Here are the players I have identified that you can rely on and build around:
Offense
QB: Winston
RB: Sims
TE: Brate
OL: Marpet, Pamphille, Smith
WR: Evans, Humphries, Shepard
It is clear the Bucs need to add another RB with talent, a capable developmental back up to Jameis, a reliable H back and even another receiving TE, maybe 2 more OL even if Benedoch develops. That is a lot of talent void that needs to be filled. It must be done.
Martin and Dotson do not have a lot of wear and tear but their inconsistency worries me (one is in the tub and the other is playing sloppy). I like Barber and Sensabough as developmental RB's but a third to the stable would be nice.
Right now Rodgers, Hawley, and A. Smith are good stop gaps on offense, but they are not the core of the team.
Defense
DE: Spence, Smith, Gholston, Jones
DT: *McCoy?
LB: David, Alexander
CB: Hargreaves, Barimah
On defense I am very concerned because this is all there is to the "core". There is a lot of stop gaps like D. Smith, Ayers, McDonald, Grimes, Conte.
The rookie stop gaps have been better (Ward and Lambert). Hughes is also a decent stop gap.
The problem is the defense doesn't have much of a foundation. McCoy is supposed to be that foundation but it is concerning that isn't the case. It seems to me the torch is being passed onto Kwon Alexander IMO.
Ghostlon isn't even a lock to return next season, so DE, DT, LB, CB, and S are all areas to be addressed. That is a lot of missing players to a "core".
Defense features more veteran stop gap players along with a more experienced core (David/McCoy vs Evans/Winston) and should be ahead of the offense.
That is not the case.
My take is this:
1. Toss the deadweight on defense (eg veterans) and watch the defense improve.
2. Add more explosive playmakers on offense and making protection for Winston a priority.
Right now, the Bucs core offense is in better shape than the defense, but marginally.
Hopefully tonights game will provide better insight to the future of the core of this team.
