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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: Don’t panic or should we panic regarding the Bucs offensive line?

ANSWER: It’s too early to panic about Tampa Bay’s offensive line. We can’t make any real judgments on the offensive line as a whole when the starters on the left side, tackle Tristan Wirfs and guard Matt Feiler, didn’t even suit up and play in the preseason opener. The same could be said about center Ryan Jensen, although there is some concern about his slow progress in his return from a knee injury a year ago. More on that later in Bucs Mailbag.

Bucs RT Luke Goedeke – Photo By: Cliff Welch P/R

The Bucs offensive line will be running more zone scheme this year than it did a year ago, so it will take time for the chemistry and timing to get down in the running game. The O-line will be a work in progress, especially in the first quarter of the season. Robert Hainsey started at center against the Steelers alongside rookie right guard Cody Mauch and right tackle Luke Goedeke. Hainsey fared okay, while Mauch got his feet wet in the NFL and Goedeke played his second game at right tackle in the NFL versus Pittsburgh. The hope is that both Mauch and Goedeke improve throughout the preseason and into the 2023 regular season.

I think it’s premature to call the offensive line Tampa Bay’s weak link, just as it would be to say that the unit is a team strength. We simply haven’t seen enough to make a sound, reasonable judgment on the Bucs’ O-line yet. On paper I think the Bucs have the athletes up front to get the job done, but NFL games aren’t won on paper. They are won on the field and in the trenches. We’ll have a better idea about the strengths and limitations of Tampa Bay’s offensive line after the preseason and probably the first regular season game at Minnesota.

QUESTION: How is it that Ryan Jensen recovered from his injury to play against Dallas last year, but is not ready now or may not be for the regular season opener against Minnesota this year? Something doesn’t add up.

ANSWER: That’s a great question. Ryan Jensen was able to return to the lineup for the Bucs’ playoff game against the Cowboys after missing the entire season due to a serious knee injury the second day of training camp. Jensen was out for five months and elected to do stem cell regenerative therapy instead of having surgery to repair torn knee ligaments. He elected to play in the playoff game because he wanted to finish the season snapping with Tom Brady, and the Bucs actually needed him, as both Robert Hainsey and Nick Leverett were banged up in a Week 18 loss at Atlanta.

Bucs C Ryan Jensen – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

So why was Jensen cleared to play then, but he’s not cleared for 11-on-11 work in training camp – seven months later? Jensen was medically cleared to play against the Cowboys, but struggled mightily in that game, registering a woeful 28.9 Pro Football Focus grade, including a 13.3 pass protection grade. Right now Jensen is somewhere in between that level of play and being 100 percent. Just how far away is he from that Dallas game physically and how close is to being around 100 percent is anyone’s guess.

But the fact that Jensen didn’t suit up for the Steelers preseason game and then didn’t suit up for practice in back-to-back days on Sunday and Monday is concerning. If he was making real progress he should be able to practice in back-to-back days by now, and should be taking part in 11-on-11 periods. But he’s not. There is a real chance that Jensen is not ready to start the season. And there is growing concern that he may not be able to get back to around 100 percent either, as I wrote about on Saturday. We could be seeing Hainsey or Nick Leverett start the year at center unless Jensen’s knee is miraculously better in the near future.

QUESTION: Assuming Baker Mayfield is named the starter, how short of a leash will he be on, and could you see Todd Bowles handing the position over to Kyle Trask this season?

Bucs QB Baker Mayfield – Photo by: USA Today

ANSWER: At this point I think Baker Mayfield will be the starting quarterback for the Bucs in the season opener, barring injury. Kyle Trask has really improved, and the race actually tightened in the second week of training camp. But then Mayfield rose to the occasion, responded to the challenge and has been the better quarterback in both practice and in the preseason so far. He did have one interception on a pass picked off by safety Ryan Neal on Sunday, but outside of that throw he was a playmaking machine in that practice.

As for how long his leash will be, I think that will be determined by how many wins he piles up in the first month of the regular season and how many interceptions he throws. Both Todd Bowles and Dave Canales demand that the quarterback protect the football. That is paramount for success, so as long as Mayfield is doing that he’ll remain the starter. If he starts throwing picks and the losses begin to mount I have no doubt that Bowles would turn to Trask to try to stop the bleeding. But right now it’s Mayfield’s job to lose.

QUESTION: Do you think the playbook opens up more or certain calls would have been different had this been a real game? For example the fourth down run that got stuffed early in the game, and the amount of runs up the middle in general.

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

ANSWER: Yes, there is no doubt. Bucs offensive coordinator Dave Canales kept things very simple and pretty vanilla for the first preseason game against the Steelers and I look for that trend to continue versus the Jets and the Ravens. Tampa Bay doesn’t want to give away the whole playbook to Minnesota, whom the Bucs face on the road to start the season. It’s a smart approach because with a new offensive scheme and a new quarterback there is a real chance that the Bucs could catch the Vikings off guard and hit some big plays.

At the same time, some of the plays that were called against Pittsburgh, especially the runs, will be called during the regular season. So those need to be practiced, especially in a game setting against another opponent. As they say, practice makes perfect. Keep in mind, it was Canales’ first game as a play-caller. He needs practice too, and he’ll get better with more experience. Josh Queipo did a deep dive into Canales’ first game as a play-caller that is worth reading.

QUESTION: How’s Kade Warner looking? Hope he can make the team even if it’s practice squad.

ANSWER: Kade Warner has had some good practices. The problem is that the Bucs have a logjam of talented young players at wide receiver behind Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and Russell Gage. Trey Palmer had a great game against the Steelers in his NFL debut and figures to make the team along with Deven Thompkins, who brings speed and return ability to the table.

Bucs WR Kade Warner – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

After those five, there is probably only room on the active roster for one more receiver. The leader in the clubhouse for the sixth and final spot is either veteran David Moore or rookie Rakim Jarrett. The Maryland product didn’t play in the game against the Steelers due to a groin injury, but was back at practice on Sunday and Monday. Will he suit up against the Jets in the second preseason game? Or are the Bucs trying to stash him on the practice squad?

Warner dropped his only target against the Steelers and needs to really show up and make some big plays in the final two preseason games. What helps his cause is that there is just one roster cutdown this year rather than two. Warner has had bright spots in training camp practices and has made some really big catches, but his lack of speed, which is north of 4.6, will likely hold him back from making the roster.

I love Warner, who like me, is a Kansas State alum, but he’s probably fighting the likes of Jarrett/Moore, Ryan Miller, Kaylon Geiger and Taye Barber to be on the practice squad at this point.

QUESTION: How many wins and losses do you think the Bucs will have?

ANSWER: I never do my win-loss predictions until the preseason concludes. I think the Bucs will take their lumps against the Jets in Wednesday’s joint practice and in the game on Saturday night. With Aaron Rodgers, the Jets are legitimately contending for the Super Bowl. The Bucs are just trying to win the lousy NFC South division again.

As of right now I think the Bucs’ win variance is somewhere between six and 10 wins. If I had to guess right now I’d say 8-9 or 9-8, but that forecast could change given how the team fares in the next two preseason games and once the quarterback competition is finally settled.