Five Buccaneers with the most to prove in training camp
It's here, Buccaneer fans. The long offseason is over, and training camp begins in earnest today, as the veterans are reporting to One Buc Place on Tuesday. As such, the attention turns to what fans can expect to see on the practice field as the team ramps up for the 2023 season. With starting positions […]
It's here, Buccaneer fans. The long offseason is over, and training camp begins in earnest today, as the veterans are reporting to One Buc Place on Tuesday.
As such, the attention turns to what fans can expect to see on the practice field as the team ramps up for the 2023 season.
With starting positions and roster spots up for grabs among the 90 men in pewter and red hitting the practice field, there are several battles to monitor and players to watch. As such, there are some players under more pressure than others to deliver this fall. Let's take a look at the five with the most pressure to impress this camp and preseason.
5) Luke Goedeke
Goedecke was forced into a challenging and high-pressure situation right off the bat in his NFL career. Primarily a right tackle at Central Michigan, he shifted inside and started the first seven games of the season at guard last season and was tasked with helping protect the greatest quarterback of all time. Welcome to the league, rookie.
Needless to say, it didn't go well, and he was benched during the team's 21-3 loss at Carolina. Now, with Tristan Wirfs moving from the right side over to the left, Goedeke is getting the first look at right tackle, where he should hopefully fit better – and perform at a much higher level than he did last season.
4) Ke'Shawn Vaughn
Vaughn, the Buccaneers' third round pick in the 2020 draft, has drawn early praise from his offensive coordinator Dave Canales as the team's #2 back behind Rachaad White.
However, it remains to be seen whether Vaughn has the skills to be special in any way. And that's largely because Vaughn hasn't provided much of a sample size from which fans and media evaluate him accordingly. He only has 79 carries across 3 seasons, including a paltry 17 carries last year.
He should get a much better look from Canales, and he will have a chance to prove he can be a productive back starting this week.
3) Joe Tryon-Shoyinka
It's put up or shut up time for Tryon-Shoyinka. The 2021 first-round pick is entering his third season and has yet to become the disruptive force off the edge he was brought in to become.
His pressure rate of 10.7% in 2022 wasn't awful, but he's got to get the quarterback on the ground more often – 8 sacks in two seasons isn't going to cut it. And GM Jason Licht said it pretty succinctly this week:
That stepping up needs to start happening in camp and preseason action.
2) Baker Mayfield
The quarterback position is obviously the one that will draw the most eyes this camp, and deservedly so. Licht's solution to the retirement of Brady was bringing in Mayfield, who has never lived up to the status expected of the #1 overall pick from the 2018 draft.
Mayfield is stepping into a good situation in Tampa Bay though, with two outstanding receivers in Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, one of the best tackles in the league protecting his blind side in Tristan Wirfs, and an offensive coordinator in Dave Canales, whose philosophy won't ask him to throw it 40 times a game. And the NFC South is one of the weakest divisions in the NFL.
If there was ever a time to perform without excuses, this is it.
1)Kyle Trask
And speaking of excuses running out, they're all but gone for the Buccaneers' 2021 second round pick out of Florida.
Trask, a lot like Vaughn, hasn't really been given the fairest opportunity to see what he can do. At least with the lights on. With Tom Brady in town, he was never going to start, and that never was the plan. He was to be his potential successor.
Well, that time is now. He'll get to play with Evans and Godwin instead of third-string players. He's on the same footing as everyone else with learning and implementing Canales' offense, which is geared more towards QB mobility and less pocket passing than under Byron Leftwich, which could help Trask. And he's facing a primary competitor in Mayfield who was benched in favor of Sam Darnold in Carolina last year.
The opportunity couldn't be stronger for Trask. If he can't take it now, he likely never will.
Buccaneers: It’s easy to see why 2023 is a huge year for Joe Tryon-Shoyinka
The former first-rounder has to step his game up this year.
Featured image via Paul Rutherford-USA TODAY Sports
