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. Within 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. Rookies are marked with an asterisk. Players we will be discussing in depth are highlighted in bold text.
OFFENSE
WR: Mike Evans, Trey Palmer
WR: Chris Godwin
LT: Tristan Wirfs, Justin Skule
LG: Ben Bredeson, Royce Newman
C: Graham Barton*, Robert Hainsey
RG: Cody Mauch, Elijah Klein *
RT: Luke Goedeke
WR: Jalen McMillan *, Sterling Shepard
TE: Cade Otton, Payne Durham, Ko Kieft, Devin Culp *
QB: Baker Mayfield, Kyle Trask
RB: Rachaad White, Bucky Irving *, Sean Tucker
(On the practice squad: WR Marquez Callaway, OL Luke Haggard, WR Tanner Knue, OL Lorenz Metz, WR Ryan Miller, T Raiqwon O'Neal, QB Michael Pratt, TE Tanner Taula, RB D.J. Williams)
In the compressed week following a Monday night game, the Buccaneers put out their game release prior to some anticipated moves at wide receiver. Chris Godwin suffered a dislocated ankle on the game's final drive against Baltimore and is expected to have surgery and miss the rest of the season. Earlier in the game, Mike Evans aggravated a hamstring issue and he is scheduled to have an MRI on Tuesday to determine the severity of the injury. Godwin played 70 of a possible 82 offensive snaps and recorded seven catches for 65 yards. Evans played 23 snaps and caught one pass for a 25-yard touchdown.
Trey Palmer returned from a two-game absence due to a concussion and caught one 16-yard pass while playing 72% of the offensive snaps. Palmer, rookie Jalen McMillan and veteran Sterling Shepard figure to have expanded roles in the pass game after the injuries suffered by Godwin and Evans.
Tight end Cade Otton played all but two of the team's offensive snaps and finished with a team-high eight receptions for 100 yards. It was the first 100-yard game of his career, besting his previous high of 70. With Payne Durham sidelined by an injury, rookie tight end Devin Culp saw his first NFL regular season action but was on the field for just one offensive snap. He also played 10 snaps on special teams.
The Bucs managed to get the football to every running back in the new "three-headed monster" backfield, and the trio of Rachaad White, Bucky Irving and Sean Tucker combined for 226 yards from scrimmage and three touchdowns. White logged 39 snaps of offense to 29 for Irving and 16 for Tucker.
View the top photos of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' regular season Week 7 game vs. the Baltimore Ravens
DEFENSE
DL: Calijah Kancey, Earnest Brown, C.J. Brewer
NT: Vita Vea, Greg Gaines
DL: Logan Hall, William Gholston
OLB: Yaya Diaby, Anthony Nelson
ILB: K.J. Britt, J.J. Russell
ILB: Lavonte David, Antonio Grier
OLB: Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, Chris Braswell *, Jose Ramirez
CB: Tyrek Funderburk *, Keenan Isaac
CB: Zyon McCollum, Josh Hayes
S: Antoine Winfield Jr., Christian Izien, Tavierre Thomas
S: Jordan Whitehead, Tykee Smith *, Kaevon Merriweather
(On the practice squad: S Marcus Banks, LB Kalen DeLoach, DL Mike Greene, OLB Daniel Grzesiak, CB Dallis Flowers, LB Vi Jones, S Rashad Wisdom)
There are some changes to the defensive depth chart, as cornerback Jamel Dean went to injured reserve on Monday and defensive lineman Earnest Brown was activated from I.R. The Bucs are now carrying seven defensive linemen and just four cornerbacks, though safeties Tykee Smith and Christian Izien blur the lines as slot corners. Brown played 16 defensive snaps in his Buccaneers debut. Rookie Tyrek Funderburk played all 59 defensive snaps in place of Dean.
Outside linebacker Anthony Nelson had a slightly higher snap count on defense than usual, logging 36 plays, or 61% of the total. That was one more than starter Yaya Diaby, who finished the game with five tackles, a sack and two tackles for loss.
SPECIALISTS
P: Jake Camarda
PK: Chase McLaughlin
KO: Jake Camarda
H: Jake Camarda
LS: Zach Triner
PR: Trey Palmer, Jalen McMillan *
KR: Bucky Irving *
KR: Sean Tucker, Trey Palmer
(On the practice squad: P Trenton Gill)
Gill was elevated from the practice squad and took care of the punting, holding and kickoff duties against Baltimore, with Jake Camarda on the inactive list. That marked the third time Gill was elevated for game day, meaning he is now out of such options. Palmer returned to his primary punt return duties and ran one kick back for seven yards.
Even with his expanded role on defense, Nelson continued to be the team's most active special teamer. He was on the field for 27 of the team's 29 plays in kick and coverage, or 93% of the total. Tight end Ko Kieft logged 18 special teams plays and had one of the team's two kick coverage tackles. Rookie linebacker Antonio Grier, who played 16 special teams snaps, had the other one.