By –J.T. Olson
Special to Sports Talk Florida
Training camp is just around the corner for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Rookies report on July 22nd with veterans joining them the next day. This is the first step in the journey to win a fourth straight division title and make another playoff run.
For an established team like the Bucs, there isn’t a ton to figure out. Most starting jobs are locked up and most depth players know their role. However, that isn’t the case at every spot.
There will be a few interesting camp battles to keep an eye on. Some will be for key depth roles, but there will be a starting job or two up for grabs as well. These are the competitions that I’ll be the most interested in.
Starting Left Guard
This is easily the biggest unknown with the Buccaneers roster. There is no clear cut solution which makes this starting job totally up for grabs. And there will be a lot of players trying to get their hands on this opportunity.
The Bucs brought in a pair of free agents in Ben Bredeson and Sua Opeta to compete for the job. They also invested a 6th round draft pick in Elijah Klein, who is very experienced as a run blocker in the type of system the Buccaneers run. And of course, there is still Robert Hainsey who has been the starting center the last two years and will likely now be looking for a new role with the addition of 1st round pick Graham Barton.
This has the makings of a winner take all four way street fight to win this job. At this point there is no clear front runner. Bredeson has the mobility I like, where Opeta has the power to get push at the point of attack. If one man can emerge as a solid starter then it would go a long way to solidify the offensive line.
Nickel
I don’t care who wins this job, the nickel role is shaping up to be a strength this year. Last year it was undrafted rookie Chris Izien who won this job and he did a nice job throughout the season. However, this year he has some serious competition if he wants to keep that job.
The obvious name to watch will be 3rd round pick Tykee Smith. He bring more to the table in terms of pass coverage and playmaking and comes from a Georgia defense that requires defensive backs to be highly intelligent. Veteran Tavierre Thomas, who signed as a free agent, will also be in the mix.
I really like Smith to win this job. You couldn’t design an ideal nickel in a lab that fits a Todd Bowles defense better. This will allow Izien to focus more on playing safety, which is an area that needs more depth. Time will tell if the rookie is ready for this opportunity.
Backup Tight End
Cade Otton is the clear and obvious starter. After that, things get very murky. Ko Kieft is the listed backup, but is primarily just a blocker. Payne Durham was a rookie last year who started to show some flashes, but lacks in athletic ability. Finally, 7th round rookie Devin Culp brings the most upside as a pass catcher, but has proven the least.
Consider the Bucs will likely want to spread things out more in this new offense, I tend to think that inline guys like Kieft and Durham don’t really fit the mold of what the Bucs will be looking for. This makes me lean towards a more agile and athletic tight end like Culp taking this job.
Starting Linebacker
Everyone believes that K.J. Britt is primed to take the starting linebacker job and I agree with that. He played very well last year as an assignment sound run stuffer. He is also regarded as a leader on the team by his peers and that counts for more than some fans are willing to admit.
However, I think it’s worth keeping an eye on second year linebacker SirVocea Dennis. Dennis was drafted in the 5th round last year as a sound tackler with athletic ability that makes him a higher ceiling player than Britt. I expect him to take a jump in year two, particularly in his coverage ability, and be in position to at least challenge Britt for that starting role.
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