2024 Tampa Bay Buccaneers

[Carolina Speed]

The 2023 Tampa Bay Buccaneers started 6 white athletes in 2024. They stay at the same amount 6 in 2024. All on offense. QB Baker Mayfield replaced The GOAT Tom Brady last season and is back in 2024. The Bucs are 2-0 to start the 2024 season.
Total white players on the 53 man roster has improved from 16 in 2023 to 18 in 2024.
There are 6 white starters. Grade D.

QB- Baker Mayfield, Kyle Trask
TE-Cade Otton, Payne Durham
T- Luke Goedeke, Justin Skule
G-Cody Mauch, Elijah Klein
G-Ben Bredeson-Royce Newman
C-Graham Barton, Robert Hainsey

NT-Greg Gaines
DE-Ben Stille
LB- Anthony Nelson

PK-Chase McLaughlin
PT-Jake Camarda
LS-Evan Deckers

After a stellar 2023 season, Baker Mayfield who led The Bucs to the 2023 NFC South Conference Championship will once again lead Tampa Bay in 2024. Mayfield threw for over 4,000 yards, 28 TD's and only 10 INT's. Kyle Trask will back up Mayfield.
The under used Cade Otton will start again at the TE position. Backing up Otton will be Payne Durham.
Defensively, there are no starters however there are 3 back up players in 2024. An increase by one. In addition to the consistent LB Anthony Nelson and DT Greg Gaines, DE Ben Stille from Arizona by way of Nebraska has been added.

 

[Phall]

Jared Goff played really poorly in Week 2 in my gay opinion. But it couldn't have happened against a nicer QB story. Both Goff and Mayfield are discarded former #1 picks who after a year of acclimation, seem capable of taking their new teams deep into a playoff run.

I wonder if you polled the Browns parking lot tailgates around 12:45pm what percentage of them would still pick DeShaun over the boring white guy. Some of those who are sick of DeShaun surely now want "Shadeur" (sic) Sanders!

 

[Freethinker]

CS, thanks for the info! Bucs are not bad on offense. Just to add, TE Ko Kieft is 3rd string and been on the team for a number of years now. So 19 total is not too shabby. The Braintrust here clearly decided to go White on offensive line at some point. 8 plus a few more on the practice squad is not coincidence.

If I had to gripe, the Bucs had 4 White receivers during the preseason who played well. I thought Cody Thompson might stick and then maybe 2 others would go PS. Well they were all cut and now only Thompson and Ryan Miller (Furman) remain on the PS. Ughh.

 

[Carolina Speed]

Well they were all cut and now only Thompson and Ryan Miller (Furman) remain on the PS. Ughh.

Furman's Ryan Miller was promoted from the PS way back in week 4 or 5. I reported on the weekly thread that he had made his first NFL reception. He seems to have stuck so far. Since then, he's caught 6 more passes for 70 yards and a TD. I remember last year when I watched him play against Clemson at TE, there was talk that he could make an NFL roster as a WR. Hopefully he can build on his success so far.
He ran a 4.5 40 and posted a 6.82 3 cone drill time at his pro day. Not bad. Deebo Samuel's 3 cone was 7.03. His 40 time war 4.48.

 

[Freethinker]

Miller clearly has the talent to be a starting receiver in the NFL. Hopefully he continues to gets snaps, though it’s tough on Tampa as their depth chart is pretty deep at the position.

 

[Don Wassall]

Remember when Cam Newton wouldn't attempt to fall on a loose ball in a Super Bowl? It's fair to say Baker Mayfield doesn't have the same dilettante attitude. Watch him lead the blocking downfield in the fourth quarter of a game the Bucs have in hand:

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1860781235947155726

 

[sprintstar]

interesting in the the video is how the RB back ignores Mayfield and his contribution to his run.

 

[El Gringo]

That runningback was on the Jim Rome show yesterday and spoke very highly of Baker. It is annoying when these players don’t immediately thank their teammates after a play like that.

 

[wile]

Remember when Cam Newton wouldn't attempt to fall on a loose ball in a Super Bowl? It's fair to say Baker Mayfield doesn't have the same dilettante attitude. Watch him lead the blocking downfield in the fourth quarter of a game the Bucs have in hand:

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1860781235947155726

Cam Newton not falling on his knees in front of other men does seem out of character.

 

[Freethinker]

I’ve commented over the years on the mistreatment and extended White Apprenticeship that OLB Anthony Nelson has suffered at the hand of the Bucs organization. Well Nelson is now 27 and in his 6th season with the franchise. 2024 is shaping up to be similar to some of the previous ones, in that Nelson is the best OLB despite not starting or getting the most snaps. I came to this realization when reading an article that mentioned Nelson leading the OLBs this year in sacks with 3.

Looking at Nelson (4th round pick) compared to starters Joe Tryon-Shoyinka (1st round bust) and Yaya Diaby (3rd round pick), you see he does more with less.

Nelson: 500 defensive snaps, 35 total tackles (5 for losses), 3 sacks and a forced fumble.

Diaby: 707 defensive snaps, 46 total tackles (8 for losses, 2.5 sacks and a forced fumble.

JTS: 489 defensive snaps, 23 total tackles (3 for a loss), 2 sacks and a forced fumble.

So when comparing the 3, I’d say Nelson is the best as he’d have better stats than Diaby with the same snap numbers. When looking at JTS, it’s obvious and Nelson actually has more snaps. However, JTS is still the starter as they just can’t come to pull that trigger.

The other noteworthy thing about Nelson is that he leads the team in special teams snaps. So he truly is a WSTD, while also being the team’s most productive OLB while playing around 50% of defensive snaps. Great team asset, but the White Apprenticeship continues unabated….

 

[Don Wassall]

Nelson has always been noticeable when he plays, but that's not good enough for White defenders in most cases. Nelson brings to mind Dennis Gardeck, who has also been condemned to career-long back-up status despite having starting talent and almost absurd over-production for the snaps he's "allowed" to play.

Trey Hendricksen, who is right up there with Watt, Bosa, Crosby, and Van Ginkel among the best pass rushers in the league, had to suffer a ridiculous racial apprenticeship while with New Orleans. So did Van Ginkel with the Dolphins. Prior to this season with the Vikings, Van Ginkel's name was mentioned mainly to be ridiculed.

 

[Bucky]

Cam Newton not falling on his knees in front of other men does seem out of character.

lol

 

[Bucky]

Excellent last few posts @Freethinker @Don Wassall . When Nelson’s racial apprenticeship finally or ever ends.. Wouldn’t surprise the CF gang to see him with a breakout season. Could easily see him clearing 10 sacks if given double the snaps. Still has managed 17.5 career sacks as a part time apprentice.

 

[Freethinker]

Excellent last few posts @Freethinker @Don Wassall . When Nelson’s racial apprenticeship finally or ever ends.. Wouldn’t surprise the CF gang to see him with a breakout season. Could easily see him clearing 10 sacks if given double the snaps. Still has managed 17.5 career sacks as a part time apprentice.

Yea, I could see that too. However the thing that worries me is that he’s already 27. That could be argued as the peak age for athletes before they decline. So TB has basically wasted all of his best years limiting him to a reserve. It’s maddening but all too common.

What should happen is Nelson immediately assumes all or 90% of Tryon-Shoyinka’s snaps. Him and Diaby (who had a better rookie year in 23) would make a fine pairing. JTS is a huge bust and whoever keeps force feeding him after 4 lousy years needs to be shitcanned.