With limited salary cap room thanks to $75 million in dead money, the Bucs were forced to go “bargain hunting” in free agency to fill out their roster. That meant finding valuable players on reasonable contracts and banking on the 2023 draft class along with undrafted free agents to have an impactful roles for Todd Bowles and his coaching staff.

While still at the early stages of this process, the early results and reactions appear to have the Bucs finding a couple of diamonds in the rough. That makes it much tougher for Todd Bowles to make decisions on who makes the 53-man roster, who goes to the practice squad, and who is removed from the team entirely. It’s a good problem to have, yet also critical decisions can’t be taken lightly.

Todd Bowles Identifies Most Difficult Position To Choose

Bucs head coach Todd Bowles was asked after Wednesday’s practice if making decisions for the roster is more difficult this year than it was a year ago, and he agreed by saying, “definitely.” He then mentioned which position will be the toughest to come to a conclusion on.

Bucs GM Jason Licht and HC Todd Bowles – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

“Primarily at outside linebacker,” Todd Bowles said. “All of them can play. That’s going to be the toughest one. We have some competition at other spots, but from top to bottom, the outside linebacker room is probably the toughest one because all of these guys can play in this league.”

The Bucs certainly addressed outside linebacker this offseason by re-signing Anthony Nelson and drafting YaYa Diaby and Jose Ramirez. That makes for a crowded room with many players fighting for maybe one or two spots.

It’s a given that Shaq Barrett, Joe Tryon-Shoyinka and Nelson are all making the team. Diaby is Tampa Bay’s third-round pick, so his spot on the depth chart is guaranteed this season. But after that there are still a lot of talented players to choose from for the final fifth spot – if Tampa Bay elects to keep five edge rushers.

Ramirez recorded 12 sacks in 12 games during his last year at Eastern Michigan and has shown great agility and quickness off the snap. Cam Gill recorded a half-sack in the Super Bowl for the Bucs a couple of seasons ago and is a quality special teamer. Other competitors such as Markees Watts, Hamilcar Rashed and Charles Snowden – all have traits that the Bucs like as well.

Lots of Bucs OLBs Looking For Very Few Spots

Last season the Bucs initially kept only four outside linebackers to start the regular season. The two years before they kept five. So realistically there are six players competing for maybe one spot. But if the competition’s that good could the Bucs hold onto six? How many edge rushers will they keep this season?

Bucs OLBs YaYa Diaby and Jose Ramirez – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

“I don’t know yet,” Todd Bowles said. “We’ll see what the other positions bring. We’ll measure it against other positions and see who comes in the matter of importance and we’ll go from there.”

It’s interesting that Bowles picked out the outside linebackers as the toughest decision when the team has other good choices as well. The safeties feature a very young group of undrafted free agents all competing to fill out the room behind Antoine Winfield Jr. and Ryan Neal. There are also two or three spots up for grabs at wide receiver with many players in the rotation.

These young Bucs can start proving themselves under the lights on Friday night in their first preseason game of the year when Tampa Bay hosts the Pittsburgh Steelers. For many, it’s their first opportunity to play against someone different than their own teammates.

“All of them are going to see something different,” Todd Bowles said. “They’re going to see a different defense – Pittsburgh is always tough, whether it’s regular season or preseason. Just going against somebody else and understanding your assignment and executing is really the big thing they have to see. They can’t see color of jersey, they just have to execute like they’re in practice and that’s what we’re looking for.”