The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will enter the upcoming 2021-22 campaign as the defending Super Bowl Champions while the heralded NFC South franchise has a pretty good shot at repeating as the NFL's top dogs this time around as well. Somehow, the Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht and head coach Bruce Arians have brought back a nearly identical roster from a season ago with Tampa Bay still sporting all 22 of the team's starters from 2020-21 — and then some!
Because this is the case, the Buccaneers have only improved via free agency and the 2021 NFL Draft as Tampa Bay was literally able to select the best possible player at each position in addition to simply adding depth as needed on the open market. As a result, there may not be much room on the team's eventual 53-man roster for the players that signed with the Buccaneers as undrafted free agents earlier this offseason.
However, there is one player in particular that may squeeze through the cracks as a team can never truly have enough pass rushers atop the highest level.
With the quartet of Shaquil Barrett, Devin White, Jason Pierre-Paul and William Gholston slated to start up front for the Buccaneers defense, depth is always needed when it comes to getting the better of opposing offensive lines and quarterbacks. With that in mind, perhaps former Florida Atlantic Owls outside linebacker Leighton McCarthy, who the Buccaneers landed on the undrafted free agent market following this year's annual event back in April, can make his way onto the team's roster for Week 1 — even if it is by way of the practice squad.
McCarthy has a knack for finding his way into the backfields of the opposition as the soon-to-be rookie outside linebacker tallied 18.5 sacks and 34 tackles for loss over the course of his four-year stint at Florida Atlantic. It certainly doesn't help that the Buccaneers spent the team's first round pick in 2021 on yet another pass rusher in former Washington Huskies defensive end Joe Tryon, but again, there is quite literally no such thing as too many players that can rush the passer in the NFL.
On the other hand, though, McCarthy playing his collegiate football in the Buccaneers' backyard down at Florida Atlantic, it is entirely possible that Tampa Bay had an eye on this player following the conclusion of the 2021 NFL Draft. With the Buccaneers playing in the same state as McCarthy, perhaps Licht and company knew they could land a diamond in the rough all along.
Only time will tell, of course, as there will be more than a few roster spots up for grabs toward the back-end of the Buccaneers' roster later this year. With the team's starters and key depth pieces behind those starters all currently in place, putting all injuries aside, the fringe roster spots will be the most important come training camp down in Tampa Bay.
It is also worth noting that players might be fighting harder than usual for a back-end roster spot in order to remain in Tampa Bay as opposed to finding another home elsewhere around the league considering the Buccaneers have the ability to repeat as Super Bowl Champions in 2021-22.
Follow Us
Subscribe