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Pewter Report’s Scott Reynolds answers your questions from the @PewterReport Twitter account this week in the Bucs Mailbag. Submit your question to the Bucs Mailbag each week via Twitter using the hashtag #PRMailbag. Here are the Bucs questions we chose to answer for this week’s edition.

QUESTION: Surely Shaq Barrett is a shoo-in for the Bucs Ring of Honor, right, Scott? And now that he’s retired, how soon do you think it could happen?

Former Bucs OLB Shaq Barrett – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

ANSWER: Is Shaq Barrett a shoo-in for the Bucs Ring of Honor? I think he’s definitely worthy of consideration, but I wouldn’t necessarily say he’s a shoo-in. And here’s why.

I think there are a couple of players who deserve to go in ahead of Barrett. Quarterback Tom Brady, who set multiple team records, took the Bucs to the playoffs in all three seasons he played in Tampa Bay and also was the Super Bowl LV MVP, is one of them.

Legendary defensive end Simeon Rice is the other. Rice played five and a half years in Tampa Bay before a shoulder injury in 2006 put him on injured reserve and effectively ended his career a year later. He made two Pro Bowls with the Bucs, won a Super Bowl and finished with 69.5 sacks.

Barrett was in Tampa Bay for five seasons and played four and a half years with the Bucs, missing half the 2022 campaign due to an Achilles injury. He made two Pro Bowls and won a Super Bowl in Tampa Bay, finishing with 45 sacks. Does those stats sound familiar? They’re almost on par with Rice’s stats.

Yet Rice wound up with 24.5 sacks more than Barrett did, and probably deserves to be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame given the fact he had 122 career sacks. Additionally, Rice is a bit more worthy of the Bucs Ring Honor considering he ranks third all-time in team history behind Lee Roy Selmon (78.5) and Warren Sapp (77) in sacks.

But I would probably put Barrett in the Bucs Ring of Honor ahead of the likes of legendary linebacker Hardy Nickerson and running back James Wilder. Barrett also broke Sapp’s single-season sack record with 19.5 sacks and six forced fumbles in 2019, which also led the league that year.

QUESTION: For training camp, which Bucs position group is the most talented? And which group has the least talent?

Bucs WRs Mike Evans and Chris Godwin – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

ANSWER: Good question. I would say from top to bottom, the Bucs seem loaded at both wide receiver on offense and outside linebacker on defense. With 1,000-yard receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, the top-end talent at wide receiver probably takes the cake. Tampa Bay is the only team with the same pair of 1,000-yard receivers over the past three years.

The Bucs also have a couple of really good, young talents in rookie Jalen McMillan and second-year receiver Trey Palmer backing up Evans and Godwin. Whoever ends up as WR5 and WR6 will also prove to be quite talented as there are some young and unheralded receivers on the team who will emerge due to the competition at training camp.

There is also a plethora of young, talented edge rushers in the outside linebacker room. Yaya Diaby, the team’s leading sacker last year as a rookie, has a world of potential. Veterans Joe Tryon-Shoyinka and Anthony Nelson are both in contract years. Chris Braswell, the team’s second-round pick, has generated a lot of buzz and is the odds-on favorite to wind up starting opposite Diaby.

Second-year pass rushers Markees Watts and Jose Ramirez have a lot of promise. And who knows if veteran Randy Gregory winds up showing up or not?

Bucs OL Sua Opeta and Ben Bredeson – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

As for the least-talented position in training camp? It might still be guard. It remains to be seen if Sua Opeta or Ben Bredeseon winds up being a true upgrade over Matt Feiler and Aaron Stinnie from a year ago. Of course the Bucs are hoping that’s the case.

Cody Mauch showed promise as a rookie last year at right guard and has gotten bigger and stronger this offseason. But can he achieve consistency? Elijah Klein has some potential, but he was drafted in the sixth round and the pads haven’t come on yet.

Outside cornerback might be a close second. The Bucs, especially head coach Todd Bowles, are super high on Zyon McCollum, and Jamel Dean is talented. But after the starters, the depth is questionable. Bryce Hall is smart and physical, but his lack of deep speed is worrisome. After Hall, it’s Josh Hayes, the team’s top gunner, and buzzworthy undrafted free agent Tyrek Funderburk and Keenan Issac, a holdover from last year.

QUESTION: What’s the upcoming position battle – offense and defense – you’re really excited about?

ANSWER: I’ve gone on record with a couple of Pewter Pulse videos talking about this topic. I think the best and most intriguing individual competition is for the WR3 position between rookie Jalen McMillan and second-year pro Trey Palmer. In Liam Coen’s new offense, which will feature much more 11 personnel sets (one back, one tight end and three receivers), the No. 3 receiver is a starter.

After that, the other most important head-to-head battle is at left guard, obviously. Currently Sua Opeta might have a slight edge over Ben Bredeson, but this fight is far from over and will only heat up once the pads come on in training camp next week.

On defense, I’m very excited about the outside linebacker battle for the starting job opposite Yaya Diaby. That figures to be a battle royale like you see in professional wrestling. Again, I did a Pewter Pulse video on this battle as well.

The guess here is that Chris Braswell emerges as a starter sooner rather than later – although Joe Tryon-Shoyinka or Markees Watts could be darkhorse candidates.

And don’t expect much of a training camp clash at nickelback. I’m hearing that Tykee Smith had an exceptionally strong offseason at the OTAs and mini-camp. It’s his job to lose in August.

QUESTION: How is the install of the new offensive scheme going? How will the run game improve? How is the D-line coming together? How are the rookies progressing?

Bucs OC Liam Coen and QB Baker Mayfield – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

ANSWER: That’s four questions in one, so let’s go one by one. Bucs offensive coordinator Liam Coen has put an awful lot on the plate of his offensive players. He’s got much of the offense installed in the offseason. The key will be how much can the players retain and properly execute? Time will tell in training camp.

The running game will improve because Coen’s playbook is more diverse and has more running plays. More running plays leads to being less predictable because the offense can attack defenses in more ways on the ground.

Coen will also give Baker Mayfield more freedom to call audibles at the line of scrimmage and check out of bad looks and into more favorable looks so fewer run plays will be DOA (dead on arrival) out of the huddle. Also having another competent runner in Bucky Irving will help spell Rachaad White when he needs rest, thus keeper White fresher and more effective.

The Bucs have very high hopes for both Calijah Kancey and Vita Vea inside at defensive tackle. Kancey spent the offseason mastering his craft as a pass rusher and adding some more strength to hold up better against the run. Vea slimmed down and got quicker this year and the Bucs hope that will help his endurance and keep him healthier. Logan Hall is also now up to 300 pounds and Tampa Bay hopes he’s ready for a breakout season.

The Bucs are thrilled with their rookie class this year. There is a very real chance that the first four picks are all starters this season. Graham Barton, the team’s top pick, will start at center, while second-rounder Chris Braswell should eventually start at outside linebacker. The team’s third-round picks – receiver Jalen McMillan and nickelback Tykee Smith – also figure to start at WR3 and in the slot on defense, respectively.