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: Ted Hurst*
WR: Chris Godwin, Kameron Johnson
LT: Tristan Wirfs, Benjamin Chukwuma
LG: Ben Bredeson, Billy Schrauth*
C: Graham Barton, Dan Feeney
RG: Cody Mauch, Luke Haggard
RT: Luke Goedeke, Justin Skule
WR: Emeka Egbuka, Tez Johnson
TE: Cade Otton, Payne Durham, Ko Kieft, Bauer Sharp*
QB: Baker Mayfield, Jalon Daniels*
RB: Bucky Irving, Kenny Gainwell, Sean Tucker
Quarterback Jalon Daniels made his first career start, of course, and played all 63 offensive snaps, completing 19 of 27 passes for 148 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions and rushing for 55 yards. Head Coach Todd Bowles said the undrafted rookie will remain the starter until Baker Mayfield returns from his right thumb injury.
The Buccaneers' offense started the game in a "21" personnel package, which means they had both Bucky Irving and Kenny Gainwell in at running back. By game's end, Irving had played 37 snaps and rushed for a team-high 61 yards, while Gainwell had logged 27 snaps and recorded his first touchdown as a Buccaneer on a 10-yard catch in the fourth quarter. Third back Sean Tucker had only three offensive snaps but got a handoff on all three of them and produced a two-yard touchdown run as well as a fourth-and-one conversion.
Tight end Cade Otton led all of the Bucs' skill-position players with 60 snaps out of a possible 63, and he recorded four catches for 37 yards. Otton has played 98.2% of the Buccaneers' offensive snaps this season, which ranks third behind Detroit's Sam LaPorta and Green Bay's Tucker Kraft among all tight ends. He is second in targets on the Buccaneers with 23, one behind wide receiver Emeka Egbuka.
Second-year wide receiver Tez Johnson saw a significant uptick in playing time over the first three weeks of the season, getting onto the field for 35 offensive snaps, or 56% of the total. He caught both of his targets for 17 yards and also had a 10-yard carry.
DEFENSE
DL: Calijah Kancey, Elijah Roberts
NT: Vita Vea, Rakeem Nuñez-Roches, Elijah Simmons
DL: A'Shawn Robinson, DeMonte Capehard*
OLB: Yaya Diaby, Anthony Nelson, David Walker
ILB: Josiah Trotter*, SirVocea Dennis
ILB: Alex Anzalone, Christian Rozeboom
OLB: Rueben Bain Jr.*, Al-Quadin Muhammad
CB: Zyon McCollum, Benjamin Morrison, Ayden Garnes*
CB: Jacob Parrish, Keionte Scott*, Kevin Knowles
S: Antoine Winfield Jr., Ifeatu Melifonwu
S: Tykee Smith, Miles Killebrew
Rookie linebacker Josiah Trotter returned to action after missing one game with a knee injury and was on the field for 50 of the 60 defensive snaps while amassing a team-leading nine tackles. Even with Trotter's return, the Buccaneers still found seven snaps for linebacker Christian Rozeboom and six for SirVocea Dennis, occasionally fielding a personnel package with three off-ball linebackers and only two down linemen. Rozeboom contributed one tackle for loss but Dennis left the game in the second half with an ankle injury.
Safety Antoine Winfield Jr. also was sidelined in the fourth quarter by a rib fracture that is expected to keep him out for two to four weeks. Ifeatu Melifonwu got four of the five snaps that Winfield missed and Miles Killebrew got the other one. Melifonwu is expected to start in Winfield's absence.
Second-year outside linebacker David Walker continued a trend of getting more defensive snaps each week of the season, from zero in the season opener to nine, 19 and now 24 in Week Four. With Rueben Bain Jr. still out with a shoulder injury, Al-Quadin Muhammad drew his second start and played 32 snaps.
SPECIALISTS
P: Riley Dixon
PK: Chase McLaughlin
KO: Chase McLaughlin
H: Riley Dixon
LS: Evan Deckers
PR: Tez Johnson, Kameron Johnson
KR: Kenny Gainwell, Sean Tucker
KR: Kameron Johnson
The Buccaneers have adjusted their depth chart at kickoff return to put Gainwell on the first team along with Kameron Johnson. Gainwell has been deep for all of the Bucs' kickoff returns in the last two games, although all of Green Bay's kickoffs on Sunday resulted in touchbacks.
The Bucs may dial back Melifonwu's special teams work if he becomes an every-down starter during Winfield's absence. Against Green Bay, he led the team by appearing in 84% of the team's special teams snaps. Wide receiver Kameron Johnson got some offensive exposure with five snaps but also remained a gunner on the punt team and recorded two tackles. Rookie tight end Bauer Sharp remains a fixture in the kick-and-return game, playing 68% of the snaps and adding his third special teams tackle of the season.
