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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: The Bucs let Kwon Alexander walk and then drafted Devin White to replace him. As it relates to on-field performance (not potential) – and considering White’s upcoming (deserved or undeserved) pay day – should we have kept Alexander instead?

ANSWER: Kwon Alexander was let go for a couple of reasons. The first of which was his ACL injury he suffered in his contract year in 2018. The 49ers signed Alexander to a lucrative deal, but he wasn’t fully recovered in the 2019 season. San Francisco bet that Alexander would return to his 2017 Pro Bowl form and inked him to a four-year, $54 million deal. There was no way the Bucs were going to pay anywhere close to that amount – injured or not.

Tampa Bay really liked White and viewed him as a faster, more athletic and healthier version of Alexander. So far, White has been an upgrade over Alexander despite his faults and shortcomings. White played an instrumental role in the Bucs winning Super Bowl LV – a game in which he had an interception. Against New Orleans in the 2020 Divisional playoffs, White had a key interception and fumble return.

White made the Pro Bowl last year despite not having as dynamic of a season as he had in 2020. He’s only 24 and has two more years left under contract, as Tampa Bay picked up his fifth-year option. With new inside linebackers coach Larry Foote in his ear, I suspect White will rebound and have his best season yet in 2022.

The 49ers traded Alexander to the Saints a year later, where he has been a part-time starter at strongside linebacker. He had 50 tackles, 3.5 sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery last year in New Orleans. But he hasn’t come close to the 145-tackle, three-sack season he had in 2017 in Tampa Bay. Alexander is almost 28 now and doesn’t appear to have as much upside. The Bucs seemed to make the right call in swapping out Alexander for White.

QUESTION: Who will be RB2 behind Leonard Fournette – Ke’Shawn Vaughn or Rachaad White? The coaching staff obviously loves experience, but White seems to fit a little better.

ANSWER: This is a question we seem to get at least every other week. It’s definitely a hot topic, so I’ll answer it again. Rachaad White, the team’s third-round draft pick this year, is the shiny new toy. He had a great offseason during the OTAs and mini-camps. The guess here is that he winds up as the No. 2 running back behind Leonard Fournette. Like you said, he is a better fit because of his ability in the passing game.

Bucs RB Rachaad White – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Ke’Shawn Vaughn had a great opportunity to showcase his improvement and development at the end of the season when Fournette was out. But outside of a long touchdown run at Carolina, Vaughn averaged a paltry 3.1 yards per carry down the stretch. He’s not a dynamic runner, nor is he much of a factor in the passing game. To be fair, Vaughn did show some improvement this offseason in terms of catching the ball. That’s an area he really needed to work on.

The big deciding factor between Vaughn and White will be who offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich and quarterback Tom Brady trusts the most in pass protection. Vaughn might have the early edge thanks to his experience. But White will have three weeks of camp practices to catch up prior to the preseason games.

When it’s all said and done, I think White will emerge as the No. 2 running back behind Fournette. Then, it will be up to Vaughn to beat out veteran Giovani Bernard for the No. 3 running back job.

QUESTION: Why wouldn’t we re-sign Ndamukong Suh and platoon him and Akiem Hicks? Imagine subbing one for the other.

ANSWER: Ndamukong Suh won’t play for pennies. The Bucs spent a high second-round pick on Logan Hall and added Akiem Hicks, whom the team paid $6.5 million this year. Suh has made at least $9 million per year in each of the last three seasons in Tampa Bay. Even at age 35, Suh would likely cost at least $7 million in 2022 – if not more. The Bucs are tight against the salary cap and likely need to add another tight end and possibly another outside linebacker prior to the start of the season.

His big price tag aside, the Bucs didn’t re-sign Suh because he’s lost a step. When healthy, the 32-year old Hicks is a step faster than Suh, especially when it comes to rushing the passer. Hall, who is 21, was one of the quicker and more athletic tackles in the 2022 NFL Draft.

If this were the Madden football video game, adding Suh would make some sense. But in the real world when it comes to the salary cap and actual playing time, the Bucs appear to be better off with Hicks and Hall at defensive tackle. Every snap Suh would be in the game for would be one fewer precious developmental snap that Hall would get – or one fewer snap a more effective player like Hicks would get.

QUESTION: What area of the offense and defense are you most looking forward to watching in camp?

ANSWER: Pewter Report just came out with an article over the weekend detailing some of the most interesting matchups of Bucs training camp. Our PR Roundtable topic this week was “which camp matchups are you most looking forward to?” I said wide receiver Russell Gage vs. nickel cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting. With Chris Godwin out at the start of training camp, Gage will see some time in the slot against Murphy-Bunting, who is entering a critical contract year.

Bucs CB Sean Murphy-Bunting – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Another one was nose tackle Vita Vea and defensive tackle Akiem Hicks vs. rookie guard Luke Goedeke. Linebacker Devin White vs. running back Leonard Fournette was also mentioned, as was outside linebacker Joe Tryon-Shoyinka vs. right tackle Tristan Wirfs. Those matchups really cover some of the major points of interest.

Other areas of Tampa Bay’s offense and defense I’m interested in watching in camp are the wide receivers in general, tight ends and the reserve outside linebackers. After Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and Gage, the Bucs essentially have 10 receivers fighting for three or four roster spots. The tight end position is full of young talent. And it will be interesting to see how Anthony Nelson, Cam Gill, Elijah Ponder and Andre Anthony fare behind Tryon-Shoyinka and Shaq Barrett.

QUESTION: Looks like we will be needing some tight end help, are we bringing anyone in? Are we looking for some veteran pass catchers? Any update on Cade Otton’s injury?

ANSWER: There was a report over the weekend about the Bucs showing some real interest in Kyle Rudolph. I’ve thought all along that he might be the best veteran free agent option because of his background as a blocker and a receiver. Jimmy Graham, Jared Cook and Blake Jarwin are some other names to consider. Rudolph, Graham and Cook are all over 30 and their skills are in decline. Cook is almost strictly a pass-catcher, and the Bucs will need a good inline blocker to replace what Gronkowski brought in that area.

I wouldn’t be surprised if the Bucs wait a bit on signing a veteran, perhaps to give more reps to rookie tight ends Cade Otton, Ko Kieft, J.J. Howland and Ben Beise. But if Rudolph is a player the Bucs are targeting and demand starts to heat up for his services, they may have to hurry up.

As for Otton, he suffered a season-ending ankle injury in November last year and had surgery. He missed the offseason workouts, OTAs and mini-camps. But he’s been diligently rehabbing his injury and is expected to be ready to go at the start of training camp. The guess here is that the Bucs give him every opportunity to try to win the starting tight end job in camp.