FAB 5. SR’s Bucs Shots

• The NFL did the right thing in giving the NFC Offensive Player of the Week Award to Tampa Bay quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick over Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers and his “Willis Reed moment” coming back in the second half from a first half knee injury to rally the Packers from a 20-0 deficit to a 24-23 win. That game took place on Sunday Night Football before a nationally televised audience and it would have been easy to give it to Rodgers, one of the NFL’s elite stars, for such a heroic performance.

Bucs QB Ryan Fitzpatrick – Photo by: Mary Holt/PR

But Rodgers passed for 276 yards and three touchdowns, and those numbers paled in comparison to what Fitzpatrick did in New Orleans, which was to complete 75 percent of his passes for 417 yards with four touchdowns in addition to a rushing touchdown. For a player like the 35-year old Fitzpatrick, who may (or may not) be giving the starting job back to Jameis Winston in two weeks and who may retire at the end of this season, this individual honor is something Fitzpatrick will cherish the rest of his life.

• The @PewterReport Twitter account just hit a milestone as we eclipsed 30,000 Twitter followers during the Bucs’ 48-40 win over the Saints on Sunday. Join us, Pewter Nation, and make sure you are following PewterReport.com on Twitter so you don’t miss out Bucs press conference and interview footage as well as breaking news and injury updates. To follow @PewterReport on Twitter please click here, and to follow us on Facebook please click here.

PewterReport.com is also updating our @PewterReport Instagram account more regularly this season. Make sure you are following @PewterReport on Instagram and you can do so by clicking here.

Bucs LG Ali Marpet – Photo by: Mary Holt/PR

• The contract extension talks between the Bucs and left tackle Donovan Smith, left guard Ali Marpet and middle linebacker Kwon Alexander are beginning to heat up. The Bucs would have preferred to have at least one of those deals done by now – if not two – but it takes two to tango and the agents weren’t quick to rush to the table to get a deal done in training camp like Tampa Bay hoped.

Don’t be surprised if one of those players gets a contract extension within the next two to three weeks. Like I discussed in a previous SR’s Fab 5, the team is working to get Marpet and Alexander done before free agency next year. I suspect Marpet will be the first to sign an extension. Because of limited salary cap room ($8,185,062), the Bucs may have to use the franchise tag on Smith before the 2019 offseason begins next March.

DRAFT DIAMOND – KANSAS STATE RT DALTON RISNER
PewterReport.com is the undisputed leader in Bucs draft coverage each year. During the 2018 draft, we accurately forecasted the selection of three Tampa Bay draft picks as defensive tackle Vita Vea, offensive lineman Alex Cappa and wide receiver Justin Watson were all Bucs’ Best Bets.

Draft season for the PewterReport.com staff starts in September as we do a great deal of scouting during college football season. I’m starting a new SR’s Fab 5segment this week called Draft Diamond where I focus on a different draft prospect each week.

In last week’s Draft Diamonds section, I profiled Mississippi State defensive end Montez Sweat, who was the SEC’s leading sacker last year with 10.5 QB captures. Sweat went against Kansas State right tackle Dalton Risner, who is considered to be a first-round pick in next year’s draft.

Kansas State RT Dalton Riser – Photo by: Getty Images

As a K-State alum I watched the game, but I particularly watched this matchup for draft purposes as it featured one of the best right tackles going up against one of the best pass-rushing edge players in college football. Because there aren’t any Risner highlight videos to show you, I am forced to link to this Risner vs. Sweat video breakdown from last Saturday’s game by CBSSports.com’s Chris Trapasso. It’s exceptionally well done, well worth watching a few minutes of, and I agree with Trapasso’s assessment of the match-up. Sweat finished with one sack and two more quarterback hurries, but Riser played extremely well in the loss to Mississippi State and the sack wasn’t his fault.

The Bucs will need a right tackle to eventually replace Demar Dotson, who turns 33 next month, and Risner would be a good candidate. He’s a good, but not great athlete who wins with toughness and intelligence. I think the senior right tackle is rated too high by some draft experts. I think he’s a late first-round/early second-round pick rather than a Top 15 prospect that some have projected him to be.

Pro Football Focus had him with a 94.8 run block success grade last year, and has Risner graded as the second best offensive tackle in the Big 12 last year with a 90.2 rating. He needs to add more strength to his upper body and his core in an NFL weight room program to truly achieve his potential. I see Risner as a better version of Jeremy Trueblood and Jerry Wunsch – former right tackles taken by the Bucs in the second round. He can be a solid starter in the NFL, but I don’t necessarily see a Pro Bowler quite yet.

• The 2018 Bucs regular season is here and we are now doing two Pewter Nation Podcasts a week on PewterReport.com. PewterReport.com’s Trevor Sikkema and I recapped the Bucs vs. Saints game, talked about the Dirk Koetter-Todd Monken dynamic and did a little forecasting for this week’s Bucs vs. Eagles game in Episode 93 Sweet Victory. You can listen to Pewter Nation Podcast Episode 93 right here.

While Mark Cook missed that episode, he returned for Episode 94, which was taped on Thursday at One Buccaneer Place. My schedule permitted me from attending, so Bucs expert Scott Smith from Buccaneers.com filled in for me and did a great job on a wide-ranging Pewter Nation Podcast that talked about everything from the Bucs vs. Eagles game on Sunday to the passing of legendary actor Burt Reynolds (no relation – I think). Click here to listen to Episode 94: The Champs Are Here today on your drive home from work or tomorrow while doing some chores around the house or running errands before Sunday’s game. The next Pewter Nation Podcast will be taped Sunday night after Tampa Bay hosts Philadelphia, so stay tuned for the post-game thoughts from Sikkema, Cook and yours truly.

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

• Bucs football season is here and if you want to buy a new Tampa Bay jersey – or college football apparel – there is only one place to turn and that’s Fanatics.com. PewterReport.com has partnered once again with Fanatics.com to provide our readers with the best online shopping experience and widest array of team merchandise and apparel found on the Internet.

The best part about it is that when you click on the Fanatics.com banners or links on PewterReport.com a portion of the sale goes to PewterReport.com to help pay for operating costs of the website you’ve come to love and trust for your Bucs news. So whether it’s NFL, college football, college basketball, NHL or MLB gear you are looking for, you’ll find it at Fanatics.com where they have the retro Starter pullover jackets now in stock. Click here and shop today.

• Tampa Bay’s Ryan Smith continues to pull double duties as not only a starting cornerback due to injuries to Brent Grimes and Vernon Hargreaves III, but he’s also the Bucs’ special teams ace who runs down and covers punts. Smith had a great special teams tackle, nailing return man Tommylee Lewis for no gain on Tampa Bay’s lone punt during the game.

Smith, who made a name for himself against the Saints as a rookie doing the “Smooth Criminal” act to down a punt at the 1-yard line and prevent the ball from going in the end zone for a touchback, relishes his role as the team’s special teams ace now that Josh Robinson is gone.

Bucs CB Ryan Smith – Photo by: Mark Lomoglio/PR

“Yeah, Coach [Nate] Kazcor told me that last week actually,” Smith said. “I was just in practice and he just walked past me and said, ‘You’re the ace now Ryan, you’re the ace.’ It’s just going out there, me and Freddie [Martino] – whoever is on the other side of me – go out there, do our job, and make a play, and help the team out. I don’t think I have any extra pressure on me, I’m just going out there doing my job, just having fun.”

While Smith continue to develop at cornerback, he’s found a niche as Tampa Bay’s cover specialist on special teams.

“Oh yeah, I mean, shoot, why not? You got to start somewhere. If I can be that elite player, that game-breaker on special teams that everyone has to worry about, and I’m still learning on defense and end up being both in time – why not? Or if it switches and I’m elite on defense and just there on special teams – regardless, it’s about the team, and at least I’m on the field and that’s good. I’m definitely further along there on special teams than where I am with the defense, but that will balance itself out eventually.”

• PewterReport.com’s new video channel, PRTV, debuted this week. Trevor Sikkema kicked things off on Monday with his weekly video segment, The Score, which was taped live at the Superdome following Sunday’s big 48-40 win over the Saints.

My new PRTV segment titled Reynolds On Record debuted on Wednesday night. Be sure to click here to view that segment and let me know what you think. These new PRTV segments are produced by our newest Pewter Repoter Andrew Scavelli and will be weekly features on PewterReport.com.

Mark Cook’s PRTV show called What’s Cooking? will debut on Friday to preview Tampa Bay’s big game against Philadelphia on Sunday.

• And finally, I wanted to introduce one of our new advertising partners, Roosters Men’s Grooming Center, to our PewterReport.com readers. You may have seen the new Roosters ad on the website last week or in the Most Impressive: Bucs at Saints story as Roosters sponsors the Pewter Player each week.

Last week, Tampa Bay quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick was “a cut above” the competition as the Roosters Pewter Player and he’ll receive a gift card for a free men’s hair cut or shave (we doubt he’ll shave off the beard) for his outstanding performance against the Saints. Roosters Men’s Grooming Center is located at 533 South Howard Avenue in South Tampa.

PewterReport.com’s Mark Cook and Andrew Scavelli have had their hair cut at Roosters and have raved about it. Next up will be haircuts for myself and PewterReport.com’s Trevor Sikkema.

Roosters is an upscale, full-service barber shop with haircuts, razor shaves and the best men’s hair care products available. Have a complimentary bourbon while getting your haircut or shave. Call (813) 253-3200 or visit RoostersMGC.com to schedule your appointment today. Roosters Men’s Grooming Center is the perfect destination for groomsman parties or corporate events.