen like Bredeson and Robert Hainsey, along with Skule, Walton and Klein – that’s nine linemen. Tampa Bay will keep nine or 10 offensive linemen, so there is a chance that either Metz or Dzansi makes the 53-man roster.

Or perhaps there is a surprise in the preseason and one of the rookies like guards Avery Jones or Xavier Delgado, or last year’s practice squader Luke Haggard, winds up making the team. It seems like the Bucs have more quality depth along the offensive line, but we’ll know more about this unit once the preseason commences.

FAB 5. Finding Roles For Veterans Chase Edmonds And Sterling Shepard

Veteran running back Chase Edmonds has missed every training camp practice since suffering an undisclosed injury during the first practice. Edmonds is 28 and has a reputation for being oft-injured. But he brings value to the Bucs by being the most experienced guy in the running backs room.

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

Yet is that enough to keep him on the 53-man roster this year, especially since Tampa Bay drafted a promising, young player like Bucky Irving in the fourth round? Edmonds is likely too old and injury prone to be counted on as a core special teams player. He was Rachaad White’s backup last year, so he wasn’t too involved in special teams.

But third-string running backs typically must play on special teams to be worth keeping around. Second-year player Sean Tucker looks like he’s coming on in training camp as he’s had four consecutive days with impressive runs. He could be considered the current leader for RB3 with rookies D.J. Williams and Ramon Jefferson also flashing at times.

Edmonds’ penchant for getting injured, his age and his limited ability to play on special teams might cause the team to keep a younger back on the roster if Tampa Bay decides to keep four runners, which it may or may not do. If Edmonds’ experience and willingness to help the Bucs’ younger backs is valued, he may be brought back to the practice squad in a mentor role.

The same thing could happen to veteran Sterling Shepard, who was signed during the mandatory mini-camp in June. The first four receiver spots seem set with Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, rookie Jalen McMillan and Trey Palmer. Tampa Bay will keep five and perhaps six receivers this year.

Rakim Jarrett and rookie sensation Kameron Johnson are vying for those spots with the 30-year old Shepard. Do the Bucs want to keep a veteran like Shepard, who will likely only be around for this year, on the 53-man roster? Or does the team value making an investment in a younger, faster and perhaps an eventually more talented receiver for the long haul?

Bucs QB Baker Mayfield and WR Sterling Shepard – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

And at age 30, does Shepard want to play on special teams at this stage of his career? Can he effectively run and cover kicks and punts at his age?

Whoever fills out the depth chart at the WR5 and WR6 spots will have to be contributors on special teams, otherwise that player – or players if the team keeps six – will be inactive on game days. Right now, Shepard is performing better than Jarrett, and at times better than Palmer, who has struggled with drops, and Johnson, too.

But like Edmonds, if the Bucs value his experience more than anything else, Shepard might be best served as a veteran insurance policy on the practice squad like former Tampa Bay wide receiver David Moore was last year.

Remember what Todd Bowles has said. The team will keep the right 53, not necessarily the best 53. That could leave one – or both – of these aging veterans off the 53-man roster come September.