Each week during the regular season, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' communications department publishes a "Game Release" to aid the media in coverage of their upcoming game. Included in that release are a number of documents regarding the player roster, including a depth chart, which lists the pecking order at every position on offense, defense and special teams.

Each game week, we will be taking a closer look at that depth chart, pointing out any changes or relevant notes from the previous game. Let's start on offense. Players we will be discussing in depth are highlighted in bold text.

OFFENSE

WR: Mike Evans, Russell Gage, Deven Thompkins

WR: Chris Godwin, Breshad Perriman

LT: Donovan Smith, Josh Wells

LG: Nick Leverett, Luke Goedeke

C: Robert Hainsey, John Molchon

RG: Shaq Mason, Brandon Walton

RT: Tristan Wirfs

TE: Cameron Brate, Cade Otton, Kyle Rudolph, Ko Kieft

WR: Julio Jones, Scotty Miller

QB: Tom Brady, Blaine Gabbert, Kyle Trask

RB: Leonard Fournette, Rachaad White, Ke'Shawn Vaughn, Giovani Bernard

First-year lineman Brandon Walton got 65 offensive snaps in the Buccaneers' Week 16 win at Arizona after left tackle Josh Wells suffered a knee injury on the 16th play. If Wells lands on injured reserve, as expected, Walton would step up to the primary swing tackle role behind Donovan Smith and Tristan Wirfs. Wells started Sunday's game in place of Smith, who was dealing with a foot injury, and had opened the previous three at right tackle while Wirfs was sidelined by an ankle ailment. At the moment, Walton is still listed as the backup to right guard Shaq Mason but that could be altered in next week's release.

The Buccaneers had four tight ends active in Week 16 and used all of them, with veteran Kyle Rudolph drawing a season-high 11 offensive snaps but no targets during the game. Ko Kieft (14 snaps) and Cam Brate (eight) also had limited roles while rookie Cade Otton (68 snaps) continued to operate as the primary tight end.

Rookie Rachaad White started in the backfield once again but for the second week in a row it was veteran Leonard Fournette who got the larger share of playing time. Fournette drew 49 offensive snaps, his second-highest total of the season and his highest in the last four weeks. He turned that playing time into a season-high 162 yards from scrimmage, running 20 times for 72 yards and catching nine passes for 90 more yards.

Head Coach Todd Bowles addressed the current set-up in the backfield and once again referenced the idea of riding with the 'hot hand.'

"Lenny is a true pro," said Bowles. "He understood it, he knows Rachaad [White] is up and coming. He knows he has a lot to offer as well. It really doesn't matter who starts for us between the two, it's about who gets hot during the game and then who makes the plays. So, he's a team player and we're happy he is."

Julio Jones played against the Cardinals and was in the starting lineup despite being questionable for the game with his ongoing knee issue, but he logged only 22 snaps. With Mike Evans and Chris Godwin playing 93% and 90% of the offensive snaps, respectively, it was Russell Gage who was the more common third receiver in Week 16. Gage was on the field for 53% of the offense's work and was able to haul in five catches for 65 yards on six targets, most of it in the second half and overtime. Wideouts Scotty Miller and Deven Thompkins each got four-play cameos on offense, with Miller drawing an unsuccessful go-ball target early in the second quarter.

DEFENSE

DL: Akiem Hicks, Pat O'Connor

NT: Vita Vea, Rakeem Nunez-Roches, Deadrin Senat

DL: William Gholston, Logan Hall

OLB: Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, Carl Nassib

ILB: Devin White, K.J. Britt

ILB: Lavonte David

OLB: Anthony Nelson

CB: Jamel Dean, Sean Murphy-Bunting, Anthony Chesley

CB: Carlton Davis, Zyon McCollum

S: Antoine Winfield Jr., Logan Ryan, Dee Delaney

S: Mike Edwards, Keanu Neal

For the second week in a row, outside linebackers Anthony Nelson and Joe Tryon-Shoyinka each played 100% of the defensive snaps, a total of 76 plays. The team currently has just one other OLB on the active roster in Carl Nassib, but Nassib has been sidelined for the past two weeks by a pectoral injury. Nelson had the Buccaneers' lone sack of the night, forcing a fumble that Devin White recovered, and Tryon-Shoyinka recorded three of Bucs' seven hits on quarterback Trace McSorley.

Safeties Antoine Winfield Jr. and Mike Edwards were true game-time decisions on Sunday, not gaining clearance to play until they showed they were healthy enough to go in pregame workouts with the trainers. However, once cleared they stepped right back into every-down roles, with Edwards playing all but two of the team's 76 defensive snaps and Winfield playing all but five. The Bucs went back to their original rotation of Edwards and Winfield as the starting safeties in the base defense and Logan Ryan coming on in sub packages, with Winfield moving into the slot. With Tampa Bay's defense playing all but 11 snaps in either a nickel or a dime package, Ryan 67 snaps and Keanu Neal got on the field for nine. Neal recorded his first interception as a Buccaneer on a Hail Mary attempt at the end of regulation.

Cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting started his second consecutive game in place of the injured Jamel Dean and once again was lauded for his performance by Bowles. Murphy-Bunting played all 76 snaps and had two of the team's five passes defensed, both on sideline attempts to DeAndre Hopkins well down the field.

"Sean's been playing well the last two weeks," said Bowles. "He's mentally prepared during the week, he practices hard, he understands what he has to do. He's one of our smartest players back there. He rises to the challenges of the game, and he's been playing well."

On the line, the Buccaneers rotated players in and out frequently, with Will Gholston (30 snaps), Logan Hall (19), Patrick O'Connor (13) and Deadrin Senat (10) all pitching in. That was O'Connor's second-highest snap count of the season.

SPECIALISTS

P: Jake Camarda

PK: Ryan Succop

KO: Jake Camarda

H: Jake Camarda

LS: Zach Triner

PR: Deven Thompkins, Scotty Miller

KR: Deven Thompkins, Rachaad White, Giovani Bernard

After being signed off the practice squad to the active roster last Friday, Thompkins is now officially included on the depth chart. He has handled all of the Buccaneers' punt and kickoff returns for the past three games and is properly listed as the first option at both spots.

Inside linebackers K.J. Britt and J.J. Russell and cornerback Zyon McCollum were at the core of the Bucs' special teams units in Week 16, with each one playing 27 of a possible 33 snaps. Russell and McCollum both contributed a solo tackle on special teams and Britt got an assist. It was the first tackle of Russell's career. Despite an increased role on defense, O'Connor still played 23 special teams snaps, as did Miller and Kieft. That was a big boost in playing time for Miller; his previous high for special teams snaps in a game this season was 11.