The Tampa Bay Buccaneers kick off mandatory minicamp this week and like every other NFL team, there will be plenty to pay attention to.

It's important to add in the context that this week's outcomes are nowhere near final. Just because a rookie is practicing with the 1s or out-repping an incumbent player – it doesn't mean that holds through into the season or even training camp.

Either way, it'll be fun to watch the whole team (or most of the team) in action when things start on Tuesday.

11 Thoughts as Buccaneers Minicamp Begins

Quarterback reps

Let’s just go ahead and get the obvious out of the way, here.

The plan, as far as we know, is to keep divvying up the No. 1 reps between Baker Mayfield and Kyle Trask. Monitoring the count of said reps and how each quarterback performs will give us a good idea of what to expect when training camp starts. 

Former NFL QB Ryan Leaf recently talked about how the Bucs need to have their minds made up when training camp starts, but Dave Canales has been open about how he prefers to take the battle into the preseason. That's what he did last year in Seattle and we saw how well that worked.

Either way, this is definitely the No. 1 item that will be on everyone's mind this week.

The offensive line

Tristan Wirfs recently said he feels like “a newborn baby” switching from right tackle to left. Matt Feiler is the new guy expected to win the starting left guard job. Ryan Jensen is still on his way back from last year’s awful knee injury and then there are nothing but questions on the right side. 

Is Luke Goedeke a better fit at right tackle? Who wins the right guard position? The right side, which was easily the Bucs' strongest side of the line last year, is in total flux heading into 2023. 

That right guard competition is going to be loaded, but another position to watch is the swing tackle competition. Last year's swing, Brandon Walton, is working on the inside this year, which leaves the Bucs with few experienced options. Veteran Justin Skule is probably the leading candidate, but keep an eye on Silas Dzansi, who has been mentioned by Bucs coaches a couple of times during the offseason.

It's pretty wild to think how much this unit has changed in just a short time. It was easily one of the league's best for about a year-and-a-half (including postseasons) a couple of years ago and now it's a major question mark -in terms of overall perspective- heading into 2023. 

What the hell is up with Russell Gage?

Mayfield mentioned during the first week of OTAs that Gage hurt himself the prior week. Man, this dude has seriously caught the injury bug in Tampa Bay after missing just four games from 2018-2021. 

The Bucs obviously still have Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, but the depth behind them and Gage is questionable even if it's talented depth. While Trey Palmer and Rakim Jarrett hold plenty of potential, you don't want them taking up reps unless they are ready to be on the field.  

Tampa has recommitted itself to a creative rushing attack in 2023, but the NFL is still a pass-heavy league. The Bucs really need Gage to come through this year – it'll be interesting to see how involved he is during minicamp.

The Spring version of Cade Otton

Otton was a pleasant surprise on a disappointing Bucs offense in 2022 and he managed to impress without a full offseason. Otton had ankle surgery during his final year at Washington and it held him out until training camp.

That won't be the case this year, as Otton is in line to be a -and has been a- full participant throughout the entire offseason. This is obviously huge for his development since he's in line to be TE1 in 2023. 

The kid can develop into a very solid player, so it's key he gets all the work that he can and this week is a big step in that direction.

Logan Hall bulking up and Greg Gaines at nose tackle?

It’s safe to say Hall didn’t have anywhere near the impact the team hoped he’d have in 2022. Hall was simply too raw and too light to provide quality snaps on a consistent basis. There were flashes, at times, but nowhere near the amount needed to feel good about 2023.

That doesn't mean it's time to cast him off. Hall has improved his play strength over the offseason and has a shot at cracking the starting lineup with Akiem Hicks and Will Gholston currently out of the picture. He does have first-rounder Calijah Kancey and veteran Greg Gaines breathing down his neck, though, so he'll have to get off to a hot start.

Speaking of Gaines – defensive line coach Kacey Rodgers recently said his vision for him is at nose tackle. Gaines certainly has the traits to play nose on obvious passing downs, but he was used all over the place in LA. Will the Bucs use him solely at nose? He was a starter the last two seasons in LA and with the questions surrounding Hall and Kancey's rookie status – Gaines can play a big role in 2023.

It's just a matter of where and how the Bucs utilize him in said role. We'll get a good idea of that this week.

Devin White

Will White show up to minicamp after all the offseason drama? Todd Bowles made it 100% clear that he expects everyone to show up to camp. White will also get fined if he doesn’t show up. Therefore, simply monitoring whether or not he shows up is a topic in its own right.

Odds are White shows up. He is a good teammate and isn't going to (purposefully) do anything to let his guys down. 

But, if he doesn't, then get ready for literally weeks of White talk until training camp rolls around. And rightfully so.

SirVocea Dennis and Jeremy Banks at ILB

I wanted to save all the rookies for one slide/topic, but this one deserves to stand alone.

That's because both rooks received a ton of reps over the last few weeks while both Lavonte David and White no-showed during voluntary OTAs. Both players also have the potential to be draft steals, which makes their presence even more intriguing.

Will all the reps give them a head start on the ILB depth chart? It won't surprise me to see either one of them -or both- run with the 2s or even the 1s (depending on whatever practice plan the Bucs have in store). 

It’s time for Joe Tryon-Shoyinka to have a breakout season

And that starts this week. 

JTS is going to have all the opportunity in the world to show everyone that he was worth the No. 32 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. A strong rookie preseason hasn't translated to on-field production in the regular season. But, if JTS can finish plays, then the numbers and the impact will certainly start to build.

He's also very likely going to be the Bucs' No. 1 pass-rushing threat on the outside when the season starts. It's still unclear if Shaquil Barrett will be ready to go by then and it's even more unclear if he returns to his previous form. If he's not ready, JTS is going to receive the direct attention of an opposing team's pass pro, which only makes his proverbial hill a steeper one.

This is all hypothetical, but still, it's realistic. Regardless, the time for Tryon-Shoyinka to shine starts now and every rep will be critical in getting him to that point.

The battle for the nickelback job

This is another crucial battle heading into the 2023 season. The Bucs -like most teams- look at nickel corners as starters and right now, there aren’t any clear-cut candidates leading the race.

The names to watch are rookie Josh Hayes, rookie safety Chris Izien, second-year corner Zyon McCollum, and veteran Dee Delaney.

One would assume the incumbents currently have the advantage since they've played in this system. That's why it will be very interesting to see who comes out with -and stays with- the 1s this week.

Will the Bucs bring in another kicker? What about the returner role?

The Bucs recently waived Jake Verity, which leaves Chase McLaughlin as the lone placekicker on the roster. The team has an open roster spot available, so there’s a chance they add competition at some point.

Bowles said McLaughlin has impressed and the dude has one of the biggest and most accurate legs from 50+. To say he's underwhelmed from 40-49 is a bit of an understatement, however, so it wouldn't be a bad idea to bring another guy in. But for now, the job is McLaughlin's to lose.

Punter and longsnapper are obviously set, which leaves us with the kick/punt returner positions. Rookie Trey Palmer was a good returner in college, so one would think he has the advantage over Deven Thompkins, currently. 

Expect that battle to go down to the wire.

The 2023 draft class

There’s a lot to like about this rookie class and it has a chance to make a big impact in 2023.

Can Kancey bring the juice the four-man pass rush has been missing over the last few seasons? Will Cody Mauch win the starting right guard job? How does YaYa Diaby fit into the pass rush rotation, especially once Barrett returns? Does Hayes win the nickel job and will Dennis force K.J. Britt off the roster? How does Payne Durham fit into the tight end role/room? Is Palmer as up-to-speed as he's said and can Jose Ramirez play like the late-round find many believe him to be?

There's opportunity all over the roster – it's just a matter of how quickly these guys can take advantage of it.

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This offseason isn't like the ones we've seen the past couple of years. We've gone from Bucs rosters that were pretty much already set to a 2023 version that has a ton of unknowns, but also has plans to find answers to its questions. 



This week will give us a great idea of the Bucs' path toward figuring out those answers as the start of the regular season continues to creep closer and closer.

Featured image via Douglas DeFelice-USA TODAY Sports