SR’s Fab 5  column on the Bucs is exclusively sponsored by
Edmonson Electric • AC • Security
– the official smart home and security company of PewterReport.com

For the past 40 years, Edmonson Electric • AC • Security has proudly served central Florida with electric services and now proud to add state-of-the-art “Smart Home” technology, security systems and air conditioning to its roster.

Whether it’s surveillance cameras, home theaters, or smart lighting, Edmonson Electric • AC • Security is automating your dream home. Visit EdmonsonElectric.com to find out more about controlling, monitoring and securing your home or call 813.910.3403 for additional information.

Control. Monitor. Secure.

FAB 1. Tryon A Fast, Physical Option For Bucs In First Round

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have won both Super Bowls due to their defense. Yes, the offense put up 27 points against Oakland in Super Bowl XXXVIII, and Tom Brady helped the Bucs offense score 31 against Kansas City in Super Bowl LV.

But it was five interceptions, including three pick-sixes and five sacks that doomed the Raiders. And it was two interceptions, three sacks and an astounding 35 hurries from the Bucs defense that held Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs offense out of the end zone.

Building a defense with a strong pass rush is important to general manager Jason Licht. Tampa Bay’s 48 sacks during the 2020 regular season were fourth-best in the league and the second-most in team history. The Bucs’ 189 pressures were the second-most in the NFL last year, according to ProFootballReference.com.

Licht has been on the other end of the spectrum before and it wasn’t fun. In 2017, Mike Smith’s Bucs defense had an NFL-low 22 sacks – led by Gerald McCoy’s six. Tampa Bay’s edge rushers – Will Clarke (2.5), Robert Ayers (2), Ryan Russell (2) and Noah Spence (1) – totaled 7.5 sacks between them.

Pathetic.

Licht swore his Bucs defense would no longer lose in the trenches and would get after the quarterback. The next year he traded for edge rusher Jason Pierre-Paul and spent a first-round draft pick on nose tackle Vita Vea, along with signing defensive end Vinny Curry and claiming defensive end Carl Nassib off waivers. Curry and Nassib were decent additions, but Vea and Pierre-Paul were foundational pieces of Tampa Bay’s Super Bowl front.

Shaquil Barrett was the free agent addition of the decade, recording 19.5 sacks and six forced fumbles in his first Pro Bowl season in 2019. After receiving the franchise tag in 2020, Barrett notched eight sacks in the regular season, which was just behind Pierre-Paul’s 9.5. Pierre-Paul was the Bucs’ Pro Bowl pass rusher in 2020, adding two more sacks in the postseason, while Barrett notched four, including three in the NFC Championship Game and one in Super Bowl LV.

Licht knows he needs to keep this pass-rushing train going. Pierre-Paul will be 32 next January and is coming off back-to-back offseasons in which he’s had knee surgery. He’s also in the last year of his contract. Barrett just signed a four-year contract extension, but he’ll be 29 in November.

Pierre-Paul and Barrett combined for 45.5 sacks over the past two years. The rest of the Bucs’ outside linebackers have combined for just eight sacks. There is a good chance that the Bucs’ pass rush fizzles if Barrett or Pierre-Paul miss any games in 2021.

Washington OLB Joe Tryon – Photo courtesy of Washington

Anthony Nelson, Tampa Bay’s fourth-round pick three years ago, has just two career sacks with one of them coming at Washington in the playoffs. He’s the first outside linebacker off the bench and isn’t much of a threat to get to the quarterback. Cam Gill, an undrafted free agent signing last year, had half a sack in the Super Bowl and it’s unclear how high or low his ceiling is.

The Bucs would be wise to add another elite pass rusher to the mix from this year’s draft to eventually replace Pierre-Paul while he learns and develops behind JPP and Barrett. Washington’s Joe Tryon would be an ideal candidate for the Bucs – even at No. 32.

PewterReport.com had Tryon as Tampa Bay’s second-round pick in its third 2021 Bucs 7-Round Mock Draft. But the reality is that he won’t last until the Bucs pick at No. 64. Not after his pro day where he ran a 4.65 and posted a 35-inch vertical at 6-foot-5, 260 pounds.

Tryon played just two seasons at Washington, totaling 14.5 tackles for loss and nine sacks. But he’s a long, fast edge rusher with a great motor and a relentless, physical playing style. He totaled eight sacks in 2019 before opting out of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He’s the type of developmental pass rusher that checks a lot of the boxes for Licht, head coach Bruce Arians and defensive coordinator Todd Bowles.

“Joe loves football,” said Washington head coach Jimmy Lake, who used to coach Tampa Bay’s secondary (2006-07, 2010-11). “You can see it with the way he plays. He wears his emotions on his sleeve. He plays with such a high motor, he loves hitting people. We’ve been able to do a lot with him. You’ll see him cover running backs out of the backfield on swing routes, drop into the flat, drop into a hook. He’ll pass rush. He’ll set the edge. Someone is going to get a diamond-in-the-rough. He’s still a player that is on the come-up. I think if he had stayed another year there would have been talk about this guy going in the Top 15. Someone is going to get a player with unbelievable traits and that I think is going to be a fantastic player at the next level.”

Washington edge rusher Joe Tryon – Photo by: USA Today

Tryon recorded six sacks in last five college games, including a pair of sacks against Utah, Oregon State and Washington State. That type of ending to his college career has scouts excited about his potential at the next level.

“He finished really strong in the bowl game against Boise State,” Lake said. “I think that’s where scouts were frothing at the mouth. They see him on the up-swing. If he would have played a few more games you’re talking about one of the top edge rushers in this year’s draft. But scouts now are going to have to do a little projecting, which is fine. He’ll land somewhere, and wherever he does they’re going to get a terrific player. Almost like Vita Vea where you can’t teach his size – you can’t teach 6-5, 260 that can run like Joe Tryon. He can run and cover. He can drop in space and be athletic. You can’t coach that, so you better draft it and teach him your scheme.”

The Bucs have had a Zoom call with Tryon and had a presence at the Washington pro day last month. Tampa Bay has been quite fond of Husky defenders. Not only did the Bucs draft Vea in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft, they signed Washington defensive lineman Benning Po’toae as an undrafted free agent last year. Lake runs a hybrid 3-4 scheme with an element of a four-man defensive line in nickel situations like Bowles does in Tampa Bay.

“There’s no question he’s a fit in Tampa,” Lake said. “Just watching that defense – the big bodies that are tough, athletic and love football. If you were able to get Joe or Levi Onwuzurike on your roster they would be very similar to the other Huskies on the Bucs roster. Those are guys who are all about football, very professional and they’re going to give it everything they’ve got.”

While out of football in 2020, Tryon worked hard on his body, adding muscle and honing his athletic ability.

Washington edge rusher Joe Tryon

“He definitely takes the game of football very, very seriously,” Lake said. “Just like Levi does, but I think Levi has a little bit more personable, engaging way about him – maybe talks about other things other than football with the press or the scouts. I think Joe is all business and when he talks it’s like he’s talking to his opponent that is trying to block him.

“Joe Tryon has tons of pass rush ability, but loves the physicality of the run game, too. Someone is going to get an edge guy that is going to be able to not only set the edge, but is also going to be able to give you some pass rush ability on third down. He’s a very aggressive defender, but he’s a great young man. He was a fantastic Huskie and he’s going to be an excellent pro.”

We got it wrong in Pewter Report’s third version of its Bucs 7-round mock draft.

It will likely be Tryon that gets drafted before Onwuzurike.

Possibly to Tampa Bay.

FAB 2. Onwuzurike One Of The Few Quality DTs In 2021 Draft

Edge rusher Joe Tryon isn’t the only Washington defensive lineman Tampa Bay is interested in. Defensive tackle Levi Onwuzurike is also on the Bucs’ radar in the 2021 NFL Draft.

The defensive tackle class is incredibly weak in this year’s draft, but Onwuzurike is one of the few that has a skill set that would fit in Tampa Bay. A three-year starter for the Huskies, Onwuzurike recorded 16 tackles for loss and seven sacks before opting out of the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Levi Onwuzurike was going to come back for his senior year before the pandemic hit,” Lake said. “There were a lot of NFL people and agents that wanted him to come out and not play his senior year, but he was going to come back until this coronavirus pandemic hit and we had all the shutdowns. We had all these questions – was there going to be a season, was there not going to be a season? He worked out with us for a while, but then when it looked like our season was going to be very, very murky that we were not going to be able to play, that’s when he opted out and continued to train for the draft.”

Washington DT Levi Onwuzurike – Photo courtesy of Washington

Onwuzurike had the chance to move into the first round and possibly challenge Alabama’s Christian Barmore for the top defensive tackle spot with a stellar offseason, but that didn’t happen. Onwuzurike got injured early at the Senior Bowl and missed most of the week. Then he pulled his hamstring running his 40-yard dash at the Washington pro day. That frustrated some NFL scouts, who haven’t seen him play since 2019.

Yet the 6-foot-3, 290-pound All-PAC 12 defender has one of the quickest get-offs in the 2021 defensive tackle class and great, strong hands to get past guards and centers.

“His hands are really polished,” Lake said. “He’s so strong and he’s dominated for us. Teams have had to go the other way against this guy because he’s so explosive and so quick. Once he gets his hands on you he’s able to shock, lock and overpower those interior offensive line. It’s obviously going to be a little tougher at the next level, but I’m sure whoever gets him that he’ll show that same type of ferocity.

“Levi is a big body – long, explosive and very twitchy for his size. He’s more of a 3-technique where Vita Vita is definitely that nose tackle. Levi is more of a 3-technique first and then if you had to you could move him inside.”

Onwuzurike played out of position at nose tackle in 2019 because that’s where Lake needed him the most from a scheme standpoint.

“It was really more his versatility,” Lake said. “We wanted to match him up on certain players we were going against where we felt he had the upper hand – whether that was a left guard, a right guard or a center. We would nose him up and have him dominate the center.

Washington DT Levi Onwuzurike – Photo courtesy of Washington

“We have a lot of flexibility in our fronts – just like Tampa Bay does. We can be in a four-down look or a three-down look. That’s probably why you see Levi bounce between a three-tech outside of a guard to a nose being zeroed up on a center. I think it shows off his resume and I think it will make him more attractive to NFL clubs.”

Although he’s under 300 pounds, Onwuzurike is a rock of a man with limited body fat and hardly any bad weight.

“He is a chiseled guy in the 290s,” Lake said. “There’s no sloppiness about this guy whatsoever. He’s got a really good frame and really good shape with all that explosiveness that he has. That’s why I look at all of the mock drafts and that’s why I think he’ll be one of the first defensive tackles off the board because of those traits.”

If the Bucs selected Tryon in the first round, drafting Onwuzurike in the second round would be quite a coup – if he’s available at No. 64. Those two Huskies along with Vea could give Tampa Bay’s defense plenty of bark and bite for years to come.

“Draft those guys and then Elijah Molden or Keith Taylor and we’ll just call you guys Seattle South or U-Dub South – whatever you want to call it,” Lake laughed. “Get those Huskies on the roster and go win another Super Bowl.”

FAB 3. Drafting The Replacements For Bucs 2022 Free Agents

The Buccaneers have stated that they are drafting for want rather than need in 2021 due to the fact that the team has successfully re-signed nearly all of its free agents. With all 22 starters returning from the Super Bowl LV squad, Tampa Bay can look ahead and draft some future starters. There will be another crop of free agents in 2022 and the Bucs won’t have the ability to bring all of them back after spending so much re-signing the 2021 free agent class.

So let’s take a look at which positions the Bucs may want to select – and the 2022 free agents Tampa Bay may need to replace – in this year’s draft. For your consideration I’ve taken the liberty of selecting the perfect replacement for each position and player – regardless of round. Let me know what you think in the article comments below.

Backup Quarterback: Texas A&M Kellen Mond

Ryan Griffin was re-signed for one year. Tampa Bay is expected to re-sign Blaine Gabbert, too. Both will be 32 this fall and the team could use a younger developmental quarterback to challenge Griffin for the No. 3 QB this year. Then that QB can challenge Gabbert for the No. 2 spot in 2022. Mond is Texas A&M’s all-time leading passer with over 9,600 with 71 touchdowns as a four-year starter. He’s also a pocket passer, which makes him a fit in Bruce Arians’ offense. Mond also has the added element of mobility, rushing for 1,609 yards and 22 touchdowns. Mond will be drafted between rounds 2-4.

Running Back: North Carolina’s Javonte Williams

North Carolina RB Javonte Williams – Photo by: USA Today

Co-starters Leonard Fournette and Ronald Jones II will both be free agents in 2022. The Bucs could use a starting-caliber running back to replace one of them or both of them next year. While Clemson’s Travis Etienne and Alabama’s Najee Harris could be off the board when the Bucs pick in No. 32, Williams is expected to be there. A tackle-breaker with good speed and nice receiving ability, the Tar Heels star would be an ideal between-the-tackles back in Tampa Bay.

Third Down Back: Memphis’ Kenneth Gainwell

Tampa Bay signed Giovani Bernard to be Tom Brady’s pass-catching back on third downs. But with him turning 30 this fall, and only under contract for one year, finding another third down back would be wise. North Carolina’s Michael Carter makes sense as a pick in rounds 2-4, but so does Gainwell, who is a better receiver. Carter has 82 career receptions in four years, but Gainwell had 51 catches for 610 yards (12 avg.) and three touchdowns in 2019 alone. Gainwell needs work in pass protection, but he’s the best receiving back in the draft and capable of running routes like a wide receiver. He should be available in the third or fourth round.

Wide Receiver: LSU’s Terrace Marshall

The Bucs want Chris Godwin around for the long term, placing the franchise tag on him. But the reality is it’s a one-year deal, although he’ll likely a multi-year extension before next March. The Bucs could use another wide receiver to replace Antonio Brown and compete with Scotty Miller and Tyler Johnson. Finding a receiver with size that can play inside and outside like Godwin does would be a plus. Marshall has good size at 6-foot-2, 205 pounds and is physical enough to not only break tackles, but also be a factor as a blocker in the running game. That’s what Godwin does so well in the slot. With 4.40 speed, Marshall is just as fast as Godwin, too. Marshall could be an option at No. 32 or in the second round.

Tight End: Boston College’s Hunter Long

Both Rob Gronkowski and O.J. Howard are in the final years of their contracts. There’s a good chance at least one returns in 2022, but that won’t stop the Bucs from drafting another tight end. Especially with Gronkowski turning 32 and Cameron Brate turning 30 this year. Long would be a great replacement in rounds 3-5. The Boston College product has great size at 6-foot-5, 254 pounds and can block and catch. With 4.68 speed and 89 career catches for 1,297 yards and nine touchdowns, Long would be an asset to the Bucs offense. He’s regarded as a fourth- or fifth-rounder.

Center: Alabama’s Landon Dickerson

Alabama C Landon Dickerson – Photo by: USA Today

Ryan Jensen is playing really good football, but he’ll be 30 this summer and is making $10 million. Will the Bucs re-sign him after this season? We’ll see, but Dickerson would be an absolutely fantastic replacement. At nearly 6-foot-6, 333 pounds, Dickerson is a mountain of a man. He plays with a nasty disposition on the field as a physical blocker, but he’s got great charisma and leadership qualities on the sidelines and in the locker room. If the Bucs were to draft him in the first round it would be a great pick. Trading back into the second round to select him would be even better.

Right Guard: Grambling State’s David Moore

Starter Alex Cappa and reserve Aaron Stinnie are both in a contract year. With Tampa Bay having three offensive line starters making $10 million or more, it’s doubtful that the Bucs will want to pay big money to another lineman. Moore didn’t play in 2020 due to COVID-19, but had a good showing at the Senior Bowl. Compactly built at under 6-foot-2, 350 pounds, Moore has big, long, powerful 34-inch arms that jolt and punish defenders. Moore would be an ideal fit in the Bucs’ power running game as a fourth- or fifth-round pick. Due to his small school pedigree, Moore figures to be a Day 3 selection.

Outside Linebacker: Washington’s Joe Tryon

Jason Pierre-Paul will be 32 next January and is coming off knee surgery back-to-back offseasons. The Bucs could be looking for his replacement in this year’s draft. Tryon isn’t the freakish athlete that JPP is, but he’s close. At 6-foot-5, 260 pounds, Tryon ran a 4.65 in the 40-yard dash and posted a 35-inch vertical. While he opted out last year, Tryon recorded eight sacks and 12.5 tackles for loss in 2019. He recorded three multi-sack games at the end of his sophomore year. Tryon plays with reckless abandon and hustle and has some JPP-like qualities that Tampa Bay would desire. He could be the Bucs’ pick at No. 32, but he won’t last until No. 64.

Defensive Tackle: Washington’s Levi Onwuzurike

Washington DT Levi Onwuzurike – Photo by: USA Today

Ndamukong Suh is 34 and is likely in his final season in the NFL. While the Bucs would love to find his replacement in this year’s draft, the 2021 defensive tackle class leaves a lot to be desired. Onwuzurike is literally one of the only decent defensive tackles that would fit in Tampa Bay. He played out of position at nose tackle, but is an ideal three-technique tackle. Although he’s a bit undersized at under 6-foot-3, 290 pounds, Onwuzurike wins with quick feet off the snap and good hands. Onwuzurike has starter potential and would be a solid pick in the second round.

Defensive End: Iowa’s Chauncey Golston

William Gholston turns 30 later this summer and will be making $5.5 million. While he’s a massive five-tech end at 6-foot-6, 300 pounds, finding a similar body type is tough in this year’s draft. The Bucs might want a defensive end with more pass rush ability, and that’s what Golston brings. He finished with 12 career sacks, including 5.5 last year at Iowa where he led the team. Golston is nearly 6-foot-5, 270 pounds, but has the frame to add 10 more pounds. He also had seven pass breakups and three interceptions, showing his awareness against the pass at the line of scrimmage. Drafting Golston in the fourth or fifth round would be a nice add for Tampa Bay.

Cornerback: Virginia Tech’s Caleb Farley

If Carlton Davis III has another great year and leads Tampa Bay in pass breakups and interceptions again, he’ll cash in big time in free agency in 2021. While the Bucs would love to keep their top cover corner, it would be wise to draft another starting-caliber cornerback that could either potentially replace Davis if his price tag was too high, or factor in as a possible replacement in two years when the contracts for both Sean Murphy-Bunting and Jamel Dean are up.

At almost 6-foot-2, 197 pounds, Farley is one of the best press-man cornerbacks in the draft. With 33-inch arms, 19 passes defensed and six interceptions, Farley is a carbon copy of Davis, but with better ball skills. The Virginia Tech star is widely regarded as the fourth-best cornerback in the draft behind Alabama’s Patrick Surtain II, South Carolina’s Jaycee Horn and Northwestern’s Greg Newsome II. Farley might slip to the Bucs at No. 32 due to the fact that he missed the 2020 season and is recovering from back surgery. He’s got Pro Bowl potential when healthy.

Strong Safety: Indiana’s Jamar Johnson

Starting strong safety Jordan Whitehead will be a free agent in 2022 and even though the Bucs have Mike Edwards ready to slide into that spot, it’s possible the team might want another option to consider. While TCU’s Trevon Moehrig or UCF’s Richie Grant might be an early consideration, Johnson is a late riser who could be there in the third or fourth round. At just under 6-foot, and weighing 205, Johnson isn’t the fastest safety, running a 4.58 in the 40-yard dash. But he would be a great scheme fit in Bowles’ defense due to versatility. Johnson is effective around the line of scrimmage, evidenced by four career sacks and two forced fumbles, and as adept in coverage with seven interceptions and five pass breakups.

FAB 4. The Positions Licht Has Drafted For Bucs

In trying to forecast which players the Bucs might draft this year, I decided to go back to look at what positions general manager Jason Licht has drafted and in what round to see if there were any tendencies I could pick up on. Licht has selected 50 players in his seven years running Tampa Bay’s draft since 2014 and I discovered that there have indeed been certain positions that have been prioritized in certain rounds.

Charlie, Theo, Zoe and Bucs GM Jason Licht – Photo courtesy of Peter King on Twitter

When looking at this list I didn’t mention the players’ names. I’m not grading the draft picks as to whether they have been successful or not. I just focused on the positions Licht and Tampa Bay’s front office have drafted since 2014. To help differentiate between offensive and defensive players, I’ve put the defensive picks in bold.

Bucs First Round – 7 Picks

OT – 2020
ILB – 2019
DT – 2018
TE – 2017
CB – 2016
QB – 2015
WR – 2014
Analysis: Licht has not doubled up on any position in the first round since taking over as general manager in 2014. The only positions he hasn’t drafted in the first round yet are running back, interior offensive line, edge rusher and safety. It feels like one of those positions will be next for Tampa Bay in 2021. Licht has just about evenly split his first-round picks between offense (four) and defense (three).

Bucs Second Round – 11 Picks

S – 2020
CB – 2019
RB – 2018
CB – 2018
CB – 2018
S – 2017
DE – 2016
K – 2016
OT – 2015
G – 2015
TE – 2014
Analysis: Due to trades, Licht has had 11 second-round picks in seven drafts. He’s drafted eight different positions, but it’s been mostly defensive players since 2016 with seven of the last eight picks coming from that side of the ball. Of those seven selections, five have come from the secondary. Will that trend continue in 2021 or is it time to prioritize offense in the second round this year?

Bucs Third Round – 7 Picks

RB – 2020
CB – 2019
S – 2019
G – 2018
WR – 2017
ILB – 2017
RB – 2014
Analysis: Licht’s selections in the third round have been pretty balanced with four picks on offense and three on defense. He’s drafted two running backs, including one last year, and two defensive backs in the third round.

Bucs Fourth Round – 4 Picks

OLB – 2019
S – 2018
CB – 2016
ILB – 2015
Analysis: Due to trading up in the second round, Licht has only had four selections in seven drafts. The interesting thing to note is that all four picks to start Day 3 have come on the defensive side of the ball. Will the Bucs finally draft an offensive player in the fourth round or will the defensive trend continue?

Bucs Fifth Round – 8 Picks

WR – 2020
K – 2019
WR – 2018
RB – 2017
OT – 2016
WR – 2015
G – 2014
OT – 2014
Analysis: While the fourth-round picks have come strictly from the defensive side of the ball, Licht has yet to draft a defensive player in the fifth round despite eight selections. Licht has drafted three offensive linemen and three wide receivers in the fifth round in years past. It will be interesting to see if Tampa Bay continues to stockpile offensive players in the fifth round again this year.

Bucs Sixth Round – 6 Picks

DT – 2020
WR – 2019
LB – 2016
FB – 2016
WR – 2015
WR – 2014
Analysis: Licht has used Day 3 to really address wide receiver, drafting three in the fifth round. He’s also done that in the sixth round with another trio of wideouts. Late Day 3 is usually all about finding special teams players, so drafting receivers, fullbacks and linebackers makes the most sense given that aspect.

Bucs Seventh Round – 6 Picks

LB – 2020
RB – 2020
DT – 2019
LB – 2018
DT – 2017
FB – 2015
Analysis: Licht has either drafted a back or a linebacker for special teams purposes in the seventh round. Yet he’s also drafted a pair of defensive tackles in the seventh round, too. Of Tampa Bay’s six seventh-rounders, four have come from the defensive side of the ball.

Licht has drafted 28 offensive players and 22 defensive players since 2014, and 25 of those selections – half of his picks – have come in the first three rounds. If Licht is going to trade, he’s most likely to surrender a fourth-round pick. And the second round is where he’s had the most draft selections (11) either from trading back in the first round or trading up from the third or fourth round.

It will be interesting to see if any of these trends continue in the 2021 NFL Draft or if Licht and the Bucs buck any of these trends next week.

FAB 5. SR’s Bucs Shots

• LAKE IS STILL A BIG BUCS FAN: University of Washington head coach Jimmy Lake had two stints in Tampa Bay coaching the Bucs secondary. He was Raheem Morris’ assistant under Jon Gruden from 2006-07, before returning to Tampa Bay to coach defensive backs under Morris from 2010-11. The 44-year old Lake loved watching the Bucs win Super Bowl LV over the Chiefs in February.

Former Bucs coach Jimmy Lake with Ellie and Logan Reynolds – Photo by: Scott Reynolds/PR

“Yeah, it really was cool to see,” Lake said. “My kids were so excited. Three of them basically grew up there – we were there for six years. My son was born in 2007 – the last year the Bucs went to the playoffs. They wore their Ronde Barber jerseys proud and we sat in front of the TV and cheered on the Bucs. How cool was it that it was in Tampa Bay? We were proud of the organization and proud of the players. It was fun to watch Tampa Bay be successful again.”

Lake is also proud that three of his former Washington players – defensive linemen Vita Vea and Benning Po’toae and receiver Jaydon Mickens – got Super Bowl rings with the Buccaneers.

“All of those guys were here while our staff has been here,” Lake said. “We are thrilled to have three Husky alums get Super Bowl rings with Tampa Bay. Those are three fantastic players who all work hard. We saw Vita’s talent while he was here. He’s just so into football and he really enjoys the game. His smile is infectious. His energy is infectious. You just can’t teach 6-foot-5, 355 pounds or whatever he is nowadays. You can’t teach that. He’s hard to block and he has pass rush ability. This guy is going to be a star. He already is a star and it is so awesome to watch him succeed in that defense and help that defense.”

• TRYON IS A FAN OF BRADY AND THE BUCS: Washington edge rusher Joe Tryon was a keen observer on February 7, watching Tampa Bay win Super Bowl LV against Kansas City. Tryon commented on Tom Brady yapping with Chiefs safety Tyrann Mathieu during the game.

Tryon was also highly complimentary of Tampa Bay’s defensive front, which sacked Patrick Mahomes three times and harassed him throughout the game.

• BUCS WR MILLER JOINED THE PR PODCASTS: The Pewter Report Podcast is energized by CELSIUS and broadcasts four live episodes each week in the offseason – Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at our original 4:00 p.m. ET time slot. This week saw the PR staff continue to analyze the upcoming 2021 NFL Draft and the best fits for Tampa Bay, as well as being joined by Bucs wide receiver Scotty Miller live at The Mill in South Tampa.

Here are the four latest editions of the Pewter Report Podcast to watch in case you missed an episode.

Pewter Report’s Jon Ledyard and Scott Reynolds break down the quarterback position in the draft and detail which ones would be the best fit in Tampa Bay.

Pewter Report’s Jon Ledyard and Scott Reynolds analyze the re-signing of quarterback Ryan Griffin and preview the running backs in the 2021 NFL Draft, naming PR’s Bucs’ Best Bets at the position.

Pewter Report’s Jon Ledyard and Scott Reynolds welcomed special guest Bucs wide receiver Scotty Miller to the PR Podcast, broadcasting live from The Mill restaurant in Tampa.

Pewter Report’s Jon Ledyard and Scott Reynolds preview the wide receivers and tight ends in the 2021 NFL Draft and reveal PR’s Bucs’ Best Bets at each position.

Watch the Pewter Report Podcasts live on our PewterReportTV channel on YouTube.com and please subscribe (it’s free) and add your comments. All Pewter Report Podcasts are archived there so you can go back and watch the recorded episodes if you missed them live.

The audio versions of the Pewter Report Podcasts will can be found on iTunes and Soundcloud. There is no better time to listen to or watch a new Pewter Report Podcast – energized by CELSIUS – than Friday afternoon on the way home from work, or early Saturday morning during your workout or while running errands.

The popularity of the Pewter Report Podcast continues to grow. In addition to listening to the Pewter Report Podcasts on PewterReport.com you can also subscribe to the free podcasts at PodBean by clicking here and on SoundCloud by clicking here. And of course the Pewter Report Podcast is also available on iTunes and YouTube. Make sure you subscribe so you don’t miss a single episode.

• TRADER LICHT: Pro Football Focus’ Brad Spielberger identified Tampa Bay’s Jason Licht as a GM that favors trading up rather than trading down in the NFL Draft. However, in seven drafts as Bucs GM, Licht has traded back twice in the first round.