True football fans know that new head coach Bruce Arians isn’t very big on utilizing pass catching TEs. Neither has he been a real fan of dual TE sets unless he’s using them to block. Now Arians has a young TE in OJ Howard, who is poised to tear up the league this year, something Arians has never had before. This is why this season’s offensive playbook has been dubbed “TE friendly.”

So what does all this mean for current Bucs TE Cameron Brate?

Brate suffered an injury in 2017 that he finally had arthroscopic surgery on in January this year and has been cleared to run plays since April. Yet Brate has still yet to hit the practice field, although was at one point cleared. In his absence TE Antony Auclair has been starting to shine.

The Bucs picked up Auclair as an FA in 2017 from Laval college in Canada. At 6’6 254 lbs Auclair can be a devastating blocker and attacks defenders with an edge, something right up coach Arians alley. So far he has shown that he can transition from blocker to route runner very smoothly and has a decent pair of hands.

With Auclair more of a Bruce Arians TE, what happens to Brate?

He has yet to practice his production has dropped dramatically since the drafting of Howard and worst of all he can’t block to save his life. Along with this comes a $7 million dollar price tag on a team that’s strapped for cash.

The Bucs also signed TE Jordan Leggett off of waivers from the Jets.

Leggett was a 5th round pick out of Clemson in 2017 where he was mostly used as a pass catcher, which is why this signing is somewhat odd. Could this spell the end for Cameron Brate? Maybe not anytime soon, but with a $7 million dollar cap hit it’s possible.

Last Tuesday was a normal day at camp. Some players shine, while others struggle to make the team. One player that really stuck out to Arians was RB Ronald Jones. When asked about Jones Arians had this to say,

“Some really young players really stepped up. Especially Ronald Jones. He had a really good day today I really enjoy watching where he’s at right now in the backfield.”

It’s very good news for Jones, who has many fans screaming bust already after his rookie season.

The Gerald McCoy debacle has finally ended, and Bucs fans now feel like a weight has been lifted off their shoulders. After releasing McCoy, the Bucs wasted no time to sign Free Agent DT Ndamukong Suh from the Rams. So how did the Bucs make out, what does Suh bring to the defense that McCoy doesn’t?

One glaring difference between the two DTs is that Suh brings a nasty streak and McCoy doesn’t. Gerald McCoy has always been an aw-shucks kind of guy when it comes to his play with some people even calling him soft. On the other hand, Suh is the exact opposite he likes to jaw at the line of scrimmage and plays like he has a chip on his shoulder.

Another difference is agility. McCoy is extremely quick for his size. He is usually one of the first D linemen to come off of the snap. I’m not saying Suh is not agile, believe me, he is very athletic for his size, but what he does lack in agility he makes up with his power. Suh put up 32 reps of 225 back at his combine compared to McCoy’s 23. While McCoy tries to get the job done with finesse, using swim moves spin moves, etc at the line of scrimmage, Suh gets by with sheer power. His bull rush is relentless, and he plays the run better than McCoy ever did. Also, Suh was much better in the tackle for loss (TFL) column.

Look for Suh to have a pro bowl type season starting new to Vita Vea, who has quite a mean streak himself.

It appears OLB Shaquil Barrett is having no trouble picking up this defense and so far has really impressed coaches.

According to Buccaneers.com, on a play at the line of scrimmage, Barrett got three to four feet in the air to get his hand on a pass. It has also been reported he has been moving well in individual drills and looks as though he’s very athletic.

The Bucs picked up Barrett in free agency from Denver, where he played behind OLBs Von Miller and Bradley Chubb. While in Denver he proved that when given the opportunity, he can put pressure on opposing QBs.

At 6’2″ and 260 lbs he can play any LB position, or he can put his hand in the dirt and rush the passer as a DE.

Coach Arians likes what he sees in DE Anthony Nelson. It’s not quite set in stone where he’ll fit in with the front 7, but when asked Arians had this to say,

“Don’t know until pads, but he’s everything we thought we drafted. It’s the same position when we go into nickel he’ll be our defensive end.”

The Bucs took Nelson in the fourth round of this year’s draft out of Iowa. He will be a pass rusher, but whether it’s at DE or as a rush LB is still up in the air. Wherever Nelson ends up, at 6’7″ and 270 lbs, look for him to be a relentless pass rusher with a motor that never stops.

Third round pick CB Jamel Dean knows how to make a good first impression. Last week during camp he got his hands on 2 passes and took one to the house, after an INT. Coach Bruce Arians had this to say about Deans play last week.

“He should have had a pick-six on a tip, and he kinda hesitated. The second he made a heck of an INT and took it back.”

Dean is a big CB at 6’1″ and 210 lbs and was the fastest CB at the combine and second fastest player in the entire draft. Having his former teammate from Auburn Carlton Davis sure doesn’t hurt. Dean had this to say about his former teammate.

“It makes me feel more comfortable here knowing that I played with someone here.”

Look for Dean to possibly push for a starting spot as he excels in press coverage.

Recently Bucs fans had heard the news that JPP could possibly miss the entire upcoming season after a neck injury sustained in an auto wreck. But just how bad is it? How much of an impact will this have on their defense this upcoming season? The short answer is: Yeah, it sucks. Losing any pass rusher of JPP’s caliber hurts, but there are several routes the Bucs can go to rectify this situation.

First off, do everything they can to keep Gerald McCoy in a Bucs uniform. Other than JPP, McCoy is the best at creating havoc in an opponent’s backfield. If McCoy is not an option, then William Gholston would most likely be the second best option. He won’t generate much of a pass rush, but he has the size to play DE in a 3-4 defense and he can hold his own. One other option would be the 4th round pick DE Anthony Nelson. At 6’7″ and 270 lbs Nelson would have to gain about 5 to 10 pounds and gain just a little more upper body strength, but he has a motor that won’t quit and he has shown a knack for getting to the QB while playing at Iowa.

The Bucs could decide to sign another DE off the market, but there’s really no one left worth signing. No matter what their decision is the Bucs, we’ll get through this. Injuries are just part of the game and are to be expected.