Bucs Mailbag: The place Did The Pewter Jerseys Go? Drafting A CB First? | Pewter Report

Bucs LT Tristan Wirfs – Photograph by: Cliff Welch/PR

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QUESTION: SR, why did the crew not put on their pewter jerseys this season? Did they merely decide to not? Did they retire them? And will we see any kind of new alternate helmet subsequent season and or Fiftieth Season jersey patch like 2015?

Former Bucs QB Tom Brady and WR Chris Godwin – Photograph by: Cliff Welch/PR

ANSWER: That’s a terrific query. And the oldsters at Pewter Report love the pewter jerseys, after all. The Bucs debuted the alternate pewter jerseys in 2020 to comprise an all-pewter look when paired with the crew’s pewter pants and pewter helmet. The crew wore the pewter jerseys thrice that 12 months – first in a win at Denver, then a house loss to the Rams and within the season finale victory towards Atlanta. In 2021, Tampa Bay wore the pewter jerseys simply as soon as in loss at Los Angeles towards the Rams. In 2022, the Bucs wore them simply as soon as in a house loss to the Bengals, after which as soon as in 2023 at Indianapolis versus the Colts in a highway loss.

In 2024, the crew didn’t put on its pewter alternate jersey because the crew’s emphasis has been on the orange creamsicle uniforms, which returned in 2023 after a decade-long absence. A fast look within the official Bucs retailer on the stadium exhibits a lot of crimson, white and orange jerseys, and it seems to be just like the pewter jerseys have been de-emphasized because the alternate. In the case of jersey gross sales, the pewter lags far behind the nostalgic orange creamsicle jerseys and I feel the crew is capitalizing on the return of Bucco Bruce alternates, which is stylish proper now.

What I’ve been informed is that if the Bucs put on the pewter jerseys once more, it can probably be as a highway alternate, so the probabilities we see that jersey once more are slim. Most groups put on a crew coloration jersey at house as an alternative of white, however there are a number of exceptions. The Cowboys put on white jerseys as a lot as they’ll, together with each house recreation. However with the Bucs – Cowboys recreation final 12 months being in prime time, the group needed to put on its unique crimson jerseys earlier than a nationwide viewers for branding functions slightly than an alternate jersey.

Bucs WR Mike Evans – Photograph by: USA Right now

So the Dallas recreation was actually the one potential recreation to put on the pewter jerseys as a result of the NFL has what’s known as the “colorblind” rule. The NFL mandates that one crew should put on a white jersey in each recreation to serve these within the viewers who’re colorblind. But the Bucs wore pewter jerseys after they performed the Broncos, who wore orange in 2020, and the Colts, who wore blue in 2023, so I don’t know if the colorblind rule was one thing new in 2024, or if there was sufficient distinction between the pewter and orange and pewter and blue to stick to that rule.

The Bucs wore white for each away recreation aside from the Cowboys recreation final 12 months, and I used to be informed that if that recreation weren’t in primetime, the crew may need worn the pewter jerseys. We’ll see what the schedule holds for the pewter jerseys in 2025. Tampa Bay usually wears their white jerseys in September and October at house because of the warmth – with the lone exception of early season house primetime video games, wherein case the Bucs usually put on crimson jerseys at evening. Then the crimson jerseys make their house debut both in late November or early December relying on the date and the climate.

And naturally the annual creamsicle recreation happens at house now, and that appears to have taken the place of the Bucs carrying all-pewter at house for an alternate look. The Bucs can have a Fiftieth-year patch this 12 months. As for a brand new alternate helmet for 2025? I haven’t heard of something as of but.

QUESTION: A lot of dialogue concerning what place Tampa Bay ought to draft within the first. Do you suppose with Todd Bowles deploying his smooth zone scheme pretty usually that it takes away from the flexibility of true shutdown corners to make the most of their talent set? So maybe not taking one early?

Bucs HC Todd Bowles And CB Zyon McCollum – Photograph by: USA Right now

ANSWER: Even when the Bucs had been zone heavy within the Monte Kiffin period when Tampa Bay’s protection deployed the Tampa 2 scheme, Kiffin would usually draft cornerbacks with a person protection background in school. He informed me that it was a lot simpler to show a person cornerback the right way to play zone protection slightly than to show a zone cornerback the right way to play protection on the NFL stage. I feel that’s one thing that head coach and defensive play-caller Todd Bowles believes in, too.

The Bucs have drafted loads of man protection cornerbacks previously, together with Carlton Davis III, Sean Murphy-Bunting and Jamel Dean, who helped the crew win Tremendous Bowl LV in 2020. Present starter Zyon McCollum additionally performed some man protection again in school at Sam Houston State. Simply as necessary as a cornerback’s protection background in school is size on the subject of Bowles’ scheme. He prefers outdoors cornerbacks which are no less than 6-foot or taller.

Murphy-Bunting is 6-foot and performed primarily within the slot, whereas the 6-foot-1 Davis and Dean performed outdoors. McCollum is 6-foot-2 and has lengthy arms, which has helped him file 27 go breakups in his three-year Bucs profession, together with a team-high and career-best 17 final 12 months.

East Carolina CB Shavon Revel Jr. – Photograph courtesy of ECU

I feel the Bucs will draft a cornerback early – both within the first spherical or on Day 2. Vernon Hargreaves III was the one first-round cornerback the Bucs have chosen within the Jason Licht period, which started in 2014. Hargreaves was drafted in 2016. Since then, Licht has sought out cornerbacks within the second and third rounds, the place he has drafted Murphy-Bunting, Davis and M.J. Stewart within the second spherical and Dean within the third spherical.

I’m undecided there shall be a great match for the Bucs at No. 19 on the cornerback place. That is perhaps a bit of early for East Carolina’s Shavon Revel Jr., who has preferrred measurement at 6-foot-2. Texas’s Jahdae Barron, who’s listed at 5-foot-11, and Notre Dame’s Benjamin Morrison, who’s listed at 6-foot, are candidates to be there at No. 19 when Tampa Bay is on the clock, however neither has preferrred size to play outdoors in Bowles’ scheme and Morrison is coming off a critical hip damage. We’ll see what occurs. Pewter Report had Revel as Tampa Bay’s second-round choose in our newest 2025 7-Spherical Bucs Mock Draft.

QUESTION: Scott, what’re your predictions for the Bucs in free company? Will they go after some large names like Josh Sweat, Khalil Mack, Charvarius Ward and Zack Baun. I count on – and hope – Chris Godwin returns. We’ve received to fill some main holes earlier than the draft.

Bucs GM Jason Licht and former QB Tom Brady – Photograph by: Cliff Welch/PR

ANSWER: I feel Jason Licht will proceed to search for worth free brokers, as he’s had extra success there with gamers like outdoors linebacker Shaq Barrett, working again Leonard Fournette, extensive receiver Antonio Brown and quarterback Baker Mayfield. Every of these gamers had been “change of scenery” guys who signed one-year, prove-it offers in Tampa Bay.

That’s really the identical strategy the Tremendous Bowl champion Eagles took with every of their beginning linebackers, Zack Baun and Oren Burks. Baun was signed to a one-year deal price $3.5 million after being an edge rusher in New Orleans and have become an All-Professional linebacker final 12 months. Burks was initially signed as a backup behind Nakobe Dean on a one-year, $1.125 million deal, however began for half the 12 months, together with the postseason, when Dean was misplaced attributable to damage.

But with the Bucs’ Tremendous Bowl window being open, I may see Licht open the checkbook for one large free agent signing, along with re-signing extensive receiver Chris Godwin to a multi-year extension, doubtless round $20 million per 12 months once more. Whether or not that’s for a beginning cornerback like San Francisco’s Charvarius Ward, a beginning inside linebacker like Baun or San Francisco’s Dre Greenlaw or a beginning edge rusher like Josh Sweat or Khalil Mack stays to be seen.

Licht has had success with large free agent signings earlier than like quarterback Tom Brady and heart Ryan Jensen – though Brady was a low-risk, no-brainer. However there have been some notable misses like extensive receiver Russell Gage, who signed a three-year deal price $10 million per 12 months and gamers like defensive finish Michael Johnson and left deal with Anthony Collins courting again to his first 12 months as common supervisor in 2014.

The Bucs do have a number of holes, particularly on protection the place the crew wants no less than one inside linebacker, an affect, pass-rushing outdoors linebacker, an improve over Jordan Whitehead at robust security, and a starting-caliber cornerback if the crew plans on changing Jamel Dean, as I consider it can. Not all of these wants will be stuffed within the draft and a few will must be addressed in free company. Offensively, the Bucs have to re-sign Godwin and try and re-sign Ben Bredeson, in any other case a gap shall be created at left guard.

QUESTION: Scott, if the Bucs don’t land an enormous time edge rusher in free company which names may you see them concentrating on in spherical one? Hopefully Mike Inexperienced and Donovan Ezeiruaku are on the prime of the checklist whether or not at 19 or with a commerce again to realize extra picks.

Boston Faculty Edge Donovan Ezeiruaku – Photograph by: USA Right now

ANSWER: Pewter Report had Marshall’s Mike Inexperienced because the Bucs’ first choose at No. 19 in our first Bucs mock draft. Sadly for Tampa Bay, he blew up in a few Senior Bowl practices and proved to be worthy of a Prime 20 choose. In reality, Inexperienced, who was the nation’s main sacker final 12 months with 17, will doubtless go within the Prime 15 – simply out of the Bucs’ attain.

Nonetheless, Boston Faculty’s Donovan Ezeiruaku, ought to be there at No. 19. He’s thought to be a late first-round or early second-round choice. Whether or not or not he deserves being picked at No. 19 may rely upon how he performs athletically on the NFL Scouting Mix. I actually like him, and he was simply the second-best edge rusher in Cellular. He had 16.5 sacks final 12 months, which was proper behind Inexperienced, and three compelled fumbles.

Whereas he’s a bit undersized at simply over 6-foot-2, 248 kilos, Inexperienced is simply over 6-foot-3 and weighs 251 kilos. Ezeiruaku might not be a match as a 4-3 defensive finish for groups that like larger edge rushers, however he actually matches Todd Bowles’ concept of a 3-4 outdoors linebacker. What Ezeiruaku lacks in peak he makes up for in extremely lengthy arms. His 34.5-inch arms had been the longest of any edge rusher on the Senior Bowl. Inexperienced’s arms are simply over 32 inches by comparability. And Ezeiruaku’s large wingspan was simply over 6-foot-10 in comparison with Inexperienced’s, which was simply over 6-foot-5.

If the Bucs can’t choose Inexperienced within the first spherical and nonetheless have a necessity for an edge rusher after free company, I would definitely welcome the number of Ezeiruaku, who would pair properly with Yaya Diaby on the surface with Chris Braswell rotating in as nicely. The Boston Faculty stud has some Shaq Barrett-like qualities about him.

QUESTION: The Eagles once more proved go rush wins championships. Speeding 4 and producing not simply strain, however sacks with two excessive safeties once more was the method for beating Patrick Mahomes. The Bucs deployed an identical strategy in Tremendous Bowl LV. Jason Licht positively wants so as to add extra reputable go rushers.

Bucs HC Todd Bowles and OLB Yaya Diaby – Photograph by: Cliff Welch/PR

ANSWER: That’s a truth. Philadelphia’s Tremendous Bowl LIX recreation plan towards Kansas Metropolis was very paying homage to what Todd Bowles and Tampa Bay’s protection did to Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs within the Bucs’ Tremendous Bowl LV rout. Each the Eagles and the Bucs performed a great deal of both Quarters or Cowl 2 with two deep safeties and received to Mahomes with fixed strain with a four-man rush.

With a purpose to have success taking part in Cowl 2 or Quarters protection, defenses should get house with a four-man rush. That actually wasn’t the case final 12 months in Tampa Bay. The Bucs’ prime three defensive tackles, Professional Bowler Vita Vea, Calijah Kancey and Logan Corridor, mixed for 20 sacks, whereas all the crew’s outdoors linebackers solely totaled 12. That has to alter in 2025 and Bowles should not be compelled to blitz as a lot as he did final 12 months due to an absence of strain off the sting.

There are a number of avenues that common supervisor Jason Licht can take this offseason to search out an alpha edge rusher to pair with the ever-improving Yaya Diaby. Will Licht commerce for a premier go rusher like Cincinnati’s Trey Hendrickson or will he goal a big-name free agent like Khalil Mack or Josh Sweat, who’s recent off a dominant Tremendous Bowl efficiency with 2.5 sacks?

Or will Licht as soon as once more flip to the draft and choose a younger go rusher and hope that George Edwards can develop him? I talk about the dilemma forward for Licht this offseason in a brand new Pewter Pulse video on our PewterReportTV YouTube channel. You possibly can watch the video beneath.