Tampa Bay Buccaneers 53-man roster projections: Having retained all 22 starters, can the Buccaneers repeat?
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers aren't allowing access to the general public for their training camp, but we can still get a sense of who will make the final cuts. The Buccaneers won't have many questions to answer as they have all 22 starters returning.
One of the biggest questions for Tampa Bay will be how rookie QB Kyle Trask plays in the NFL and what his future holds. The running back room in Tampa Bay could be a weak link and could prevent a masterful balance on the field.
Here's a look at who will make the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' 53-man roster for the 2021 NFL season.
Who Makes the Final Cut the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Roster?
Quarterbacks (3):
Tom Brady, Blaine Gabbert, Kyle Trask
Tom Brady is entering his second season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and, barring any injury, will be the starter for the entire season.
Blaine Gabbert, Ryan Griffin and rookie Kyle Trask will slug it out in training camp for the backup QB job. Trask will make the roster for sure and Blaine Gabbert has more experience than Griffin, giving him an edge. Gabbert gets the nod as QB2, for now.
Running Backs (3):
Leonard Fournette, Ronald Jones ll, Giovani Bernard
Leonard Fournette impressed Tampa Bay down the stretch last year and was a pivotal player in the playoffs. Ronald Jones was a star during the regular season and will form a one-two punch with Fournette.
Giovani Bernard will act as the primary receiving back. Ke'Shawn Vaughn would've made the roster, but Tampa Bay Buccaneers HC Bruce Arians hasn't been pleased with him. He skipped out on OTAs in the midst of fighting for a roster spot.
Wide Receivers (6):
Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Antonio Brown, Scotty Miller, Jaelon Darden, Tyler Johnson
Mike Evans had his seventh-straight 1,000-yard season, setting an NFL record and is looking to make it eight in 2021. Chris Godwin is a solid WR2 and Antonio Brown may have saved his career with Tom Brady. The team decided to bring him back and he should have a larger role this year.
Tyler Johnson and Scotty Miller played their parts well last year and have been retained for the upcoming season.
Tampa Bay traded up in the fourth round to draft Jaelon Darden, who should be the lead return specialist and see a decent number of snaps in the slot.
Tight Ends (4):
Cameron Brate, Rob Gronkowski, OJ Howard, Tanner Hudson
Rob Gronkowski proved his doubters wrong last year after playing a career-high 20 games. He was also the team's leading TE in receiving stats. Cameron Brate will look to rebound after having a quiet regular season in 2020. He was a big contributor in the playoffs.
OJ Howard is entering a contract year with Tampa Bay and is coming off an Achilles injury. Tanner Hudson is more of a security blanket but has earned a spot on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers roster.
Offensive Line (8):
Donovan Smith, Ali Marpet, Ryan Jensen, Alex Cappa, Tristan Wirfs, Robert Hainsey, Josh Wells, Sadarius Hutcherson
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers got their entire starting offensive line back for the 2021 season. They allowed just 27 sacks in 20 total games. Ryan Jensen and Alex Cappa are set to become free agents after this season and their depth is sort of shaky.
Hainsey is a third-round selection who could eventually take over for Cappa if he's not re-signed. The team speaks very highly of undrafted free agent Hutcherson and he could steal a roster spot from Aaron Stinnie. Josh Wells happens to be the only experienced non-starter tackle in Tampa Bay.
Defensive Line (7):
Ndamukong Suh, Vita Vea, William Gholston, Steve McLendon, Rakeem Nunez-Roches, Khalil Davis, Patrick O'Conner
Vita Vea went down in Week 5 with an ankle and leg injury, ending his season. Vea will look to bounce back and prove why the Buccaneers rate him so highly. Ndamukong Suh played well in 2020 despite being 34.
Steve McLendon and Rakeem Nunez-Roche filled in well for Vea and have earned backup roles. Khalil Davis should get a bigger role in 2021 with Suh and McLendon being 34 and 35, respectively. Patrick O'Conner's spot is secured as a special teams ace.
Linebackers (8):
Shaquil Barrett, Jason Pierre-Paul, Devin White, Lavonte David, Kevin Mitner, KJ Britt, Joe Tryon, Cam Gill
Shaq Barrett set a goal to win the Defensive Player of the Year award in 2021 and record double-digit sacks. He received his long-term deal from Tampa Bay after playing well on the franchise tag last season.
Jason Pierre-Paul is another aging veteran at 32 but led the team with 9.5 sacks last season. Devin White led the team in tackles and racked up nine sacks. Lavonte David has just signed a new deal and is still in his prime after 10 seasons.
Joe Tryon was their first-round pick and will hopefully take over for JPP soon. Kevin Mitner took a spot from Grant Stuard, who should remain with the team on the practice squad. Fellow rookie KJ Britt is doing well in camp and is even being coached up by Lavonte David. Cam Gill won his spot due to a good showing late last season and in the Super Bowl.
Cornerbacks (6):
Carlton Davis, Sean Murphy-Bunting, Ross Cockrell, Jamel Dean, Antonio Hamilton
Davis, Murphy-Bunting and Dean will make up the starting three, with Carlton Davis emerging as the best lockdown corner on the team. Ross Cockrell is a rotational starter who can start at the corner or outside.
Antonio Hamilton has a leg up on the rookies with 57 NFL games under his belt and two starts. Seventh-round pick Chris Wilcoz could make a big enough splash on special teams as an elite gunner with his speed.
Safties (4):
Antoine Winfield Jr, Jordan Whitehead, Mike Edwards, Raven Greene
Winfield was stellar as a rookie and is progressing quicker than expected. Whitehead seems to have benefited from playing with someone like Winfield last year. He just has to recover from surgery on his labrum.
Edwards was a highlight in the playoffs for Tampa Bay, specifically against New Orleans. Raven Greene comes aboard as an experienced special teams contributor.
Special Teams (3):
Ryan Succop, Bradley Pinion, Zach Triner
Ryan Succop hit 90% of his FGs last year and 91% of his PATs. Pinion was an average punter for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with several career lows. Triner will reprise his long-snapper role for Tampa Bay.