Tampa Bay Buccaneers 53-man roster projection 5.0
by Ryan Doyle 7 hours ago
Quarterbacks – Ryan Fitzpatrick, Ryan Griffin (2)
With Jameis Winston suspended for the first three games of the season, Tampa Bay will only keep two quarterbacks on the roster. The extra roster spot will be used for additional depth.
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Running backs – Peyton Barber, Ronald Jones, Jacquizz Rodgers, Shaun Wilson (4)
Dare Ogunbowale just misses the cut at running back. Shaun Wilson gets the edge for his special teams prowess and ability to catch passes out of the backfield. On paper, the Bucs have five solid options if they can sneak Ogunbowale on the practice squad.
Tight ends – O.J. Howard, Cameron Brate, Anthony Auclair, Alan Cross (4)
There is universal agreement with this tight end group. Both Anthony Auclair and Alan Cross are solid depth. Plus, Cross can play fullback in heavy sets.
Wide receivers – Mike Evans, DeSean Jackson, Chris Godwin, Adam Humphries, Justin Watson, Freddie Martino (6)
The last two receiver spots are awarded to Justin Watson and Freddie Martino. Unless Bobo Wilson or Bernard Reedy had a tremendous performance against Jacksonville, this was how the wideout position was going to shape up.
Wilson and Reedy have a history with Tampa and if an injury occurs, look for one of the two to get a call.
Tackles – Donovan Smith, Demar Dotson, Leonard Wester, Mike Liedtke (4)
Mike Liedtke was a healthy scratch in the preseason finale and has locked up a roster spot. Leonard Wester’s job is still up in the air due to his injuries during training camp. The other top options are Brad Seaton and guard Adam Gettis.
Wester will get the nod because he entered camp as the primary swing tackle. The idea of keeping nine offensive linemen makes sense early on as Donovan Smith is still recovering from an injury.
Interior offensive linemen – Ali Marpet, Caleb Benenoch, Alex Cappa, Evan Smith, Ryan Jensen (5)
Defense/Specialists (28)
Defensive tackles – Gerald McCoy, Beau Allen, Vita Vea, Mitch Unrein (4)
Defensive ends – Jason Pierre-Paul, Vinny Curry, Noah Spence, Will Clarke, William Gholston (5)
Linebackers – Lavonte David, Kwon Alexander, Kendell Beckwith, Adarius Taylor, Jack Cichy, Cameron Lynch (6)
The injury bug hit Riley Bullough at the wrong time as he was forced to miss the preseason finale. With the former Michigan State linebacker out of the running, the front-runners for the last linebacker spots were Jack Cichy, Cameron Lynch and Nigel Harris.
Last week, Cichy proved he belongs on the team. Making it a big night for both Lynch and Harris. It’s been a back and forth battle, but Lynch will get the nod in the final projection. He was in on a few tackles as the Buccaneers almost held strong goal-line stand in Thursday’s loss to the Jaguars.
Cornerbacks – Brent Grimes, Vernon Hargreaves, Carlton Davis, M.J. Stewart, Ryan Smith (5)
Safety – Justin Evans, Chris Conte, Keith Tandy, Jordan Whitehead, Josh Robinson(5)
Specialists – K Chandler Catanzaro, P Brand Anger, LS Drew Ferris (3)
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Practice Squad: RB Dare Ogunbowale, WR Bobo Wilson, OT Brade Seaton, S Isaiah Johnson, DE Patrick O’Connor, DE DaVonte Lambert, OT Cole Boozer, OT Cole Gardner, TE Tanner Hudson, LB Eric Nzeocha
https://thepewterplank.com/2018/08/31/tampa-bay-buccaneers-53-man-roster-projection-5-0/
