Roy Miller rotated in the middle of the Bucs’ porous defensive line last year with Ryan Sims and Chris Hovan.

Now, with manbeast-in-waiting Gerald McCoy stepping into the 3-technique defensive tackle role, there’s no doubt the Bucs will give Miller every chance to cement himself as the starting nose tackle.

Perhaps as important as McCoy being the player the Bucs’ expect him to become, is Miller’s ability to take his game up a notch and develop in his new position.

Former Bucs defensive end and JoeBucsFan.com analyst Steve White served up an in-depth analysis of Miller’s rookie season and looked at his future back in February. Joe recommends you read it again.

White wrote then about Miller’s next challenge, assuming the Bucs add some new talent in the interior of the line, which they did last night with McCoy.

Whether its a free agent or a high draft pick, it’s pretty much a given that we will have at least one new starter at defensive tackle this year. With Miller being a third round draft pick last year and the team rebuilding with a youth movement, I think the Buccaneers brass would love to be able to point to Miller as another “hit” for them.

That’s not to take anything away from what he himself has accomplished. I think he has basically all the tools to be a good player. But the second year is usually a tough one and he is going to have to step his game up a notch to be a starter.

While he will definitely have a leg up as a draft pick, he is going to have to go out and prove himself again this year. The Bucs don’t have many guys who you can write down in anything but pencil as a starter, especially at this point. So Miller better understand that starting out at the top of the heap doesn’t mean he’ll automatically end up there.

This is going to be a pivotal season for Miller. Either he will step up and become that starter that we can count on for years in our defensive interior, or he will stay the same or go backwards and allow someone else to overtake him. I guess we’ll find out what it will be later this year.

Joe likes Miller, and likes that he’s a real work ethic guy.

Whether he’s good enough to own the nose alongside McCoy for the next several years, that’s a big unknown.