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Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Bucs' Release Week Nine Depth Chart: Big Role for Jalen McMillan

WR Jalen McMillan was already considered a starter in three-receiver sets for the Bucs, but with Chris Godwin and Mike Evans out the rookie became the team's most active wideout

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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: Sterling Shepard, Ryan Miller

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 *, Rakim Jarrett

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 Dennis Houston, WR Tanner Knue, OL Lorenz Metz, T Raiqwon O'Neal, QB Michael Pratt, TE Tanner Taula, RB D.J. Williams)

In the absence of Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, both out for extended periods due to injury, the Buccaneers started rookie Jalen McMillan, second-year man Trey Palmer and recent practice squad call-up Ryan Miller in a three-receiver set in Week Eight. McMillan ended up playing the most offensive snaps of any Bucs receiver against Atlanta, with 59, or 81% of the total. Palmer was next with 51, followed by Sterling Shepard with 45. McMillan caught four passes for 53 yards, Palmer hauled in two for 29 and Shepard added three for 18. Fresh off the injured reserve list, wide receiver Rakim Jarrett drew 20 snaps and turned them into three catches for 58 yards.

Rachaad White continued to lead the running back corps in spans with 41, but Bucky Irving wasn't far behind with 31. Irving paced the offense with 84 yards from scrimmage and caught a season-high seven passes. Running back Sean Tucker drew only seven snaps against Atlanta but Head Coach Todd Bowles said on Monday that he anticipates Tucker getting more action in upcoming games.

The Bucs kept all four tight ends active for the first time this season but Ko Kieft and Devin Culp drew just one offensive snap each. Cade Otton played all but five of the 73 offensive snaps and led the team with nine catches for 81 yards and two touchdowns.

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, CB Dallis Flowers, DL Mike Greene, OLB Daniel Grzesiak, LB Vi Jones, S Rashad Wisdom)

Linebacker Lavonte David was slow to get up and leave the field after a third-quarter ankle injury, but he did eventually return to the game and ended up playing 54 of 62 defensive snaps. He contributed eight tackles, one for a loss.

The Buccaneers were in a nickel defense for most of the game, and with rookie Tykee Smith sidelined by a concussion, safety Christian Izien was on the field for 57 of the 62 snaps. He recorded nine tackles, two of them for losses. Rookie Tyrek Funderburk started at cornerback again for the injured Jamel Dean but he was replaced roughly halfway through by second-year player Josh Hayes. Hayes finished with 33 snaps to 29 for Funderburk and pitched in with five tackles.

Vita Vea saw the most action of the players in the defensive front, with 45 snaps. C.J. Brewer got 13 snaps in the DL rotation and turned them into two sacks plus a key third-down stop late in regulation.

View the top images of Tampa Bay's Week 8 game against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, October 27th, 2024 at Raymond James Stadium.

SPECIALISTS

P: Trenton Gill

PK: Chase McLaughlin

KO: Trenton Gill

H: Trenton Gill

LS: Zach Triner

PR: Trey Palmer, Jalen McMillan *

KR: Bucky Irving *

KR: Sean Tucker, Trey Palmer

(On the practice squad: P Jack Browning)

With Irving working through a toe injury and occupying a large role on offense, the team elected not to pair him with Sean Tucker as the deep men on kickoff returns. Instead, Jarrett stepped into that role opposite Tucker, though Tucker had the only return of the game, for 20 yards.

Trey Palmer, back from missing time with a concussion, continued to be the primary punt returner, and he got 31 yards on two runbacks against the Falcons.

Trenton Gill got signed to the active roster after running out of practice squad elevation options and took over for the departed Jake Camarda at punter. His lone punt went 42 yards. Gill also hit all five of his kickoffs into the end zone, though two were return.

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