Projecting The Final-53
July 25th, 2019
“Jason, you won’t believe who I want to keep at running back.” (Photo courtesy of Buccaneers.com.)
Of course, injuries and who gets cut from other teams could weigh in on this, but on the eve of the beginning of training camp practices, Jenna Laine of ESPN submits her guess as to who will be on the Bucs’ roster to start the season.
There are no real big surprises in Laine’s roster projection. But one player Laine doesn’t think will make the cut did grab Joe’s attention.
Laine believe linebacker Davante Bond won’t make the team. This surprises Joe. Bond is a good special teams player and he is sound fundamentally at linebacker. He may be the most fundamentally sound tackler on the team.
With Ryan Smith, another special teams player, out for the first four weeks due to his suspension, it kind of surprises Joe to think the Bucs wouldn’t want to keep Bond around for special teams at least. Bond didn’t embarrass himself when he did get on the field on defense, even though the defense was a sad embarrassment as a whole.
Laine also predicts often-injured Jack Cichy will not make the team.
The Bucs will keep 10 offensive linemen, Laine suggests. Still, she doesn’t expect Mike Liedtke to last to September. This is a moderate surprise to Joe as well.
At wide receiver, Laine is of the mind that both Bobo Wilson and DeMarkus Lodge will not be playing receiver for the Bucs this fall.
July 25th, 2019 at 9:07 am
dont know why she thinks liedtke wont make the team….i think he could/should start right now….
GO BUCS!!!!!
July 25th, 2019 at 9:18 am
This looks to be as good of a projection as any at this point…..I still question carrying 3 QBs……think we should carry 2 and place Fitzgerald on the PS.
July 25th, 2019 at 9:20 am
This is a sign the team is improving. Players we thought might be decent contributors getting bounced in favor of superior competition. We haven’t seen that, except for a mistake with Bennet, for a long time in these parts.
In BA I Trust!
July 25th, 2019 at 9:28 am
I can see Liedtke being cut for another lineman. There should be several good fish out there when other teams make their final cuts. I suspect the Bucs to pick up a descent but inexpensive right guard and tackle.
July 25th, 2019 at 9:42 am
Jenna’s gotta jump in their first. Hold your horses.
July 25th, 2019 at 9:45 am
I think Bobo should have been gone last year, and am surprised he’s still around. I agree there. I don’t think Ryan Smith will be on the roster either. And I think that’s a good thing because it means we got better in the DB area. Bond will make it, and Cichi, I don’t know enough on him. Of course, none of us really know.
July 25th, 2019 at 10:15 am
It’s nice to pull for the ‘underdog’ (UFAs, etc) but Laine went overboard in a couple of position groups IMO. I think we’ll keep 26 offense, 24 defense & 3 S/Ts to start the season.
o QBs (3): Winston, Gabbert, Griffin (agree with Jenna … we’ll keep all 3).
o RBs (4) : Barber, RoJo, Anderson, Ellington (agree with Jenna … BUT we’ll replace either Ellington or Anderson with another RB before season starts).
o WRs (6): ME13, Godwin, Perriman, Watson, Miller, Johnson (agree with Jenna … but Johnson may get beaten out by Bobo or Lodge).
o TEs (4): OJ, Brate, Auclair, Leggett (think we’ll keep 4 vs 3 TEs to start the season … TE blocking as well as receiving will be a biggie this year).
o OLine (9): Jensen, Marpet, Donovan Smith, Dotson, Cappa, Watford, Benenoch, Ribeus, Boozer (disagree with Jenna on Evan Smith making the team … do believe however that we’ll pick up 1-2 OLinemen before season start & they’ll bump 1-2 of those 9 above).
o DLine (6): Suh, Vea, Allen, Gholston, Beckner, Ledbetter (agree with Jenna, although Ledbetter might get beaten out by Nunez-Roche).
o LBs (8): LVD, White, Bucannon, Nassib, Barrett, Spence, Minter, Nelson (don’t think we’ll keep 9 LBs to start the season … Kenney right now is on the Active PUP anyays).
o CBs (5): VHIII, Davis, Murphy-Bunting, Dean, Harris (think we’ll keep 5 CBs vs Jenna’s 4 CBs … Harris will be the 5th while Ryan Smith is suspended, and MAY stick IF he plays very well in those first 4 games).
o Safeties (5): Whitehead, Edwards, Brice, Stewart, Justin Evans (agree with Jenna, although Evans may be problematic since he’s currently on Active PUP; may keep Isaiah Johnson to start the season if Evans not ready to go).
o Punter (1): Pinion (agree with Jenna).
o Kicker (1): Gay (agree with Jenna).
o LS (1): Triner (agree with Jenna, for now … someone better may be waiting when cuts occur)
July 25th, 2019 at 12:33 pm
Predicting the final roster is like mock drafts.
July 25th, 2019 at 9:21 pm
Don’t agree with O-line cuz Jenna forgot someone!!
ZACK BAILEY!! That guard from South Carolina that was the UDFA they picked up. Paid him a pretty penny in a signing bonus as well.
He will make the final group! Mark my words…