Bucs fans, the next edition of SR’s Fab 5 will post on July 15. There will not be an SR’s Fab 5 column on Friday, July 8 due to my vacation. Have a safe and happy Independence Day on July 4!

SR’s Fab 5 is a collection of reporting and analysis on the Bucs from yours truly, Pewter Report’s Scott Reynolds. Here are four things that caught my attention this week, plus some random tidbits in my Buc Shots section at the end. Enjoy!

FAB 1. 5 Breakout Bucs

This week’s edition of SR’s Fab 5 is comprised of four Top 5 lists that hit on some different topics this summer. The first is a list of five Bucs players that could/should have breakout seasons in Tampa Bay this year.

CB Jamel Dean

Dean made huge strides in his third season with the Bucs. He beat out Sean Murphy-Bunting for the starting outside cornerback role. In fact, he had the highest Pro Football Focus grade of any Tampa Bay cornerback last year. Dean had a 71.8 overall grade and a 74.7 coverage grade. Those numbers were better than Carlton Davis III (71.6 and 73.8), who just got paid $13.4 million per season. Dean was PFF’s 20th-rated cornerback last year. Davis was ranked 21st.

There’s no reason why Dean can’t lead the team in interceptions in 2022. He’s in a contract year and has spent the offseason working on his hands. If he gets four or more picks this season and continues to be as good as – if not better than – Davis, then Dean might make what Davis makes – or more. If Dean can rise to Davis’ level and stay there with a long-term contract extension, the Bucs will have a duo of deadly outside cornerbacks for years to come.

S Mike Edwards

Bucs S Mike Edwards – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Edwards has five interceptions, including two pick-sixes, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery over the last two seasons as a backup. To put that in perspective, Carlton Davis III, a starting cornerback, has five INTs over the last two years along with a fumble recovery. Cornerbacks Jamel Dean and Sean Murphy-Bunting have four interceptions combined over the last two regular seasons. Edwards is a ballhawk – a big play waiting to happen.

The Bucs believe more playing time will lead to more big plays from Edwards this season as he enters a contract year. But first, he’ll have to prove he can do more than just cover receivers and tight ends and pick off passes. Edwards will have to show he can offer support against the run and be an effective tackler. He doesn’t have to be as physical as Jordan Whitehead was. But if Edwards isn’t physical enough, Keanu Neal will be waiting in the wings to steal some snaps – or the starting job. The guess here is that Edwards makes enough splash plays to stay on the field.

OLB Joe Tryon-Shoyinka

Is Tryon-Shoyinka ready to start? We’re about to find out. He saw action in every game last year, with a handful of starts. With Jason Pierre-Paul gone, the Bucs’ 2021 first-round pick will step in to replace him. But being a starter is one thing. Being a breakout Buccaneer is another. Can Tryon-Shoyinka have a breakout season – perhaps a double-digit sack season?

He’s certainly capable of it from an athletic standpoint. JTS had four sacks as a rookie and was in close range for another four sacks or so and just missed. A double-digit sack season would certainly indicate a breakout season. But so would an eight-sack season in his second year in the NFL – and his first as a full-time starter. Odds are more likely that happens. JTS benefits from all the attention Shaq Barrett gets and notches eight sacks – or more.

DT Logan Hall

Bucs DT Logan Hall – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Hall, the team’s second-round pick, has gotten an awful lot of pre-camp hype about his athletic tools. Let’s see if he lives up to that praise when the pads come on. The pressure for Hall to excel as a rookie was lessened with the Akiem Hicks signing. That should allow him to play freer in his first year in Tampa Bay. His six-sack goal for his rookie season is a bold one, but should be doable if Hall is as good as Warren Sapp, Will Gholston and others say he is.

With some great veterans to learn from in Hicks, Gholston, Rakeem Nunez-Rochez and Pro Bowler Vita Vea, Hall should have some immediate success. Whether that comes in the form of three sacks or six sacks (or more) will be known come December. There’s no reason why Hall can’t be the most productive rookie defensive tackle in the league this year.

RB Rachaad White

There’s just something about this guy. Not exactly sure what it is. Maybe it’s his confidence. Or maybe it’s just White’s smooth ability to run and catch the ball as an all-purpose back. Like all rookies, he hasn’t played a down in the NFL yet. But White has the athleticism that may make some question why he was a third-round pick a few years down the road.

With Leonard Fournette re-signing for $7 million per year, White isn’t going to get a lot of playing time. But him making the most of it is what will matter. Fournette won’t get 250 carries this year. He only had 180 last year. Ronald Jones II ran the ball 101 times, while Ke’Shawn Vaughn carried the ball 36 times. There will be plenty of carries (and catches) for White if he can surpass Vaughn on the depth chart. Here’s betting that happens.

FAB 2. 5 Bucs On The Bubble

The next Top 5 list is made up of five Buccaneers that are on the bubble heading into the 2022 regular season. These Tampa Bay players really need a great training camp and preseason to secure a spot on the 53-man roster this year.

WR Tyler Johnson

Bucs WR Tyler Johnson – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Johnson was a disappointment last year, arriving to training camp out of shape and drawing the ire of former Bucs head coach Bruce Arians as a result. While he eventually got in shape for the regular season, he disappointed. After catching 12 passes for 169 yards (14.1 avg.) and a pair of touchdowns as a rookie, Johnson caught 36 passes for 360 yards last year. But he only averaged a pedestrian 10 yards per catch, and he didn’t produce any touchdowns.

Johnson’s lack of separation due to average speed was apparent throughout the season. He also underwhelmed as a blocker in the slot when he replaced Chris Godwin down the stretch. Johnson has had a nice offseason, starring in the OTAs. But he’ll have to be more physical when the pads come on in camp, and he’ll need to play faster this year. The competition is fierce at wide receiver, with 10 players competing for essentially three roster spots behind Godwin, Mike Evans and Russell Gage. Johnson is not a lock to make the team.

WR Scotty Miller

Like Johnson, Miller is a veteran whose roster spot is not assured this season. After having a breakout season in 2020, the speedy receiver suffered a serious toe injury in Week 3 that kept him out for most of the year. When Miller returned to action late in the season, he made more of an impact as a fill-in special teams gunner and on end-arounds than he did as a receiver. Miller only caught five passes for 38 yards in 2021.

Because of his 5-foot-9, 170-pound frame, Miller isn’t featured on special teams. And that will hurt his chances of making the team. His best bet might be to challenge Jaelon Darden for the return specialist role to make the 53-man roster. Miller practices fielding punts in practice, but never gets a shot to do it in games. Entering a contract year, he needs to have the camp and preseason of his life to make the team. He needs to stay healthy and consistently flash the speed that made him a deep threat in 2020. Darden and electric rookie Deven Thompkins appear to be the most direct competition for Miller in August.

OL Nick Leverett

Bucs G Nick Leverett – Photo courtesy of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Leverett’s versatility aided him in making the 53-man roster last year. He spent last preseason seeing time at left tackle and center, and saw his first regular season action at left guard in a win at Indianapolis. Will that be enough this year, or will the competition the Bucs added this offseason push the Rice product off the roster? Tampa Bay drafted guard Luke Goedeke in the second round and signed veteran tackle Fred Johnson.

Leverett doesn’t seem to be in the mix for the starting left guard position, as Aaron Stinnie, Robert Hainsey and Goedeke got the reps there in the OTAs and mini-camp. Leverett was oftentimes a backup at right guard. It’s a numbers game along the O-line, and it might take Tampa Bay keeping 10 linemen for Leverett to make it. Stinnie, Goedeke, Hainsey, who is the team’s backup center, Tristan Wirfs, Ryan Jensen, Shaq Mason and Donovan Smith are locks. Johnson and Josh Wells are likely to make the team as backup tackles. Leverett would then claim the 10th and final roster spot. If the Bucs only keep nine linemen, Leverett could be the odd man out.

DT Deadrin Senat

The Bucs added three defensive tackles this offseason, including rookie Logan Hall and a pair of veterans in Akiem Hicks and Senat. Hall and Hicks are locks to make the team, but Senat, a five-year veteran, is not. At 6-foot, 305 pounds, Senat is the smallest of Tampa Bay’s defensive lineman – by far. The former Falcons third-round pick is probably pigeonholed to play nose tackle, and Tampa Bay already has a capable reserve in Rakeem Nunez-Roches.

The Bucs typically keep six defensive linemen for the 3-4 defense. Hicks, Hall, Nunez-Roches, Pro Bowler Vita Vea, Will Gholston and special teams ace Patrick O’Connor will likely comprise the six. If the undersized Senat is going to make the roster, he’ll have to beat out O’Connor for the sixth and final spot. And that would hurt the Bucs’ special teams. It’s hard to see Senat making the 53-man roster unless there’s an injury. A spot on the practice squad seems more likely.

K Ryan Succop

Bucs K Ryan Succop – Photo by: USA Today

Succop didn’t kick at all in any of the team portion of the OTAs or mini-camp that the media observed. Was that due to injury or did the Bucs just want to get an extended pre-camp look at kicker Jose Borregales? Unfortunately, we didn’t find out. Succop, who turns 36 in September, won’t be kicking forever. And his age and prior injury history have limited his range. He’s only attempted four kicks of 50 yards or more in the last two years and is 2-of-5, including the postseason.

Borregales, a former Lou Groza Award winner out of Miami, spent last year on the practice squad. He’s got a booming leg capable of driving the ball from beyond 50. Borregales was 6-of-8 on long-distance kicks from 50 yards or longer in college. If Borregales’ accuracy improves in training camp and the preseason, it could put Succop’s job in jeopardy. Succop needs to stay healthy and remain accurate in camp. He needs to prove that his leg is not in decline as approaches his 36th birthday.

FAB 3. 5 Predictions For The Bucs 2022 Season

Here are five predictions for 2022 that not only include individual Bucs player performances, but also performance by the team as a whole.

Bucs Defense Reaches 50 Sacks

Todd Bowles’ defense has come close to producing 50 sacks over the last three seasons in Tampa Bay. The Bucs notched 47 sacks in Bowles’ first season in 2019, then improved to 48 during the Super Bowl season in 2020. Last season saw the defense revert back to 47. But the unit narrowly missed a bunch of sacks and should have finished with over 50. This year should be the year where Tampa Bay reaches 50 sacks (or more) for just the second time in franchise history.

The franchise record for most sacks in a season was 55, set in 2000. That year, Warren Sapp had 16.5 sacks – half a sack behind league-leader La’Roi Glover. Pro Bowl outside linebacker Shaq Barrett will likely lead the way again. Staying healthy in the secondary will be key, as Bowles was forced to play certain coverages last year due to injuries in the defensive backfield. While the Bucs still led the league in blitzing, Bowles couldn’t blitz as much as he wanted to as a result.

Bucs Produce A Trio Of 1,000-Yard WRs

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

Tampa Bay has had a pair of 1,000-yard receivers in the same season a couple of times in franchise history. But the Bucs have never produced three 1,000-yard receivers. In fact, it’s only been done five times in NFL history. The first was the San Diego trio of John Jefferson, Kellen Winslow and Charlie Joiner in 1980. Arizona, with Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin and Steve Breaston, was the last NFL team to have a trio of 1,000-yard receivers. The Bucs were on their way to doing it last year before an injury and suspension got Antonio Brown off track in October.

Mike Evans and Chris Godwin both finished with 1,000 yards last year. The numbers Brown (545) and Tyler Johnson (360) produced combined for over 900 yards. With Rob Gronkowski retiring, the Bucs will likely throw more to the receivers than the tight ends in 2022. That should give newcomer Russell Gage a chance to hit 1,000 yards, too. Gage has come close to hitting 1,000 yards the last two years in Atlanta, finishing with nearly 800 yards receiving in each season.

RB Leonard Fournette Rushes For 1,000 Yards

The Bucs haven’t had a 1,000-yard rusher since Doug Martin in 2014. Ronald Jones II came close in 2020 with a team-high 978 yards. This year, Fournette seems poised to hit 1,000 yards if he can stay healthy. The Bucs have 7 million reasons to get Fournette the ball after paying him a king’s ransom this offseason. He ran the ball 180 times for 812 yards (4.5 avg.) last year, and he missed three and half games.

Had he played in all 17 games, Fournette likely would have hit 1,000 yards in 2021. He needed just 42 more carries averaging 4.5 yards per carry to reach that mark. Fournette only had two 100-yard games last year, with just three games with 80 yards or more. He had four games with 17 carries or more and seven games with 11 carries or less. If those numbers flip and Fournette winds up with 220 carries in 2022, a 1,000-yard rushing season is all but assured.

TE Rob Gronkowski Returns – At Some Point

Bucs TE Rob Gronkowski and QB Tom Brady – Photo by: USA Today

I thought Gronkowski was going to re-sign with the Bucs prior to training camp. And I was wrong. Instead, he retired on June 21. Perhaps he wants to pull a veteran move and just skip camp. Will Gronk be back prior to the start of the regular season in September? Or is the future Hall of Famer simply listening to his body and hearing that it can’t hold up for 17 games?

Maybe Gronk comes aboard at midseason to help the Bucs win a Super Bowl like Antonio Brown did in 2020. Former NFL executive Mike Tannenbaum believes the 33-year old Gronkowski will return at some point in the 2022 season. In fact, he put the chances at 100%. It’s hard to believe that Gronk would miss out on what could be Tom Brady’s final season in Tampa Bay – and perhaps the NFL.

Bucs Win Fewer Games In 2022

Tampa Bay went 11-5 in 2020 and won the Super Bowl. Last year, despite a rash of injuries, the Bucs set a new franchise record with a 13-4 record yet lost in the NFC Divisional round of the playoffs. Tampa Bay was even poised to host the NFC Championship Game if the Bucs had gotten past the Rams.

Tampa Bay has a brutally tough schedule this season, featuring eight teams against teams that made the playoffs a year ago. Don’t be surprised if the Bucs finish 11-6 or 12-5 this year but are a better team that goes further in the postseason. Of course, Tampa Bay might advance to the Super Bowl winning 13 games again (or more). But even with a lesser regular season record, the 2022 Bucs might be more formidable come January.

FAB 4. 5 Biggest Positional Needs For The Bucs In 2023

While there is a lot of anticipation about the upcoming 2022 season, there is a lot of uncertainty about 2023 in Tampa Bay. Here’s a look at the Top 5 positional needs for the Bucs next year.

Quarterback

Bucs QBs Kyle Trask and Blaine Gabbert – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

All signs point toward the 2022 season being Tom Brady’s last in Tampa Bay, and perhaps the NFL. Is Blaine Gabbert or Kyle Trask ready to take over as a starter next year? Will one preseason prepare Trask enough to be an NFL starter? Will Gabbert, who will be 33 next year, even be re-signed in 2022? It takes a star quarterback to get a team to the Super Bowl and win it in the modern-day NFL, which puts an emphasis on the passing game.

It’s hard to suggest that Gabbert or Trask have star potential at this stage. Outside of Lamar Jackson, who will likely be back in Baltimore, the list of free agent QBs next year isn’t too exciting – assuming Brady retires. Sam Darnold, Daniel Jones, Jimmy Garoppolo, Baker Mayfield and Taylor Heinicke are the “headliners.” Could the Bucs draft another QB in the first round next year to compete for the job, or could Tampa Bay perhaps trade for one? It will be fascinating to see how Jason Licht and Todd Bowles address the QB position in 2023.

Inside Linebacker

Devin White will be entering a contract year in 2023 and the contract for Lavonte David, who turns 33 in January, will be expired at the end of this season. Will David return for another year or will the Bucs move on? Who will replace the Bucs legend in 2023 if Tampa Bay goes in a different direction? Will White step up and earn a contract extension? There are a lot of questions and not many apparent answers right now.

The inside linebacker spots – Mike and Mo – are critical to Todd Bowles’ defense. White and David are team captains, and the Mike LB runs the defense. The Bucs are hoping K.J. Britt might be able to develop into a role as a starter. But he’s not nearly as athletic as either White or David. The 2023 linebacker draft class has a few studs, but it’s not deep. Clemson’s Trenton Simpson is a name to watch. He has special speed and looks like a Bowles linebacker. Finding a special, starting-caliber linebacker next year is a priority.

Cornerback

Bucs CBs Sean Murphy-Bunting and Jamel Dean – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Starters Jamel Dean and Sean Murphy-Bunting are in the final year of their rookie contracts. From a salary cap standpoint, it’s likely that only one returns in 2023. The early favorite is Dean, who really made strides in coverage last year. Murphy-Bunting has the ability to play both inside at the slot cornerback position as well as outside. Throw in the fact that reserves Ross Cockrell, Rashard Robinson and Dee Delaney (exclusive rights free agent) are in contract years and the Bucs could suddenly be thin at cornerback in 2023.

Bowles isn’t afraid t0 play rookie cornerbacks. He did that in 2019 with both Murphy-Bunting and Dean. So, if the Bucs have to draft a cornerback in the first or second round to step in in case the team moves on – so be it. Tampa Bay likes the promise and potential of Zyon McCollum, a Day 3 draft pick. But it’s a big leap from Sam Houston to the NFL, and McCollum might not be ready to start and serve as a replacement for Dean or Murphy-Bunting in 2023.

Safety

Mike Edwards is the leading candidate to replace Jordan Whitehead at strong safety this year. He’s entering a contract year, and newcomers Logan Ryan and Keanu Neal were only signed to one-year deals. That means half of the team’s safeties could be gone next season. The guess here is that either Edwards or Neal returns in 2023. But depth will still be an issue for Tampa Bay and will need to be addressed either in the draft or free agency.

The Bucs have always prioritized the safety position. Bucs general manager Jason Licht has spent two second-round picks on Pro Bowler Antoine Winfield Jr. (2020) and former Buc Justin Evans (2017), while Edwards was a third-rounder in 2019. Licht and Bowles, who played safety in college and in the NFL, nearly drafted Georgia safety Lewis Cine in the first round this past April. Safeties play a vital role in Bowles’ defense, and the position is an important one overall in today’s pass-happy NFL.

Outside Linebacker

Bucs OLB Anthony Nelson – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

The Bucs re-signed Pro Bowler Shaq Barrett to a long-term contract extension in 2021 and then drafted Joe Tryon-Shoyinka in the first round to eventually replace Jason Pierre-Paul. Barrett and Tryon-Shoyinka should make a dynamic duo on the edge. But top reserve Anthony Nelson is in a contract year and the cupboard is rather bare afterwards. Cam Gill has proven to be nothing more than a situational pass rusher and isn’t a lock to make the team. The same could be said for Elijah Ponder, who was on the practice squad last year.

Throw in the fact that Barrett turns 30 this fall and Tampa Bay will need more depth, and an eventual successor for him. Edge rushers are an important part of Bowles’ defense as they are the ones primarily responsible for getting to the quarterback. The Bucs are one injury away from average – or below average – at the position. Even if Nelson is re-signed to a modest deal as a reserve in 2023, adding another pass-rushing outside linebacker in the draft makes plenty of sense.

FAB 5. SR’s Buc Shots

• WHITE COMPARES FAVORABLY TO A PRO BOWLER: Bucs rookie running back Rachaad White is extremely athletic. Just how athletic? Well, he’s drawn comparisons to 49ers Pro Bowl receiver Deebo Samuel, for starters.

• MORE ON BRADY’S RED ZONE MAGIC: Tom Brady’s red zone passing mastery was discussed in last week’s SR’s Fab 5 column. But it’s not just about him throwing touchdowns and avoiding interceptions. It’s about Brady getting his team in the end zone. No QB has done it better – or more often.

Bucs RB Rachaad White – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

• BUCS RB WHITE JOINS THE PEWTER REPORT PODCAST NEXT WEEK: Bucs rookie running back Rachaad White will be the guest on the Pewter Report Podcast on Tuesday, July 5 at 4:00 p.m. ET. Don’t miss this episode, as we’ll talk to White about his expectations for his rookie season in Tampa Bay.

THIS WEEK’S PEWTER REPORT PODCASTS

• SUMMER BUCS TALK ON THE PEWTER REPORT PODCAST: The Pewter Report Podcast is energized by CELSIUS and broadcasts four live episodes each week. Pewter Report Podcasts typically air on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at 4:00 pm EST in the offseason.

Matt Matera and Kasey Hudson discuss whether the Bucs are still top contenders in the NFC without Rob Gronkowski.

Matera and Josh Queipo talk about which new Bucs addition will make the biggest impact in 2022.

Matera and Hudson discuss Bucs over/unders on the offensive side of the ball in 2022.

Matera and JC Allen are joined by Mr. Bucs Nation on Thursday to discuss the defensive over/unders.

Watch the Pewter Report Podcasts live on our PewterReportTV channel on YouTube.com and please subscribe (it’s free) and add your comments. We archive all Pewter Report Podcasts. So, you can watch the recorded episodes if you missed them live.

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.

FINAL VIDEO

• GET READY FOR WHITE: Are you ready to see new Bucs running back Rachaad White in action? Here’s a glimpse of what you can expect from his senior season at Arizona State.