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

QUESTION: What can the Bucs do to make sure Liam Coen never leaves Tampa Bay?

Bucs OC Liam Coen and Tom Brady – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

ANSWER: How can the Bucs make sure that offensive coordinator Liam Coen doesn’t leave the organization? Take away his cell phone and shut down his e-mail address, I guess! It was surprising how Carolina hired last year’s offensive coordinator, Dave Canales, after just one season in Tampa Bay – and after just one season as an offensive play-caller at any level. But Canales’ charisma was infectious, and his relationship with general manager Dan Morgan from their days in Seattle played a large role in him getting hired away.

The problem the Bucs will face in trying to keep Coen is that Coen’s offense is better and more dynamic, and he’s a much better play-caller. The results speak for themselves, as Coen’s offense has scored 30 points or more in four out of the first six games of the 2024 season. Tampa Bay only scored 30 points or more a total of four times in all of last year, including a 32-9 win over Philadelphia in the playoffs, and not once before Week 9. Coen also exhibits great leadership qualities and exudes confidence when he speaks. He knows how to command a room and will be a very good head coaching candidate sooner rather than later.

Bucs fans hope it’s later, as his offense currently ranks ninth in total offense (367.2 avg.), 11th in passing yardage (232.8 avg.), eighth in rushing (136.8 avg.) and second in scoring (29.7 avg.). The last time we saw Tampa Bay’s offense average 30 points per game, it was winning a Super Bowl in 2020 and winning a franchise-record 13 games in 2021. The thought of losing Coen after this season is downright scary, and if that were to occur, it would mean that the Bucs would embark on hiring their fourth offensive coordinator in just the span of four years. That’s certainly not ideal.

Bucs QB Baker Mayfield and OC Liam Coen – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

To answer the question, if the Bucs want to ensure Coen doesn’t leave Tampa Bay, the team could open up the checkbook and make him the highest-paid offensive coordinator. It could also point to Carolina where Canales is struggling with a 1-5 record and point out that sometimes the grass isn’t always greener and convince Coen to hang around for the right opportunity like Detroit has been able to do with offensive coordinator Ben Johnson. But there could be an attractive opening that might not require such a heavy rebuild, such as Dallas, which has fallen to 3-3, or Jacksonville, which is 1-5, but not as bad of a team as it seems right now.

The Bucs could try to convince Coen that he would be the heir apparent to Todd Bowles, who turns 61 later this year, but what if Bowles keeps winning division championships and making runs at another Super Bowl? Bowles has hinted he’s getting closer to retirement, but hasn’t put an expiration date on his head coaching career just yet.

The best thing the Bucs can do is just to enjoy Coen while they have him and hope for the best. I saw his greatness early, which is why I wrote an SR’s Fab 5 column titled Liam Coen’s Offense Is A Huge Upgrade For The Bucs back in July prior to training camp. Everyone is seeing it now with his offense on full display.

QUESTION: Bucky Irving has to be RB1 now without a doubt, right?

ANSWER: No, not necessarily. Bucky Irving has been Mr. Consistent at the running back for the Bucs during his rookie year, and he’s the team’s leading rusher with 328 yards, averaging a whopping 5.7 yards per carry. He has averaged 4.9 yards per carry or more in every game but one this year, which shows remarkable consistency. Here’s a look at what Irving has done in his first six games in Tampa Bay as a rusher.

Bucs RB Bucky Irving – Photo by: USA Today

Week 1 – vs. Washington: 9 carries, 62 yards (6.9 avg.)
Week 2 – at Detroit: 7 carries, 22 yards (3.1 avg.)
Week 3 – vs. Denver: 9 carries, 70 yards (7.8 avg.)
Week 4 – vs. Philadelphia: 10 carries, 49 yards (4.9 avg.), TD
Week 5 – at Atlanta: 9 carries, 44 yards (4.9 avg.)
Week 6 – at New Orleans: 14 carries, 81 yards (5.8 avg.), TD

But the question shouldn’t be whether Irving should be the starter over Rachaad White, who is averaging just 3.7 yards per carry and missed the Saints game with an ankle sprain. Irving should be in contention for the starting role now that we have a six-game sample size. But he shouldn’t be competing with White. Irving should be competing with Sean Tucker for the RB1 role.

Bucs RB Sean Tucker – Photo by: USA Today

With White out of action, Tucker burst onto the scene in New Orleans as the backup running back behind Irving, rushing for a game-high and career-high 136 yards on 14 carries and a touchdown. Tucker had three catches for 56 yards, including a nifty 36-yard touchdown reception on an outlet pass. He amassed 192 yards and two touchdowns while averaging nearly 10 yards per carry. How in the world can the Bucs coaches in their right mind send Tucker back to the bench – relegating him to RB3 status again – after that performance?

You can’t put the genie back in the bottle. We’ve seen Tucker’s vision, explosion and speed now with more than a dozen carries in a game. You can’t unsee it. Offensive coordinator Liam Coen has said he wants to running backs to run like they are shot out of a cannon. Well, that’s exactly how Tucker runs, and to a certain extent how Irving, who has ripped off three 30-yard runs, also runs. White is a more deliberate, patient runner – and at times too patient.

White has a role on this team, but maybe more as a supporting actor for now. Tampa Bay’s Buck & Tuck Show debuted in New Orleans and looks like a hit. I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to see episode No. 2.

QUESTION: Should the Bucs explore trading Rachaad White before the deadline in an attempt to go “all-in” this year?

Bucs RB Rachaad White – Photo by: USA Today

ANSWER: No. Depth rules in the NFL. It’s not just the most talented teams that usually excel in football, but also the deepest teams. Injuries are going to happen across the league and every team’s depth will be tested at some point in every season. With the Bucs now having three productive running backs on the team in Bucky Irving, Sean Tucker and Rachaad White, the team seems to have an embarrassment of riches at the position. That’s worth hanging on to, especially given the nature of the running back position and the pounding they take.

White didn’t miss a single game last year and was the wire-to-wire starter for all 19 games, including the postseason. He finished fourth among all running backs with 1,539 yards from scrimmage last year, rushing for 990 yards with 549 receiving yards. That’s a lot of production. While he hasn’t found the same success running the ball that Bucky Irving has running the ball with a 5.7-yard average, White is too valuable to trade away right now.

Remember, he missed Sunday’s game in New Orleans with an ankle sprain. That same type of injury can befell Irving or Sean Tucker on any given play. For a team like Tampa Bay that has struggled to find success running the ball recently, it’s better to have three capable backs that just one or two on the roster. Besides, I’m not sure White has a ton of trade value right now. He was a third-round pick for a reason. White is not overly explosive as a runner. I’m not sure general manager Jason Licht could even fetch a third-round pick for him right now, as running backs are considered to be dime-a-dozen. The real value is keeping White around.

QUESTION: What’s the deal with Mike Evans and what can the Bucs do to get him more involved?

Bucs WR Mike Evans Photo by: USA Today

ANSWER: Mike Evans is dealing with a slight knee injury and a hamstring injury, but he was a true gamer on Sunday and battled through it until the end even though he wasn’t at full strength. Thankfully for Evans in New Orleans, the team didn’t have to count on him to do the heavy lifting in the Bucs’ 51-27 win over the Saints. Chris Godwin continued to be the leading wide receiver with 11 catches for 125 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

Evans did get involved early, catching Baker Mayfield’s first pass and finishing the first drive with two receptions for 34 yards. After a crazy second quarter that saw the Bucs blow an early 17-0 lead and trail at halftime, 27-24, the Bucs erupted in the second half and outscored the Saints, 27-0, mostly due to the team’s ground game, which racked up 277 yards rushing. Evans didn’t need to be featured or targeted much as the game went on and finished with the two catches for 34 yards that he had on the first drive.

I know fans are getting anxious over the fact that Evans isn’t on pace for 1,000 yards right now. With 25 catches for 310 yards through six games, Evans is on pace for 878 receiving yards, but there is plenty of time for him to make up some ground. As Fox Sports’ Greg Auman points out, Evans has been in this position before and still managed to produce 1,000-yard seasons.

The good news for Evans is that he is tied for the NFL lead in touchdown production at five with teammate Chris Godwin. Both are on pace for 14 touchdowns this season, which would tie Evans’ single-season Tampa Bay record, which was set in 2021.

QUESTION: With how well Robert Hainsey played at center would it make sense to slide Graham Barton into the left guard slot to both allow things to slow down for him a little while upgrading the weakest link on the O-line?

Bucs RB Sean Tucker and C Robert Hainsey – Photo by: USA Today

ANSWER: When the Bucs drafted Duke left tackle Graham Barton in the first round, I thought the team had selected him to play left guard and fill the void that was created after Tampa Bay moved on from Matt Feiler and Aaron Stinnie. Yet the team came out and said that Barton would be moving to center, a position he started five games at during his freshman season in 2020. That made sense as the Bucs wanted to get bigger, stronger and more athletic at center, as there was a drop off in play from Pro Bowler Ryan Jensen to Robert Hainsey, who took over Jensen in the 2022-23 seasons.

Barton spent all offseason and training camp at center and that’s where the team sees his future. The rookie is coming off his worst game at Atlanta where he suffered a hamstring strain, but has shown plenty of promise. I don’t anticipate Tampa Bay inserting Barton at left guard to supplant Ben Bredeson. I know that Bredeson hasn’t gotten high marks from Pro Football Focus, but the Bucs don’t think he’s a weak link on the offensive line. Not enough to replace him with Barton.

The Bucs are fortunate enough to have Hainsey, who is in a contract year, on the roster for situations like Sunday where Barton had to miss the game due to injury. A case could be made that the most talented five offensive linemen are offensive tackles Tristan Wirfs and Luke Goedeke, Barton and guard Cody Mauch and then perhaps Hainsey over Bredeson – but it’s close. There are times when Mauch’s inconsistent play might make him the weak link up front. All I know is that the Bucs amassed 594 yards of total offense, allowed just one sack and ran the ball for 277 yards and there really wasn’t a weak link along the line in New Orleans.