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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.

Note: SR is on a well-deserved vacation to end the bye week, so Pewter Report’s Bailey Adams is filling in this week. 

QUESTION: What is your assessment of Logan Hall at this point in the season? He was generating hype in the offseason with his pass rush but he has been very quiet 10 games in. It would certainly help alleviate the loss of Barrett if he could get going.

ANSWER: There have been highs and lows for rookie defensive tackle Logan Hall. He flashed a ton of potential early before going quiet over the last several weeks. He had a very impressive rep against Cowboys guard Zack Martin in Week 1 before recording his first career sack and two quarterback hits two weeks later against Aaron Rodgers and the Packers. Two weeks after that, he registered sack No. 2, getting to Falcons quarterback Marcus Mariota. Two sacks, two hits and two hurries in five games was a strong start for Hall, especially as a rookie playing in a rotational role. You could see what the Bucs saw in him when they selected him with the No. 33 pick.

Bucs DT Logan Hall – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

But since Week 5, Hall has just one hurry and has largely been a non-factor. When Akiem Hicks went down in Week 2, it appeared to be an opportunity for the rookie. Rotating with Rakeem Nunez-Roches, Hall played 29, 27, 29, 38, 19, 21 and 30 snaps from Weeks 2-8. But the Packers and Falcons games were his only standout performances. He earned Pro Football Focus grades above 60 for both, but 52.7 is his next-highest grade. And now that Hicks is back, the 22-year-old has played just nine and 16 snaps in the last two weeks, respectively. I’m not sure he’s going to be the guy to make up for the loss of Shaq Barrett.

Assessing Hall at this stage is all about expectations. Rookie defensive tackles don’t often step right in and produce. Even the Bucs’ best defensive tackles have taken time to get off the ground. Warren Sapp had three sacks as a rookie in 1995. Gerald McCoy notched three himself as a rookie in 2010 before Vita Vea matched with three as a rookie in 2018. Hall certainly has the size and athleticism to be a solid NFL player. But it’ll take time. With another offseason to fill out his frame and adjust to the NFL, he’ll be in a good spot. And if he can show some more of those early-season flashes down the stretch, that will only help Tampa Bay.

QUESTION: Any news on Ryan Jensen? Last report on him indicated a potential return to action some time in November. Why is this such a mystery? I don’t see any advantage gained by Tampa by concealing injury news.

ANSWER: I hate to be the bearer of no news, but that’s what I’ll be. The Bucs have remained quiet on the status of injured center Ryan Jensen, who hurt his knee on the second day of training camp. While he has been seen without crutches for months now, the report that he would be back in November felt wildly premature. He hasn’t shown any signs of being ready to return to practice, much less a game. When Bucs head coach Todd Bowles was asked about that report last month, he said the 31-year-old is walking well without a brace, but that’s the extent of his progress right now.

It always felt like any return for Jensen this season would be in late December or January. Given that it’s Nov. 21 and there hasn’t been any indication that he’s nearing a return to practice, December is looking less likely. The Bucs have two regular season games in January before the playoffs, so if they get him back that early, it’ll feel like a win. Of course, there’s always a chance that he makes a return in the playoffs, much like Vita Vea did in the NFC Championship Game two seasons ago. And, of course, there’s still a chance that Jensen doesn’t come back at all this season. The Bucs remaining quiet on the situation leaves everything on the table.

Robert Hainsey has filled in admirably for Jensen at center, but it’s still clear that the team misses the presence of the veteran Pro Bowler. Whereas Hainsey wins with technique, Jensen is a brawler who plays with a mean streak. Tampa Bay is missing that edge in the middle of its offensive line right now, especially with what has been an up-and-down season on the left side. Left tackle Donovan Smith hasn’t played his best football and rookie Luke Goedeke struggled at left guard for seven weeks before an injury brought Nick Leverett into the fold. Leverett has played better and the unit as a whole has benefitted, but getting Jensen back would be a massive deal.

QUESTION: Has Nick Leverett finally secured the LG position?

ANSWER: Nick Leverett has been a significant upgrade at left guard since taking over for rookie Luke Goedeke. Leverett began splitting time with Goedeke back in Week 7 before Goedeke missed Weeks 8-10 with a foot injury. When the door opened for Leverett, he took advantage of it. The Bucs’ offensive line has been much better with him in there.

Bucs LG Nick Leverett – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Leverett has a respectable 64.3 grade from PFF, with a very good 77.4 pass blocking grade. Compare that to Goedeke’s 41.5 overall grade and 34.5 pass blocking grade and the answer to your question seems pretty clear. Obviously, PFF grades aren’t everything, but they can paint a fairly accurate picture of what’s going on. And when you compare what the two guards have put on tape, there’s a clear choice as to who should start down the stretch. But your question is whether or not Leverett has secured the job. The answer appears clear, but Bucs coaches — specifically Todd Bowles — wasn’t ready to state that publicly when given the chance last Monday.

He referenced Goedeke still dealing with his foot injury and said that they would evaluate everything when the rookie is ready to come back. He also mentioned that Leverett has earned the opportunity to play, though. And while coaches often like to say that no one loses their job due to injury, going back to Goedeke at this point — especially with the disparity between the way both he and Leverett have played — would be pure foolishness. Goedeke may develop into a solid pro, but he’s just not ready yet. Leverett is.

QUESTION: Who are the five most exciting running backs you’ve seen play for the Bucs?

ANSWER: This would be better answered by SR, who has covered the Bucs for 27 years. But I’ve covered them in some capacity for six years and before that, I grew up watching them every Sunday. So, I’ll give it a shot. For the purposes of this answer, we’ll lump a fullback in with exciting running backs because there will never be another Mike Alstott. He was an absolute tank and his storied career is littered with highlight-worthy plays. He’s one of those guys whose highlights you have to stop and watch whenever they resurface. Watching him lower his shoulder, break tackles and dive over the goal line never gets old. “Alstott up the gut” forever and ever.

Former Bucs RB Cadillac Williams – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Cadillac Williams has to make my list as well. He was so much fun to watch, with 4.4 speed and impressive vision. I’ll always hate that we didn’t get to see what a full, healthy career could look like for him. Warrick Dunn is another one. Admittedly, he was someone I only got to watch at a very young age. But he was (and is) revered by Bucs fans, including those in my family.  Going back and watching Dunn, you can see his ability to cut through defenses and then run away from them with breakaway speed — how can you not enjoy that?

Wrapping up with two modern names: LeGarrette Blount and Doug Martin. Neither was especially consistent for the Bucs, but at their best, wow. Blount’s hurdling ability remains legendary in Tampa, while Martin’s two 1,000-yard seasons (2012 and 2015) still stand as two of the best single-season performances by a running back in franchise history. And his 251-yard, four-touchdown game against the Raiders in 2012 made for one of the best days during a pretty dark decade for the team. And of course, I’d be remiss if I didn’t throw a mention toward James Wilder. He was obviously ahead of my time, but that doesn’t mean I don’t vehemently believe he belongs in the Bucs Ring of Honor.

QUESTION: If you could build a coaching staff with only former Bucs players, what would it look like? HC, OC, DC, ST and position coaches?

ANSWER: This is a fun one! Rather than just listing the best player at each position, I tried to pick guys who have coaching experience. Of course, their impressive playing days helped, too. At the top, Mike Alstott is my head coach. He’s been the head coach of Northside Christian for 11 years, so he knows the gig — albeit at the high school level. Brad Johnson, he of Super Bowl XXXVII and TikTok fame, is my offensive coordinator. And Donnie Abraham, who is set to coach in the 2023 version of the XFL, gets the defensive coordinator job. I’ll make two-time special teams captain Kevin Minter as my special teams coordinator for his smarts and leadership.

Bucs Hall of Fame DT Warren Sapp and D-line coaches Lori Locust and Kacy Rodgers and DE Will Gholston – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Harvard man and NFL journeyman Ryan Fitzpatrick has seen it all, so I think he’d make a good quarterbacks coach. Cadillac Williams, who is currently 2-1 as Auburn’s interim head coach, takes the running backs. Call it bias or whatever you want — I want John Gilmore as my tight ends coach. The former Bucs tight end isn’t just a regular on the Pewter Report Tailgate Show, he’s also the head coach at Sun Lake High School. Rounding out the offensive staff, I want A.Q. Shipley coaching up my offensive line. He’s one of the best around when it comes to dissecting offensive line play, plus he’s no stranger to mentorship given his work with Bucs center Robert Hainsey this offseason.

Warren Sapp got consideration for the defensive coordinator position, but he has stated in the past that the coaching life isn’t for him. So, attempting to honor that, I’ll only ask him to coach my defensive line. He’s worked with the Commanders’ line this season after helping out with Tampa Bay this offseason. Hardy Nickerson has coached linebackers at the NFL level — including a stint with the Bucs — so he’s an easy choice. In the secondary, I’ll have Richard Sherman coaching cornerbacks (as he did while injured in 2021) and Keith Tandy serving as safeties coach. Tandy is currently a defensive/special teams assistant with Tampa Bay, so he’s another easy choice. I think that’s a pretty strong — and talented — staff.

QUESTION: Queipo and Matty’s All Time Buc draft was super interesting. Looking at their teams, who do you think has the advantage?

ANSWER: I broke this down position by position over the weekend and came to the conclusion that both teams ended up pretty even. If I had to pick, I think I’d give a slight edge to Matt’s team. His defense having John Lynch, Ronde Barber, Derrick Brooks, Hardy Nickerson, Warren Sapp and Lee Roy Selmon is incredibly hard to beat.

Matt’s team also featured the better wide receiver duo in Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, plus he has a backfield duo of James Wilder and Mike Alstott. I think Josh came away with the better offensive line. Even though Matt has the legendary Paul Gruber, I don’t love that he then selected Donovan Smith to move to the right side. Demar Dotson or potentially Roman Oben might’ve been a better pick there. But despite having to “settle” for Doug Williams at quarterback after Josh took Tom Brady first overall, I still like Matt’s offense enough to say that, combined with his defense, he gets the slight victory in this draft.

There were some names I was surprised not to see on their final rosters. I liked Dotson or Oben over Smith at right tackle, as well as Randall McDaniel over Shaq Mason. Defensively, I’m surprised neither Matt nor Josh selected Brian Kelly. And Vincent Jackson was a glaring omission when talking receivers, too. But overall, I loved getting a little trip down memory lane during the Bucs’ bye week. Hats off to Matt and Josh for a fun draft on the Pewter Report Podcast.