Read what everyone had to say about new positions, the mental game and media expectations after the first day of Week 3 OTAs:
It’s the last week of OTAs before mandatory minicamp, and there are quite a few changes the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been working on all offseason.
Not just with a new offensive coordinator, but a whole new offensive line — OT [autotag]Tristan Wirfs[/autotag] is moving from right to left tackle and HC [autotag]Todd Bowles[/autotag] revealed that OL Luke Goedeke is set to play his natural college position. On top of that, EDGE [autotag]Joe Tryon-Shoyinka[/autotag] is working on his finishing as an edge rusher and CB [autotag]Carlon Davis[/autotag] isn’t listening to the media noise surrounding the team.
These players have a lot to prove as the team enters 2023.
One NFL season can have a profound lasting impact on a player’s career. Several Tampa Bay Buccaneers are coming to their own turning points in 2023 that will determine what their future in Tampa will be.
Most of the pressure is on players nearing the end of their first contracts. The 2021 draft class in particular is running out of time to make their value to the franchise apparent.
On the line for the players, ultimately, is money. An NFL player’s first real payday only comes with their second contract, so the year or two leading up to free agency can be crucial for juicing up that deal.
Here are four Bucs entering make-or-break seasons in 2023:
As the Tom Brady era comes to a close for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a new period of transition and uncertainty begins. Despite losing arguably the greatest quarterback to ever play the game, the Bucs could still have some surprises up their sleeve in 2023.
Despite having over $75 million in dead money against the salary cap, the Bucs still have a solid roster, retaining much of the core that won the Super Bowl in 2020. The defense in particular will enter 2023 largely intact after an extended period of high-end play under former defensive coordinator and now head coach Todd Bowles.
The offense will see the most change, not just because of Tom Brady’s retirement. The Bucs will have a new scheme and playcaller thanks to newly hired offensive coordinator Dave Canales. They will also have a new quarterback, a largely transformed offensive line and a new primary ballcarrier in Rachaad White.
The offensive changes may make a predicting a winning record for Tampa a bit too much of a stretch, but that does not mean that other elements will not be excellent. There is enough young, promising talent on the roster for a handful of breakouts.
Here are three bold predictions for the Buccaneers’ 2023 season:
In this new series, Bucs Wire will take an in-depth look at the last 27 first-round picks for Tampa Bay for every day remaining until the NFL draft.
First up in our series is the Bucs’ most recent first-rounder: Edge rusher Joe Tryon-Shoyinka.
There are officially 27 days until the first round of the NFL draft.
In this new series, Bucs Wire will analyze the last 27 Tampa Bay Buccaneers first-round draft picks, one for each day leading up to the 2023 NFL draft. We’ll take a look at the player’s college stats, their pre-draft numbers (either via the NFL Combine or their Pro Day), their NFL stats, some player footage and analysis at the end on whether the pick itself was a good one.
Our first entry skips over 2022, since the Bucs didn’t have a first-round pick. Thus, we’re looking to 2021 to analyze Tampa Bay’s most recent first-round selection: [autotag]Joe Tryon-Shoyinka[/autotag].
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers might have to finish Week 14 without another starter on defense.
Outside linebacker Joe Tryon-Shoyinka left Sunday’s game against the San Francisco 49ers with a hip injury, and he’s questionable to return.
The Bucs are already without their top passer in Shaq Barrett thanks to a season-ending injury from earlier in the year, and they’ve seen defensive lineman Vita Vea and cornerback Jamel Dean both leave earlier in this game.
Considering how lopsided this game is, the Bucs have to be hoping to simply avoid any more injuries before they limp home.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers co-defensive coordinator Kacy Rodgers breaks down the impact of two young stars on his side of the ball
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are coming off back-to-back wins, as well as a much-needed bye week, as they prepare for Sunday’s road trip to face the Cleveland Browns.
After a rough patch of inconsistent play, the Bucs defense has set the tone for team’s recent success, with some dominant play against the defending Super Bowl champs, as well as a Seattle Seahawks team that had won four straight games.
Two young playmakers have been key to Tampa Bay’s stellar performances on that side of the ball, as linebacker Devin White and outside linebacker Joe Tryon-Shoyinka have been flying all over the field.
Bucs co-defensive coordinator Kacy Rodgers spoke with the media Monday about the traits that make both of those players so important to that success:
After showing flashes of brilliance as a rookie, Tampa Bay’s first-round pick from last year has high expectations as a full-time starter
When the Tampa Bay Buccaneers spent last year’s first-round draft pick on outside linebacker Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, they saw an athletic pass rusher with limitless potential who could excel in their defensive scheme.
After a promising rookie season as a rotational player behind two experienced veterans, the Washington product now finds himself in the starting lineup opposite Shaq Barrett, replacing Jason Pierre-Paul.
Tryon-Shoyinka has big shoes to fill, and while new head coach Todd Bowles doesn’t expect him to be the second coming of JPP, expectations for the second-year pro are still through the roof.
“Well, they’re high,” Bowles said Wednesday when asked about his expectations for last year’s No. 32 overall pick. “He’s very athletic. Obviously, we took him in the first round. Going into year two, we expect him to have the nuances down with a lot of the things he did last year and expect him to come into his own. I don’t expect him to be [Jason Pierre-Paul], I expect him to be Joe. He has a skill set all on his own that he could be a good player.”
(Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)
Barrett thinks his new running mate off the edge is capable of putting up the same kind of big numbers he’s been posting himself over the last few years in Tampa Bay.
“I think Joe could be a double-digit sack guy every year,” Barrett said Wednesday. “I’m excited for him. In practice, I’m seeing him put the work in so it’s just a matter of time for him to just get out there and get comfortable with it on a play-in, play-out basis, and then he’s going to take off. It could be the first game or the second game, but I have faith in him that he’s going to be making plays – not just sacks, but forced fumbles, tackles for loss, passing game – he’s going to really affect the game. It’s going to be fun to play with him.”
Tryon-Shoyinka appeared in every game for the Bucs last year, making six starts in the regular season, posting four sacks and 10 quarterback hits.
Now that he’ll be a full-time starter, the former Husky will have even more opportunities to show off his explosive pass-rushing ability, as the Bucs hope to make another Super Bowl run in 2022.
The Ravens selected two defenders in a 2021 NFL re-draft by Bleacher Report
The Baltimore Ravens selected a quality group of prospects during the 2021 NFL draft, headlined by their two first round picks in wide receiver Rashod Bateman and outside linebacker Odafe Oweh. While their professional careers are just getting started, Baltimore’s 2021 draft class showed some immense potential over the course of their rookie seasons.
When doing a re-draft of the 2021 draft, Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report shook up the first round, and gave the Ravens two different players than the ones they originally selected at picks No. 27 and No. 31. First with the 27th overall selection, Baltimore selected New Orleans Saints cornerback Paulson Adebo, who was originally taken at pick No. 76. Knox explained that with how the Ravens’ secondary could have used a healthy Adebo last season.
“A third-round pick of New Orleans, Stanford’s Paulson Adebo was both effective and durable as a rookie. He started all 17 games for the Saints and played 76 percent of the defensive snaps. He finished with 66 tackles, eight passes defended, three interceptions and a respectable opposing passer rating of 91.7…Adebo’s durability is the big selling point. Had Baltimore fielded a quality starter for the entire season, it might have stood a chance of sneaking into the playoffs.”
At No. 31, Knox had Baltimore take Tampa Bay Buccaneers outside linebacker Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, who was originally taken just one pick later at No. 32.
“He played a rotational role for the Buccaneers in 2021, but he was still impactful. He played just 49 percent of the defensive snaps but appeared in all 17 games. He finished with four sacks, 29 tackles, five tackles for loss and 27 quarterback pressures.”
Part of the reason why Tryon-Shoyinka was the selection at No. 31 instead of Oweh was because Oweh was selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars at No. 18 in this re-draft. Bateman was not selected in the first round of this hypothetical, however.
The Ravens make different picks in the first round of Bleacher Report’s 2021 NFL re-draft
The Baltimore Ravens ended up selecting eight players in the 2021 draft. Some of them helped the team in a big way during their rookie years, while others didn’t even make it past training camp before being let go.
When re-drafting the entirety of 2021 NFL draft’s first round, Maurice Moten of Bleacher Report switched things up for Baltimore, as they took a different path with their two first-round selections. First at pick No. 27, the Ravens selected University of Oklahoma center Creed Humphrey, who was originally taken in the second round by the Kansas City Chiefs. Moten talked about how successful Humphrey was during his rookie season when explaining his choice.
“Creed Humphrey had one of the best overall seasons among rookies. Pro Football Focus gave him the best grade in the 2021 class. According to the analytics site, he allowed just one sack through 1,184 offensive snaps…The Ravens would have a technically sound, hard-nosed center who finishes blocks with a bit of nastiness in the run game. He’s destined to become a quality 10-plus-year starter at the position.”
Next, at pick No. 31 Moten had Baltimore select an edge rusher, but not the one they originally picked in the slot. Enter Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, who Moten says would have a big impact on the Ravens’ defense.
“While on the field for 49 percent of the defensive snaps, Tryon-Shoyinka recorded 29 tackles, five for loss, 27 quarterback pressures, four sacks and three pass breakups. As a starter, he has the potential to blossom into a top-notch pass-rusher…Tryon-Shoyinka would probably lead the Ravens in sacks and quarterback pressures because of the team’s desperate need at his position. Remember, Tyus Bowser, who led the team in sacks (seven), tore his Achilles in the season finale.”
In terms of Baltimore’s actual 2021 first round picks in wide receiver Rashod Bateman and outside linebacker Odafe Oweh, the Ravens didn’t get a shot to select either player, as Oweh went to the Jacksonville Jaguars at pick No. 25 and Bateman was taken by the Cleveland Browns one pick later at No. 26.
In Moten’s re-draft, Baltimore would have gotten two great prospects who had very promising rookie seasons. It would have changed the course of the franchise if the draft fell the way it did in the re-draft, but coming out of the first round with Bateman and Oweh proved to be an incredible feat in it’s own right, as both players showed that they can be pieces of the future for the Ravens.
