Analysis: McCown brings 11 years of NFL experience over from the Bears, where he completed 67% of his passes for 1,829 yards, 13 TD's, and only one INT while starting five games in 2013. Although his career QB rating is only 77.5, he has seemingly gotten better over the years and has a reputation of being a good leader. Glennon is the understudy at the moment, but he showed enough as a rookie and in off-season workouts to give the new coaches a lot of hope for his future.
Running Back: 1. Doug Martin 2. Mike James 3. Bobby Rainey/Charles Sims/Jeff Demps
Analysis: Martin is the workhorse in the backfield and he should be fully recovered from a knee injury that cost him most of last season. Look for him to compete for the most all-purpose yards in the NFC South Division. James and Rainey both displayed the ability to move the chains in Martin's absence so the depth looks solid. Sims will look to put his good hands to use and make his mark on third downs.
Fullback: ?
Analysis: At this point, it is anybody's guess as to who will provide the lead blocking at fullback, or whether or not the team will even field one at all. With the league becoming more pass-friendly this position is quickly becoming a lost art-form.
X Receiver: 1. Vincent Jackson 2. Chris Owusu 3. David Gettis
Analysis: Jackson is a solid first option in the passing game with the size (6'5" 230 lbs) to compete for any ball and the speed to take it to break off a big gain once or twice a game. Look for him to break the 1,000 yard mark again in 2014. Depth is a bit of a concern here with no real viable experience on the roster after Jackson. Owusu gained some experience last season with the Bucs, but he has only hauled in 14 total reception in his two seasons in Tampa.
Z Receiver: 1. Mike Evans 2. Louis Murphy
Analysis: A lot is obviously expected of Evans after the Bucs took him with the seventh pick in the draft. Anything short of 50 catches and 500 receiving yards and his rookie season will be considered a disappointment. I believe the team expects him to be good for 80 catches and 10 TD's per season throughout his career. Murphy brings the most experience to the table when considering potential backups at receiver with 24 starts, 121 receptions, and eight TD's on his resume.
Y Receiver (slot): 1. Robert Herron/Murphy/Owusu
Analysis: Robert Herron surprised a lot of people throughout the Senior Bowl week, and he brings some interesting ability to the table. I would not be surprised to see him win the job outright at some point this year. If not, Murphy and Owusu both might be up to the challenge of playing the slot.
Tight End: 1. Timothy Wright/Brandon Myers 2.Austin Seferian-Jenkins 3. Luke Stocker
Analysis: Wright came out of nowhere last season and proved that he can play. This is his job to lose. Myers will also get a lot of playing time after coming over from the Giants in free agency. He has caught 126 passes in the last two years and has the most solid experience out of all the guys here. However, the team has possibly never had a player of Seferian-Jenkins' size (6'5" 260 lbs) and ability at the position before. If he comes to play he will be hard to keep off the field due to the "match-up nightmares" he could create for defenses. Stocker might get to stick around to play special teams since the team might not be keeping a fullback, but he is expendable if he doesn't have a break-out camp.
Left Tackle: 1. Anthony Collins 2. Kevin Pamphile
Analysis: I doubt Collins will actually be any kind of upgrade of Donald Penn, but he probably won't be a downgrade either. He has some quality experience but has never been a full-time starter before. Pamphile is a project but he could prove to be of great value as a fifth round pick.
Left Guard: 1. Kadeem Edwards/Jamon Meredith/Oniel Cousins
Analysis: Nicks is an allpro caliber talent but he is still recovering from and infection in his knee that derailed his 2013 campaign. Hopefully he can be ready by the time camp starts. Edwards looks the part but it's a big jump from Tennessee State to the NFL.
Center: 1. Evan Dietrich-Smith
Analysis: Dietrich-Smith was a big score in free agency. He should nail down the center position and provide some leadership up front.
Right Guard: 1. Patrick Omameh/Jamon Meredith/Oniel Cousins
Analysis: The team hopes that Meredith can take over for the departed Davin Joseph. If not, the line could be in serious trouble as depth is little bit of a concern. Omameh has actually been getting most of the reps in the offseason with the starting unit, but nothing is etched in stone just yet.
Right Tackle: 1. Demar Dotson 2. Matt Patchan
Analysis: Dotson has served the Bucs well on the right side and the team is hoping for a little more improvement from him. If he can step up as a leader on the front line it would go a long way towards solidifying things on offense.
Offensive Strength: Talent at the "Skilled" Positions RB Doug Martin is a top five fantasy player when healthy, wide-outs Jackson and Evans have the raw ability to become one of the most formidable receiving duos in the NFC, and the TE position looks suddenly crowded with the addition of Myers and Seferian-Jenkins. Even the QB position looks to be set with two guys that are apparently both capable of running an NFL offense.
Offensive Weakness: Offensive Line Three-fifths of the line has been replaced so expect some growing pains as they learn to play together as a unit. Although the starting five look solid enough with Collins, Nicks, Dietrich-Smith, Meredith, and Dotson, none of those guys really scare any NFL defenders either. The depth is very young and inexperienced overall, so until proven otherwise, the front line will remain an area of concern. Needless to say, these guys will have their work cut out for them if they are going to get it done.
Players on the Rise:
- QB Mike Glennon - Yes he is being replaced as the starter by the veteran McCown, but I don't see that as a bad thing in terms of development at this point. The competition will be good for the young, athletic Glennon, and sitting back to learn more while McCown takes the beating behind a shaky line on Sundays won't hurt either. However, do not be surprised if he wins the job before the season even starts.
- RB Doug Martin - Although he is somewhat of a proven commodity with nearly 2,000 rushing yards in 22 NFL games, Martin has a lot to prove in 2014. First of all, he has to prove that he is recovered from a shoulder injury that sidelined most of his 2013 season, then he has to prove that he can put up another 1,500 yards rushing annually.
- TE Timothy Wright/Brandon Myers - I clumped these guys together because they will both get a lot of opportunity to catch passes in the new system. Also, with the lack of depth at receiver and fullback, we should see a lot of two tight-end sets. At the end of the season, these two guys could combine for 90 receptions and a dozen TD's.
- OT Demar Dotson - One of the lone incumbent starters on the line, Dotson could turn out to be one the most valued blockers up front. His 6'9", 315 lbs frame is somewhat intimidating on the right side. He is often a full six inches taller than his opponents on the line.
Key Newcomers:
- C Evan Dietrich-Smith
- WR Mike Evans
- QB Josh McCown
- TE Brandon Myers
- OT Anthony Collins
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