Subscribe
Follow Us
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers added a few extra options to shore up their roster and re-signed a few returning players during the NFL offseason.
They signed quarterback Baker Mayfield to a one-year contract worth up to $8.5 million in March. Cornerback Jamel Dean re-signed with the Bucs on a four-year, $52 million deal that same month, bringing back the one-time Super Bowl champion after he spent four years in Tampa. The team brought in eight rookies through the 2023 NFL Draft, including Pittsburgh defensive tackle Calijah Kancey and NDSU offensive tackle Cody Mauch.
Outside linebacker Lavonte David, a one-time Pro Bowler and 11-year Buccaneer veteran, signed a one-year contract with Tampa Bay after he played and started in 17 games for the squad last season.
What are some of the biggest training camp battles for the Buccaneers to look out for?
Quarterback
Dave Canales was named the team's new offensive coordinator in February. Canales, the former quarterbacks coach for the Seattle Seahawks, went over the basics of his new offensive system in a February interview.
“The third thing is the marriage between the run and pass,” Canales said, via Buccaneers.com. “That is our identity – things that start looking one way, but end up being different. The thing that is going to help us, without getting into too much detail, is that we're going to do things that are simple in concept but are complex in delivery.
“What do I mean by that? It's not going to be a lot of plays. It's going to be a few plays out of different personnels and different looks so that our execution stays at a high level there.”
Mayfield, quarterbacks Kyle Trask and John Wolford will be under contract for Tampa Bay next season, according to sports salaries and contracts website Spotrac. Mayfield, a five-year NFL veteran for the Cleveland Browns, Carolina Panthers and Los Angeles Rams, will have plenty to prove as the Bucs training camp continues. Trask played in one game for Tampa Bay last year, a Week 18 matchup with the Atlanta Falcons that saw him earn 23 passing yards as he completed three of his nine passing attempts.
The Bucs will have plenty to think about if Trask performs well in training camp and proves he can be another option to jumpstart a Canales-led offense.
Guards
Tampa Bay will have a few surefire starters on the offensive line as they head into their 2023 campaign.
Offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs, a two-time Pro Bowler and a former first-round selection in the 2020 NFL Draft, will shift to the left side of the line during the team's 2023 offseason workout program, according to Buccaneers.com staff writer Brianna Dix. Luke Goedeke, who played in 11 games and started in 8 for the Bucs in 2022, will return to the right tackle position he played in college. Pro Bowl center Ryan Jensen will return for his 10th season in the NFL and his sixth with Tampa in 2023.
The Bucs will have their fair share of talent who could battle for the starting guard spots. They brought in guard Matt Feiler from the Los Angeles Chargers in April, adding a player who took starting places in every one of the 17 games he played for LA last season. Mauch, guard Nick Leverett and second-year guard John Molchon could be solid younger options at the guard spots. Guard Aaron Stinnie has played in 18 career games between Tampa Bay and the Tennessee Titans. He suffered a season-ending knee injury before the start of the 2022 season.
Backup wide receivers
Receivers Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and Russell Gage headline the returning receivers for Tampa Bay.
Who could end up taking the spots behind them?
Receiver David Moore, who signed with the Bucs in May, played in Seattle from 2017-20 and with the Denver Broncos and Green Bay Pacers in 2021. Former Nebraska receiver Trey Palmer excelled in his lone season with the Cornhuskers before being selected by Tampa Bay in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL Draft, gaining 1,043 receiving yards and nine touchdowns in 12 games. Receivers Deven Thompkins and Kaylon Geiger could be solid younger options to look out for if they perform well in training camp.
