Table of Contents

About the Author: Joshua Queipo

Avatar Of Joshua Queipo
Josh Queipo joined the Pewter Report team in 2022, specializing in salary cap analysis and film study. In addition to his official role with the website and podcast, he has an unofficial role as the Pewter Report team’s beaming light of positivity and jokes. A staunch proponent of the forward pass, he is a father to two amazing children and loves sushi, brisket, steak and bacon, though the order changes depending on the day. He graduated from the University of South Florida in 2008 with a degree in finance.
Latest Bucs Headlines

With just over one week until the Bucs have to make final roster cuts it appears there is a clearer picture forming of who may or may not make the club. Forty-one players are virtual locks to make the team.

Rather than go with a traditional “predicting the final 53-man roster” and using words on Mike Evans, Baker Mayfield, Vita Vea, Antoine Winfield Jr. and the like, I thought it would be more compelling to jump straight into the meat of dropping to the depths of the roster. But if you are looking for hard-hitting analysis about the chances top-of-the-roster guys have of making the team…

Bucs Bubble Players Who Have Most Impressed

CB Keenan Isaac

The Bucs secondary took a beating on Saturday against the Jaguars. One player who bucked that trend was Isaac. What has impressed me most with Isaac is how he uses his length to mitigate some of his speed issues. His initial burst is a bit lackluster, but he has solid closing speed. Isaac is smart and smooth in his motions. His short-area movements are much more agile than his physical testing showed. Isaac’s Relative Athletic Score coming out of college was a respectable 7.08. But on the field, he looks better than those testing numbers would have you believe.

With other corners having weaker showings (Andrew Hayes), or failing to stand out (Josh Hayes), Isaac has combined strong rep-to-rep tape with a splash play. His interception in the Bucs’ first preseason game against the Bengals showed off his recovery speed, ball tracking, and hands. Through two preseason games, he has played 34 coverage snaps. All told he has been targeted just twice, allowing one catch for one yard. His performance thus far has earned him a roster spot in my opinion as the fourth outside cornerback behind Jamel Dean, Zyon McCollum and Bryce Hall.

RB Sean Tucker

Bucs Rb Sean Tucker

Bucs RB Sean Tucker – Photo by: USA Today

Tucker is an interesting case. His performance as a pure runner has been promising this preseason. He has 14 carries for 100 yards through two games. His 4.21 yards after contact is even more impressive than his 7.1 yards per carry mark. And with two runs of 20+ yards he has shown he is the team’s best “home-run hitter” in the running back room. Tucker has plenty of burst and long speed and has shown decent vision to boot.

He has also proven to be a reliable, if unspectacular, pass-catcher. Tucker has caught all three of his targets in the receiving game for a total of nine yards. But he continues to disappoint as a pass protector. In his only two pass protection reps against the Bengals, he surrendered two pressures and a sack. If he can’t be relied on to help keep his quarterback clean, he will have trouble getting on the field.

On the other hand, Tucker is showing additional value beyond being just a runner on special teams. He has been a part of the team’s kick return units, getting two returns for 54 yards. He has also appeared on punt return, punt coverage and kick coverage snaps. If Tucker can show he is a versatile special teams player, he can find a roster spot as the third-string running back. From there if Rachaad White were to get hurt Tucker could carve out a role as a contributor on early downs.

WR Cody Thompson

Thompson isn’t the flashiest receiver on the team. But there are two things he does well that make him an ideal WR6. He is a strong special teams player and he blocks like a tight end. The former Seattle Seahawk leads the team in targets, catches and receiving yards through the second week of preseason. But his traits as a pass catcher haven’t stood out against other back-of-the-roster receivers like Ryan Miller and Tanner Knue.

If pressed into action his blocking skills would help keep the Bucs run game improving. But a WR6 isn’t on the team because of his receiving prowess. It’s the special teams value he brings that really allow him to stand out. You don’t stick around for going on six years now as an unheralded former undrafted free agent unless you really pop in the third phase of the game. Thompson had over 90 special teams snaps last year, which is more than either Miller or Knue.

IDL C.J. Brewer and Earnest Brown IV

Lwal Uguak got much of the fanfare on Saturday night for registering a sack, but I’d argue both Brewer and Brown have easily outplayed him. The Bucs may choose to go with just five interior defensive linemen this year, although they have consistently carried six for the past several years. If they do go with six, both Brewer and Brown have played well enough for the role to be earned and not just the function of a positional need.

Brown has impressed in several facets of the game, taking on double teams, penetrating some gaps and making athletic plays on the move. As a run defender, he has an average depth of tackle of just 0.5 yards. He also totaled three pressures, two hurries and a quarterback hit against Jacksonville. I especially liked how he operated as a stunter, setting up other people for avenues to rush the passer.

Brewer has been equally impressive. He has shown a bit more as a pass rusher and uses his gap penetrating skills to also affect the run game like in this clip.

ILB J.J. Russell

Bucs Ilb J.j. Russell

Bucs ILB J.J. Russell – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Being a product of Florida State, Bucs fans have been buzzing about the possibility of rookie undrafted free agent Kalen DeLoach making the team as the Bucs’ fourth inside linebacker. But it is third-year linebacker J.J. Russell whose play has earned him a roster spot thus far.

Russell had a stellar game against the Bengals and followed it up with a solid showing against the Jaguars. With eight tackles, two assists, four defensive stops and zero missed tackles, Russell is showing he is a steady player who can be counted on to execute his assignment. That is something the team is valuing at a premium right now.

Through three preseasons and some limited regular season work, Russell has played well over a total of 328 snaps and deserves to be included on the Bucs roster come cut-down day.

OLB Jose Ramirez

The Bucs pass rush is their most glaring question mark as the season nears. Randy Gregory has been released. Yaya Diaby is injured. Joe Tryon-Shoyinka is dinged up. Chris Braswell has flashed, but nothing more.

Looking at just the preseason games Jose Ramirez has been the Bucs best pass rusher by a country mile. According to Pro Football Focus he leads the team in pressures (6) and sacks (3). On an efficiency basis, he is the top player on the team (minimum 15 pass rushes) in win rate (23.5%) and true pass set win rate (31.6%). The tape backs it up as well. While Markees Watts was the pass rush specialist darling of last year, Ramirez appears to have overtaken him for the inside shot at the OLB5 spot.

OL Brandon Walton

This may be the most controversial name on the list but hear me out. Brandon Walton is not a very good offensive tackle. But, beyond the three tackles who are locks to make the roster (Tristan Wirfs, Luke Goedeke and Justin Skule), he is the best the Bucs have. The team decided not to invest in much depth at tackle beyond Skule and Walton is the best player to occupy that spot.

The team tried rookie guard Elijah Klein there against the Jaguars and he looked lost, which is understandable since he’s never taken a snap at offensive tackle in practice – or in his college days at UTEP. His sets were too shallow, his footwork was choppy, and he had trouble maintaining his balance and anchoring against longer, more athletic rushers. Reserve left tackle Lorenz Metz had a couple of good reps on Saturday but is still a very raw developmental player who needs time on the practice squad. That leaves Walton.

Beyond him being the best option as OT4, Walton is a solid backup guard where he profiles best. He has a strong core and lower half, gets good leg drive as a run blocker and is much better in pass pro when he does not have to cover as much ground against speed rushers trying to find the edge on him.

Depending on how the Bucs view Robert Hainsey I would still argue Walton may be the first guy up if a bench player needs to go in as a guard when the regular season hits. He is certainly more capable of filling out the OL9 spot over Luke Haggard (less positional flexibility), Avery Jones or Xavier Delgado.

Bucs Wr Cody ThompsonWR Cody Thompson Willing To Do Whatever It Takes To Make Bucs
Bucs Hc Todd BowlesBucs Officially Name Starting Center
Subscribe
Notify of
15 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments