No football team likes to have weaknesses, but not every position is a team’s strength. But the reality is that every position has a weak link if you move far enough down the depth chart. Bucks is no exception.
Despite a nine-man team with at least one Pro Bowl appearance, the former NFC South champions have weaknesses at every position, even in the starting ranks. . Some of these weaknesses can be turned into team strengths with more experience and development. And some weaknesses can be erased simply by better play or development by the coach.
Pewter Report’s Scott Reynolds looks at the Bucks’ weaknesses over the next two days in two articles, Monday’s Offense and Tuesday’s Defense. Let’s start with the Tampa Bay attack.
Bucks offensive weaknesses
Quarterback – Kyle Trask
Experience is the greatest teacher, and the problem with junior quarterback Kyle Trask is that he spends too much time in the classroom. Aside from a few preseason appearances in his first two years at Tampa Bay, Trask has only appeared in one regular-season game. That was in the fourth quarter of Week 18 against Atlanta, and Trask completed only 3-of-9 passes for 23 yards.
Bucks QB Kyle Trask – Photo Credit: Cliff Welch/PR
With Tom Brady gone, Trask will finally have a chance to challenge rookie Baker Mayfield for the starting spot.but Mayfield has started 69 games in the NFL. At the University of Minnesota, lining up under center in Week 1 is the current frontrunner. The only way Trask can beat Mayfield is if he does his job well in guarding the ball in training camp and preseason, as new offensive coordinator Dave Canales wants quarterbacks to guard the football.
Even if he lost the quarterback race and was demoted to reserves, Trask’s inexperience still makes him a weak spot in the quarterback position. Because if Mayfield gets injured and Trask has to play, his inexperience won’t do him or the Bucks any good. Trask won’t improve until he gets more chances at center.
And even some of the best quarterbacks in the league have to go through trial-by-fire whenever they get a starting opportunity, even during their rookie years. The fact that the Bucks don’t have an experienced backup like Blaine Gabbert’s in the past three seasons could bite the Bucks if Mayfield gets injured or Trask struggles enough to have to play. There is
Running Back – Keshaun Vaughan
Bucks RB Keshaun Vaughan – Photo Credit: Cliff Welch/PR
With Leonard Fournette released, Ratchard White enters the 2023 season as the expected starter. But the layers behind White are as thin as White’s own experience level after splitting playing time with Fournette as a rookie last year. There’s been a noticeable decline in talent behind White, led by 2020 third-round pick Keshaun Vaughn. Vaughan has had limited minutes in the past three seasons, carrying just 79 carries for 342 yards and two touchdowns.
Still, he’s averaging a solid 4.3 yards per game, showing some improvement over his career with the Bucks. Still, Tampa Bay won’t be happy to start Vaughn if White is injured. Vaughan’s only start was in the Bucks’ playoff victory against the Eagles in 2021, where he averaged 17 carries for 53 yards, one touchdown and a 3.1 walker average.
Bourne proved to be an average back with minimal explosive power. His hands have improved, but he’s still not seen as a good receiver from the backfield who can be trusted to play third down. The Bucks brought in veteran Chase Edmonds to compete with Vaughan for the backup job, but it should be a good competition and Edmonds may win in the end. Without a proven and capable back-up, Tampa Bay can only hope White stays healthy for 17 games this season.
Wide Receiver – Russell Gage
Bucks WR Russell Gage – Photo Credit: Cliff Welch/PR
Russell Gage disappoints in his first season in Tampa Bay, catching just 51 passes for 426 yards and five touchdowns. His 8.4 yards average was the lowest of his career. Gage injured his hamstring during training camp and never fully recovered during the season. The Bucks, irritated by his handling of Gage’s recovery, forced him to take a $3 million pay cut.
The Bucks’ new offensive coordinator Dave Canales said he was thrilled the team kept Gage. He may have a year to bounce back with Tampa Bay’s new offense. The main feature of the game is its speed. Gauges that aren’t big or fast are quick to get into and out of breaks and can pull away from defenders when healthy. But an injury like last year proved Gage to be nothing more than a mediocre receiver.
The Bucks selected speed receiver Trey Palmer in the sixth round of the draft, but he could pose an immediate threat to Gage in terms of minutes played. Even in the limited time available in Tampa Bay for just the rookie minicamp and the first week of OTAs, Palmer could impress and rise to the No. 3 wide receiver position currently held by Gage. The problem for Gage is that he suffered an undisclosed minor injury that caused him to miss last week’s OTAs. If he can’t stay healthy, Palmer could usurp him soon and claim the No. 3 spot on the depth chart.
tight end – Ko Kiev
Bucs TE Ko Kieft – Photo Credit: Cliff Welch/PR
The Bucks acquired Ko Keeft with a sixth-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft to help the team’s ground game. Keeft, who was primarily a block tight end at the University of Minnesota, has proven his worth as an extra blocker, having been inline in his freshman year at Tampa Bay, working as a h-back and full-back. Keeft was also active on special teams as one of the top tacklers.
However, his skills as a receiver were limited, so when former offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich tapped him, it was clear to the opposing defense that the Bucks were looking to run the ball. Keeft’s use signaled that the Bucks weren’t going to throw the ball, leading to some highly predictable and unsuccessful running plays. Keeft needs to improve as a receiver if Tampa Bay is to avoid that predictability this season, and new offensive coordinator Dave Canales needs to call on him to throw the ball more often. Alternatively, he generally just throws the ball when Keeft is in the lineup.
The problem for Keft is that the Bucks drafted a pass-catching tight end in fifth-round pick Payne Durham to partner with Cade Otton. Durham had 126 catches for 1,275 yards and 21 touchdowns against Purdue. By comparison, Keeft had 12 receptions for 166 yards and 2 touchdowns at Minnesota, but last year in Tampa Bay he caught just 7 as a rookie for 81 yards and 1 touchdown. With Cam Braat and Kyle Rudolph gone, Keeft will not emerge as the number 2 tight end, but with the addition of Durham, it is highly likely that Keft will remain as the number 3 tight end, with a much better receiving ability. It will be.
Offensive Line – Cody Mauch
Bucs RG Cody Mauch – Photo Credit: Cliff Welch/PR
Luke Guedeke, a projected starter at right tackle, could have been selected here in place of second-round pick Cody Mauch on this year’s team. But Goedeke has already survived the trials and tribulations of his rookie season and is returning to where he found success in college: his original position at right tackle. It hasn’t proven at the NFL level, except for one game in Week 18, but it’s not as green as Mauch in his first NFL season.
Not only is Mauch a leap from his FCS level at North Dakota State, but he’s transitioned from left tackle to right guard. Ali Murpet had great success as a left tackle at Hobart University in 2014 and a right guard start for the Bucks in 2015, but Alex Kappa initially struggled to change positions. Humboldt State left tackle Kappa was selected as a guard in the third round of the 2018 draft. He struggled in pass protection and didn’t emerge as a full-time starter until 2019 until he got stronger.
Mauch is more like a kappa than a merpet and requires more technique in pass protection. He should be good as a run blocker, but his lack of pass protection could cause him some problems as a rookie. Combine this with the fact that he’s lined up next to inexperienced right tackle Goedeke and pick up on his stunts and twists well, and it could lead to some serious growing pains. Mauch has the potential to become a really good guard in the future, but his inexperience makes him a weak point in the offensive line.
