FAB 5. SR’s BUC SHOTS
• While it wasn’t shocking that the Buccaneers didn’t draft an offensive lineman after PewterReport.com spent the entire offseason telling Tampa Bay fans that he team liked their offensive line, it was a bit surprising that general manager Jason Licht and head coach Dirk Koetter didn’t draft a cornerback or a pass rushing defensive end. The Bucs brought in several defensive ends, including Michigan’s Taco Charlton, Kansas State’s Jordan Willis and Tennessee’s Derek Barnett, in addition to USC cornerback Adoreé Jackson.

But the Bucs stuck to their draft board with every pick and literally picked the best player available – even putting off a need position like running back until the fifth round. Tampa Bay had plans on drafting a tight end, safety and a wide receiver and those needs aligned perfectly with players on their draft board. The Bucs didn’t have to come out of the draft with a linebacker, but Kendall Beckwith was so high on their board in the third round that they stuck to it, traded up and selected him.

USC CB Adoreé Jackson – Photo courtesy of USC

Although indications are that Jackson would have been the pick at No. 19 had Howard been drafted by Tennessee at No. 18 before the Bucs were on the clock, the real reason why cornerback and defensive end were essentially ignored in the draft is due to the talent already on Tampa Bay’s roster. The Bucs feel good about the cornerback position with Brent Grimes, who has one year left on his deal, still having some gas left in his 34-year old tank, and Vernon Hargreaves, last year’s first-round pick, expected to take a big step forward in his second year as a starter.

The Bucs are extremely high on Ryan Smith, last year’s fourth-round pick, and the team believes he can be a future starter at outside cornerback, perhaps replacing Grimes next year. The plan is for him to see some snaps on defense this year after playing primarily on special teams last year. Tampa Bay also likes the competition at nickel cornerback between Jude Adjei-Barimah and Javien Elliott, who is entering his second season with the team.

Tampa Bay was fully prepared to enter the 2017 campaign with Grimes, Hargreaves, Smith, Adjei-Barimah, Elliott and special teams cornerback Josh Robinson as their six cornerbacks. Drafting Jackson, had he been available, would have only added more talent, speed and competition to the position, but because of the high degree of comfort at the cornerback position the Bucs could stick to the “best player available” strategy.

The same could be said at defensive end where veteran Robert Ayers, Jr. and Will Gholston, who received a big payday in free agency, will start, and second-year pass rusher Noah Spence will see significant snaps. Jacquies Smith returns to action from an ACL injury that cost him the 2016 season, and holdovers George Johnson, Ryan Russell, DaVonte Lambert and Channing Ward along with newcomer Deondre Barnett will likely compete for one more defensive end spot.

The Bucs don’t have an immediate opening at the end position, although finding an eventual replacement for Ayers, who will be 32 this year, is on the docket for next year. Could Tampa Bay have drafted another edge rusher to start that process and add to the competition this year? Yes, but the Bucs truly drafted for the best available player rather than for need this year. Next year will be a different story.

• Count tight end Cameron Brate among those Buccaneers who are impressed with how Tampa Bay running back Doug Martin has shown up for offseason conditioning.

Bucs RB Doug Martin – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

“Doug has looked awesome the past couple of weeks,” Brate said. “He’s been dominating the conditioning drills. That’s not something you can fake – those conditioning drills. You have either been putting in the work or you haven’t. Just to see him in good spirits – physically he looks awesome – all of the guys on the team love Doug. We’re excited to see him back. He’s happy and he’s healthy. We’re all excited for him.”

Brate said the Martin looks extremely motivated after a season in which injuries and the beginning of a four-game suspension limited him to less 500 yards rushing after being the NFL’s second-leading rusher in 2015 with 1,402 yards and six rushing touchdowns. Martin will miss the first three games of the 2017 campaign due to a PED (performance enhancing drug) suspension.

“I hope he can have the same impact that Kwon Alexander did when he returned from his suspension,” Brate said. “All of the guys love blocking for Doug because he makes the O-line and the tight ends look good the way he runs the ball. He runs hard. Obviously we’ll miss him the first couple of games, but the way he looks since he’s been back, we’re excited about him. Big things or in store for him this year.”

Martin received minor injuries deemed “cuts and bruises” from an automobile accident he was involved in on Thursday, but he should be fine. Martin was not at fault in the accident.

• Tampa Bay tight end Luke Stocker has the second-longest tenure on offense behind right tackle Demar Dotson, who joined the team after a try-out at the rookie mini-camp as an undrafted free agent in 2009. Stocker was the Bucs’ fourth-round draft pick in 2011 and is entering his seventh season in the NFL.

Stocker has worn No. 88 since joining the Bucs, and despite first-round draft pick O.J. Howard wearing that number at Alabama, he wasn’t ready to surrender it. Stocker made it clear to me in a recent interview that No. 88 wasn’t for sale.

Bucs TE Luke Stocker – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

“I know he did wear No. 88 in college and I’ve been number 88 for seven years now,” Stocker said. “I haven’t heard from him, and to be honest with you, he’s a rookie. If it was a veteran, a more proven-type guy I’d be a little more open to it. It’s just the respect factor. Not that I disrespect O.J. by any means. I don’t. But he’s a rookie and he needs to get here and prove himself and he will. I have no doubt about it. It’s just a number. He’ll figure it out. He’ll make his own presence felt with his own number.”

Howard will wear No. 80 for the Buccaneers.

• I wanted to take the time to personally thank you – Pewter Nation – for helping PewterReport.com achieve record-breaking traffic during the 2017 NFL Draft. A big factor was the thousands of Bucs fans and PewterReport.com visitors that tuned into our first-ever Live Streaming Videocast from One Buccaneer Place during the draft. It was a huge success and we will continue to do these periodically throughout the offseason and during the season.

I also wanted to thank you for patronizing our proud PewterReport.com advertising partners. If you haven’t clicked on our advertising partners banners yet and visited their websites I encourage you to do so. Those companies are the lifeblood of our business and allow us to bring you all of the free content you enjoy on PewterReport.com. When you do business with our advertising partners you are also doing business with fellow Bucs fans, too. I encourage you to explore the products and services our adverting partners provide and choose to become their customers knowing that you are also supporting PewterReport.com by doing so.

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• And finally, the @PewterReport Twitter account is nearing 25,000. If you want to stay current on the latest Bucs news, observations from the PewterReport.com staff, reports from Bucs press conferences and notifications of the latest PewterReport.com stories, I encourage you to join the other members of Pewter Nation and follow @PewterReport and help us eclipse 25,000 this summer. And if you are on Facebook, please follow our Facebook page by clicking here.