Bucs WR Ted Hurst – Picture by: Bob Liebenberg/NFL
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INTRO: The Bucs have some rookies which have generated some actual hype in pass-rushing outdoors linebacker Rueben Bain Jr. and Ted Hurst, an actual tantalizing expertise at huge receiver. I’ll talk about each as we speak on this week’s SR’s FAB 5, and becoming a member of me in hyping up each gamers are a few legendary Buccaneers in Bruce Arians and Rondé Barber, who made feedback about Hurst and Bain on current podcasts.
There received’t be an SR’s FAB 5 subsequent Friday, July 3, as I’ll be celebrating our nation’s 250th anniversary the subsequent day on July 4, which is Independence Day. So get pleasure from this column – and God bless America!
FAB 1. The Ted Hurst Hype Is Actual
For as a lot hype as there’s about edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr., Tampa Bay’s first-round decide – and deservedly so after a scintillating offseason – by the point September will get right here there will likely be simply as a lot hype about huge receiver Ted Hurst, the staff’s third-round decide.
By then, the offseason buzz will translate into coaching camp buzz and Hurst will make some splash performs in joint practices towards the Jets and Jaguars that may elevate eyebrows and create headlines.
I think the hype will develop much more in the course of the three preseason video games the place the Georgia State product will get loads of taking part in time to shine up his recreation and to relaxation the three receivers forward of him on the depth chart – Chris Godwin Jr., Emeka Egbuka and Jalen McMillan – and protect them for the common season. Don’t be shocked if Hurst makes a number of spotlight reel catches or touchdowns en path to main the staff – and maybe the league – in preseason catches, yards and TDs.
Bucs WR Ted Hurst – Picture by: Cliff Welch/PR
At 6-foot-4, 195 kilos, Hurst has the leaping skill to highpoint the ball and win contested catch conditions. And his 4.42 velocity not solely helps him create separation and get open, however he can even draw back from defenders and rack up yards after the catch.
For a staff needing an X receiver to switch the legendary Mike Evans, a 6-foot-5, 225-pound skywalker of a expertise, there was no higher possibility for the Bucs than Hurst this offseason.
However don’t take my phrase for it. Right here’s what the perfect defensive again in Bucs historical past, Corridor of Fame cornerback Rondé Barber, needed to say about Hurst.
“Ted Hurst – I’ve been on him since the beginning when we drafted him,” mentioned Barber on The Rondé Barber Present on WFLA’s YouTube channel. “The smoke is real. There is fire underneath that smoke. He has been impressive. I hear he’s learning a couple of positions. He’s not just focused on the X position or whatever position they have him lining up in more regularly. He’s got the football I.Q. to do both, which is a great thing.”
Bucs WR Ted Hurst – Picture by: Cliff Welch/PR
Bucs huge receivers coach Bryan McClendon is a guru of a place coach, quickly growing the likes of Jalen McMillan, Emeka Egbuka and Tez Johnson to play at a excessive stage and contribute fairly a bit throughout their respective rookie seasons. McClendon has been working carefully with Hurst this offseason to do the identical factor with Hurst so he can also have an impactful rookie season.
In Zac Robinson’s offense, he prefers positionless huge receivers. That signifies that there is no such thing as a static X, F or Z receiver in his scheme. Cross-training each receiver to play a number of positions over the course of a recreation is vital to complicated defenses and stopping opposing defensive coordinators from attempting to gameplan and eradicate anybody explicit receiver.
There will likely be instances when Hurst traces up outdoors as a cut up finish X receiver on the opposite aspect of a bunch formation in an try to create one-on-one matchups on the skin. However similar to Robinson did with Drake London, Atlanta’s 6-foot-4, 214-pound receiver, Hurst will even see loads of time inside a bunch formation as an enormous slot receiver to create some dimension mismatches inside.
Whereas Godwin will likely be featured because the slot receiver more often than not as a consequence of his historical past of success there, Hurst really caught extra slant passes within the slot at Georgia State than he did on some other route. From there Hurst might use his breakaway velocity to rack up yards after the catch throughout the center of the sphere the place there was loads of grass to maneuver.
Bucs WR Ted Hurst – Picture courtesy of Georgia State Athletics
Tremendous Bowl-winning head coach Bruce Arians was on the Pewter Report Podcast this week and raved about Hurst and thinks that the Bucs receiver room will really be wonderful with out Evans this season.
“I think it’s in great shape,” Arians mentioned. “I feel Ted Hurst goes to leap on the scene large time, and Chris is as dependable because it will get. Each time Mike was doubled, we’d both put him within the slot and get any person else one-on-one on the skin, or get him on a linebacker-safety mixture. However that’s at all times the place Chris would get a bunch of catches and Scotty Miller would take the highest off the protection to clear Chris out.
“I don’t think there is any doubt about it because [Chris] really knows how to play inside. And he’s got the ability to play outside. So if you’re in 12 personnel he’s got some good matchups and if you’re running the ball [successfully] he’s got a one-on-one.”
With plenty of consideration being paid to extra established receivers like Godwin and Egbuka, who nearly had 1,000 yards receiving final 12 months and led the staff in catches, yards and touchdowns as Tampa Bay’s first-round decide, anticipate Hurst to thrive in one-on-one conditions.
“It depends now on who is that backside receiver,” Arians mentioned. “Emeka or Ted Hurst or whoever it’s, if they will put the eye to [Godwin] these younger guys outdoors are going to get one-on-ones on a regular basis. Jalen particularly, has the velocity to do plenty of injury on the market.
“I love that room right now. I think Ted Hurst is the wild card.”
Bucs WR Ted Hurst Picture by: IMAGN Photographs – David Butler II
Later within the Pewter Report Podcast episode, Arians was requested who he would love to teach on the Bucs present roster that he didn’t have the prospect to teach when he was main Tampa Bay from 2019-21. Naturally Arians mentioned quarterback Baker Mayfield, however earlier than he did he talked about Hurst first.
“Offensively, I would get real excited about Ted Hurst,” Arians mentioned. “I love big, fast receivers. And of all the guys on that team that I didn’t coach, I would love to coach Baker.”
I perceive that there was the same quantity of buzz round former Bucs huge receivers Kenny Bell and Jaelon Darden, who impressed as rookies throughout their OTAs and mini-camp again within the day. And naturally each wilted when the sport obtained bodily when the pads got here on and in addition below the lights in the course of the stress of the preseason.
However Hurst is a unique breed. He’s severe about his craft, is awfully proficient, and is extra like another rookie receivers who generated loads of hype heading into coaching camp.
Guys like Evans, Godwin, McMillan and Egbuka.
FAB 2. Bruce Arians Is Fired Up About Bucs’ Revamped Defensive Entrance
It’s not simply rookie receiver Ted Hurst who has Bucs Ring of Honor head coach Bruce Arians excited in regards to the 2026 Buccaneers. It’s additionally Tampa Bay’s revamped defensive entrance.
“I think what they’re doing defensively with A’Shawn Robinson, and having Nacho (Rakeem Nunez-Roches) – Nacho, you know, that’s a big pickup bringing him back because he is bringing so much energy to practice every day. [DeMonte] Capehart, I love him. Getting David Walker healthy, Muhammad [Al-Quadin] – you know we’ve got a front seven that’s probably our best front seven since the Super Bowl.”
Bucs OLBs Rueben Bain and Al-Quadin Muhammad – Picture by: Cliff Welch/PR
I feel Arians is correct, and the job that basic supervisor Jason Licht, assistant GM Rob McCartney, VP of participant personnel Mike Biehl and head coach Todd Bowles did this offseason in remaking a unit that was actually a letdown final 12 months is sort of outstanding.
Let’s check out the brand new starters, that are underlined, in Bowles’ 3-4 scheme. On paper it appears like very new addition is an improve over final 12 months’s starters. This even consists of 31-year previous Alex Anzalone over 35-year previous Lavonte David, who was a shell of his former self final 12 months, particularly in protection.
Bucs Projected Beginning 3-4 Protection
OLB Rueben Bain Jr. > Haason ReddickDT A’Shawn Robinson > Logan HallDT Vita Vea DT Calijah KanceyOLB Yaya DiabyMLB Josiah Trotter > SirVocea DennisWLB Alex Anzalone > Lavonte David
Maybe simply as necessary, the Bucs’ depth has been upgraded by way of free company and the draft, and some gamers who obtained a bunch of taking part in time final 12 months – defensive deal with Elijah Roberts and inside linebacker SirVocea Dennis – are higher depth items this 12 months than final 12 months’s reserves. Newcomers are underlined.
Bucs Depth Alongside The Defensive Entrance
OLB3 Al-Quadin Muhammad > Anthony NelsonOLB4 David Walker > Chris BraswellDT4 Rakeem Nunez-Roches > Greg GainesDT5 Elijah Roberts > CJ BrewerDT6 DeMonte Capehart > Elijah SimmonsILB3 SirVocea Dennis > Deion JonesILB4 Christian Rozeboom > John Bullock
The important thing to creating the Bucs defensive entrance extra formidable is not only an improve in expertise. It was an angle adjustment and bringing in some actual ass kickers like Robinson and Bain.
“There’s no doubt,” Arians mentioned. “I think he and Bain are going to bring a whole different attitude, and Alex Anzalone, too. He’s a pro.”
Bucs ILB Alex Anzalone – Picture by: Cliff Welch/PR
Former Bucs legend Rondé Barber agreed with Arians’ sentiment on a current addition of The Rondé Barber Present on the WFLA YouTube channel.
“Rueben Bain – he’s going to change the way things look here in Tampa,” Barber mentioned. “I think Alex Anzalone is a great addition. We need that type of player here, and I think he stood out just because of the way he plays games. He’s a professional.”
Arians was lucky sufficient to teach some actually nice expertise on the defensive aspect of the ball when he was Tampa Bay’s head coach. He noticed firsthand how Professional Bowl edge rushers like Jason Pierre-Paul and Shaq Barrett and defensive tackles like Ndamukong Suh and Vita Vea helped the Bucs beat the Chiefs in Tremendous Bowl LV.
When requested which defensive participant on the present Bucs roster he would love to teach if he had the chance, Arians mentioned the entire rattling protection.
“I’d love to have this defense that we have right now,” Arians mentioned. “If we can stay healthy at corner we’re going to do a lot of damage with that front seven. Trying to run the ball [against the Bucs] is going to be really hard.”
FAB 3. Two Attention-grabbing Nuggets About Rueben Bain Jr.
Since he fell to Tampa Bay with the No. 15 total decide within the 2026 NFL Draft, Bucs followers have been questioning the place precisely edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr. ranked on the staff’s draft board. Common supervisor Jason Licht was requested about that on draft evening on April 23 shortly after reveling in the truth that Bain was the Bucs’ first-round decide, however didn’t disclose how excessive the Miami All-American ranked.
“[We] felt very high,” Licht mentioned, who went on to clarify why Bain could have unexpectedly slipped down the board on draft evening. “It could possibly be a mix of the opposite groups, different wants. There have been some actually good soccer gamers that went in entrance of him. We had a quarterback that went after which we had some offensive linemen and it pushed him down a bit bit, and it goes to point out you that plenty of groups have plenty of wants and your board.
“You try to set it as best available player, but it always enters your mind when you have needs and we had him very high up on our board. Probably would’ve taken him a lot earlier.”
Pewter Report has realized that the Bucs really had Bain ranked because the No. 4 participant on their draft board. No, I don’t know which gamers Licht and Co. had ranked forward of Bain outdoors of Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza being ranked No. 1.
“We think very highly of him, obviously, we think he’s a great player,” Licht continued on draft evening. “There were very few scenarios where we thought he’d be there, but there [were] scenarios, and we’re very excited. [I] probably have never seen a more excited draft room.”
Drafting Bain was an absolute steal by the Bucs, and his acquisition modified the entire vibe in regards to the offseason throughout the Tampa Bay fan base.
Locked in. Snatches the hat with out breaking stride. Didn’t give a shit in regards to the posing mirror. Reloaded his arms like Henry Cavill in Mission Inconceivable
Kingpic.twitter.com/2ydKedAZkw
Not solely did Bain care much less about posing in entrance of the cameras behind the mirror on the NFL Draft, as an alternative snatching his Bucs hat with out breaking stride and motoring in direction of NFL commissioner Rodger Goodell, Bain additionally skipped the NFLPA Rookie Premiere. That’s an annual post-draft occasion the place choose rookies are chosen to fly to California to pose for publicity photos of their NFL uniforms.
The NFLPA selects a minimum of one rookie from every staff, and each Bain and huge receiver Ted Hurst have been chosen from Tampa Bay. Whereas Hurst attended, Bain declined the chance, telling the Bucs that having his image taken wouldn’t assist him be taught Todd Bowles or assist the Bucs win any video games. Members of the Bucs’ brass have been shocked – and delighted – to listen to that from their No. 1 decide.
That’s no knock on Hurst for attending the NFLPA Rookie Premiere. That’s only a signal of how little glitz and glam and notoriety imply to Bain.
He’s all enterprise, on a regular basis.
And Bain’s workplace is the soccer area.
FAB 4. Bruce Arians Handicaps The NFC South Division In 2026
Bruce Arians is aware of a factor or two in regards to the NFC South, as his 2020 and 2021 Tampa Bay groups swept each Carolina and Atlanta in these seasons en path to profitable Tremendous Bowl LV after which ending with a franchise-record 13 wins the next 12 months. Whereas Arians was 0-6 towards New Orleans within the common season because the Bucs head coach, he scored essentially the most monumental win over the Saints within the 2020 NFC Divisional playoffs in 2020.
The Bucs received at New Orleans, 30-20, in quarterback Drew Brees’ closing NFL recreation and superior to Inexperienced Bay for the NFC Championship Sport.
In a current look on the Pewter Report Podcast, Arians was requested how the NFC South stacked up heading into the 2026 season and the place he ranked the Bucs. Carolina, Tampa Bay and Atlanta ended up in a three-way tie at 8-9 with the Panthers profitable the division as a consequence of a tiebreaker regardless of shedding to the Bucs in Week 18, 16-14. New Orleans completed 6-10, however completed the season sturdy with wins at Tampa Bay and New Orleans, and truly swept the Panthers.
Bucs HC Todd Bowles and Panthers HC Dave Canales – Picture by: IMAGN Photographs – Bob Donnan
“I think Carolina has improved,” Arians mentioned, main off his dialogue with the reigning NFC South champion. “They’ve obtained plenty of confidence coming into this offseason they usually improved defensively and offensively. I feel Dave [Canales] and Harold Goodwin and people guys do a helluva job.
“I really like [Tyler] Shough, the quarterback in New Orleans and what they are doing down there. Defensively they still have a ways to go. The Falcons – who knows? They may have the most talented roster of everybody, and you’ve got to stop Bijan [Robinson] and Kyle Pitts.”
When requested in regards to the Bucs, Arians had this to say.
“To me the Bucs are still the team to beat,” Arians mentioned. “I’m saying over 10 wins if we stay healthy.”
There you will have it. A bounce-back season is on faucet for the Bucs, in line with Bruce Arians.
FAB 5. SR’s Buc Pictures
• Bucs huge receiver Ted Hurst isn’t the one newcomer producing plenty of buzz this offseason. Working again Kenneth Gainwell additionally turned loads of heads together with his receiving expertise and electrical playmaking skill in the course of the OTAs and the necessary mini-camp.
We’ve written and mentioned Gainwell fairly a bit right here at Pewter Report, and Rondé Barber additionally hyped him up on a current episode of The Rondé Barber Present on the WFLA YouTube channel.
Bucs RB Kenneth Gainwell – Picture by: Cliff Welch/PR
“The guy that is going to probably jump out the most I think once the preseason and training camp starts is Kenneth Gainwell,” Barber mentioned. “I knew what he was as a result of I watched plenty of Steelers [games] final 12 months. Kenneth Gainwell, man – be careful. Dude – be careful.
“Yes, we love Bucky, but we’ve got another version of that in a guy that was extremely productive in and out of the backfield – and I mean out of the backfield as in catching passes. The guy is impressive.”
See what else Barber needed to say, plus his interview with assistant basic supervisor Mike Greenberg, on the most recent Rondé Barber Present.
• Rondé Barber additionally famous how rookie tight finish Bauer Sharp, the staff’s sixth-round decide, has impressed the coaches and scouts in the course of the offseason.
“The one I keep hearing about a lot is this rookie tight end, this Bauer kid,” Barber mentioned. “He’s obtained some velocity. He’s actually athletic and he’s quick. We don’t have plenty of manufacturing aside from Cade Otton at tight finish. The opposite guys are blockers. So he provides a component that we actually haven’t had right here – two tight ends to have the ability to be move catchers.
“Bauer Sharp – think of him as like a faster Cam Brate. You guys remember how productive Cam Brate was. He led the league in touchdowns one year [from the tight end position]. If you get anything from that regard from him that would be unbelievable.”
Pewter Report’s Matt Matera and Bailey Adams additionally mentioned how nice Sharp has appeared this offseason on a current Pewter Report Podcast episode.
• And eventually, former Bucs head coach Bruce Arians shares my opinion that Tampa Bay’s receiving corps will be simply as profitable with out Mike Evans, who turns 33 this August. After 12 seasons of constructing a Corridor of Fame profession with the Bucs, Evans signed with the 49ers for much less cash in free company. The transfer caught most observers off guard, together with Arians.
“I was very surprised,” Arians mentioned on a current Pewter Report Podcast look. “I was almost shocked because I know how much he loves Tampa and how much it meant to him, and I know the offer we made. So there had to be some underlying thing that I don’t know was the reason, but it wasn’t money.”
As for the receiving corps, Arians famous that the Bucs are nonetheless loaded with expertise, together with Chris Godwin Jr., Emeka Egbuka, Jalen McMillan, Ted Hurst, Tez Johnson and others. And regardless that the passing recreation used to undergo No. 13, the truth that there is no such thing as a alpha receiver in Tampa Bay would possibly make it more durable for opposing defenses to key in on stopping a selected receiver as a result of any of the wideouts have the expertise to pop off with a landing or a 100-yard recreation in any week.
Bucs WRs Ted Hurst, Chris Godwin Jr., Emeka Egbuka, Jalen McMillan and Tez Johnson – Picture by: Cliff Welch/PR
Arians has plenty of religion in new offensive coordinator Zac Robinson, and famous that final 12 months’s rookie play-caller, Josh Grizzard, struggled down the stretch to get the ball to Evans outdoors of the Week 15 recreation at Atlanta.
“A little bit of our inexperience showed at coaching offensively in those situations, and I know Baker [Mayfield] felt he had to get Mike the ball,” Arians mentioned. “Every quarterback has a great receiver, and as a coach when you are scripting those plays and you’re scripting that first 15, [Evans] is getting two touches somehow. I think that hurt us a little bit last year, and I don’t think that will hurt us this year.”
