A new Pewter Report Roundtable debuts every Tuesday on PewterReport.com. Each week, the Pewter Reporters tackle another tough question. This week’s prompt: Which Bucs player are you most intrigued to see in Saturday’s preseason opener against the Bengals in Cincinnati?

Scott Reynolds: It’s Time For Logan Hall To Make A Stand

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

I certainly don’t expect the Buccaneers to play a lot of their starters during Saturday’s preseason opener at Cincinnati. Tampa Bay head coach Todd Bowles will only play his starters a handful of snaps – if any of them play at all. The team wants to get a look at not just the rookies and newcomers like cornerback Bryce Hall and defensive back Tavierre Thomas in the preseason, but also the Buccaneers with something to prove. Players like defensive tackle Logan Hall, who is entering his third year in Tampa Bay. Hall is a player that I am keeping my eye on in the team’s preseason opener.

The team’s first pick in the 2022 draft, Hall has underwhelmed as the pass-rushing defensive tackle he was drafted to be. So much so that Tampa Bay drafted another pass-rushing defensive tackle in the first round last year in Calijah Kancey. After recording 2.5 sacks as a rotational player during his rookie season, Hall only finished with half a sack last season.

After putting on around 30 pounds of muscle and mass since arriving at Tampa Bay, it’s time for a bigger version of Hall to be become a better version of Hall. After a slow start to training camp, Hall really came on this past week as a pass rusher and even recorded an interception of Kyle Trask while dropping into coverage – taking it back for a pick-six. This past week should give Hall a needed confidence boost, and he should be energized to go out and play his best football against the Bengals. I would love to see Hall stand out in the preseason and actually look like a dominant player on defense.

The Bucs have high expectations for Kancey and Vita Vea. Imagine if Hall could perform close to their level. That would give Tampa Bay an insurance policy in case there was an injury to either starter. And then there wouldn’t be much drop off from a pass-rushing standpoint if Hall could deliver in that area and come up with a few sacks this year. Getting to the quarterback this preseason starting – on Saturday night – would be a big step in that direction.

Matt Matera: Chris Braswell Can Better Establish His Role

Bucs OLB Chris Braswell – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

The injury to Yaya Diaby and the continued absence of Randy Gregory has changed the trajectory of the Bucs outside linebacker room. At least until Diaby heals up and is expected to return for Week 1, the Bucs are back to what they had circa 2022 with Anthony Nelson and Joe Tryon-Shoyinka starting on either side. But what this does is also make the selection of Chris Braswell in the second round that much more important.

Braswell has had some nice moments in training camp but maybe hasn’t had as much of a breakout beginning in the ways that other rookies like Jalen McMillan and Bucky Irving have. The physical nature of Braswell’s game makes him better suited to be at his best when an actual game is going on instead of practice. There has been some talk in training camp that Braswell has struggled on the sled, which is a little concerning, although his speed has also looked better than expected.

Is Chris Braswell in a spot where he can contribute instantly? Can he lobby for a starting job, or does he look like he’ll need to continue to develop as the season progresses like Yaya Diaby did last year? Markees Watts is certainly in contention to get more opportunities and Jose Ramirez is another name to keep in mind. Depending how this preseason shapes up, Braswell can either be a potential starter or merely a rotational piece. The first preseason game will give us a better idea of which way it’s leaning early on.

Bailey Adams: Bucky Irving’s Bucs Debut Will Be Interesting To Watch

Bucs RB Bucky Irving – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

The first week and a half of Bucs training camp has featured standout performances from a number of rookies, both draft picks and undrafted free agents alike. But one of the rookies who has faded into the background a little bit is fourth-round pick Bucky Irving. Now, that’s not to say it’s really been his fault. It’s just harder for running backs to catch the eye on the practice field.

A big part of Irving’s success during his back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons at Oregon in 2022 and 2023 was his tackle-breaking ability. That’s not something that really shows up fully in practice, and the run periods and run plays during 11-on-11s don’t produce the type of highlight plays that stand out on a daily basis.

Irving has showcased his pass-catching ability during camp and has looked explosive both as a runner and in the kick return game. But Saturday’s preseason opener will be our first chance to get a real glimpse at what he’s going to bring to the Buccaneer offense in the run game and as a pass-catcher out of the backfield. It’ll be interesting to see what he does with any kick return reps he gets, too.

If Todd Bowles approaches the preseason the way he did in 2023, very few starters will play the opener against the Bengals. Rachaad White was held out of last year’s exhibition opener against the Steelers, and it wouldn’t be much of a surprise if that was the case in Cincinnati this Saturday. That should give Irving a really good chance to gain some valuable in-game reps and begin showing everyone why Tampa Bay – in hopes of improving its league-worst run game – made him its fourth-round pick in April.

Josh Queipo: Kalen DeLoach Is Fighting For A Roster Spot

Bucs ILB Kalen DeLoach – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Last year the Bucs had one of the highest number of undrafted free agents on their roster. Running back Sean Tucker, wide receiver Rakim Jarrett, nickelback Christian Izien, outside linebacker Markees Watts and safety Kaevon Merriweather all logged snaps at different points last year. This year there are pathways for a smaller number of UDFAs to potentially break training camp as a part of the team’s 53-man roster, which is loaded with veterans and established young players thanks to some really good drafts in recent years, but that doesn’t mean no one has a chance.

Former Florida State linebacker Kalen DeLoach has popped during team practices, and with little prestige behind Lavonte David there is a real opportunity for DeLoach to show out and possibly take a giant step towards securing one of those inside linebacker roster spots. David will not play forever (despite many Bucs fans hopes) and K.J. Britt and SirVocea Dennis are far from locks to be above average starters. Those two will make the team and play a lot this year, but the future at inside linebacker is uncertain given the fact that David and Britt are in contract years and Dennis is unproven as of right now.

That opens the door for DeLoach to show that he can replace Devin White’s blitzing talents and possibly more as a long-term developmental piece in Todd Bowles’ defense. The Bucs will likely keep four inside linebackers, so DeLoach will be squaring off against J.J. Russell for the fourth and final spot on the depth chart this August.

Adam Slivon: Jalen McMillan Is Looking To Build On Impressive Training Camp

Bucs WR Jalen McMillan – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

All eyes have been on rookie wide receiver Jalen McMillan so far during Tampa Bay’s training camp – and for good reason. McMillan has made big plays nearly every practice when the football lands in his hands, whether that’s hauling in a high volume of passes or making touchdown catches.

Heading into the Bucs’ preseason opener against the Bengals, he is looking to show that he is for real and can do the same in a live game. While Baker Mayfield may not see the field much in the first game, seeing how their rapport looks on the field as well as McMillan contributing and making plays with the other quarterbacks on the roster would further bolster his case for the No. 3 wide receiver spot.

McMillan has come along nicely and fit in seamlessly so far in the Bucs’ offense, with his versatility to line up anywhere and be a savvy route-runner on full display. Offensive coordinator Liam Coen is still in the process of identifying his weapons and how to best utilize them, and this preseason is an opportune time to unleash them creatively. Thankfully for the former Washington Huskie, he already knows that fitting in the offense means being a “dawg.”

McMillan has been a coverage matchup nightmare for the Bucs’ secondary, and seeing how he fares against another unit will only continue to build the buzz that has begun to surround him in the first couple weeks of camp.