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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: How are we feeling about Logan Hall? Kind of quiet preseason, wouldn’t you say?

ANSWER: There is no doubt that defensive tackle Logan Hall, the Bucs’ first pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, had a quiet preseason. Hall finished with two tackles and no sacks in three games. His most notable preseason play might have been chasing Sam Ehlinger 47 yards downfield only to just miss a tackle attempt at the goal line on the Colts quarterback’s 45-yard TD run. Hall showed plenty of heart and hustle on that play and that’s a very encouraging sign. He has the size and athleticism to be a force in the NFL, but it’s going to take some time.

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

Keep in mind that Hall was the 33rd overall pick – not a Top 12 pick like Warren Sapp (1995) or Vita Vea (2018). And certainly not a Top 3 pick like Gerald McCoy (2010). In fact, the last four defensive tackles the Bucs have drafted in the first round since Sapp have underwhelmed statistically as rookies. Sapp, McCoy and Vea all notched just three sacks during their rookie seasons. Yet, all three went on to make at least one Pro Bowl. Don’t forget about Anthony “Booger” McFarland, another first-round defensive tackle (1999). He only had one sack during his rookie season, but he didn’t make a Pro Bowl in his career.

Playing defensive tackle in the NFL is one of the hardest positions, and success is rare for rookie. What helps Hall is the fact that he isn’t pressured to start right away. Veteran Akiem Hicks was signed to start next to Vea, with Hall starting off as a rotational tackle. Hall has spent the summer learning from Hicks, Will Gholston and other veterans up front. He’ll take some time to develop, but he has the tools and the want-to – and that’s important.

Hall has said his goal is six sacks during his rookie season. He only recorded 7.5 at Houston, and 6.5 of them came last year. That seems like a lofty goal, but he is capable of doing it. But if he only gets three sacks in 2022, he’ll actually be on a Pro Bowl pace according to the precedence set by Sapp, McCoy and Vea.

QUESTION: Any chance the Bucs show interest in any free agent veteran guys with the injuries piling up along the O-line? Ereck Flowers has been solid at left guard recently. Matt Paradis has experience. Oday Aboushi is coming off ACL, but has been solid when healthy.

ANSWER: Ereck Flowers might be one to keep an eye on if the Bucs decide to go outside the organization for some interior offensive line help. At age 28, he is one of the younger, more experienced linemen available in free agency. Flowers has experience at left guard after playing there the last three years with Washington and Miami, missing just two starts.

But head coach Todd Bowles made it pretty clear on Sunday that the organization probably wouldn’t go outside to look for offensive line help unless recent injuries to center Robert Hainsey and lineman Nick Leverett were severe. The Bucs appeared to get good news on Hainsey’s sprained ankle. The team will have to wait to see how bad the AC joint in Leverett’s shoulder is, but should know more soon.

The team does like young, developmental offensive line prospect Brandon Walton. He might have been in line to beat out Aaron Stinnie if the veteran didn’t suffer a season-ending knee injury at Tennessee. Like Flowers, Walton is a big, powerful guard that can play offensive tackle in a pinch. Given the fact that the Bucs’ in-house options like Walton know the system and have developed some chemistry with their teammates, it’s more likely they trust their own depth right now.

But as Bowles said on Sunday, one more injury along the offensive line would likely mean the Bucs would have to turn to free agency to add another player.

QUESTION: Were Tom Brady’s post-game quotes more damage control or more sincerity from the heart?

ANSWER: I think Tom Brady was being very candid and sincere in his post-game press conference in Indianapolis. There have been all sorts of rumors about Brady supposedly wanting to play for various other teams. The latest of which this offseason have been Miami and Las Vegas. But ultimately Brady chose Tampa Bay – twice.

Bucs QB Tom Brady – Photo by: USA Today

Whether or not he originally preferred to go to San Francisco or Las Vegas in 2020, Brady signed with the Bucs and won a Super Bowl. That happened. And as a result, Tampa Bay now has two Lombardi Trophies. The woulda, coulda, shoulda doesn’t matter. It’s all post-event conjecture that has no bearing on the 2020 season or even the 2022 season.

That’s because Brady chose the Bucs again when he decided to un-retire on March 13. Would he have stayed with the Bucs if he had been a free agent? We’ll never know, but that wasn’t the case anyways. Brady was under contract for the 2022 season with Tampa Bay. So, he obviously wanted to play with the Bucs one more season. Otherwise, he would have stayed retired.

Brady also spoke openly about the challenges he’s facing right now. He alluded to balancing the end of his football career, his family life and the beginning of his BRADY clothing brand, in addition to his TB12 business.

“You know, everyone’s got different situations they’re dealing with,” Brady said. “So, we all have really unique challenges to our life. I’m 45 years old, man. There’s a lot of sh*t going on. You’ve just got to try to figure out life the best you can. It’s a continuous process.”

QUESTION: We all know the importance of quality depth, especially when injuries begin to mount. Do you think the Bucs’ preseason record speaks to the lack of quality depth this team has behind the starters? Could this be coaching or lack of quality depth?

ANSWER: Don’t focus on the team’s preseason record one bit. Tampa Bay’s starters each played two series in the preseason finale at Indianapolis and looked good. There were two dozen Bucs playing against the Colts that won’t be on the 53-man roster come Tuesday at 4:00 p.m. ET. So, the fact that the Bucs went 0-3 in the preseason, and lost the finale, 27-10, doesn’t matter. Only the play of the starters truly matters.

Now, that’s not to say that preseason is worthless. It does have some value in terms of allowing young players to gain valuable experience and show they can play in this league. But the Baltimore Ravens just set an NFL record with 23 straight preseason wins. Yet, the Ravens have not been to a conference championship game during that span. In fact, Baltimore went undefeated in the preseason last year and didn’t even make the playoffs.

I think the Bucs do have considerable depth at a lot of positions. They are the deepest team in the league at wide receiver and have strong depth at safety and running back. I think Tampa Bay is deep along the defensive line and have adequate depth at outside linebacker. Even the depth at quarterback is solid, as both Blaine Gabbert and Kyle Trask had their best camps this year.

The Bucs’ depth along the offensive line got tested this summer for sure. And I do have some concerns depth-wise at cornerback and inside linebacker. But no team is deep across the board.

QUESTION: Do you think the Bucs are in trouble Week 1 if both Chris Godwin and Russell Gage can’t go? I don’t trust Mike Evans and Julio Jones to be able to get open quickly against a good Dallas pass rush.

Bucs WR Mike Evans – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

ANSWER: I think the Week 1 battle between the Bucs and Cowboys will be more of a defensive struggle than last year’s 31-29 win by Tampa Bay. Both teams are dealing with banged-up offensive lines, and both have strong defenses. Yet, I do think there is a good chance that Chris Godwin plays in the season opener despite the Bucs being non-committal about him playing right now. There is also a chance Russell Gage plays in the game as he recovers from his hamstring strain.

But let’s answer your hypothetical question. If Godwin and Gage can’t go, I do think points will be at a premium. But I would expect the Bucs to beat the Cowboys using a short, rhythmic passing game and by running the ball. Mike Evans and Julio Jones can still get open. Don’t forget that we saw Evans torch Rams All-Pro Jalen Ramsey for a 55-yard touchdown in the Bucs’ playoff loss.

Without Godwin and Gage, it does get a bit trickier, though. To have Tom Brady drop back 40-45 times and throw against the likes of Travon Diggs while Micah Parsons is rushing the passer might be foolhardy. I think the Bucs would turn to a healthy dose of Leonard Fournette running and catching the ball if Godwin and Gage didn’t play. But if Godwin and Gage can go – and are effective – then I see the Bucs being very balanced offensively, as well as opportunistic in the passing game.