Buccaneers 'Have Less Starting Competition' Than Most 9-8 Teams

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers don't have a lot of roster battles to sort out, but there are some positions with questions remaining.

Nov 19, 2023; Santa Clara, California, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers outside linebacker Yaya Diaby (0) reacts after a sack against the San Francisco 49ers during the fourth quarter at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports / Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

While the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were busy locking down their own talent with new contracts for guys like wide receiver Mike Evans, safety Antoine Winfield Jr. and linebacker Lavonte David, they weren't as busy bringing in new faces.

When they did, mostly via the NFL Draft in April, it was to positions the Buccaneers predictably needed to fill with talent that just so happened to be among the best available prospects when general manager Jason Licht came on the clock.

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Guys like first-round pick Graham Barton, who NFL.com's Gregg Rosenthal — like most — projects to be the starting center for Tampa Bay Day 1.

"The Buccaneers have less starting competition than most teams coming off a 9-8 season," Rosenthal wrote. "The lineup appears largely set."

Rosenthal continued, "The offensive line going from good to great is the clearest path to excellence. First-round pick Graham Barton could be an immediate difference-maker."

However, this doesn't mean the Bucs don't have any position battles to figure out over the next few months and Rosenthal points to one of the more important groups on the offense for one.

"Fourth-round pick Bucky Irving has a shot to be Rachaad White's primary backup from the jump," says Rosenthal. "The Bucs never consistently got their running game going last season, but they loved to run on early downs under previous coordinator Dave Canales."

Quarterback Kyle Trask (2) and running back Bucky Irving (7) during OTA practicde at AdventHealth Training Center. / Photo By: Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers

It may be a backup role, but that second running back can be just as important as any other position at times. The Buccaneers getting that role figured out behind White shouldn't be understated on the list of needs remaining this offseason.

Another area that gave Rosenthal some pause, and will open up the door to training camp battles this preseason, is at the edge, where young stud Yaya Diaby has one spot locked up while the other that used to be manned primarily by Shaquil Barrett is now open for competition.

"It was tough to pick a second edge beyond Yaya Diaby," said Rosenthal. "I went with second-round rookie Chris Braswell. I also wanted to pick three pure defensive linemen because coach Todd Bowles likes his heavy fronts."

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A lack of offseason position battles isn't necessarily a bad thing, especially for a Tampa Bay squad looking to take a step forward as teams like the Atlanta Falcons go out and pursue veterans like quarterback Kirk Cousins to try and give them the edge in the NFC South.

Still, there's plenty to watch for in the days leading up to, and during, Bucs training camp this year. And several important depth decisions for coach Todd Bowles and his staff to make along the way.

Stick with BucsGameday for more coverage of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers throughout the offseason.

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