Bucs WR Tez Johnson – Photo by: USA Today

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

QUESTION: With the addition of Tez Johnson do you think Todd Bowles will finally remove Bucky Irving from special teams?

ANSWER: Well, that already happened last year after Bucky Irving injured his hip on a kick return right before halftime in Tampa Bay’s 26-23 overtime win at Carolina. After that game, Irving was taken off kick return duty as he transitioned to becoming the Bucs’ starting running back from Week 13 on after he won the NFC Offensive Player of the Week honors for rushing for 152 yards in the win against the Panthers. Irving finished his rookie season with six kick returns for a 29.6-yard average.

Bucs WR Tez Johnson – Photo by: USA Today

Third-string running back Sean Tucker had the most kick returns last year with 15 for 410 yards, which was a 27.3-yard average. He’ll likely be in line to win the kick return duties again. Backup running back Rachaad White replaced Irving as the co-kick returner last year and he averaged 22.2 yards. There’s a chance that White could also be the co-kick returner again with Tucker, or the Bucs could look to another player to fill that role as White is less explosive than either Tucker or Irving.

That player could be rookie wide receiver Tez Johnson, the team’s seventh-round pick. Although Bucs head coach Todd Bowles has preferred to have running backs as his kick returners with the new rules. Bowles feels like running backs do a better job of setting up blocks and slipping would-be tacklers than wide receivers – especially the 154-pound types like Johnson. With just two kick returns for 12 yards at Oregon, I don’t think Johnson is best suited to perform that duty in Tampa Bay.

However, Johnson was Oregon’s primary punt returner, and even had those duties at Troy before he wound up playing for the Ducks in his final two years in college. Johnson averaged 10.5 yards per punt return on 30 returns, and he also had an 85-yard punt return for a touchdown. Trey Palmer was the Bucs’ punt returner last year and he underwhelmed with an 8-yard average, including a long of 17 yards, which was disappointing due to his 4.33 speed.

QUESTION: Lot of talk about defense but I still think the tight end position is dangerously thin in terms of proven production. Mark Andrews may be available via trade. I know he and Baker Mayfield are BFFs. Seems like an “all in” type of move from Jason Licht. Have you heard any talks of adding to that TE room?

ANSWER: I’m sure Baker Mayfield would love to reunite with tight end Mark Andrews, his former Oklahoma teammate and good friend. The three-time Ravens Pro Bowler is only 29 years old, but he’s suffered a lot of injuries that have diminished his abilities somewhat. He’s still a very fine player, evidenced by a career-high 11 touchdowns last year along with 55 catches for 673 yards (12.2 avg.). And while he had a costly dropped touchdown against the Bills in the playoffs that resulted in the Ravens losing at Buffalo, it seems like Baltimore is intent on keeping him around with fellow tight end Isaiah Likely for at least one more season.

Ravens TE Mark Andrews and former Bucs S Keanu Neal – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Andrews is the sixth-highest paid tight end in the NFL, averaging $14 million per year per OverTheCap.com. He’s on the final year of his deal and is set to earn $11 million in cash. The Bucs have the cap room to make the trade and acquire him, but I don’t see Jason Licht potentially pulling the trigger unless there is a long-term injury at the tight end position during the season.

Although the Bucs actually like their tight end room, I’m in agreement with you. Tampa Bay’s tight ends lack a certain dynamic quality, but I’m not sure if Andrews, who turns 30 later this year, is the caliber of player he was earlier in his career. Therefore, I don’t see a trade happening this offseason.

There have been rumors that the Bucs will give Cade Otton a contract extension this offseason. Otton, who is entering a contract year, is more like Cam Brate than he is Rob Gronkowski, but he has improved as a blocker and a receiver. And Otton is very reliable and proven that he can play a high number of snaps in each game. He very well could be making upwards of $12 million per season with his forthcoming extension.

Tampa Bay was pleased with the development of backup tight end Payne Durham last season after he hauled in his first two NFL touchdowns in Otton’s absence. And the team is excited about the big-play potential of speedster Devin Culp, too. But Josh Grizzard’s offense is wide receiver-driven, so Tampa Bay doesn’t really need a dynamic element at tight end to thrive.

QUESTION: Loved our draft, but still a little concerned with LB depth. Wonder if we would inquire about Devin Lloyd, as Jacksonville seems unlikely to resign him? Or do we sign another veteran to compete for a spot in camp?

ANSWER: I did a Pewter Pulse video on this very topic – the Bucs possibly looking to trade for Jaguars inside linebacker Devin Lloyd, who did not have his fifth-year option picked up by Jacksonville. The interesting thing about this situation is that Bucs inside linebackers coach Mike Caldwell, who just returned to Tampa Bay this offseason, coached Lloyd from 2022-23 when he was the Jaguars defensive coordinator. What Caldwell thinks of Lloyd would likely carry a lot of weight in any decision to acquire the 27-year old linebacker.

Jaguars ILB Devin Lloyd – Photo by: USA Today

Lloyd is coming off two good back-to-back years, but there are some concerns about how physical he is. And do the Bucs want to trade for him this season and give up draft capital in 2026, or should the team just wait until free agency next offseason if there is an interest in signing him and save the draft pick?

It would probably take a fourth- or fifth-round pick to acquire Lloyd, and the benefit of doing it this year would be to bolster the team’s linebacker room. SirVocea Dennis and Lavonte David are slated to start with newcomer Anthony Walker Jr. and Deion Jones as the veteran backups.

However, trading for Lloyd likely means inserting him as a starter at middle linebacker, and the Bucs do want to see what they have in Dennis this year – and if he can make it through an entire season without getting injured. Acquiring Lloyd would likely inhibit those plans. I don’t see the Bucs possibly trading for Lloyd unless there is an in-season injury at the position.

QUESTION: How confident are you and the Bucs in Anthony Walker Jr. as our LB3, in case of another injury to SirVocea Dennis or Lavonte David? Do we need to be concerned or do we have nice depth on all defensive positions?

ANSWER: I have some questions about the depth at inside linebacker for sure after Lavonte David and SirVocea Dennis on the depth chart. The team believes that newcomer Anthony Walker Jr. is an upgrade over K.J. Britt, and that Deion Jones, who spent half of the year on the Bucs practice squad, is an upgrade over J.J. Russell. Neither Britt nor Russell were re-signed this offseason.

Bucs ILB Anthony Walker Jr. – Photo by: USA Today

Walker and Jones certainly have more starting experience. Jones has 91 career starts over the past nine years, while Walker has 83 starts over the past eight seasons. I think Walker is more like former Bucs reserve inside linebacker Kevin Minter, who filled in for a few games for Devin White in 2019 and in 2020, especially the Wild Card win in Washington. Walker is not someone who Tampa Bay would want to start an entire season, but could be a spot starter for a few games in case of injury.

The real issue with the Bucs’ depth at linebacker is the age at the position. David is 35, Jones is 30 and Walker will be 30 during the season. Tampa Bay needs to get younger, faster and more athletic at linebacker in 2026. And next season will be Dennis’ contract year, too.

QUESTION: How early could our two rookie cornerbacks see the field? And do you guys think that we are going to play man coverage more often than last season?

ANSWER: I think there’s a chance that both rookie cornerbacks – Benjamin Morrison and Jacob Parrish – see the field pretty early in their Tampa Bay careers. Morrison and Parrish both played as true freshmen at Notre Dame and Kansas State, respectively, which speaks to their maturity and high football I.Q. Those traits should help both compete for starting jobs right away.

Bucs CB Jacob Parrish – Photo by: USA Today

Morrison will compete with Jamel Dean for the starting outside cornerback role opposite Zyon McCollum. The only issue is when he will be cleared to take the field by Tampa Bay’s training and medical staff. Morrison is coming off hip surgery and was unable to work out for NFL teams until a few days prior to the NFL Draft.

He’ll need to get into football shape and the Bucs plan on easing him into action during the OTAs. Morrison will likely be a spectator during the team’s rookie mini-camp this weekend. But sooner rather than later, Morrison will be competing with Dean and that should be the marquee battle in training camp.

With Tykee Smith moving from nickelback to strong safety this year to replace Jordan Whitehead, the slot cornerback role is up for grabs. Parrish had some experience playing inside at K-State and will be competing there with Christian Izien, who was the wire-to-wire starter at nickelback during his rookie season in 2023.

There is a chance that Parrish may lock down his starting opportunity on the inside before Morrison does on the outside. With Dean fighting for his professional life in Tampa Bay this offseason, the veteran could put up quite a challenge now that he is backed into a cornerback and has some real competition to deal with. Dean was at his best in 2020 and 2021 when he was competing with Sean Murphy-Bunting for the starting job opposite Carlton Davis III. We’ll see what happens in camp and the preseason.

Scott Reynolds and Matt Matera will be discussing Dean and the cornerback position extensively on Monday’s Pewter Report Podcast at 4:00 pm ET on PewterReportTV, our YouTube channel. And speaking of Bucs cornerbacks, Zyon McCollum returns to the Pewter Report Podcast as our special guest on Wednesday, May 7 at 4:00 p.m. ET.