Depth Is A Secret Weapon?
June 17th, 2025
Is it possible the Buccaneers roster is so loaded that national analysts are throwing in the towel on picking it apart?
Joe’s starting to get that vibe.
The NFL Daily crew of Gregg Rosenthal of NFL.com, NFL Network’s Patrick Claybon and Jourdan Rodrigue of TheAthletic.com set out to identify a “secret weapon” for every team.
They failed miserably when it came to the Bucs, Joe believes.
Rodrigue went with Emeka Egbuka. Um, what exactly is “secret” about a first-round pick from a high-profile receiver factory like Ohio State?
Rosenthal didn’t put a lot of time into his take, it seems. He said “just great depth at the skill positions” is the Bucs’ secret weapon.
Rosenthal detailed the Bucs’ running backs depth but also seemed to take a backhanded slap at Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. “They don’t have two great receivers, they have four to five really promising ones,” he said.
Joe knows there’s only one secret when it comes to the Bucs offense, especially with all starters returning. That’s the young dude holding the playsheet, Josh Grizzard.
Half of Tampa doesn’t know how to pronounce his name and Joe would bet a few bucks that if the Bucs’ rookie offensive coordinator walked through, say, the Countryside Mall in Clearwater, nobody would stop him for a high-five or scream “Go Bucs!” in his direction.
National NFL analysts, other than Ryan Fitzpatrick, tend to just gloss over Grizzard’s status because the Bucs’ offense was great last season and Todd Bowles has had a track record of hiring capable coordinators. Grizzard is a true NFL secret — and hopefully, a weapon.
June 17th, 2025 at 2:27 pm
Offensively we are stacked. I think the only question is on defense but if our second year guys and rookies play to where we think they can we might be stacked on defense too.
June 17th, 2025 at 2:29 pm
Can’t wait till we release the secret weapon
June 17th, 2025 at 2:37 pm
Ready to get this thing rolling. BEAT ATLANTA!!!
June 17th, 2025 at 2:44 pm
Depth is great as long as there is a coach who knows how to adjust on the basis of the players available for the game on Sunday. El Serpiente adjusted admirably when Chris and Mikey were down with injuries. The defense? Not so much.
June 17th, 2025 at 2:46 pm
It’s Sean Tucker
June 17th, 2025 at 3:06 pm
yeah offense is set, but we need great depth on defense. Afraid defense isn’t going to be top ten this season. Defense still wins championships.
June 17th, 2025 at 3:10 pm
I’d pick Culp and Tucker to not be obvious and I think they are both explosive players we should use more…
June 17th, 2025 at 3:21 pm
Still don’t see receiver depth. The first three — Evans, JMac and now Egbuka — are starters, not depth. Godwin is not depth OR starter talent until he gets out of the tub. As Joe would say, he can be the next Jerry Rice but if he’s not in the game what good is it? Fans ought to assume he’s going on IR after the rosters get cut — until proven otherwise. So . . .
Behind those four is — what??? Shepard might well be cut and then brought back (as he showed last year he as a veteran could refuse to sign elsewhere, he would save a roster slot, and he knows he has a friend in Baker). And then??? TJ is just a hope, and Joe has taught us what a bad word hope is. All the leftovers are Houston, Jarrett, KJ, Miller and Palmer
If you think that is “depth,” I do not think that word means what you think it means.
June 17th, 2025 at 3:30 pm
Secret Weapon….yes we have one….his name is Desmond Watson all 390 lbs of him. Wait until we release him on the league. If not Desmond:
then Devin Culp all 6’4″ and 245 lbs and 4.45 speed and hands of glue. If not Devin:
Then maybe second coming of “John Lynch” Tykee Smith. if not Tykee:
Then 3 headed running backs, or Edge rushers have multiple individuals with (as in 3 or 4) double digit sack. if not them:
Then maybe the next “Devin Hester” in Tez Johnson.
This could be a special season for the Bucs. If these “IF’s” materialize, I will be crazy out of my head/mind with Joy, Happiness, Satisfaction. Would take me back to the year 1969 when the NY Jets, NY Mets and NY Knicks each won the championship.
Also keep Gruden in the pasture with Arian and Belicheat. Not on our sideline keep that “speak with forked tongue” speaking A..Hole in our past not our future.
Go Bucs, Go Bucs
June 17th, 2025 at 3:45 pm
Rosen-bumass-thal, just shows why he doesn’t deserve to be on a show. By avoiding saying that Evans is great just shows that he has a grudge against the Bucs.
The secret weapon will be R. White, this year. He’s in a contract year and will be looking to show other teams he can start. You better believe that any time he catches a pass out of the backfield, he’s gonna be looking to turn it into six.
June 17th, 2025 at 4:16 pm
Anyone who says the Bucs don’t have 2 great receivers clearly has never watched the Bucs. MORON ALERT
June 17th, 2025 at 5:04 pm
Too many folks drinking the Kool-Aid (or maybe it’s tequila shooters). Depth is very much position-dependent. For example, lose Vita Vea like we did in 2020 and then tell me how our ‘depth’ is gonna step up. That loss would hurt.
Same thing with Baker Mayfield. Lose him for an extended number of games and we MIGHT be questioning our QB depth. Hopefully not, but there’s no track-record to go on.
Or look at our TE room & Cade Otton. That dude’s been contributing like 90% offensive snaps each season as well as 600 yards last season (#2 in receiving yards behind Mike Evans) and some respectable blocking. Lose him for an appreciable number of games this season and we MIGHT be questioning our TE depth.
Bucs have very solid starters virtually across the board, but depth is still very position-dependent. We’ve got flaws like every other team, hopefully just not as many of them.
June 17th, 2025 at 5:34 pm
Our third string running back had a game with 195 total yards
June 17th, 2025 at 6:08 pm
Was just looking at advanced quarterback metrics and Baker was THE MOST blitzed quarterback in the NFL last season. So he better prepare for that! Good news though- he got the ball out real quick on average.
June 17th, 2025 at 6:11 pm
Was just thinking about that some more and it’s probably a symptom of a really strong pass protecting O-line too…
June 17th, 2025 at 6:36 pm
Lou.
How are you getting this intel on Godwin’s rehab? The news I keep hearing is that his rehab wasn’t had any setbacks and he’s expected to be ready game 1. I get that he’s not gonna be 100% but he would be a great 4th WR till he gets fully healthy.
Can you name some teams 5 or 6 deep at WR? I’d put up the Bucs WR against any team. Some would put the Eagles ahead of the Bucs. Dallas and Cincinnati have solid rooms. Even if you like all those teams better than the Bucs that still puts them as the 4th best.
June 17th, 2025 at 6:46 pm
And we are predictably pass oriented on many down and distances @Stpete. Pretty good at picking up the first downs despite the blitzes though.
June 17th, 2025 at 6:58 pm
I think we’ll see some well designed plays from Tez Johnson. He’d be my secret weapon pick.
June 17th, 2025 at 7:32 pm
Quality depth should be coveted by every team. The Buc’s secret weapon? I would say the overall front office and complete organization…. They have built a culture of relatable professionals [relatable professionals not A-hole’s] and if these guys have fun and keep it professional and focused hell, I have the highest expectations I have ever had for the buccaneers. That saying a lot since I’ve been a fan since 1977. If you’re on this site you’re more than a casual fan more likely than not. Every one of us know that all we needed was a little bit more defense last year to go much further in the playoffs. Our defense should be measurably better with no let off on the offense whatsoever….. Go Buc’s
June 17th, 2025 at 9:49 pm
Lou, we easily have a top 5 WR group and I would argue we are the top WR group.
June 17th, 2025 at 11:09 pm
@defenserules- we did lose Otten for 5 games last season and TE2 and TE3 provided great depth. 2 TDs and numerous catches, a lot for first downs. TE2 is a better blocker too. The QB position is the one I worry about too.
June 17th, 2025 at 11:10 pm
Lou. must still be in a Thorazine haze. Name a team with better WR depth – nevermind. It’s ok.
The depth is in the defensive coaching staff. Hassan Reddick is the new DL / Pass Rush coaching specialist. Brilliant of Todd to hire him onto staff.
Oh, wait.
June 18th, 2025 at 12:02 am
Vita, Lavonte, Baker, Tristan.
Any of them go down for long, we toast.
June 18th, 2025 at 2:05 am
I guarantee you that two Bucs receivers will immediately snatched off of the practice squad by other teams, maybe even three or four.
We’ve had side receiver depth in other years but nothing like the crazy depth this year. There isn’t another team in the NFL whose number 4, 5, and 6 receivers from last year (who are all still on the team) have the numbers that the Bucs do.
Add the two rookies and it isn’t even close. The Bucs, at this point before roster cuts, have the best depth at receiver in the entire NFL.