Bucs Have A Complete Roster
May 24th, 2022
Bucs GM Jason Licht.
Bucs fans hoping for another successful Super Bowl run are eager and anxious for the season to start. Eager because the Bucs are the toast of the NFL. Anxious because they wonder if the Bucs are a player or two short of a complete team.
Marc Ross of NFL.com thinks that second notion is just nonsense.
In choosing a “Most Complete Team,” Ross did not select Buffalo or Kansas City or Los Angeles. No, Ross believes the Bucs have the most complete team in the NFL.
… [Brady] was second in the MVP voting in 2021 and shows no signs of slowing down even though he’ll turn 45 years old in August. The seven-time Super Bowl champion’s presence in the building is paramount to this team’s success. Brady has raised the level of play since the minute he arrived in Tampa two offseasons ago. The offensive line underwent changes — they lost Alex Cappa in free agency and Ali Marpet to retirement — but after trading for New England’s Shaq Mason, this unit should be more than capable of keeping its QB upright. The run game is solid with Leonard Fournette and the wide receiving corps will be in the conversation for tops in the league when Chris Godwin returns to full health. It also feels like a matter of time before free agent Rob Gronkowski re-signs with the team. It’ll be a bonus if he does return, as the Bucs have viable players at the tight end position in Cameron Brate and rookie Cade Otton.
The defense is full of playmakers at every level, and there’s room to improve if general manager Jason Licht decides to re-sign Ndamukong Suh or Jason Pierre-Paul. The front line is in good hands with rookie Logan Hall joining veteran edge rusher Shaq Barrett and defensive linemen William Gholston and Vita Vea, the best nose tackle league-wide. Devin White is the best linebacker in the league and Lavonte David is still steady heading into his 11th season. The secondary shouldn’t be overlooked, as there are young, versatile game-changers throughout the defensive backfield.
Two years ago Joe would have said the Bucs have the most complete team. To start the 2021 season, the Bucs had the most complete team but then came the injuries, and Antonio Brown’s topless jumping jacks dance in the end zone of MetLife Stadium was icing on the cake.
Joe worries the Bucs are banking on a whole lot of production on the defensive front from a couple of guys who have a grand total of six starts, Joe Tryon-Shoyinka and rookie Logan Hall. Bring Jason Pierre-Paul or Ndamukong Suh back and Joe would feel a whole lot better there.
Then there is the foot-rubbing tight end Rob Gronkowski dance. Will he or won’t he play? If Gronk doesn’t return, that position is really, really thin.
Do the Bucs have a good roster? Hell yes. Better than Buffalo or Kansas City? Joe isn’t sure about that.
May 24th, 2022 at 4:39 am
Suh I’d still take back, JPP is done, spent, finished. Not worth bringing back at any price.
May 24th, 2022 at 5:06 am
Bills are loaded
Chargers too
We are pretty loaded for nfc
May 24th, 2022 at 5:12 am
I said it before, JTS is fine. First round picks should be starting their 2nd season. JPP serves no purpose right now on this team but a distraction.
Logan Hall is also fine. If we bring Suh back, it needs to be as a backup, and Suh is not going to want to do that.
Our TE room is fine. Brate and Otten Will more than suffice without Gronk, even though we all know Gronk is coming back.
Our WR corps is still pretty decent without Godwin. Evans, Gage, Perriman, Johnson, Grayson and Darden equals a pretty good unit.
Our Secondary has definitely improved. Would be surprised if the rook takes a lot of snaps over there. He looks really good.
Bucs will be fine. As good a chance to win the Bowl as anyone.
May 24th, 2022 at 6:02 am
‘Bring Jason Pierre-Paul or Ndamukong Suh back and Joe would feel a whole lot better there.’
Now you’ve got me curious Joe. How would bringing JPP back help the interior of our DLine? We’ve lost Suh AND McLendon on the interior, and I still have no reason to believe that our rookie Hall is capable of replacing BOTH. Personally I still think that Hall is more of a replacement for JPP in this defense, with the capability to take some snaps away from Suh.
Bucs NEED Suh, or a comparably talented AND durable replacement. Let’s stick with Suh for 2022. Despite being 1 year older, we KNOW what he brings to the table.
May 24th, 2022 at 6:12 am
Maniac Buc … I want some of what you ate for breakfast. I thought that I was an optimist, but wow. I’m a neophyte in comparison.
BTW, agree with you about JPP, but rookies don’t excite me until they’ve gotten a few tough games under their belts, and make it through with flying colors. Actually all the ‘new pieces’ that we’ve added have a lot to prove in THIS offense, defense & S/Ts before we proclaim ourselves 2022 SB champions. Bucs are quite talented on paper, but we’ve got a LOT of challenges ahead.
May 24th, 2022 at 6:16 am
I’m on the fence about Suh.
I’m on the fence about Gronk too.
JPP is done.
McClendon might still be useful. Cheap at least.
May 24th, 2022 at 6:24 am
Sure we “the fans” hope for a super bowl trip every year but there’s 17 games in the regular season and the Bucs schedule isn’t a cake walk like last year and look at how we struggled. I know our D secondary suffered n allowed a lot of points but too things just weren’t clicking. As we seen last year the number one objective is to stay healthy n we’re already below 1000% with that loosing our great receiver coming out of the gate in Godwin n we have a couple big players we haven’t signed n still a couple more positions in question about who’s going to play those. As always try n sign the best available n try to be creative with the salary cap n don’t forget even though we love a player n they’re up n age sometimes you can sign a great young replacement for less.
May 24th, 2022 at 6:44 am
Right now we are a good not complete team. Too many holes on D line, depth at LB and OLB. And need a TE, WR to replace Godwin until he comes back. Bucs know this so let’s see how it comes together over next month or so.
May 24th, 2022 at 7:06 am
Did anyone notice that, in his opinion, Devin White is the best LB in the league?
I concur…..
May 24th, 2022 at 7:34 am
I wonder what #8 has to say about this?
May 24th, 2022 at 8:08 am
Holy hell, Marc Ross is a bigger Buc homer than I am lol. We desperately need help at corner, especially outside corner due to our injury history and inconsistent play there. Gage is a nice player, but he came here to be the third receiver for a reason and the talent behind him is suspect at best. I think that Suh and Gronk are coming back, but if not we’re gonna be hurting on the defensive line and at tight end. Devin wasn’t even close to being the best linebacker last year, but he has the potential to be this year.
May 24th, 2022 at 8:20 am
3 Months until the roster actually needs to be completed, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. At this point in the 2020 offseason we didn’t even have Lenny yet, or ABs crazy ass.
May 24th, 2022 at 8:35 am
Jason Pierre-Paul is hardly useless. The man produces big and was the leader of the defense for two years. He is at the age when injuries are more common, but he is a very fast healer.
That said, as much as I love having Jason Pierre-Paul on the team…the smart choice is Suh. He is still a beast and stays healthy.
Relying on rookies from the start of the season is not a great idea. Not having them earn the starting role is an even worse idea.
If they don’t have the drive ro earn it, they won’t be good enough…ever.
May 24th, 2022 at 9:45 am
Let me just say this. Darden sucks.& will easily be replaced. I’d like to see Gronk & Minter back. Wouldn’t mind Suh for maybe around 4 or 5 mil.
May 24th, 2022 at 10:17 am
There are still some ifs, but hopefully they will all work out.
May 24th, 2022 at 10:38 am
The guy loses all credibility when he anointed White as the best LB in football… he isn’t even the best LB on his own team.
May 24th, 2022 at 10:44 am
What?
“Devin White is the best linebacker in the league?”
Which league is this guy watching?
May 24th, 2022 at 4:20 pm
Not a complete team, were close but were not done. We need another edge, oline guy, and we need another RB. Our reciving core should be good to go with evans, gage, perriman, and grayson , until CG comes back..i still would like one more reciver like jarvis we could have signed for cheap. I still say sign obj for low or julio, to keep depth. But i wish we would sign hightower !!! Hes awesome and has sb under his belt and comes at a good price..hopefully we can keep suh and jpp..
May 24th, 2022 at 4:22 pm
White is no where near the best LB in the league but he can be good, hes not consistant. Sign Hightower!!! He doesn’t cost much and is a beast
May 24th, 2022 at 5:00 pm
Blowhard headline-skimming gossip girl national sports mediots know nothing. Bucs have a roster with bodies (“complete”) but the quality of that roster is completely up in the air. Defense is lah dee dah in perfect shape with Logan Hall the rookie, “best” everything everywhere? Marc Ross is smoking powerful dope.
There are question marks at every position. Every single one.
May 24th, 2022 at 7:55 pm
The problem with Hightower is he can’t cover.
Now if they are running on us and they very well could, I concur
I think Devin White will be fine if he knows before he goes.
Thats why some of these old age LBs are still good because they never over run a play.
Devin has ALL the skills to be the best LB in the NFL and I think he will be eventually.
Let’s hope it’s this year.