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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: Will it be running, passing or a balanced attack for the Bucs offense this season?

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

ANSWER: Great question. Perhaps the best way to forecast this is to look at the Los Angeles Rams offense. After all, new Bucs offensive coordinator Liam Coen has roots from the Sean McVay tree, and Tampa Bay would love to aspire to be as good as L.A. offensively.

Last year the Rams had the seventh-ranked offense in the NFL, averaging 362.9 yards per game. Conversely, the Bucs offense ranked 20th in total yards, averaging 323.9 yards per game. More importantly, L.A. averaged 23.7 points per game, which ranked ninth in the league, while Tampa Bay ranked 20th in scoring with 21.2 points per game.

Matthew Stafford and the Rams’ passing attack ranked seventh and averaged 245.6 yards per game. Baker Mayfield and the Bucs averaged 233.6 yards per game through the air, ranking 12th. But it was a different story when it came to the running game. Led by Pro Bowler Kyren Williams, L.A. averaged 117.4 yards per game, which ranked 12th. Tampa Bay had the league’s second-worst ground game, averaging 90.4 yards per game.

Coen is committed to turning around the Bucs’ rushing attack and one has to believe that the team could – and should – rank at least in the 20s this year. With Mayfield, Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, Tampa Bay should lead with the pass, but more balance appears on the horizon. That could come in the form of 240 yards passing and 115 yards per game on the ground. I think that would be an ideal – and realistic – expectation for the coming season.

QUESTION: How do the Bucs determine the uniform schedule and do you know what next year’s could look like?

Bucs RB Rachaad White – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

ANSWER: I don’t know how the Bucs determine the uniform schedule for the upcoming season and I don’t know what this year’s uniform schedule will be. Sorry to disappoint you. But it’s a very good question and one that I asked general manager Jason Licht about on a recent episode of the Pewter Report Podcast. The big takeaway from his answer is that neither he nor head coach Todd Bowles are too involved in the uniform combination each week.

“I get the combination schedule and I look at it and I’m asked if I like it, but I don’t put that together,” Licht said. “I’m not the one to talk to about fashion. We have some people who are very good at that, and understand that there are reasons behind everything. I trust the business side and ownership. Now Todd can have his say, say his piece too. But as football guys, to be honest, we’re just like, ‘Tell us what we’re wearing. Let’s just go kick some ass on the field.”

So based on Licht’s answer, the business and marketing side of football has more say in what the Bucs wear. That would mean chief operating officer Brian Ford and the Glazer family likely come up with the uniform schedule. The guess here is that the Bucs will wear all-white uniforms for the first three home games in September against the Commanders, Broncos and Eagles. Those games will be the hottest and I could see Tampa Bay wanting their opponents to wear dark color jerseys at Raymond James Stadium in September.

The Bucs typically wear red jerseys for Monday Night Football with either white pants – like last year versus the Eagles – or pewter pants – such as against the Ravens on Thursday night in 2022. Tampa Bay plays Baltimore again in prime time, so expect the debut of the red jerseys in Week 7 before a return to white jerseys – perhaps with white pants – against Atlanta at home the next week on October 27.

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

There is a good chance for red jerseys later in the season in home games against San Francisco on November 10 in Week 10 and against Las Vegas in Week 14 on December 8, as well as season-ending games against Carolina and New Orleans on December 29 and January 5. With Dallas wearing white jerseys at home, Tampa Bay will likely wear red jerseys on the road on Sunday Night Football, too.

Keep in mind there will be a throwback creamsicle game as well as a possible home game with the pewter jersey-pewter pants combination. Tampa Bay played in the all-pewter look last year at Indianapolis. The Bucs have nine home games this year, so it will be interesting to see.

“I know it’s a big thing, knowing that I have kids who are 15, 13 and 10, and especially my boys,” Licht said. “They love to see what jerseys we are wearing this week, and I know how big of a deal it is and people love to see that. And I know the players like certain combinations more than others. I know how big of a deal it is, but that’s not what I was trained to do.”

QUESTION: Scott, you’re supposed to be impartial and objective as a reporter, but covering the Bucs on a daily basis like you do, do you have any favorite players?

Bucs DE Will Gholston and Scott Reynolds – Photo by: Mark Cook/PR

ANSWER: Interesting question, and thanks for asking. It’s important that I do not get too close to the subjects that I am covering so I can remain objective in my reporting. I make it a point not to do much of anything with the players socially to keep our relationship as close to business as possible.

But covering the Bucs on a year-round basis and getting to know some of these players for years, you do find yourself rooting for some of them and certainly admiring them. On the current team, it’s hard not to root for guys like wide receiver Mike Evans, linebacker Lavonte David, defensive tackle Will Gholston, left tackle Tristan Wirfs and others. Former Bucs tight end end Cam Brate and right tackle Demar Dotson are others that come to mind.

I’ve admitted that I’m a big fan of Gholston’s and won’t shy away from that. He’s been a terrific interview for me over the years. I can say that he hasn’t really given me any inside scoop, but where he has helped me is with support quotes on his teammates. Gholston is always offering insight about – and praise for – his fellow Buccaneers, and I really value that in my reporting. The fact that he’s back for year 12 is a real testament to how much he means to the locker room and to him as an almost-33-year old athlete. Gholston turns 33 on July 31 during training camp.

Scott Reynolds and Ronde Barber – Photo by: Ashley Reynolds/PR

I’m also quite fond of some Tampa Bay players from yesteryear, most notably Hall of Famers Ronde Barber, Warren Sapp and John Lynch, legendary fullback Mike Alstott, tight ends Anthony Becht and John Gilmore, and cornerback Donnie Abraham. I started covering the Bucs in 1995 and walked in the door with Sapp that year, and covered every minute of Barber’s and Alstott’s NFL careers that began in 1997 and 1996, respectively.

I’m probably closest to Barber, who was my absolute favorite Bucs player to cover for a multitude of reasons. He’s always had respect for me as a reporter and for my work with Buccaneer Magazine/Pewter Report over the years. I was thrilled to see him get inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and also honored to be invited to his after-party in Canton, Ohio later that night to celebrate with him, his family and the Bucs organization.

QUESTION: Great interview with Markees Watts on the Pewter Report Podcast. What do you think he has to do to earn more playing time or even start opposite Yaya Diaby? Safe to say a strong training camp/preseason could earn him the opportunity? Who do you think his biggest competition is for OLB2?

Bucs OLB Markees Watts – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

ANSWER: Thanks for the feedback, and yes, Markees Watts was a tremendous guest on last Thursday’s Pewter Report Podcast. At 6-foot-1, 250 pounds, Watts needs to show he can play the run on early downs. That means fighting off 320-pound right tackles the way that similarly-sized Shaq Barrett used to do in his prime. Barrett was an underrated run defender. So if Watts can set the edge and hold up against the run he could become a three-down defender rather than a third-down situational pass rusher.

Watts needs to have a very good training camp and preseason. He needs to show up with multiple sacks and pressures as well as some tackles for loss in the running game. Because he was an undrafted free agent last year, he has a higher mountain to climb than Chris Braswell, this year’s second-round pick. Braswell’s high draft status automatically gives him an initial edge. That was apparent when Braswell was running on the second team with Anthony Nelson while Watts and Jose Ramirez were on the third-string line.

As far as his toughest competition in camp, Watts will not only have to keep Braswell, the rookie, at bay, he’ll also have to fend off former first-round pick Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, who is highly motivated to shine in his contract year. Tryon-Shoyinka is the most experienced edge rusher the Bucs have outside of Randy Gregory, who didn’t show up for any OTA practices or the mandatory mini-camp.

The guess here is that Watts maybe climbs up to OLB4 or OLB3 with a strong showing in camp and the preseason. Then if he produces, especially as an impact pass rusher with his speed, quickness and ability to bend the arc, Watts could ascend as a starter opposite Yaya Diaby during the season. Remember, Diaby didn’t emerge as a starter until November, and he was a bigger, faster third-round pick.

You can watch the entire interview with Watts, which was fantastic, on our PewterReportTV YouTube channel. Just click the link below.