A brand new Pewter Report Roundtable debuts each Tuesday on PewterReport.com. Every week, the Pewter Reporters deal with one other powerful query. This week’s immediate: Make A Daring Bucs Prediction.
Scott Reynolds: Markees Watts Will Emerge As A Starter
Bucs OLB Markees Watts – Picture by: Cliff Welch/PR
I’ve had this humorous feeling because the finish of final yr that one way or the other Markees Watts goes to emerge as a starter reverse Yaya Diaby in Tampa Bay this yr. It’s one thing I’ve introduced as much as Watts earlier than within the Bucs locker room simply to get his response and he wasn’t fazed by it. He advised me, “Yeah, I’ve thought that, too.”
This really is a daring prediction as a result of proper now Watts is the fifth exterior linebacker on the depth chart behind Diaby, Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, Anthony Nelson and second-round decide Chris Braswell. Who is aware of the place Randy Gregory will find yourself on the depth chart – or if he reveals as much as camp and makes the workforce in any respect.
However there’s simply one thing about Watts that’s intriguing. He’s quick and compact, however muscular, fast and agile. I view Watts as a extra chiseled and minimize Shaq Barrett. Heck, the 6-foot-1, 250-pound Watts even appears like him in Barrett’s previous No. 58 jersey.
Watts jogs my memory a little bit of former Steelers nice James Harrison, an undrafted free agent out of Kent State. Harrison was initially minimize by Pittsburgh in 2003 after which was launched by the Ravens earlier than spending time in NFL Europe with the Rhein Fireplace earlier than the Steelers re-signed him. Harrison was solely 6-foot, 240 kilos, however he was a dynamite participant who performed with an edge. That’s the one factor Watts wants – some nasty in his recreation.
Tryon-Shoyinka is essentially the most skilled edge rusher on the workforce and he and Nelson are heading into pivotal contract years. That ought to give these two all of the motivation they should earn as a lot taking part in time as attainable. And Braswell involves Tampa Bay with a second-round pedigree and a great deal of potential. He’s additionally a lengthier exterior linebacker at 6-foot-3, 255 kilos. However I simply have a sense that Watts’ model of speed-to-power will finally win out and he’ll climb the depth chart because the season progresses.
Matt Matera: Chris Godwin Leads The NFL In Receiving Yards
Bucs WR Chris Godwin – Picture By: Cliff Welch P/R
Chris Godwin isn’t any stranger to main the Bucs in receiving yards. Sure, Mike Evans rightfully will get the highlight for his consecutive 1,000-yard season streak, however there have been occasions the place Evans and Godwin went over 1,000 yards and Godwin led the best way, such because the 2019 and 2021 seasons. Godwin had his finest season in 2019, the primary yr with Bruce Arians as head coach, recording 1,333 receiving yards. In 2021 he nonetheless led Tampa Bay with 1,103 yards regardless of taking part in in 14 out of 17 attainable common season video games.
There’s a chance Godwin may’ve damaged his personal private report had it not been for a season-ending damage. Now it’s one factor to steer a workforce in manufacturing and one other to steer a whole league in stated class. Godwin did come shut in 2019, coming in third within the NFL. The rationale for his success in these two specific seasons? He was taking part in within the slot, which is the place he’ll return to for the 2024 season. Everybody on the Bucs is onboard with Godwin shifting again to the slot, because it’s the place he’s most profitable.
It’s going to be a steep competitors to steer the league in receiving yards, however Godwin will get loads of targets and receptions beneath the brand new offensive system with Liam Coen. The necessary stance for Coen is that he values gamers over performs. Coen has used the Rams’ offensive system which is aware of get the perfect out of their receivers.
Rams receiver Cooper Kupp led the league in receiving yards with 1,947 yards in 2021 and Rams rookie Puka Nacua had 1,486 yards final yr – each whereas taking part in loads within the slot. If we’re going to see classic Godwin once more, it’s going to be this season the place Coen is utilizing him within the slot and involving him as a lot as attainable.
Bailey Adams: Lavonte David Lastly Returns To The Professional Bowl… Then Retires
Bucs ILB Lavonte David – Picture by: USA At present
It’s not essentially a daring prediction to say that Lavonte David will play at a Professional Bowl degree in 2024. However contemplating he nonetheless simply has the one Professional Bowl to his identify and it got here all the best way again in 2015, I’d say predicting that David will truly crack the Professional Bowl roster this season qualifies as daring. The legendary Bucs linebacker has typically fallen sufferer to the numbers recreation, each by way of the restricted variety of inside linebackers who’re picked for the Professional Bowl and by way of his precise numbers themselves.
David wants extra takeaways to actually make his stat line leap off the web page and rival a number of the different high inside linebackers within the recreation. I feel he will get just a few extra of these takeaways in his age-34 season, including them to a different season with properly over 120 mixed tackles (and maybe bordering nearer to 100 solo stops). One other 4 or 5 sacks to spherical out his stat line and I feel the well-respected veteran will garner sufficient consideration to make it to the Professional Bowl video games in Orlando. That can go away him with two Professional Bowls, one All-Professional and a Tremendous Bowl ring in his illustrious Tampa Bay profession.
After which there’s the opposite a part of this daring prediction – the sadder a part of it for Bucs followers. I feel that after lastly getting that elusive second Professional Bowl nod (one which he’s in truth deserved on a number of events since his first choice in 2015), David decides to name it a profession. Why would he step away after a Professional Bowl season by which he proved that he’s nonetheless one of many league’s finest linebackers? As a result of it will actually be a becoming finish to what has been an exceptional and underrated profession.
David may stroll away on high, in a way, and exit on his personal phrases. He’s been signing one-year offers for a few years now and has been taking issues year-to-year, so what higher season to finish on than a Professional Bowl season at age 34? Up subsequent: an induction into the Bucs Ring of Honor.
Josh Queipo: Zyon McCollum Emerges As An Above-Common NFL Nook
The Bucs are displaying a whole lot of religion in a former fifth-round decide who regarded completely misplaced throughout his rookie yr. They traded away a nonetheless superb cornerback in Carlton Davis III and solely back-filled with a stable complimentary piece in Bryce Corridor. All indicators level to the beginning left nook job being McCollum’s to lose. He proved throughout the pre-draft course of in 2022 that he had the bodily items to be a gifted defensive again, scoring one of many highest Relative Athletic Scores within the historical past of the measurement.
Zyon McCollum is a CB prospect within the 2022 draft class. He scored a 9.99 RAS out of a attainable 10.00. This ranked 3 out of 1843 CB from 1987 to 2022. https://t.co/VQ0qXsv0ub #RAS pic.twitter.com/6W3QCVUOgW
— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) March 18, 2022
McCollum was pressed into prolonged service in 2023 after accidents derailed the Bucs’ plans to maintain each Davis and Jamel Dean on the sector concurrently. Zyon ended up taking part in extra snaps than both of the supposed starters. And the advance from yr one to yr two was stark.
Zyon and Jamel each above common on stopping separation. Carlton was #1 for the workforce although. https://t.co/AfIktSQlYr
— Joshua Queipo (@josh_queipo) June 24, 2024
McCollum’s 1.04 yards allowed per protection rep was proper close to league common and his really feel for zone protection was noticeably improved. With one other full offseason to dedicate to his craft on the NFL degree, I’m anticipating him to take yet one more huge leap ahead and change into an above-average cornerback within the NFL.
Adam Slivon: Payne Durham Finishes Second On Bucs In Landing Receptions
Bucs TE Payne Durham – Picture by: Cliff Welch/PR
The top zone eluded rookie tight finish Payne Durham final season, though he got here awfully shut a few occasions. Heading into 2024, although, the Bucs’ 2023 fifth-round decide appears prone to have extra of a task on offense in his second season. All through this offseason, he has regarded noticeably quicker and appears to have the within observe to be the workforce’s No. 2 tight finish behind Cade Otton. Based mostly on what he has seen to date, normal supervisor Jason Licht appears ahead to seeing him on the market in pads come coaching camp.
“Payne has regarded like he’s gained some quickness and a few pace and a few energy,” Licht stated on the Pewter Report Podcast earlier this offseason. “So I’m actually excited to see him this yr. And as you realize, he made some phenomenal catches final yr. I feel he’s going to [step up].”
With the workforce’s main personnel decision-maker this excessive on him, it’s simple to ascertain Durham having extra alternatives. Though he had simply 5 receptions for 58 yards final season, he appears primed for an even bigger function inside Liam Coen’s offense, the place Otton gained’t be counted on to play as a lot as he did final season. Durham’s biggest worth might be taking advantage of his 6-foot-5, 255-pound body within the purple zone.
Over his final two seasons at Purdue, he hauled in 14 touchdowns, and the Bucs offense lacks a giant goal near the objective line exterior of Mike Evans. Whereas Evans had a formidable 13 TDs final season, Otton completed second on the workforce with simply 4. That might change, and if anybody is prone to do it, Durham may need the perfect probability to make his mark and supply some huge moments this season. Whereas this isn’t essentially the boldest prediction, I predict that with the younger tight finish being extra concerned he’ll haul in 5 to seven touchdowns, ending second to Evans in that class.
