With just over a week left before the Buccaneers must make their final cuts to their roster, a clearer picture is emerging of who will and won’t stay on the team. 41 players are all but guaranteed to make the team.
I thought it would be more persuasive to jump right into the meat of falling to the bottom of the roster than the traditional “final 53-man roster projections” that use terms like Mike Evans, Baker Mayfield, Vita Vea, and Antoine Winfield Jr. But if you’re looking for some hard analysis of the chances of players at the top of the roster making the team…
Baker will not play tonight. It’s safe to say he will be on the roster at this point.
— Joshua Queipo (@josh_queipo) August 17, 2024
Most impressive Buccaneers bubble players
CB Keenan Isaac
The Bucks defense was blown out of shape against the Jaguars on Saturday, and one of the players who bucked that trend was Isaac. What impressed me most about Isaac is how he uses his length to mitigate some of his speed issues. His initial rush is a bit lackluster, but his closing speed is solid. Isaac is smart and smooth in his movements. His short-distance movements are much more agile than his athleticism tests suggest. Coming out of college, Isaac had a decent Relative Athleticism Score of 7.08. But on the field, he’s better than his testing numbers would suggest.
One of the players to watch in today’s NFLPA College Bowl is Alabama State CB Keenan Isaac (@KNI__4).
Isaac has an In-Game Athleticism (IGA) score of 90.0, which was backed up by several scouts I spoke with, citing better-than-expected explosiveness and athleticism. #ReelAnalytics pic.twitter.com/Hagk4NCEZr
— Cory Yates (@CoryRAanalytics) January 28, 2023
While other cornerbacks were weak (Andrew Hayes) or unspectacular (Josh Hayes), Isaac combined strong replays with flashy plays. First preseason game Against the Bengals, his recovery speed, ball tracking and handling were on display. Through two preseason games, he has played 34 coverage snaps. In total, he has been targeted just twice and allowed one catch for one yard. His performance thus far has made him worthy of a roster spot in my opinion as the fourth outside cornerback behind Jamel Dean, Zion McCollum and Bryce Hall.
RB Sean Tucker
Buccaneers RB Sean Tucker – Photo courtesy of USA Today
Tucker is an interesting case. His production as a pure runner has been promising this preseason, with him having 100 yards on 14 carries in two games. 4.21 yards after contact That’s even more impressive than his 7.1 yards per carry, and he also proved to be the team’s best “home run hitter” in the running backs room with two runs of 20+ yards. Tucker has plenty of explosiveness and long-range speed, and he also shows good vision.
He also proved to be a reliable, if unspectacular, pass catcher. Tucker caught three passes for a total of nine yards in the pass-catching game. But he continues to be a disappointment as a pass protector. He allowed two pressures and one sack in only two passes protected against the Bengals. It’s going to be tough to get him on the field if he can’t be relied on to keep the quarterback clean.
Meanwhile, Tucker has shown value beyond just being a special teams runner. As part of the team’s kick return unit, he has two returns for 54 yards. He’s also played in punt returns, punt coverage and kick coverage snaps. If Tucker can prove himself a versatile special teams player, he could earn a roster spot as the third running back. From there, if Rachad White is injured, Tucker could carve out a role as a contributor on early downs.
WR Cody Thompson
Thompson isn’t the flashiest receiver on the team, but two things make him an ideal WR6. Strong special teams player And he blocks like a tight end. The former Seattle Seahawk is leading the team in targets, catches and receiving yards through the second week of the preseason, but his traits as a pass-catching guy aren’t as prominent as other receivers further back on the roster, like Ryan Miller and Tanner Knud.
Bucks must have skipped breakfast yesterday, so he decided to have pancakes late at night.
WR Cody Thompson
TE Devin Culp
RT Brandon Walton
RG Luke Haggard pic.twitter.com/7BC3n6Ug9Q— Joshua Queipo (@josh_queipo) August 12, 2024
His blocking skills could help improve the Buccaneers’ run game if he flourishes. But it’s not his receiving ability that makes the WR6 on the team. It’s the special teams value he brings that really makes him stand out. An unknown former undrafted free agent isn’t going to stick around for six years unless he really thrives in the third phase of the game. Thompson played over 90 snaps on special teams last year, more than Miller or Knud.
IDL CJ Brewer and Ernest Brown IV
Luwal Uguak got a lot of attention with his sack on Saturday night, but I’d say Brewer and Brown both easily outplayed him. The Bucs have consistently fielded six defensive linemen over the past few years, but they might narrow it down to just five this year. If they go with six, both Brewer and Brown have played well enough to earn the role, not out of positional necessity.
Brown has impressed in many facets of the game, playing against double teams, exploiting gaps and making athletic plays on the move. As a run defender, he averages just 0.5 yards of tackle depth. Against Jacksonville, he recorded three pressures, two hurries and one quarterback hit. I especially liked how he acted as a stunner and created a path for others to rush the pass.
Ernest Brown IV (#74) for IDL6 pic.twitter.com/fdv560UyZc
— Joshua Queipo (@josh_queipo) August 19, 2024
Brewer has been equally impressive, as he has proven to be a much better pass rusher and has used his gap-busting skills to impact the run game, as seen in this clip.
CJ Brewer (#95) took a double team, broke it up, and made the tackle. He was really impressive. He and Brown are the two guys competing for a spot on the IDL6 roster. They both performed well in both games, so it’s up to you to choose who to play. pic.twitter.com/68FSIoLVTm
— Joshua Queipo (@josh_queipo) August 19, 2024
ILB JJ Russell
Buccaneers ILB JJ Russell – Photo: Cliff Welch/PR
Buccaneers fans out of Florida State have been talking about the possibility of undrafted free agent rookie Cullen DeLoach joining the Buccaneers as the No. 4 inside linebacker, but so far it’s the play of third-year linebacker JJ Russell that has given him a shot at making the roster.
Russell played well against the Bengals and was solid against the Jaguars, finishing with eight tackles, two assists and four defensive stops. zero Despite the missed tackles, Russell has shown he is a reliable player who can execute his role, which is a major priority for the team right now.
Through three preseasons and limited regular season practices, Russell has played over 328 total snaps and deserves to be on the Buccaneers roster on cutdown day.
OLB Jose Ramirez
As the season approaches, the Buccaneers’ pass rush is the most obvious question mark. Randy Gregory was released. Yaya Diaby is injured. Joe Traion Soyinka is injured. Chris Braswell has shown flashes of flashes but nothing more.
If we just look at the preseason games, Jose Ramirez is by far the Buccaneers’ best pass rusher. Pro Football Focus He leads the team in pressures (6) and sacks (3). Efficiency-wise, he is the team’s leading player in win percentage (23.5%) and true pass set win percentage (31.6%) (min. 15 pass rushes). The video backs that up, too. Marquise Watts was the favorite as a pass rush specialist last year, but Ramirez appears to have surpassed him at the OLB5 position.
Thompson/Walton/Haggard work well on the right side of the line, Bucky did a great job of being patient and feeling out how far to push the hole and eventually pivoting into the secondary gap on the right side. pic.twitter.com/guJ6NaN3Yz
— Joshua Queipo (@josh_queipo) August 12, 2024
OL Brandon Walton
This may be the most controversial name on this list, but hear me out. Brandon Walton isn’t a very good offensive tackle, but outside of the three tackles guaranteed to make the roster (Tristan Wirfs, Luke Goedeke, and Justin Skur), he is the best tackle the Buccaneers have. The team decided not to invest much in tackles outside of Skur, and Walton is the best player at the position.
The team tried rookie guard Elijah Klein against the Jaguars, but he looked unsure. That’s understandable, as he never took a snap at offensive tackle, either in practice or during his collegiate career at UTEP. His sets were too shallow, his footwork was shaky and he struggled to maintain his balance and anchor against longer, more athletic rushers. Backup left tackle Lorenz Metz had some good practices on Saturday but is still a very raw development player who will need time on the practice squad. That leaves Walton.
Thompson/Walton/Haggard work well on the right side of the line, Bucky did a great job of being patient and feeling out how far to push the hole and eventually pivoting into the secondary gap on the right side. pic.twitter.com/guJ6NaN3Yz
— Joshua Queipo (@josh_queipo) August 12, 2024
Not only is Walton a great option as an OT4, he also serves as a solid backup guard at the position he’s best suited for, he has a strong core and lower body, good leg drive as a run blocker, and is much better in pass pro because speed rushers don’t have to cover as much ground trying to find his edge.
Depending on how the Buccaneers view Robert Hainsey, I would still argue that Walton could be the first guy they use if they need to use a bench player at guard once the regular season starts. He’s certainly more capable of filling the OL9 spot than Luke Haggard (less positionally flexible), Avery Jones, or Xavier Delgado.
