But are we landing stars or starters. That remains to be seen
Correct.
As this current regime has proven, being a starter doesn’t necessarily mean you’re good.
Yeah I'd say it's way too early. As for the late round picks. I don't think a "D" is appropriate if they are projected to make the team at all. The grade should be relative to the draft round. You've been spoiled by the success of recent late round picks making the team and actually contributing to the offense or defense. Now you've come to expect it.
You question whether a late 5th round pick has what it takes to be a solid starter? If a late 5th rounder sees the field other than special teams for even a handful of plays that's a success. For a guard they will likely see very few snaps in his rookie year because the starters tend to take almost all of the snaps unless there's an injury situation. If he becomes a solid backup for his career that's a "B" for a late 5th round pick.
For a 6th rounder if they make the 53 man roster that's a C or better. If they make the practice squad that's a D. If they don't make the practice squad that's an F.
I gotta talk about Bauer Sharp again, because apparently I enjoy beating the same dead horse over and over. This dude is a straight-up scrub.
Yeah, yeah, he’s got 2 catches on 3 targets and picked up a first down. Cool. Big whoop.
All offseason we heard about how this team needed a true receiving tight end, and Sharp was supposed to be that guy. Well, after watching him closely tonight, I’m not seeing it at all.
For somebody fighting to make the roster, he spends way too much time just standing around watching the play unfold. Take one of Browning’s scrambles for example. Browning breaks out of the pocket, and Sharp is literally watching the whole thing happen while the defender covering him leaves and goes and makes the tackle. Dude... go hit somebody. Throw a block. Do something.
Then when the ball comes his way, he just waits for it to arrive instead of attacking it. There’s no urgency, no aggression, no sense that he actually wants the football.
Honestly, he looks exactly like what I thought he was when they drafted him: a wasted pick. If it were up to me, he’d be gone before the preseason ends because he just ain’t it.
Maybe I’m being harsh, but he looks like a lazy TE out there. And when you go back and look at the scouting report coming out of college, it’s hard to argue he’s improved much at all:
- Limited blocking strength
- Raw route runner
- Inconsistent hands
- Not much of a threat after the catch
- Limited upside as a receiver
So far, all I’m seeing is the same player they warned us about on draft day. Nothing tonight changed my mind.
Just ESPN's take but heres where they stand after offseason:
Round 1 (No. 15): Rueben Bain Jr., Edge. Bain will start, and the team is thrilled with what it has seen so far. Whether it was channeling Reggie White with a hump move on third down that forced a Justin Fields incompletion, or the club/swipe move he put on teammate Luke Goedeke during one-on-ones, Bain has the stuff to make an impact right away, even with his recent AC sprain. But it's also his attitude and what he does when no one's watching that have quickly earned the respect of his teammates. "Just seeing the hunger and determination in his eyes, it's good to have on your side," defensive tackle Vita Vea said.
Round 2 (No. 46): Josiah Trotter, LB. The son of Eagles legend Jeremiah Trotter is expected to start at Mike linebacker. Trotter really began to shine once the pads came on, as he likes to crash downhill and hit people. He also showed his coverage skills by picking off the Jets' Geno Smith in joint practices. "He's not afraid, and he can back it up," defensive tackle Rakeem Nunez-Roches said. "That's what I love."
Round 3 (No. 84): Ted Hurst III, WR. The Bucs have been careful about comparing him to future Hall of Famer Mike Evans, but Hurst possesses similar attributes in that he's 6-foot-4 and plays above the rim. How early and often quarterback Baker Mayfield goes to him will be dependent on the health status of Emeka Egbuka, Jalen McMillan and Tez Johnson, who have all missed time with injuries.
Round 4 (No. 116): Keionte Scott, CB. Despite missing time recovering from wrist surgery, Scott has proved to be a quick study and he's in contention to be their starting nickel.
Round 5 (No. 155): DeMonte Capehart, DT. Like Scott, Capehart also had a wrist injury, but he is fully healed and in position to earn the final defensive line spot on the 53-man roster behind Vea, Calijah Kancey, A'Shawn Robinson, Nunez-Roches and Elijah Roberts.
Round 5 (No. 160): Billy Schrauth, G. Schrauth has been sidelined throughout camp with a sprained right knee and is battling with a handful of players for the final offensive line roster spot.
Round 6 (No. 185): Bauer Sharp, TE. Sharp's greatest asset is that he's a jack of all trades. He can block (although they need him to be more consistent), run and catch, and he is a very good route runner who has picked up Zac Robinson's offense quickly. -
Just ESPN's take but heres where they stand after offseason:
Round 1 (No. 15): Rueben Bain Jr., Edge. Bain will start, and the team is thrilled with what it has seen so far. Whether it was channeling Reggie White with a hump move on third down that forced a Justin Fields incompletion, or the club/swipe move he put on teammate Luke Goedeke during one-on-ones, Bain has the stuff to make an impact right away, even with his recent AC sprain. But it's also his attitude and what he does when no one's watching that have quickly earned the respect of his teammates. "Just seeing the hunger and determination in his eyes, it's good to have on your side," defensive tackle Vita Vea said.
Round 2 (No. 46): Josiah Trotter, LB. The son of Eagles legend Jeremiah Trotter is expected to start at Mike linebacker. Trotter really began to shine once the pads came on, as he likes to crash downhill and hit people. He also showed his coverage skills by picking off the Jets' Geno Smith in joint practices. "He's not afraid, and he can back it up," defensive tackle Rakeem Nunez-Roches said. "That's what I love."
Round 3 (No. 84): Ted Hurst III, WR. The Bucs have been careful about comparing him to future Hall of Famer Mike Evans, but Hurst possesses similar attributes in that he's 6-foot-4 and plays above the rim. How early and often quarterback Baker Mayfield goes to him will be dependent on the health status of Emeka Egbuka, Jalen McMillan and Tez Johnson, who have all missed time with injuries.
Round 4 (No. 116): Keionte Scott, CB. Despite missing time recovering from wrist surgery, Scott has proved to be a quick study and he's in contention to be their starting nickel.
Round 5 (No. 155): DeMonte Capehart, DT. Like Scott, Capehart also had a wrist injury, but he is fully healed and in position to earn the final defensive line spot on the 53-man roster behind Vea, Calijah Kancey, A'Shawn Robinson, Nunez-Roches and Elijah Roberts.
Round 5 (No. 160): Billy Schrauth, G. Schrauth has been sidelined throughout camp with a sprained right knee and is battling with a handful of players for the final offensive line roster spot.
Round 6 (No. 185): Bauer Sharp, TE. Sharp's greatest asset is that he's a jack of all trades. He can block (although they need him to be more consistent), run and catch, and he is a very good route runner who has picked up Zac Robinson's offense quickly. -
Pretty bland write up.
Picking of Geno is something many players did last year and it's the jets. I'm not putting much stock in that.
I hope Trotter proves me wrong but I just get the feeling that he's Devin White reborn.
Trotter picked off Lawrence in practice he is legit.
Sharpe has looked like a competent TE2 and he might pass Durham if he can block better.
Schrauth is a mystery but it is hard to not do better than the current collection of interior OL so I will give him a pass for now.
Scott has looked as advertised and he is cross training at NCB, boundary and S. Lots of upside.
Hurst is a homerun simply because of his traits and the fact he was going up against 1s and 2s regularly this off season. If given an NFL off season of weight training he will be stronger and faster with his size.
Capehart shows some interesting athletic traits but I like that he isn't a church mouse and is willing to have an edge to his game.
Bain is simply a complete player and a joy to watch.
Mostly agree except on Sharpe. I am curious, Alldaway, what did you see during the preseason that would rank Sharpe higher than Durham? Asking in earnest because I didn't see anything that told me that.Trotter picked off Lawrence in practice he is legit.
Sharpe has looked like a competent TE2 and he might pass Durham if he can block better.
Schrauth is a mystery but it is hard to not do better than the current collection of interior OL so I will give him a pass for now.
Scott has looked as advertised and he is cross training at NCB, boundary and S. Lots of upside.
Hurst is a homerun simply because of his traits and the fact he was going up against 1s and 2s regularly this off season. If given an NFL off season of weight training he will be stronger and faster with his size.
Capehart shows some interesting athletic traits but I like that he isn't a church mouse and is willing to have an edge to his game.
Bain is simply a complete player and a joy to watch.
We have no clue until we see them in regular season action.
Mostly agree except on Sharpe. I am curious, Alldaway, what did you see during the preseason that would rank Sharpe higher than Durham? Asking in earnest because I didn't see anything that told me that.Trotter picked off Lawrence in practice he is legit.
Sharpe has looked like a competent TE2 and he might pass Durham if he can block better.
Schrauth is a mystery but it is hard to not do better than the current collection of interior OL so I will give him a pass for now.
Scott has looked as advertised and he is cross training at NCB, boundary and S. Lots of upside.
Hurst is a homerun simply because of his traits and the fact he was going up against 1s and 2s regularly this off season. If given an NFL off season of weight training he will be stronger and faster with his size.
Capehart shows some interesting athletic traits but I like that he isn't a church mouse and is willing to have an edge to his game.
Bain is simply a complete player and a joy to watch.
Sharpe was taking reps with the 1s and 2s while Otton was out so at this point Sharpe already beat out Culp and has obviously leapfrogged Kieft who is the better blocker. Durham is kind of underrated as a pass catcher but Sharpe is more dynamic running his routes compared to Durham.
https://www.buccaneers.com/news/training-camp-preseason-2026-updates
In practices, Sharp has shown a well-developed route tree and has enthusiastically worked on his blocking. What has made him effective has been a good grasp on the playbook, which is not always an easy thing for a rookie to accomplish, especially at a complicated position like tight end.
"It's impressive that he's got the system down pretty fast," said Head Coach Todd Bowles. "That's very impressive on his part. The quicker you get it down, the faster you play, and he's playing fast."
In practice on Tuesday, with Otton out, Sharp was seen getting some action with the first-team offense, which means Baker Mayfield has had a chance to look his way. Mayfield has liked what he has seen from the rookie, especially in the quickness of his movements.
"Bauer's twitched-up, man. He's not just a receiving tight end. He's so quick and tough in his routes. He had a really good feel in zone coverage of how to get open, how to stay open. He's taking pride in the blocking, and that's something we've asked our tight ends to do in the last few years, do a lot of the dirty work, and I think he's taking pride in that. Bauer's come a long way and I think he's got a really, really good shot to make the team."
I would offer a rebuttal that him taking reps with the 1s and 2s means anything other than they wanted to see what they got for that 6th round pick on a guy they could have gotten undrafted. What I saw was a guy waiting on the ball to come to him instead of attacking it in flight and a guy that offered very little in terms of blocking for plays happening around him. I saw it in two games so I doubt it was just a one game thing. Hopefully the staff sees more to him than I do and can unlock whatever talent they think he has to warrant the draft pick.Mostly agree except on Sharpe. I am curious, Alldaway, what did you see during the preseason that would rank Sharpe higher than Durham? Asking in earnest because I didn't see anything that told me that.Trotter picked off Lawrence in practice he is legit.
Sharpe has looked like a competent TE2 and he might pass Durham if he can block better.
Schrauth is a mystery but it is hard to not do better than the current collection of interior OL so I will give him a pass for now.
Scott has looked as advertised and he is cross training at NCB, boundary and S. Lots of upside.
Hurst is a homerun simply because of his traits and the fact he was going up against 1s and 2s regularly this off season. If given an NFL off season of weight training he will be stronger and faster with his size.
Capehart shows some interesting athletic traits but I like that he isn't a church mouse and is willing to have an edge to his game.
Bain is simply a complete player and a joy to watch.
Sharpe was taking reps with the 1s and 2s while Otton was out so at this point Sharpe already beat out Culp and has obviously leapfrogged Kieft who is the better blocker. Durham is kind of underrated as a pass catcher but Sharpe is more dynamic running his routes compared to Durham.
https://www.buccaneers.com/news/training-camp-preseason-2026-updates
In practices, Sharp has shown a well-developed route tree and has enthusiastically worked on his blocking. What has made him effective has been a good grasp on the playbook, which is not always an easy thing for a rookie to accomplish, especially at a complicated position like tight end.
"It's impressive that he's got the system down pretty fast," said Head Coach Todd Bowles. "That's very impressive on his part. The quicker you get it down, the faster you play, and he's playing fast."
In practice on Tuesday, with Otton out, Sharp was seen getting some action with the first-team offense, which means Baker Mayfield has had a chance to look his way. Mayfield has liked what he has seen from the rookie, especially in the quickness of his movements.
"Bauer's twitched-up, man. He's not just a receiving tight end. He's so quick and tough in his routes. He had a really good feel in zone coverage of how to get open, how to stay open. He's taking pride in the blocking, and that's something we've asked our tight ends to do in the last few years, do a lot of the dirty work, and I think he's taking pride in that. Bauer's come a long way and I think he's got a really, really good shot to make the team."
And thanks for providing your insight, Alldaway. Not looking for an argument; just looking for a different perspective.
Otton was out with an injury. The other TEs had a chance to obtain more reps like Kieft, Culp and Durham and Sharp leapfrogged all of them for playing time. As this pre season and training camp showed players that play and perform tend to improve their stock. That is why Garnes and Sharpe leapfrogged many other players despite not being polished players.
I am not saying Sharp is that good actually I think the Bucs should go out and nab a TE if Sharp was able to ascend so fast and play with the 1s and 2s. On any other team with a decent duo at TE Sharp is at best a 4 or 5.
With that said if the Bucs want to play 13 personnel at some point in the season Otton, Durham and Sharp while okay would be better with a veteran TE, Otton and Durham/Sharp. I just don't understand why Licht is reluctant to upgrade TE, interior OL and CB IMVHO.
Agree on all your points, especially about the neglect of those critical positions that make the offense "work". I don't get it either.Otton was out with an injury. The other TEs had a chance to obtain more reps like Kieft, Culp and Durham and Sharp leapfrogged all of them for playing time. As this pre season and training camp showed players that play and perform tend to improve their stock. That is why Garnes and Sharpe leapfrogged many other players despite not being polished players.
I am not saying Sharp is that good actually I think the Bucs should go out and nab a TE if Sharp was able to ascend so fast and play with the 1s and 2s. On any other team with a decent duo at TE Sharp is at best a 4 or 5.
With that said if the Bucs want to play 13 personnel at some point in the season Otton, Durham and Sharp while okay would be better with a veteran TE, Otton and Durham/Sharp. I just don't understand why Licht is reluctant to upgrade TE, interior OL and CB IMVHO.
