With the preseason schedule complete, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will spend the weekend trimming a 91-man camp roster down to the NFL-mandated limite of 53 players for the regular season. This is much more complicated process than simply ranking the top roster candidates from one to 53 and releasing everyone else (before bringing many of them back to the practice squad). Roster construction debates involve not only comparing one player to another, but also comparing one position to another, or several others, and deciding how to make it all fit.

To take one example almost at random, consider the Buccaneers' thought process when it comes to forming its offensive backfield. Bucky Irving and Kenny Gainwell are the clear top two backs, and they are followed by Sean Tucker and Josh Williams on the depth chart. Are the Bucs in the next two days choosing between Tucker and Williams for a three-man backfield, or is the actual debate whether to keep three or four, and what does that mean for the rest of the depth chart?

"That's a tough battle," said Head Coach Todd Bowles on Saturday morning following the team's loss to Jacksonville on Friday night. "It kind of went back and forth every game. Both of them can run the ball, both of them return kicks obviously, both of them try to tackle on kickoff and punt team. It's a matter of keeping four running backs, three quarterbacks; there's an extra receiver involved; obviously a corner involved, a defensive lineman. So all of that's going to be in the discussion, but that will be a tough call because they're both good football players."

Both Tucker and Williams originally arrived in Tampa as undrafted free agents and have since done enough to reasonably entice the Bucs to keep them on the roster. Tucker actually led the team with eight touchdowns last season while Williams dealt with some injuries but got some action both on offense and in the return game. This preseason, Williams logged 18 carries for 57 yards and a touchdown and Tucker countered with 14 totes for 50 yards and a score. Again, though, this is not just an exercise in comparing stat lines. It's possible that the performance of players at other positions will end up being the deciding factor when it comes to the backfield. One of those players is undrafted rookie quarterback Jalon Daniels, who was impressive enough in the first two preseason games to be given the bulk of the work on Friday night.

Daniels is ostensibly battling veteran Jake Browning for the primary backup spot to Baker Mayfield, but again, the larger question is whether or not there is room to keep both Daniels and Browning on the 53-man list.

"We're going to meet on it this morning and we're going to go over some things that way," said Bowles. "It's a discussion but it's not a definite. It's difficult because you probably need the spot for somewhere else, as far as [special] teams or an extra rusher or an extra back or an extra offensive lineman. Knowing that guy's not going to play [except] in case of emergency, I think every position would like to have insurance behind the insurance. It's something you've got to weigh the pros and cons of and make that decision going forward."

Predicting how the Bucs will handle all of these positional concerns to form that first 53-man roster by 6:00 p.m. ET on Sunday is particularly difficult without access to the team's complete health situation. For instance, the status of wide receivers Jalen McMillan (knee) and Emeka Egbuka (toe) could definitely impact that Week One roster construction. Just a year ago, the Buccaneers opened the season with seven receivers on the active roster because Chris Godwin was not placed on injured reserve but he was also not ready to go for the first three weeks. That situation could repeat itself this week, which in turn could mean a lighter depth chart at quarterback, running back, defensive back, defensive line or offensive line.

"It's been a question that we've got to answer," said Bowles. "It's one of them, but we expect J-Mac and hopefully Emeka to come back before Week One and be at full strength that way. That will have a lot to do with whether we keep the extra one or not, and how healthy these guys are going forward."

It is possible, of course, that the Bucs won't be able to get all of those answers before Sunday's cut deadline. Regardless they will have to decide how the first 53 are arranged, and it won't be as simple as deciding one player is better than another.