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Pewter Report’s Scott Reynolds answers your questions. @PewterReport Twitter accounts are added to the Bucs Mailbag weekly. Submit your questions to the Bucs Mailbag weekly via Twitter using the hashtag #PRMailbag. Here are the Bucks questions we chose to answer in this week’s issue.
question: How likely is it that the Bucks will make roster cuts this offseason? Which players are more likely to be cut?
answer: The Bucks are in the process of building their roster and adding to the team rather than tearing it down in rebuilding mode. However, roster turnover is inevitable for any team in the league due to cap injuries and some players not being re-signed in free agency. A surprise or two is always possible, like the Bucks trading Shaq Mason, who started at right guard during the 2022 season, last offseason. But most of the expected moves are not surprising.
Bucks ILB Devin White and OLB Shaq Barrett – Photo by Cliff Welch/PR
There are several Bucks players on the current roster who could be released this offseason.The most obvious one is outside linebacker. Shaq Barrett. The two-time Pro Bowler carries a hefty cap hit of $14,190,882 this season, and from a cap standpoint, it would actually cost the team more to move on from him this year than next year. Dew.
Cutting Barrett before June 1 would actually result in a cap hit of $26,668,000. So why would the Bucks want to hit an even bigger cap hit this year? There are two reasons.
First, the Bucks could save substantial money by cutting Barrett, who turns 32 this fall. If Barrett is released, the Glazers will not have to pay him $16.25 million. Second, Barrett’s sack numbers went from 10 in 2021 to three in the injury-shortened 2022 season, and he had just 4.5 sacks last year while appearing in all 17 games following Achilles surgery.
Tampa Bay has several young players who can fill holes on the roster, including Anthony Nelson and Joe Tryon Soyinka, who is on contract, as well as Marquise Watts and Jose Ramirez. The Bucks will likely add another edge rusher to replace Barrett, either in the draft or in free agency, to compete for the right to start opposite Yaya Diaby, who led the team with 7.5 sacks last year.
Another obvious candidate for release is wide receiver Russell Gage, who missed all of last year with a knee injury. His cap hit is scheduled to be $13,350,668 in 2024, and Tampa Bay could create $6,448,000 in cap room by cutting him, and it appears to be leaning in that direction.
Cornerback Carlton Davis III could also be a potential cap casualty. Tampa Bay would rather trade Davis than let him go, but either way the team would save $6,300,941 in cap room in 2024. The only problem is that Davis has a high base salary of $14 million and is in a contract year. Davis is the 10th highest-paid cornerback in the NFL, but he has missed 23 games due to injury in his Bucs career, 16 of which have been missed over the past three seasons.
The oft-injured cornerback also recently turned 27 years old. Davis has a high salary, is in a contract year, and given the fact that he has never started a full season in his six years in Tampa Bay, a trade could be an issue.
question: The linebacker position is extremely important to a successful defense. Do you think Lavonte David will be back next year? If not, how will they fill that hole if they don’t re-sign Devin White as expected?
answer: I believe Lavonte David wants to play another year in Tampa Bay at age 34. At least that’s what he hinted at when he talked about his love for the game in his last press conference in mid-January.
Bucs ILBs Devin White and Lavonte David – Photo courtesy of USA Today
“I think it all goes back to myself and my love for the game,” David said. “[It’s] I understand that when I’m out there, there are 52 other guys counting on me. I have to carry myself a certain way, both on the field and off the field. Be the leader when I’m there when someone needs to play or when someone needs a little motivation. I’m going to show them that I’m always going to give it my all no matter what.
“It’s a fun game, dude. I love the game. I love playing soccer. I love the friendships you build with men and the relationships you build with men. Every time it’s all said and done. , that’s what I’ll miss the most.”
David had another great season in 2023, leading the Bucs in tackles and making 134 stops. His 17 tackles for loss were the most in Tampa Bay and the most by David since the 2016 season. Bucs head coach Todd Bowles certainly wants David back, especially since the team is not expected to re-sign free agent linebacker Devin White.
“We’d love to have him back,” Bowles said of David. “He’s one of my favorite players I’ve ever coached. I don’t see his age – he plays timeless football. He plays timeless football. , plays the right way, prepares the right way. He’s the ultimate professional.”
But what if both White and David don’t return?
Carolina’s Frankie Louvu would be a great replacement, but his projected salary of $10 million would put him out of the Bucks’ price range. The same goes for Baltimore’s Patrick Queen, who could earn as much as $18 million a year in free agency. Tennessee’s Azeez Al Shail and Houston’s Blake Cashman are eligible free agents and could be acquired for less. Of course, the Bucs could also look to the draft, but they don’t have a lot of linebackers this year.
There are several internal candidates that Tampa Bay can rely on. For example, KJ Britt, who is in a contract year, will replace White at Mike linebacker, and Sarvosia Dennis will replace David at Mo linebacker. JJ Russell is another option as he can play either linebacker position.
White and David have started together the past five years, so replacing one linebacker would be difficult enough. The Bucks are counting on David wanting to play another year, as finding replacements for both in the same offseason could prove very difficult.
Question: Have the Bucs finished filling the vacancies on their offensive coaching staff? Any word on whether Thad Lewis, Skip Pete and John Van Dam will remain on the staff? Hiring Brian McClendon I also like it. Do you have any insights or thoughts about him?
Bucks WR coach Brian McClendon – Photo courtesy of USA Today
answer: I haven’t heard anything about the Bucs looking to replace quarterbacks coach Thad Lewis, running backs coach Skip Pete or tight ends coach John Van Dam. If offensive coordinator Liam Cohen wanted a new coach at any of those positions, I think it would have happened by now. I think it’s a good choice to keep all three of these coaches considering the work they did in their respective position groups last year.
I also love recruiting New wide receivers coach Brian McClendon. I think it’s a great hire by Tampa Bay. In addition to coaching wide receivers at Georgia, Oregon and South Carolina, McClendon also served briefly as interim head coach at Georgia and Oregon, which are also impressive. McClendon, 40, has quite an impressive resume. We’ll have more on the Bucs’ new receivers coach in a separate article on his PewterReport.com on Tuesday.
Most of the key hires have already been made with the hiring of McClendon, new offensive line coach Kevin Carberry, assistant offensive line coach Brian Picucci and new special teams coordinator Thomas McGaughey. The Bucs could consider hiring an assistant or two to help with some position coaching, especially with offensive assistant David Rye potentially moving to Washington to coach the tight ends.
Statement: The Bucks could save a draft pick by teaching Sean Tucker the blitz pickup technique of Warwick Dunn. Dunn positioned himself in front of Rusher, lowered his helmet to Rusher’s crotch, and threw a rock at the man. That way you won’t get blitzed again and will usually stop at the line.
reaction: Tampa Bay needs to strengthen its running back position this season. The Bucks were fortunate to have Rathard White start all 17 games in his first season as a starter. However, if disaster strikes and White goes down with an injury, Sean Tucker and Patrick Laird will be the only running backs currently on the roster. Chase Edmonds is a free agent and the team released Ke’Shawn Vaughn during the 2023 season.
Bucks RB Sean Tucker – Photo by Cliff Welch/PR
Tucker was a highly touted undrafted free agent last year, but he rarely saw the field because he had no experience in pass protection. He needs three things to be successful in pass protection. The first is proper identification in terms of knowing which players to block. Will it be an A-gap middle linebacker or an electrifying nickel cornerback from the slot?
This is where rookies have the most trouble in pass protection. If you’re unsure which player to block, that hesitation will show up in your technique, usually resulting in you charging at the blitzer at the last moment.
The second area of blitz pickup is proper technique. He has a square base and doesn’t get caught flat-footed like a blitzer balling over or running around the back in pass protection. His third area of effective pass protection by the Bucs is “what you want to do.” At 5-foot-9 and 187 pounds, the diminutive Warrick Dunn never would have become an elite pass blocker if it weren’t for his “want to do it” thing. Dunn was smart enough to know who to block and how to block, but at the same time attacking low to attack the oncoming Blitzer was also an effective strategy. Because they could outweigh Dan by as much as 40 pounds.
At 5-foot-10 and 205 pounds, Tucker has plenty of size to get the job done. He just needs to work on identifying his blitzers and working on his technique. If he can do that, he could end up being the Bucs’ backup running back. But just from a numbers standpoint, Tampa Bay will need to add more running backs during (or after) the draft and/or in free agency.
