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About the Author: Scott Reynolds

Avatar Of Scott Reynolds
Scott Reynolds is in his 28th year of covering the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as the vice president, publisher and senior Bucs beat writer for PewterReport.com. Author of the popular SR's Fab 5 column on Fridays, Reynolds oversees web development and forges marketing partnerships for PewterReport.com in addition to his editorial duties. A graduate of Kansas State University in 1995, Reynolds spent six years giving back to the community as the defensive coordinator/defensive line coach for his sons' Pop Warner team, the South Pasco Predators. Reynolds can be reached at: [email protected]

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

QUESTION: What are the chances the Bucs drop back out of Round 1 and pick up some more draft capital?

ANSWER: There is a chance Tampa Bay could trade back in this draft, especially if multiple players the Bucs are interested in are available when they’re on the clock. Or even if the Bucs don’t have any of their early targets on the board at No. 27. Then trading down makes even more sense.

Bucs Gm Jason Licht And Vp Of Player Personnel John Spytek

Bucs GM Jason Licht and VP of player personnel John Spytek – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

The big question is whether general manager Jason Licht wants to simply trade back a few spots and get an extra draft pick or two. Or is Licht willing to trade out of the first round altogether and forgo a first-round player that would come with a fifth-year option? There’s some value in that fifth-year option.

Licht has yet to trade out of the first round in his eight years leading the Bucs’ war room. At the same time, this will be just the second time in Licht’s time as Tampa Bay’s G.M. where the team is picking past No. 20. The closer the Bucs are to the end of the first round the greater the chances of them trading out due to the proximity to the second round.

The Bucs are looking to draft the best player available due to the fact that most of the starting roles were filled in free agency. That makes me believe the Bucs will either pick at No. 27 or maybe trade back a few spots, but not out of the first round if Licht can help it.

QUESTION: How do you feel about targeting a tight end on the second day?

ANSWER: Given the fact that the Bucs only have two tight ends on the roster I would be all in favor of drafting one early. Cameron Brate and Codey McElroy, a former practice squader, are the team’s only tight ends. Tampa Bay is hopeful that future Hall of Famer Rob Gronkowski returns for another year. Gronkowski has hinted that he might come back, but remains noncommittal.

I suspect that Gronkowski, who loves to party in the offseason, will re-sign eventually. Probably after OTAs and before training camp. If Gronkowski does not return tight end becomes a huge position of need. Even if he does, Gronkowski will likely only be back for one more season.

With Gronkowski turning 33 next month, and with Brate turning 31 in July, the Bucs need a young, starting-caliber tight end in the hopper ready to take over in 2023. Tampa Bay was hoping it would be O.J. Howard, a former first-round pick in 2017. But he fell out of favor with the coaching staff and signed a one-year deal in Buffalo to try to reboot his career.

The Bucs have shown a lot of interest in Colorado State tight end Trey McBride and Washington tight end Cade Otton. McBride will be drafted in the second round, and was the Bucs’ pick at No. 60 in the most recent Pewter Report 2022 Bucs 7-Round Mock Draft 4.0. Otton is regarded as a potential second- or third-round pick. Both of those tight ends are good blockers and receivers.

QUESTION: At one point do the Bucs address the backup inside linebacker? Lavonte David is not going to be around forever. K.J. Britt is a nice piece but doesn’t have the speed of David or Devin White. Would it be outrageous to think a second-day pick could be used on inside linebacker?

ANSWER: Tampa Bay invested two Day 3 draft picks in inside linebackers K.J. Britt (fifth round) and Grant Stuard (seventh round) last year. The team sees a future on defense for Britt, who made good strides behind the scenes last year. The big question is whether Britt has the athleticism to be a future potential starter to replace Lavonte David. Or if he’s just best suited to replace veteran Kevin Minter as the No. 3 linebacker. The guess here is the former.

Bucs Ilbs Kj Britt And Grant Stuard

Bucs ILBs KJ Britt and Grant Stuard – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

The Bucs will probably draw that conclusion themselves by this year’s training camp and preseason. Minter has yet to be re-signed. But the early prediction is that Britt’s ceiling is as a primary backup – not a starter.

As for Stuard, he’s a special teams demon. The Bucs feel he has the potential to be a Pro Bowl-caliber special teams tackler like the Patriots’ Matthew Slater. Yet he has some size and athletic limitations that probably won’t make him a replacement for David.

Given the fact that replacing David sooner rather than later will need to be addressed, I could see the Bucs use a second day pick on an inside linebacker this year if the right player was there. That wouldn’t surprise me, especially with defensive-minded head coach in Todd Bowles in charge now. Montana State’s Troy Andersen and Georgia’s Channing Tindall could be options in the second round. Wyoming’s Chad Muma would be a third- or fourth-round pick.

QUESTION: Two part question – is there any chance the Bucs are going to re-sign Jason Pierre-Paul? If you had a crystal ball, who would you see as the next free agent to join the team?

ANSWER: I don’t think the Bucs will re-sign Jason Pierre-Paul. He’s dealt with injuries the last three years in a row and is 33. Pierre-Paul is coming off major shoulder surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff. If Tampa Bay does entertain the thought it won’t be until closer to training camp because he’ll have to pass a physical.

But with the Bucs drafting Joe Tryon-Shoyinka in the first round last year, the team will want him to start opposite Shaq Barrett. Bringing back a veteran like Pierre-Paul, who has an alpha personality, will only stunt Tryon-Shoyinka’s growth in 2022. Pierre-Paul will want playing time and that would be detrimental to Tryon-Shoyinka’s development.

Anthony Nelson came on late last season and had a career-high five sacks. He’s entering a contract year and will likely be the team’s No. 3 pass rusher. Tampa Bay will want to know what Nelson’s ceiling is before he hits free agency. If Pierre-Paul returns he would take some precious snaps away from Nelson, too.

The Bucs could very well draft another edge rusher to compete with Cam Gill and Elijah Ponder. Minnesota’s Boye Mafe could be an option in the first round if he’s the best player available at No. 27. Or Tampa Bay could wait until later in the draft to select another outside linebacker. Yet the Bucs might feel comfortable with the potential of Gill and Ponder, who was on the practice squad last year, and have them duke it out for OLB4 this year.

QUESTION: With Ronald Jones now in Kansas City, and with the rest of the RB room back, it seems they may be lacking a true between-the-guards threat. Any thoughts on where that, albeit minor, gap gets filled? Or, is this more of a perceived gap?

Texas A&Amp;Amp;M Rb Isaiah Spiller 2022 Nfl Draft

Texas A&M RB Isaiah Spiller – Photo by USA Today

ANSWER: Tampa Bay re-signed starting halfback Leonard Fournette and third-down role player Giovani Bernard this offseason. The Bucs also have Ke’Shawn Vaughn entering his third year, as well as Kenjon Barner. But the team does need another early-down back that can run between the tackles to replace Ronald Jones II.

Vaughn hasn’t proven that he can handle the workload if Fournette goes down with an injury. Drafting another starting-caliber back instead of another third-down, pass-catching role player would be ideal. Catching the ball and being a pass protector are traits that any Bucs running back must have.

But Tampa Bay needs another back that can handle 15-20 carries a game if necessary. The Bucs hope that player is Vaughn, but they might need an insurance policy just in case he’s not.

There are several intriguing options that the Bucs could pursue in the 2022 NFL Draft. Iowa State’s Breece Hall could be drafted in the second round. Texas A&M’s Isaiah Spiller and BYU’s Tyler Allgeier might be options in the third round. Florida’s Dameon Pierce and Arizona State’s Rachaad White may be targets in the fourth round.

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