What To Watch For In The Buccaneers Preseason Debut vs The Titans

Saturday night will be the preseason debut for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They will host the Tennessee Titans who they had a joint practice with on Thursday. And even though this game doesn’t count, it should still be pretty exciting if yesterday’s practice was any indication.

It was a back and forth affair in their joint practice with each team having their share of wins. We also saw tempers flair with a bench clearing scuffle between these two teams. Much like all of us, these guys are ready for some football.

The Titans head coach Brian Callahan has come out and said that he will be playing some of his starters this game. Todd Bowles is taking a different approach and will rest most of his key players. Considering the Titans had the number one overall pick last year and the Bucs should compete for a Super Bowl in 2025, going against their starters should be a good matchup for the Bucs depth.

Right now, figuring out the depth is more important for the Bucs. With essentially all the starting jobs accounted for, the only jobs up for grabs are depth and rotational positions. With that said, here’s what to watch for in the Buccaneers preseason debut vs the Titans.

Who Can Pressure The Quarterback

The Titans have invested a lot of resources into their offensive line in recent years. They spent early first round picks into the trenches in both 2023 and 2024 and brought in a few veteran free agents this offseason. I won’t say it’s one of the best groups in the NFL, but it’s a unit that certainly has talent.

It will be a good opportunity for the Bucs pass rushers to prove themselves. This team has several young pass rushers who are trying to solidify their place in the rotation. Flashing in this game will be the first step to doing that.

Second year edge rusher Chris Braswell is someone the coaching staff has spoken highly of this offseason. He had a quiet rookie season, but began to flash down the stretch last year. Considering the Buccaneers invested a second round pick into him, it’s fair to expect him to lead this edge rusher group in this game.

Behind him are a pair of guys fighting to make the roster. Both Jose Ramirez and Markees Watts are looking to replace David Walker, who tore his ACL in practice last week, as their team’s fifth edge rusher. This spot is up for grabs, so they will be competing with each other and both will want to make their mark.

Finally, there is rookie Elijah Roberts. The defensive lineman was listed as third string on the first depth chart and will have to earn his place on the roster. I do expect him to do that, but it starts in this game vs the Titans. 

Who Will Catch The Ball

We all know how deep and talented this Bucs wide receiver room is. However, there are two spots at the bottom of the depth chart that are there to be won. Right now, there are a lot of unknons with those last two job

The favorites to win these jobs were likely speedster Trey Palmer and rookie Tez Johnson. However, both are hurt right now and have been for the last week or so. This has opened the door for someone else to win one of these jobs.

Sterling Shepard is a veteran who has chemistry with quarterback Baker Mayfield that goes all the way back to their college days at Oklahoma. He was on the roster last year and at this point it’s hard to say that he won’t be against this season. I think the Bucs probably wanted more of a true big body outside wide receiver to win this job, but with Shepard’s experience it might be hard for these other guys to beat him out.

Ryan Miller is the type who more so fits the needs of this team. The former college tight end is 6’1 and 220 lbs. He’s more of a possession receiver who has good hands and can move the chains. He’s also a good blocker which shouldn’t be overlooked.

Rakim Jarrett has been with the team a few years, but might be running out of time to make his mark. Rookie Jaden Smith is also someone I’ll be watching with impressive 6’5 size on the outside. These lower level guys are a long shot, but need to put out good tape.

Safety Dance

The Bucs top three safeties are set in stone with Antione Winfield Jr, Tykee Smith and Christian Izien. After that, things are wide open. The team will likely carry at least four safeties, so there is an opportunity for someone to make the roster.

JJ Roberts is an undrafted rookie who I like a lot. He is both very fast and very physical. He also has enough ball skills to get his hands on a good deal of passes, although he isn’t someone likely to get many interceptions.

Kaevon Merriweather has been with the team a few years and knows the defense well. His physical tools are fairly average, but he has done well enough in a depth role. He’s probably the favorite to be the fourth safety on the roster, but he’s someone that could be unseated.

Finally, the biggest name in this competition. Shilo Sanders, son of Hall of Fame cornerback Deion Sanders, has an opportunity to sneak onto the roster. He’s a big time hitter and has made some plays in coverage in camp so far. He’s a long shot, but he’ll get plenty of eyes on him.

Blockade 

There are two depth linemen who are pretty safe on this roster in Charlie Heck and Elijah Klein. After that, the competition is wide open with multiple jobs there to be taken. I’m looking for someone, anyone at all, to stand out and shine.

Guys like Sua Opeta, Mike Jordan, Jake Majors, Luke Haggard, Benjamin Chukwuma and Tyler McLellan are all in the mix to make the team. I’m not convinced that any of these guys have a massive edge at this point. Whoever can hold their own and do their job efficiently will likely be the one to emerge.