More Depth Chart Observations
September 4th, 2024
Roster construction.
Joe found interesting nuggets while looking over the Bucs’ first depth chart released for the 2024 season.
* As Joe noted, Jalen McMillan is your Bucs’ No. 3 receiver. Joe wonders how much Trey Palmer’s unknown injury set him back.
Palmer and McMillan pretty much split all the first-team snaps throughout training camp. Palmer got hurt recently, and was in a non-contact jersey this week in what Bucs coach Todd Bowles referred to as Palmer being “sore.”
Joe knows Bucs coaches want to use Palmer’s lightning speed to much more of a degree than he was used last year, when Palmer basically was told to run down the field and maybe expect a bomb.
The way Palmer caught and scored from a very short pass after making a defender miss in the playoff win over the Eagles is one of the ways the Bucs hope to utilize his exceptional speed.
* Kameron Johnson is listed as a second-team receiver along with Palmer.
* Sean Tucker is the Bucs’ third-team running back.
* Despite rarely taking a snap with the first team offense, Ko Kieft is listed as the third-team tight end behind Cade Otton and Payne Durham. Rookie Devin Culp is listed as “other” or, for all intents and purposes, fourth team (the only player on the roster with such a designation).
Joe can’t recall more than a time or two seeing Kieft work with the first-team offense. Joe seems to recall seeing Culp take at least a snap or two with the first-team daily in training camp.
Joe thinks it is fair to say Kieft kept his gig with the Bucs thanks to special teams.
* Rookie offensive lineman Elijah Klein is listed as Cody Mauch’s immediate backup at right guard.
* The two warriors the Bucs bragged about last year as being the hidden versions of Deacon Jones and Reggie White, despite the team struggling to find a way to get these two snaps on defense and desperately needing an edgerush, José Ramirez and Markees Watts, are both listed as third-team outside linebackers. Anthony Nelson and Chris Braswell back up Joe Tryon-Shoyinka and YaYa Diaby.
* Josh Hayes is currently listed as a second-team corner with Bryce Hall. But Joe doesn’t expect Hayes, who was inconsistent this summer, to be the first guy off the bench if Zyon McCollum and/or Jamel Dean get hurt (with Dean, it’s just a matter of time, isn’t it?). Joe has a hunch Tykee Smith or Christian Izien might be a corner before Hayes.
September 4th, 2024 at 12:11 am
I think Kieft is more of your blocking H-back type TE so he’ll get more snaps than Culp, who in preseason looked like he needed some more time to develop (which isn’t a knock, he’s a 7th round pick).
One thing that stood out is that Tucker is a returner – which might be a good thing since a basic north/south runner will generally get you more yards than all but the most accomplished returners. Just get the ball and run forward as fast as possible is probably a good return philosophy, and that’s what Tucker does well, which is running forward in a straight line until he hits something.
Another thing that stood out was looking at the depth chart. Why does the team have so many defensive backs? No one was going to take any of the depth pieces from the practice squad, and you’re shorting the rest of the team at multiple positions (like only have 5 WRs, which means you don’t even have a backup for all 3 starting WR spots).
Also, yes, I know what the cuts were and I didn’t like them at the time, but seeing offensive lineman and WR’s with no backups just makes it really stand out that you have all your DB spots going 3 deep.
September 4th, 2024 at 12:31 am
So JTS is a starter in the NFL.
Hmmm..
September 4th, 2024 at 12:57 am
This team has one legitimate pass rush threat and it a second year player, I can’t wait for week one
September 4th, 2024 at 1:19 am
Joe, no way Hayes is the immediate backup at corner!!
You’re forgetting Bryce Hall who we got this offseason…
I would definitely want him before Hayes.
Also very impressed with what I saw from Funderburk.
By midseason, I expect him to pass Josh Hayes up.
September 4th, 2024 at 1:21 am
Rod: special teams. I have no doubt since special team tackle opportunities basically doubled this offseason, they felt they needed the bodies to throw at the problem. Devin Culp is essentially a WR & Cody Thompson (& eventually Rakim Jarrett) are just waiting in the practice squad. Todd wants his team to be defense/run first anyway.
September 4th, 2024 at 5:54 am
Ramirez looked pretty good going in to this season. I am all in on Klein as backup guard to Mauch. Agree about Tykee and Christian.
September 4th, 2024 at 7:17 am
The fact that Todd Bowles kept 11 Secondary … to include BOTH Josh Hayes & Tyrek Funderburk … tells me that he’s high on both of them. Funderburk in particular seemed to have really good instincts while he was out there. Plus TB has 2 veteran starters outside in Bryce Hall & Tavierre Thomas. Gut feeling is that IF Dean or McCollum go down, we’d see 1 of those 4 before we’d see Tykee Smith or Christian Izien outside.
September 4th, 2024 at 8:10 am
The fact that Bowles kept so many DBs means he’s got something up his sleeve. It’ll be interesting to see exactly what? I hope we see more of Izien, and I’m glad Whitehead is back.
September 4th, 2024 at 8:17 am
JTS… Never heard of her.
September 4th, 2024 at 8:22 am
Defense Rules Says: Funderburk in particular seemed to have really good instincts while he was out there.
Funderburk was one of the fastest CBs to run the combine this spring. If I am not mistaking, he ran in the upper 4.3s. If he wasn’t from an unknown small school, he would have been drafted in the 3rd round. Like Zyon McCollum, who was a relatively unknown late pick, he’ll be a starting corner one day. He has great hips and recovery speed. The only knock on him is his height, 5’11” which is not bad but shorter than Zyon who is 6’2″. Descent possibility he replaces Jamel Dean in the next 2 years.
September 4th, 2024 at 8:56 am
Do db’s make better special teams players?
September 4th, 2024 at 10:19 am
Isn’t JTS in a contract year? If so, maybe they are giving him one last chance to prove himself, while his backup continues to deveop?
Just wondering.
Rod Munch Says
“I think Kieft is more of your blocking H-back type TE”
Hmmmn. I hope they use him as a run blocker and runner. At 265 he’s heavier than Alstott was by 16 lbs.
If they pound a defensive line with someone that big as a runner…it will wear down a defense pretty quickly. Then the agile guys can do their thing.
I like that thought!
September 4th, 2024 at 3:26 pm
The Bucs need another solid DL.
September 4th, 2024 at 8:51 pm
Culp is basically a TE/WR so i’m not surprised he’s fourth. not really a tight end
September 5th, 2024 at 3:40 am
Because of how secretive and how Bowles plays guys I will researve judgemnt on his so called depth chart. I think most of it will look just like last years squad. Example… Kieft will have the same role as last year no matter where Bowles has him listed. I see Tucker getting snaps as well.
Surprise for me is that Hayes made the roster. That is kinda scary.
Go Bucs!