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

QUESTION: I keep hearing that the defense is dominating at training camp. While this is good to hear at times, given the consistent theme, should we begin to worry about the offense’s performance heading into this season? And is Zac Robinson concerned or frustrated?

ANSWER: There is no doubt that the Bucs defense had some dominating practices during the first week of full pads, which began last Monday. The revamped defensive line – first-, second- and third-string – not only got to the quarterback a number of times, but running the ball was incredibly difficult to do. However, we did begin to see the offense strike back on Sunday and pretty much win the practice. Baker Mayfield and QBs Jake Browning and Jalon Daniels all threw touchdowns and there weren’t any interceptions on the day.

I don’t think Zac Robinson is frustrated or concerned. He’s seeing Todd Bowles’ blitz schemes on the regular for the first time and that is helping the offensive line, the backs and the tight ends work on blitz pick up and helping the quarterbacks to identify the blitz. However, given the continuity on offense in terms of personnel, and the fact that the defense has so many new faces, I anticipated the defense being more of a work-in-progress.

Bucs QB Baker Mayfield and OC Zac Robinson – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

That has not been the case. Thanks to the infusion of veteran leadership from guys like Alex Anzalone, A’Shawn Robinson and Rakeem Nunez-Roches, the level of accountability has been raised at One Buccaneer Place. The seriousness of the newcomers, including rookies like Rueben Bain Jr., Josiah Trotter and Keionte Scott among others, have ushered in an even higher standard of professionalism.

Add in the fact that Todd Bowles has been able to spend more time with the defense with the acquisition of an experienced play-caller like Robinson and it’s been a perfect storm of a faster-than-expected start for the defense. Having said that, Sunday’s practice was the best from the offense in camp so far, and we may now be seeing more give and take in training camp as a result. I expect the offense to pick up on Sunday’s momentum and carry that into the joint practice sessions with the Jets this week. I am not concerned about the offense, and I don’t think Robinson or Bowles will be either.

QUESTION: Are you enjoying Zac Robinson‘s offense? Have you seen enough of it to get an indication of how strong it will be?

ANSWER: Yes, I think it’s going to be an effective offense this year in Tampa Bay. There are definitely some shades of what Liam Coen did so efficiently with the offense in 2024, especially in the passing game. And there is also a good mix of what Zac Robinson did so effectively in Atlanta over the past two years. Without giving away too much, it’s a short, rhythmic passing game with layers of intermediate throws and a few deep shots mixed in.

Bucs RB Kenneth Gainwell and OC Zac Robinson – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Kenny Gainwell has been heavily involved in the passing game, while Bucky Irving and Sean Tucker look good running the ball. It’s interesting that all three backs are similarly built and I think that helps the Bucs disguise what they’re doing offensively. All three can catch and run, so there aren’t any “tells” for the defense to pick up on like there might be if the Bucs had a bigger, more plodding back.

It’s also very important to remember that Tristan Wirfs has been out with a hamstring strain since the start of training camp. Not only is Wirfs the best player on offense, he’s the best player in Tampa Bay – period. Wirfs is one of the league’s best offensive linemen and his absence has been notable in camp. When he returns, the offensive line will go from being good to elite. That’s how much of a difference-maker Wirfs is. Tampa Bay’s running game will improve, as will the pass protection.

I think the wide zone running scheme will be a work in progress. We all know the Bucs can run duo and gap scheme. But with Wirfs missing, I expect the wide zone scheme may not be smooth and efficient right out of the gate. Yet that doesn’t mean that Tampa Bay won’t be able to run the ball effectively.

QUESTION: On a recent Pewter Report Podcast, Tony Dungy spoke about having to let Edgerrin James go to re-sign the Colts’ younger core guys. Do you see this as the plan with Vita Vea next year, so guys like Yaya Diaby and Cody Mauch can be retained (not to mention Baker Mayfield)? Or is it even realistic to wish all of them can even come back?

ANSWER: This is a great question. Jason Licht has alluded to the fact that the roster construction from a salary cap standpoint is a puzzle and making all of the pieces fit is a challenge. Sometimes it’s not possible to make every piece fit. Tampa Bay has done a great job of acquiring talent through the draft and free agency. The problem is when those second and third contracts hit the price tag always seems to go up.

Tony Dungy wasn’t wrong. Sometimes one superstar has to be sacrificed from a salary cap perspective to help the team keep other superstars. You just have to hope you are letting the right guy go at the right time and that you are keeping the right guys, too. The problem is there is no crystal ball to help NFL general managers in that area.

Bucs DT Vita Vea and head coach Todd Bowles – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

I do think this is Vita Vea’s last year in Tampa Bay. The Bucs didn’t restructure his contract years ago to create more salary cap space. That was a big tell. Vea will be 32 next year and he’ll command a salary of at least $21 million. I don’t see a world where Vea, Cody Mauch and Yaya Diaby can all come back from an economic standpoint because the ramifications in the near future would be too great. The Bucs would have to sacrifice a young star or two just to keep the aging Vea.

To put that in perspective, the sum of the 2027 salary cap numbers of Rueben Bain Jr. ($5,400,055), Emeka Egbuaka ($4,956,199), Josiah Trotter ($2,478,089), Tykee Smith ($1,809,506), Jalen McMillan $1,801,871), Jacob Parrish ($1,731,449), Ted Hurst ($1,571,831) and Bucky Irving ($1,372,888) equals $21.1 million. That’s eight young starters for the price of one soon-to-be 32-year old defensive tackle.

If David Walker progresses and shows he can play at a starter level in the NFL, the team might opt to move on from Vea and Diaby next March and collect some high compensatory picks in the 2028 NFL Draft. With a good year, Diaby will command $25 million per year in 2027 at age 28. With a great season, Diaby will command $30 million like Carolina’s Jaelan Phillips did this past offseason.

QUESTION: Has there been an update on the uniform schedule? How does the team go about the process of deciding when they wear what?

ANSWER: No, there has not been any more news about the uniform schedule outside of the announcement of the Bucs wearing their 1976 all-white Bucco Bruce uniforms against the Chargers in Week 13. Pewter Report broke the news that the pewter jerseys, which debuted in 2020 and haven’t been worn since 2023, will return at some point in 2026.

Some teams have released their uniforms schedules and the Bucs have done that in the past. In other years, the team has announced which uniform it is wearing the week prior. Tampa Bay may elect to do that again this year.

QUESTION: Love your analysis! Based on camp thus far, what is your “way too early defense ranking” prediction?

ANSWER: Thank you! I think the Bucs defense will be far better than last year. Let’s keep in mind that if the Bucs are going to start as many as three rookies on defense with outside linebacker Rueben Bain Jr., middle linebacker Josiah Trotter and cornerback Keionte Scott, there will be some blown assignments and some big plays given up just due to inexperience.

Bucs HC Todd Bowles and DT Vita Vea – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

And with linebacker Alex Anzalone and defensive tackle A’Shawn Robinson as new starters, that means Todd Bowles could be dealing with as many as five new starters on his unit. That’s half of the Bucs defense. If this unit continues to come together quickly, the rookies quickly learn from their mistakes and play credible football for most of their first season in Tampa Bay, and the unit avoids injury, I think the Buccaneers can field a top 15 unit by the end of the season. Perhaps even a top 10 unit if everything goes right.

I think Bowles’ defense will be a top 5 unit against the run and it has the chance to reach 50 sacks. The biggest X factor is whether Vita Vea decides to end his hold in and play the entire season or if he decides to hold out for the first six weeks and then rejoin the team so he can accrue the 2026 season and be eligible for free agency in 2027.

QUESTION: Who’s been studs and duds so far at camp?

ANSWER: This is a great question and I’ll have my answers shortly in the form of two Pewter Pulse videos this week on which players have shined offensively and defensively throughout camp. Look for those shortly on PewterReport.com and on our PewterReportTV YouTube channel.

I did do a Pewter Pulse video on 5 Bucs That Are In Danger Of Getting Cut last week (not much has changed) that you can watch below.

You can also read our daily Bucs Camp Studs And Duds articles in one spot by clicking here. And Pewter Report’s Adam Slivon also listed some Bucs camp winners and losers in his latest Slivon’s Slant column from Saturday.