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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 questions we chose to answer for this week’s edition.

QUESTION: Can you give us “the vibe” of training camp so far? So many new faces, new offensive coordinator, QB battle, etc. How is the energy?

ANSWER: There is certainly a new “vibe” this year in training camp, and it’s not one of the CELSIUS vibes (Cosmic, Oasis, Fantasy, Tropical, Arctic or Peach). The new vibe centers around new offensive coordinator Dave Canales, whose energy is just as invigorating as the new scheme, philosophy and plays he’s brought with him from Seattle. Canales has drawn rave reviews from multiple Pewter Report sources inside Bucs HQ so far. The results on the field have been quite positive, as the offense has succeeded at moving the ball and putting points on the board regularly through the first week of camp.

Bucs OC Dave Canales – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Aside from Canales, the Bucs’ brass is also thrilled with new receivers coach Brad Idzik, new running backs coach Skip Peete and new outside linebackers coach George Edwards. All are off to a great start in Tampa Bay. The Bucs will need to win to prove that head coach Todd Bowles made the right hires in the end, but so far so good through the first week of camp. Having a quarterback competition in Tampa Bay for the first time in a long time has also ramped up the energy in camp.

Bowles’ defense has also been re-energized by the new scheme they’re facing on a daily basis – as well as some new faces. New safety Ryan Neal brings great communication along with his playmaking ability. He and Antoine Winfield Jr. have formed a great rapport and are joined at the hip. The same could be said for cornerbacks Carlton Davis III and Jamel Dean, whose chemistry has gone to the next level. Those two are inseparable. The return of outside linebacker Shaq Barrett and new faces like Calijah Kancey, SirVocea Dennis and YaYa Diaby have also brought plenty of new energy and juice to Bucs camp.

QUESTION: Scott, when do you think the extension for Mike Evans is going to get done? Before the season begins or next year?

ANSWER: Bucs fans can’t wait to see Mike Evans locked up with a multi-year contract extension, and you love to see it. Evans is certainly one of the most popular Bucs on the team with fans – and in franchise history. His deal will get done, and I still stand by previous statement that it will get done before the start of the regular season – and likely before the end of training camp.

Bucs WR Mike Evans – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Tampa Bay has just $388,808 left in salary cap room, according to OverTheCap.com. That’s why a deal has to get done before the start of the season. The Bucs will need to create more room to sign their practice squad and have some cap space available to sign in-season injury replacements or any intriguing players who hit free agency or the waiver wire.

Evans has a $23,698,500 salary cap charge this year, and outside linebacker Shaq Barrett counts for a $21,252,941 cap charge. The Bucs have already finagled cap room by doing several restructures this year, including center Ryan Jensen, defensive tackle Vita Vea, wide receiver Chris Godwin and making wide receiver Russell Gage take a pay cut.

The Bucs are out of options to create cap room outside of extending Evans and restructuring Barrett’s deal. Tampa Bay does not want push any of Barrett’s money into future years in case he doesn’t return to form and they have to cut him next year before he turns 32. The only other way to create more room would be to extend the contract of inside linebacker Devin White, which they aren’t inclined to consider until after the 2023 season.

QUESTION: How many yards do you predict Rachaad White will get this year?

ANSWER: I think Rachaad White is certainly capable of being a 1,000-yard running back this season. He’ll certainly get the carries and the opportunity to be a 1,000-yard rusher given Dave Canales’ commitment to running the ball. Now whether White hits that mark will depend on multiple variables.

Bucs RB Rachaad White and QB Baker Mayfield – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

The first of which is his health. Can White stay healthy for all 17 games or most of the 2023 campaign? The second of which is how many games are the Bucs going to have a lead in? Most of the time when running backs wind up with 100-yard games, it’s because they rack up 30-40 yards on the ground, running out the clock to win the game.

The final way White can reach 1,000 yards is if the revamped offensive line does its job and open up holes, and the new scheme works. The Bucs are just putting on the pads in training camp, so we’ll finally get to judge the physicality of the O-line and the tight ends in the trenches and see how tough White and the team’s running backs are running the ball.

White, who is mature beyond his years, seems very motivated and driven this year to be the Bucs’ lead back. He’s on a mission to become the first 1,000-yard back in Tampa Bay since Doug Martin last did it in 2017. I’m not going to doubt White, so yeah, I do think he’ll hit 1,000 yards this season because of the Bucs’ commitment to the ground game.

QUESTION: How much does the Bucs bringing back Will Gholston show their doubt in Logan Hall and his progress (even tho he’s still young)? Or are those two unrelated?

ANSWER: The re-signing of Will Gholston is unrelated to Logan’s Hall status on the team or his progress. The Bucs will be keeping six defensive linemen. Vita Vea is the starting nose tackle, with Greg Gaines as his primary backup. That’s two D-linemen. First-round pick Calijah Kancey and Hall are two young defensive tackles who are slated to start this year. That leaves two more spots on the depth chart. Special teams ace Pat O’Connor is likely going to be the sixth defensive lineman on the roster because he can help on all four phases of teams as well as be a situational defensive line.

Bucs DE Will Gholston – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

So that leaves one more spot to fill. The Bucs are already a lot younger along the D-line with both Kancey and Hall, so having a more experienced player like Gholston, who is an excellent leader, mentor and locker room guy makes sense. Otherwise, Tampa Bay would be filling out the depth chart with another young, unproven defensive lineman like Deadrin Senat, Mike Greene, Willington Previlon or C.J. Brewer. That would make three really young players – or half of the D-line depth chart.

Hall has made a lot of progress in the weight room adding size and strength in the offseason. He’s going to be given every chance to start because Todd Bowles wants more speed and athleticism inside at defensive tackle this year. Gholston, who turns 32 on July 31, will be a reserve this year and will see most his work in short yardage and goal line situations where is 6-foot-6, 310-pound frame can be used to stop the run. The 11-year veteran can also be a spot starter if need be due to his four years worth of experience in Bowles’ defense.