Pewter Report’s PR Roundtable
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A new Pewter Report Roundtable debuts every Tuesday on PewterReport.com. Each week, the Pewter Reporters tackle another tough Bucs question. This week’s prompt: Who has been the Bucs’ best free agent acquisition?

Scott Reynolds: Jacob Parrish Has Quickly Turned Into A Stud Cornerback

Both of Tampa Bay’s cornerbacks, Jacob Parrish and Zyon McCollum, have been studs this year in the secondary, but I’m going to show a little K-State bias here and go with Parrish for my best Bucs player. Parrish might be the best and most consistent player on Todd Bowles’ defense. While McCollum has four interceptions on the season to Parrish’s two, McCollum’s pair of picks at Chicago came on throwaway balls from Caleb Williams, who was trying to avoid getting sacked on those plays. McCollum deserves credit for those hustle plays, but neither interception truly came in coverage.

Bucs CBs Jacob Parrish and Keionte Scott – Photo by: IMAGN Images via Reuters Connect

Parrish leads the NFL with 14 pass breakups on the year, and his lone PBU at Chicago led to a second half interception by inside linebacker Alex Anzalone. My Bucs sources tell me that Parrish is considered to be the slightly better cornerback in the building, and the Pro Football Focus grades bear that out. Parrish is PFF’s top-graded Bucs defender this year with an 83.9 defensive grade. I don’t always agree with PFF, but this grade seems spot on to me, and he’s truly playing at a Pro Bowl level.

Parrish’s PFF coverage grade is 83.1, which is also the highest coverage grade of any Bucs defender. Parrish has only given up one touchdown this year, which came when he fell down in coverage against Minnesota’s Jordan Addison. Parrish might also be the surest tackler in Tampa Bay, too. He has a 77.5 run defense grade and a 70.8 tackling grade per PFF. Parrish is the Bucs’ fifth-leading tackler with 39 and is tied for second on the team with four tackles for loss.

Matt Matera: Chase “Money” McLaughlin Has Been Priceless 

There’s automatic, and then there’s what Chase McLaughlin is doing this season. The Bucs kicker has hit all 22 of his field goals and every single extra point. And it’s not just that he’s making kicks, McLaughlin is hitting them in the rain, in the wind, playing inside or outside on a sunny day. No matter the conditions, McLaughlin delivers.

Bucs K Chase McLaughlin and LT Tristan Wirfs – Photo by: IMAGN Images via Reuters Connect

We at Pewter Report call him Chase “Money” McLaughlin because he’s been absolute money. This makes it ironic that he feels like the only player that didn’t get a contract extension from the Bucs, even though he’s the most deserving of it. He did get some recognition, though, winning NFC Special Teams Player Of The Month in October. 

Of his 22 field goals made, 11 of them have come from 40 or 50 yards out, so it’s not like he’s hitting all chip shots. Plus, the 53-yard field goal he hit at the end of the fourth quarter against the Steelers to send the game into overtime shows that he’s also made kicks in the clutch this season. He’s the best player on the team and the Bucs need to pay him!

Adam Slivon: This Is The Best Version Of Luke Goedeke Yet

Luke Goedeke has developed nicely into one of the better right tackles across the league in recent seasons. Goedeke has taken another step forward this year as the most consistent Bucs offensive lineman. Now, that doesn’t mean he is surpassing Tristan Wirfs anytime soon in terms of sheer talent or playing ability, but “Luke The Lifter” is playing at a Pro Bowl level, and he has a chance at that distinction with the retirement of Philadelphia’s multi-year Pro Bowl right tackle Lane Johnson.

Bucs RT Luke Goedeke – Photo by: IMAGN Images via Reuters Connect

Goedeke returned to action from a calf injury in Week 8 against the Falcons and his presence was felt throughout the game as Bucky Irving and Kenny Gainwell helped set a franchise record with 324 rushing yards. No. 67 was the highest-graded lineman during that game as he set the tone with his blocks and wasn’t afraid to back up his quarterback, either. Goedeke got in between Baker Mayfield and Jessie Bates III before a skirmish could break out after Mayfield blocked the Falcons safety into the sidelines.

Put it all together, and Goedeke ranks as the 13th-best offensive tackle per Pro Football Focus with a career-high 76.8 grade. For an offense that has struggled to move the football through the air, the Bucs can at least hang their hat on having the best tackle duo in the NFL with both Wirfs and Goedeke playing at a Pro Bowl level.

Bailey Adams: Zyon McCollum Has Been The CB1 The Bucs Have Needed

As excellent as Jacob Parrish has been this season since moving from nickel to outside cornerback, Zyon McCollum has been just as outstanding on the other side. After a down season in 2025, he’s begun to live up to his contract and is playing like the CB1 the Bucs needed him to be coming into the season. He hasn’t been “bored” in coverage and has ascended into a reliable performer on a week-in-week-out basis. And for that, he deserves some consideration for team MVP honors for the first half of the season.

Bucs CB Zyon McCollum – Photo by: IMAGN Images via Reuters Connect

McCollum has been covering some of the top wide receivers in the league and has risen to the occasion with each challenge he’s faced. He handled Ja’Marr Chase in Week 1, dealt with Jerry Jeudy in Week 2, shut down Christian Watson in Week 4, allowed ZERO yards to CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens over 15 matchups in Week 5 and took care of Tetairoa McMillan in Week 7 and Drake London in Week 8.

Most recently, in Week 9’s Sunday Night Football loss to the Bears, McCollum overcame a slow start to haul in two interceptions in a dominant defensive effort. On the season, he’s allowing a completion percentage of just over 50% and has held receivers to 100 yards of YAC.

McCollum isn’t just erasing receivers like a true CB1 – he’s taking the football away like a Pro Bowl/All-Pro level cornerback. He’s already up to a career-high four interceptions in nine games, and his 11 passes defensed are only six shy of his career-high of 17 that he set in 2024. The 27-year-old corner is on pace for a phenomenal statistical season, one that could garner him some league-wide recognition by the end of the year. That might’ve felt impossible coming into the season, at least with the struggles he had a year ago.

At the very least, for now, McCollum deserves a shout for being Tampa Bay’s player of the season thus far.

Josh Queipo: Tristan Wirfs Continues To Lead The Way

Left tackle Tristan Wirfs is taken for granted, but no other player on the roster has a legitimate claim to the best at his position. But Wirfs is just that. He is allowing pressure on just 3.77% of his pass blocking reps and has elevated his run blocking to another level this year. The Bucs are averaging 5.0 yards per carry when running behind Wirfs this year.

Bucs LT Tristan Wirfs – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Wirfs is Pro Football Focus’ highest-graded offensive tackle (minimum 331 snaps) this year at 87.9. And by Sumer Sports’ impact play and negative play rates, Wirfs is clearly playing at an elite level. Wirfs shuts down the left side of the line, no matter who the opposing team throws out as an edge rusher. He can win in space as a lead blocker, gets to the perimeter on wide receiver screens, pins, climbs and doubles.

The Bucs’ run game has been successful beyond just Bucky Irving. He is averaging 4.9 yards per carry this year, with 10.8% of his runs going for 10+ yards this year. Kenneth Gainwell is right there with him at 4.8 yards per carry and a 14.3% explosive run rate. Both backs have been successful because the blocking up front has been stellar. And Wirfs has been a huge part of that.

Few players can lay claim to being at the top of their game in every aspect of their job. Wirfs can. And that’s why he’s still the best player on the team.

Nick Geddes: Where Would Bucs Be Without Bucky Irving?

Bucky Irving was a bit of mystery coming into the 2026 season after missing significant time the season prior with foot and shoulder injuries. The Bucs even paid Kenneth Gainwell $14 million over two years, a clear sign the organization wanted to spread the workload and manage Irving’s carries to keep him healthy. Sure, that might happen in the second half of the season, as head coach Todd Bowles suggested Monday.

But the Bucs have also said they would ride the hot hand and through nine games, Irving has been that guy. The third-year pro has seen 167 carries, fifth-most among tailbacks across the league. He’s rushed for 825 yards, one of only five running backs with north of 800 yards on the ground. The others are Bijan Robinson, Kenneth Walker, Jahmyr Gibbs, and James Cook; that’s pretty elite company to reside in.

Bucs RB Bucky Irving – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Speaking of elite, that’s exactly how you would describe Tampa Bay’s run game, which ranks No. 1 in the NFL. The Bucs rushed for a single-game franchise record 324 yards in the Week 8 win over the Falcons. Irving ran wild to the tune of 170 yards – a new personal best – which he previously had set three weeks prior in the Week 5 victory over the Cowboys when he rushed for 165 yards.

The Bucs have three wins this season and while the defense has played a major role in all of those games, it’s no coincidence those have been the days where Irving has been at his best. In many ways, he IS the offense, which still has trouble completing a forward pass at a consistent clip. It’s hard to imagine that changing down the stretch, meaning it’ll be up to Irving to continue being at his best for the Bucs to get hot.

In terms of most valuable, not many on the roster can make a strong case such as Irving. He even has a shot at breaking the single-season rushing record for this franchise, still held by James Wilder, who rushed for 1,544 yards in 1984.