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 *, Rakim Jarrett *
- WR: Chris Godwin, Deven Thompkins
- LT: Tristan Wirfs, Justin Skule
- LG: Matt Feiler, Aaron Stinnie
- C: Robert Hainsey
- RG: Cody Mauch *, Nick Leverett
- RT: Luke Goedeke, Brandon Walton
- TE: Cade Otton, David Wells
- TE: Ko Kieft, Payne Durham *
- QB: Baker Mayfield, Kyle Trask
- RB: Rachaad White, Sean Tucker *, Ke'Shawn Vaughn
The Buccaneers made one change on the offensive depth chart after last week's game release, this one out of necessity. Running back Chase Edmonds was placed on injured reserve with a knee injury, which allowed fourth-year player Ke'Shawn Vaughn to move up one spot to third on that line behind Rachaad White and Sean Tucker. The Buccaneers are searching for the right combination in their offensive backfield but so far White has shouldered most of the load. He was on the field for 43 of a possible 47 offensive snaps on Monday night against the Eagles. Tucker got the other four snaps; Vaughn did not play on offense but logged two plays on special teams.
Cade Otton continued to get the same sort of workload as White, in this case also pulling 43 plays on offense. This week, Ko Kieft out-snapped David Wells as the second tight end, getting 10 plays to Wells's five.
Chris Godwin had more snaps than Mike Evans against the Eagles, 41-38, but Evans had double the targets during the game, 10 to five. Rookie Trey Palmer was the clear-cut third receiver in Week Three, drawing 72 percent of the snaps but only getting one target, which was good for an eight-yard catch.
Rookie guard Cody Mauch came into the game with a questionable designation on the injury report due to back issues but was able to play all 47 snaps, as did the rest of the starting line. Reserve guard Aaron Stinnie did get one snap in the game in a jumbo package but it wasn't a happy moment for the team. Pinned at their own one-yard line after a Dee Delaney interception, the Bucs tried to run White out of the end zone but he was tackled for a safety.
DEFENSE
- DL: Calijah Kancey *, Mike Greene
- NT: Vita Vea, Greg Gaines
- DL: Logan Hall, William Gholston
- OLB: Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, Yaya Diaby *, Markees Watts *
- ILB: Devin White, K.J. Britt
- ILB: Lavonte David, SirVocea Dennis *
- OLB: Shaquil Barrett, Anthony Nelson, Cam Gill
- CB: Jamel Dean, Zyon McCollum, Derrek Pitts *
- CB: Carlton Davis, Dee Delaney, Josh Hayes *
- S: Antoine Winfield Jr., Kaevon Merriweather *
- S: Ryan Neal, Christian Izien *
On defense, the Bucs were still without first-round pick Calijah Kancey up front, and it was their top pick in the 2022 draft, Logan Hall, who picked up most of the slack. Hall led all Bucs' linemen with 49 snaps out of a possible 80 on defense. Veteran nose tackle Greg Gaines also continued to see a lot of action, drawing 42 snaps, just one fewer than starter Vita Vea. Both Gaines and Vea were over the 50% mark in participation on defense, which means one or both spent some time at a position other than nose tackle. Gaines led the defense with two quarterback hits.
At the back end of the defense, rookie cornerback Derrek Pitts, an undrafted free agent, saw playing time on defense for the first time in his career. He was active for the second week in a row with Carlton Davis sidelined with a toe injury, and he ended up playing 18 snaps on defense along with 13 on special teams. The Bucs' other starter, Jamel Dean, left the game with a shoulder injury and was initially replaced by Delaney. However, Delaney was also pulled after 24 snaps, making way for Pitts, who did not record any statistics. Zyon McCollum played all 80 snaps at the other outside corner spot.
Linebacker Devin White left the game in the second quarter, possibly due to an aggravation of his groin injury during an interception return. However, he only missed four plays and was on the field to start the second half. Third-year player K.J. Britt soaked up those four snaps.
SPECIALISTS
P: Jake Camarda
PK: Chase McLaughlin
KO: Jake Camarda
H: Jake Camarda
LS: Zach Triner
PR: Deven Thompkins, Trey Palmer *
KR: Deven Thompkins, Rachaad White
Jake Camarda cleared the 50-yard gross punting bar for the third time in three games this season, averaging 57.5 yards on four booming kicks. Wide receiver Deven Thompkins continued to get all the reps on both punt and kickoff return, though he did not have a chance to run anything back on Monday night.
Britt was one of four players who were on the field for 19 of a possible 20 special teams plays for the Buccaneers against the Eagles. Along with rookie cornerback Josh Hayes, linebacker J.J. Russell and outside linebacker Cam Gill, he was involved in every kick-and-coverage play except for Chase McLaughlin's 33-yard field goal in the second quarter.
