With the news of resigning Suh at 8m, we can start to shift focus to the draft, as we don't have much cap left to sign anyone else.
Let's take a quick look at what we currently have going on with the 2020 roster.
QB Tom Brady, Ryan Griffin
*As of now, there is no Gabbert or Fitzpatrick on the roster. I expect that if we do not draft one, we will sign Gabbert to a 1yr/1m type of contract. The more I think about it, the more I don't know if now is the time to draft a successor. If Brady plays at least 3 more years, it makes no sense to spend a valuable pick on a kid that will sit for 3 seasons.
RB Ronald Jones, Dare Ogunbawale
*Barber is now a Redskin, while several other free agents [Melvin Gordon, Todd Gurley, Jordan Howard, etc] have found new homes outside of Tampa. One has to think that RB is high on the radar going into the draft. This may be one of the greatest RB drafts of all time when all is said and done. There's got to be at least 10 impact starters in this class. Zack Moss, JK Dobbins, Deandre Swift, AJ Dillon, Jonathan Taylor, Cam Akers... any of these guys would provide a huge boost to the roster, and could be had as late as round 3 given the abundance.
TE OJ Howard, Cameron Brate, Antony Auclair, Tanner Hudson
*Now that Brady is on board, I wouldn't expect to see any of our TE's traded or released. Tom loves throwing to TE's and he will have a tremendous variety to utilize here in the Bay area. Expect much more use from this position than we saw last year.
WR Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Scotty Miller, Justin Watson, Brian Mitchell
*While we clearly have the best WR duo in the league - the lack of proven talent beyond that is concerning, especially with both Evans and Godwin ending their 2019 season short due to hamstring issues. For Mike, this is something that has lingered over the years. Not a major concern for now, but having a 3rd option in this offense is going to be paramount, and considering we let Perriman walk - I would imagine we are planning to attack this need early on in the draft. I love Henry Ruggs for this offense. Bruce's offense always has a burner in the slot that can take the top off of a defense. Ruggs can do that and much more. He is going to be the next big star WR in the NFL. Of course, there are quite a few WR's available in this year's draft. Expect a day 1 or 2 pick to be spent on a 3rd receiver.
OL - Donovan Smith, Ali Marpet, Ryan Jensen, Alex Cappa, Joe Haeg
* Considering I am just about as 'tuned in' to the Bucs as a fan can be, and I can't name a single lineman on our roster outside of the presumed starting 5... we've got problems. While these 5 may be a decent lineup for 2020, going into the season with no depth is a death wish. Haeg may be good enough to start at RT, but we can't assume anything. It may be wise to move up this year in order to secure a Jedrick Wills or Tristan Wirfs. Landing a premium RT early on would allow Haeg to fill in as a high end backup at both tackle and guard. I would still look to the mid rounds for more competition across the board.
DL - Vita Vea, Ndamakong Suh, Will Gholston, Hakeem Nunes-Rochez
*While we have guys like Jeremiah Ledbetter and Patrick O'Conner [or does he play OLB? can't recall) - We need some depth along the front line. Unfortunately, it's at the back of the list in terms of immediate needs, so this may need to be addressed next offseason.
OLB - Shaquille Barrett, Jason Pierre Paul, Anthony Nelson
*As ecstatic as I am to see Barrett and JPP back in Tampa, it does suck to see Carl Nassib go. Nelson will get his shot to take over as the 3rd man in the rotation, but we definitely need to keep tabs on some of the edge rushers in this class, to see if we can add more competition to the room. This could be as early as round one with K'Lavon Chaisson, or later in the 4th with an Anfernee Jennings.
ILB - Lavonte David, Devin White, Kevin Minter
*Possibly the strongest unit on the team, right up there with the DL, Edge Rushers, and WRs. These guys don't need much lip service. They are badasses.
CB - Carlton Davis, Jamel Dean, Sean Murphy Bunting, MJ Stewart
*Carlton, Jamel & Sean have all shown a lot of potential. It makes sense that we didn't go after someone like Chris Harris, as these young guys deserve to start. That said, MJ Stewart hasn't validated his 2nd round cost in 2018. Competition can be added in the mid to later rounds, but no need to think about taking a CB early.
S - Jordan Whitehead, Justin Evans, Mike Edwards, Dacota Dixon
*Yikes. While I feel at least decent about every other position group - safety, not so much. I like Whitehead a lot, but he is better as a box safety. He's a heavy hitter, good play recognition/instincts, but is isn't the rangy FS type that this defense needs. I list Justin Evans on the roster, but all signs point to him never playing again. Mike Edwards was given the chance to start at FS last year and disappointed. Bruce Arians has been outspoken about Dacota Dixon who looked good prior to an injury ruining his chances of making the roster. But if an undrafted free agent coming off an injury is what we are banking on to solve the void at FS, we are in trouble. What complicates the issue is the lack of true ballhawking, rangy free safeties in this class. I've heard rumors about the Bucs liking Grant Delpit out of LSU. I've been down on Delpit for a while as he doesn't like to tackle and isn't very physical. That said, we don't need John Lynch, we need someone who can run, cover, and pursue. Perhaps there is a scenario in which we trade back in the first round and fill our biggest need with Delpit. I wouldn't count on it though.
Needs:
FS, RT, RB, WR, G, CB, DL, OLB
Draft Options:
A) Trade Back
1 - FS Grant Delpit [LSU] *trade back, acquire additional 2nd round pick
2a - RT Matt Peart [UConn]
2b - RB Cam Akers [Florida State] *trade a 4th rounder to move up a few spots
3 - WR Van Jefferson [Florida]
4a - OLB Anfernee Jennings [Alabama]
5 - G Calvin Throckmorton [Oregon]
6 - K Rodrigo Blankenship [Georgia]
B) Stay Put
1 - WR Henry Ruggs [Alabama]
2a - RT Matt Peart [UConn]
2b - FS Ashtyn Davis [Cal] *trade 4th and 6th round picks to move up from round 3 to round 2.
4 - RB Lamical Perine [Florida]
5 - G Calvin Throckmorton [Oregon]
C) Trade Up
1 - OT Mekhi Becton [Louisville] *trade 3rd and 4th round picks to Cleveland for their 5th
2 - FS Ashtyn Davis [Cal]
3 - RB AJ Dillon [Boston College] *trade a 5th and a future late round pick to move up to the end of round 3
4 - WR Joe Reed [Virginia]
5a - G Calvin Throckmorton
6 - K Rodrigo Blankenship
Did I miss any major needs? What do you guys think?
