With 2023 ¹ú²úÍâÁ÷Íøtraining camps set to kick off the week of July 24, it's time to get up to speed on all 32 ¹ú²úÍâÁ÷Íøteams. Bobby Kownack has the lowdown on position battles, key players and notable subplots across the NFC South:
Catch up on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' offseason and 2023 outlook below ...
Training Camp Dates/Information
- Players report: July 24 (rookies); July 25 (veterans)
- Location: AdventHealth Training Center | Tampa, Florida ()
Notable Roster Changes
| 2023 Draft class | Selection |
|---|---|
| DT Calijah Kancey | Round 1 (No. 19 overall) |
| OG Cody Mauch | Round 2 (No. 48) |
| OLB YaYa Diaby | Round 3 (No. 82) |
| LB SirVocea Dennis | Round 5 (No. 153) |
| TE Payne Durham | Round 5 (No. 171) |
| DB Josh Hayes | Round 6 (No. 181) |
| WR Trey Palmer | Round 6 (No. 191) |
| OLB Jose Ramirez | Round 6 (No. 196) |
Preseason ¹ú²úÍâÁ÷Íø
- Week 1: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers | 7 p.m. ET on Friday, Aug. 11
- Week 2: at New York Jets | 7:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, Aug. 19
- Week 3: vs. Baltimore Ravens | 7 p.m. ET on Saturday, Aug. 26
2023 ¹ú²úÍâÁ÷Íø Notes
- Have the 11th easiest strength of schedule in 2023 based on their opponents' 2022 win percentage (.483).
- Play six of their final seven games versus 2022 non-playoff teams (at Indianapolis, Carolina, at Atlanta, at Green Bay, New Orleans and at Carolina).
-- ¹ú²úÍâÁ÷ÍøResearch
Subplots To Track
1) Can head coach Todd Bowles set the tone starting in camp to make a run at Tampa Bay's third straight division title? The 2022 Buccaneers (especially their 25th-ranked scoring offense) endured long stretches of listlessness to finish 8-9 after going 24-9 over their previous two seasons, which included a Super Bowl LV title. Tom Brady's retirement leaves the team without one of the NFL's greatest on-field leaders, so Bowles' expertise -- the defense -- will be leaned on even more to steer the ship into winning waters.
2) Baker Mayfield is on his fourth team since last July. Kyle Trask has thrown just nine ¹ú²úÍâÁ÷Íøpasses. The quarterback competition the Buccaneers are cooking up sorely lacks spice, but the addition of offensive coordinator Dave Canales could make things more palatable. He was the Seahawks QBs coach during last year's battle between Geno Smith and Drew Lock, a competition thought at the time to be just as bland, which instead resulted in Smith leading a playoff push and far surpassing what his predecessor, Russell Wilson, managed in Denver. Will Mayfield or Trask outperform Brady's final season? Unlikely. But the competition's winner could still offer a few surprises under Canales' watch.
3) Donovan Smith, Shaq Mason and Josh Wells depart with 37 combined starts between them in 2022. The offensive line is in flux, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. The Buccaneers couldn't enter 2023 with the same group after ranking 32nd in rushing (76.9 yards per game). Left tackle Tristan Wirfs and center Ryan Jensen will lead the unit. But the O-line's success, and Tampa's offense as a whole, might hinge on the play at the other three spots up front. Rookie Cody Mauch should slot in at guard pending a good first camp, kicking Luke Goedeke out to right tackle. The most contested battle, if all goes to plan, is at the other guard spot, where Matt Feiler, Robert Hainsey, Nick Leverett and Aaron Stinnie could be vying to start.
4) The Buccaneers defense experienced an offseason exodus in the trenches and secondary. They still have stalwarts like nose tackle Vita Vea, along with safety Antoine Winfield Jr. and cornerbacks Jamel Dean and Carlton Davis, but there are a ton of moving pieces to figure out around them. There is inexperience up front, with rookie Calijah Kancey and second-year player Logan Hall in line for big roles. The cornerbacks behind Dean and Davis pose a similar concern. Apart from those two, the rest of the CB room has a combined six career starts, with 2022 fifth-rounder Zyon McCollum the highest drafted among the group. They'll jump into the deep end in July and see who swims.
5) The Devin White saga began in April after the Pro Bowler requested a trade seemingly due to his contract situation; he's currently slated to play the 2023 season on the fifth-year option of his rookie deal, worth $11.7 million. The Bucs made it clear in the following weeks they had no intention of moving their star defender. In early May, Bucs assistant coach Larry Foote called White's complaints "champagne problems." A month later, White showed up for mandatory minicamp but did not participate in practices. He'll likely need another big year to earn the second contract he desires. How he rises to the occasion, and if he shows any bitterness during training camp, will be worth monitoring.
