The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are entering their final preseason game of the year tonight. This time they will be at home and hosting the Miami Dolphins. Another good measuring stick game against a potential playoff team.
Because this is the last preseason game, it will be the last chance for players to leave an impression before the regular season starts. This can affect players who are looking to solidify their starting job as well as those who are trying to make the 53 man roster before Tuesday’s cut deadline. There will be no shortage of storylines to watch for.
Here are a few that I will be watching the closest.
The Starters Are Playing
Most of the Buccaneers starters have not played in the preseason. That trend will change this week. We will finally get a chance to see the stars of this team shine as they begin to tune up for the opening game.
It will be nice to see these guys begin to build some continuity together. After all, the Buccaneers have a few newcomers who still need to figure out how they fit in with the returning team. And while that has obviously been happening in practice, it will be nice to watch that grow and develop on the field.
It would be nice to see everyone in this group play well. However, with a new offense and it being the first time they take the field together like this then there could be a few bumps in the road. As long as it starts to prepare them for the regular season and they grow from the experience then that’s all that matters.
Rookie Report
Of course the rookies will be a big topic of conversation whenever they take the field. Some have secured starting jobs and some will be in depth roles. But all these opportunities are critical for players who have basically no NFL experience.
More than anyone, I will be looking for edge rusher Chris Braswell. He is someone who plays with a ton of power and physicality, but wasn’t polished with his hand usage coming out of the draft. His development will be gradual and worth keeping an eye on every week.
I am also particularly interested to see tight end Devin Culp. The 7th round pick from Washington is in a battle to win the second tight end job and needs to continue to show that he is ready for that. Because he is the biggest receiving threat amongst his competition I do expect him to win this job, but he has to earn it on the field.
Bubble Watch
This could be the last game for guys like Kalen DeLoach, Josh Hayes, Ko Kieft or Keenen Isaac. With cuts looming over the next few days, those fringe roster guys have to leave a lasting impression. If they can’t do that tonight, then it might be a little easier to let them go.
I will be particularly interested in watching Kieft. We know how good he is as a blocker, but it seems like the team wants to go in more of a direction where they want to spread things out and will have less need for a blocking tight end. Kieft needs to show that he brings some value in the passing game to justify his place on the roster.
Depth defensive line and edge are also positions I’ll be watching. We don’t know how many of each position the Bucs will keep. It could be five or six of either of these positions, just depending on who impresses and makes the coaching staff feel like they have to have him over his competition.
Injuries
This is the tune up game, so it comes with a little more weight than the previous two preseason games. However, this is still just a scrimmage. Intended to get players ready for the regular season and not counting towards anyone’s record.
The best way to make sure everyone is ready for the season is to make sure they are healthy. You have to play the starters some to make sure they are getting used to game speed to a degree, but them walking out of this game healthy is more important. I’d like to see a few drives and then get the starters out of there quickly.
I feel the same way about the key backups. In some places the Bucs lack top tier talent and will rely on their depth to be a strength. A few injuries here and there, even to backups, and that depth can fade away quickly. Get everyone out by halftime and coast towards the start of the regular season and the long march to the playoffs.
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