FAB 3. Bucs Training Camp Sleepers – Defense

After taking a look at the Bucs’ Training Camp Sleepers on offense, it’s time to look at the defensive side of the ball. There have been several unheralded defensive players that have either made the 53-man roster with a great training camp and preseason, or made Tampa Bay’s practice squad and then worked their way up to the active roster from there.

Last year, undrafted free agent linebacker Riley Bullough, who was nicknamed “Joe Dirt,” was featured on HBO’s Hard Knocks training camp documentary. He stuck on the practice squad before being called up to the active roster. In years past, defensive linemen DaVonte Lambert and Channing Ward were undrafted free agent free agents that made the team, in addition to cornerback Javien Elliott.

So who are some long shots on defense to make the roster to keep an eye on in Bucs training camp? Here is the list.

Defensive Line – DE Will Clarke

If the Buccaneers keep eight defensive linemen on the depth chart, as expected, Clarke may be the odd man out. Let’s run down the list of the eight D-linemen that will almost certainly make the 53-man roster – Gerald McCoy, Beau Allen, Jason Pierre-Paul, Vinny Curry, Vita Vea, Mitch Unrein, Noah Spence and Will Gholston. It would be shocking if those eight aren’t in New Orleans in Week 1 dressed in pewter and red. But the Bucs could keep nine defensive linemen, Clarke may be the ninth if he has a productive training camp and defensive end by showing he can get to the quarterback.

Bucs DE Will Clarke – Photo by: Mark Lomoglio/PR

The Bucs only generated 22 sacks last year, which ranked dead last in the league. Clarke played under former defensive line coach Jay Hayes in Cincinnati, and had 2.5 sacks and a fumble recovery in his first year in Tampa Bay. He played well enough to get re-signed to a one-year deal by the Bucs this offseason, and Clarke just seems to have the eye of the tiger this offseason. He had a really good spring and has improved his technique.

New defensive line coach Brentson Buckner earned a reputation for developing defensive linemen and having them reach their full potential in Arizona, evidenced by the growth of Calalis Campbell and Markus Golden among others. If the 6-foot-6, 275-pound Clarke can have a breakthrough August he could either prompt the team to keep nine defensive linemen on the 53-man roster or prompt the trade of another defensive lineman – perhaps Gholston. Clarke also helps the Bucs on special teams where he is on the punt rush team and nearly blocked one against the New York Giants last season.

Linebackers – MLB Riley Bullough

The talkative and energetic Bullough rose to prominence last year as an undrafted free agent on Hard Knocks by flying around the field, screaming and making plays. It wasn’t enough for him to make the 53-man roster, though, and Bullough began his NFL career on the practice squad. Injuries throughout the year prompted the Bucs to move him up to the active roster towards the end of the season, and that’s a place Bullough wants to remain. To do that, he’ll need an even better camp than he had a year ago.

Gone are Bullough’s flowing locks that earned him comparisons to David Spade’s fictional character “Joe Dirt” – in addition to a few pounds. Last year on Hard Knocks, Bucs linebackers coach Mark Duffner questioned Bullough’s speed and the second-year player from Michigan State took that to heart. Bullough is leaner and quicker this year and it showed in the OTAs and mini-camp where he was able to make more plays.

Kendell Beckwith’s broken ankle this offseason opened the door for Bullough to get time with the second-team defense at middle linebacker where Beckwith typically plays. Bullough made the most of it and showed great command of Mike Smith’s scheme. As long as he continues to show up on special teams, Bullough should join Kwon Alexander, Lavonte David, Beckwith, Adarius Glanton as the Bucs’ fifth linebacker, with Devante Bond, Shaheed Salmon, Cameron Lynch, Nigel Harris and rookie Jack Cichy duking it out for the sixth and final spot on the depth chart.

Cornerbacks – CB David Rivers

The Buccaneers re-signed veteran Brent Grimes in the offseason, in addition to drafting M.J. Stewart and Carlton Davis to bolster the cornerback position. But it was another cornerback that raised eyebrows this offseason. When Grimes wasn’t in attendance for some of the OTAs, it was the unheralded Rivers that took his place in the starting lineup opposite Ryan Smith with former first-round draft pick Vernon Hargreaves III in the slot in nickel defense.

Rivers, who was an undrafted free agent out of Youngstown State last year, began his career in Green Bay before being waived and going to training camp with the New York Jets. After failing to make the Jets’ 53-man roster, the Bucs signed him to their practice squad in September where he lasted a month before being waived, re-signed to the practice squad for one more week, and then waived again. After spending two weeks on Miami’s practice squad, Rivers was signed to the Bucs’ 53-man roster for the final two weeks of the regular season and saw his first NFL action in the season finale against New Orleans.

Rivers turned heads in the team’s rookie mini-camp this offseason, which prompted the Bucs coaches to test him with the team’s starters during the OTAs. Rivers performed well and put himself in position to perhaps make the team as Tampa Bay’s sixth cornerback behind Grimes, Davis, Hargreaves, Stewart and special teams ace Ryan Smith. The Bucs like the length that the 6-foot, 185-pound Rivers brings to the table, and he’ll need to beat out Elliott and rookie Marko Myers to remain in Tampa Bay.

Safeties – SS Godwin Igwebuike

The Bucs are set at the safety position heading into the 2018 campaign with starters Justin Evans at free safety and Chris Conte at strong safety. Veteran Keith Tandy, special teams ace Josh Robinson and Jordan Whitehead, the team’s fourth-round pick, appear to round out the depth chart at the safety position heading into the regular season. But before the depth chart at safety is finalized, the Bucs will have to go through training camp and the preseason and give players like Igwebuike a shot at making the team first.

Bucs SS Godwin Igwebuike and RB Ronald Jones – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

At 5-foot-11, 213 pounds, Igwebuike is the biggest safety on the field in terms of size with the 6-foot-2 Conte being the tallest. Igwebuike, an undrafted free agent out of Northwestern, is a big hitter and wasn’t able to fully demonstrate his value to the team’s coaches and scouts in OTAs and mini-camps this spring. But when the pads come on in August, Igwebuike, who is the nephew of former Tampa Bay kicker Donald Igwebuike and a cousin of former Kansas City Chiefs running back Christian Okoye, is expected to show off his 4.44 speed and make his mark.

Whitehead missed a good deal of the OTAs with a minor injury, but returned to practice in time for the final mini-camp practice. At 5-foot-10, 195 pounds, Whitehead is a small for a safety, but does pack a punch. Both rookies are expected to duke it out in training camp with Isaiah Johnson, Tandy and Robinson for the final roster spot. Because Tandy and Robinson are core special teamers, Igwebuike, who got a $20,000 signing bonus and $85,000 of his base salary guaranteed, will need to shine covering kicks and punts in order to have a chance of pulling the upset and making the team.

Special teams – K Trevor Moore

The Bucs know they have the real deal at punter with Bryan Anger, and after years of rolling through kicker after kicker, the team feels it has a steady weapon in veteran Chandler Catanzaro, who spent last year with the New York Jets after beginning his NFL career in Arizona. Tampa Bay went through two kickers last year when veteran Nick Folk proved to be unreliable, which prompted the team to sign Pat Murray, who began his NFL career with the Bucs in 2014. Now it’s Catanzaro’s turn to stick with the Bucs after signing a three-year, $9.75 million contract with Tampa Bay that includes $3.75 million in guaranteed money.

While he’s a long shot to make the team, Moore will provide competition for Catanzaro in training camp and the preseason and shouldn’t be counted out. Moore is the best kicker in North Texas history, making all 154 extra point attempts in his career, scoring 313 points and making 53 field goals, which was the most in Mean Green history. He made 90.9 percent of his field goals last year as a senior, connecting on 20 field goals in 2017. Moore was a career 80.3 percent kicker in college, and connected on 9-of-11 field goals between 40-49 yards last year.

Moore doesn’t have the strongest leg, and only attempted two field goals of 50 yards or more at North Texas, connecting on just one. But he has proven to be good enough on kickoffs and accurate enough of field goals and PATs to prove he has the talent to kick in the NFL. Moore has impressed the Bucs’ brass thus far in the offseason and the team is anxious to see how he kicks in the preseason. It would take Moore having a near-perfect preseason and training camp in conjunction with Catanzaro faltering for the rookie to pull the upset and unseat the veteran for the roster spot, but it’s been done before. Murray came out of nowhere to beat out veteran Connor Barth in Tampa Bay in 2014. Keep an eye on Moore this August.