Saturday is the preseason opener for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It’s exciting because it feels like real football, even though it isn’t, and we know that the regular season is just around the corner. But let us not lose perspective as to what the preseason actually is.
These are games that don’t actually matter. They don’t impact the record and really the overall outcome is irrelevant. They are glorified scrimmages played mostly by guys who won’t make the team.
With that said, there are some things worth watching. Just like the coaching staff can gain information from watching players practice, we can gain information by watching the preseason. It’s not real NFL football, but it’s not pick up sticks either.
Here is what to watch for in the first preseason game vs Cincinnati.
Rookie Reports
This will be the first time we see the rookie class in game action. Obviously, we shouldn’t overreact too much in one direction or another regardless of how they perform. However, I’d feel better if they all played well.
Graham Barton will be the one I’m watching the closest. It’s hard to gauge interior offensive line play from practice, but going against full speed live competition will give us a good idea of where he’s at. You could say the same of rookie edge rusher Chris Braswell.
The name that has grabbed headlines in training camp has been wide receiver Jalen McMillan. It would be nice if he continues to steal the shoe and put on an almost dominant performance. He seems to have a firm grip on the third receiver job, so I expect that to only be reinforced.
Other rookies fighting for depth roles include Bucky Irving, Elijah Klein, Devin Culp and Kalen DeLoach. Nickel Tykee Smith is competing for the starting job, so I’ll be watching for him as well. All have excellent opportunities to impress and earn their place with the Buccaneers.
Roster Bubble Players
The Bucs are an excellent blend of established veterans and exciting young players. As a result, most roster spots are already locked up. However, there are a few spots in this roster that are undecided.
Players like Sean Tucker, Josh Hayes, Ko Kieft, Jose Ramirez and many others are fighting for a place on this team. There are also several undrafted rookies like Judge Culpepper and Tyrek Funderburk who are trying to latch on with the Bucs. These are some of the players that I have on bubble watch.
There will be around five openings available barring any surprises. Watching these fringe players compete will be fascinating. It also might give further indication as to what the coaching staff wants to do this season.
How Does The Buccaneers Depth Stack Up?
Jason Licht has said many times that he wants this roster to have depth. We might get a better idea of how good that depth is based on what they do against their opponents depth players.
The idea of “our second string beating their second string” is an encouraging one. It would be even better if Buccaneers back ups can show well against some opposing starters. As long as it’s not measuring your roster players against future cut casualties, then it’s a good bar to judge the depth by.
No Injuries
This is the most important part of the preseason. The practice and the reps all matter to a degree, but making sure everyone is healthy for the regular season trumps that. After all, these are practices and not real games.
We too often see players go down with non-contact injuries or because one guy is trying really hard and plays out of control and crashes into someone’s knee. Even with key starters resting, it would be a shame to see a key role player get injured. That is true for the Bucs as well as every team in the NFL.
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