Bucs To Watch In Preseason Week 3: Defense

After evening their preseason record with a 13-6 road win over the Jets last weekend, the Bucs return to the Raymond James Stadium Saturday night for their preseason finale. The Ravens — fresh off their first exhibition loss since 2015 (snapping a 24-game win streak) — will be in town for Tampa Bay’s last tune-up before Week 1.

With this being the final preseason game, cuts are due to be made in the days that follow. That means this is the last chance for some players on the bubble to make their cases to stick on the 53-man roster.

With that in mind, here is one Buc to watch at each position when the Bucs host the Ravens in Saturday night’s preseason finale. After a look at the offensive side of the ball, let’s finish with the defense and special teams.

Defensive Line: Mike Greene

Greene has quietly been one of the Bucs’ better defensive linemen through the first two preseason games. With Vita Vea and Calijah Kancey not playing and Greg Gaines and Logan Hall playing limited snaps, the team’s depth defensive linemen have gotten some significant reps in the first two weeks.

Greene, an undrafted free agent out of James Madison last year, has been someone who has made the most of those reps. Pro Football Focus credited him with a sack against the Steelers in the preseason opener, then he actually improved upon his overall PFF grade last week against the Jets.

Against Pittsburgh, Greene received a 66.4 overall grade, with 63.9 run defense, 67.3 tackling and 62.6 pass rushing marks. In the win over New York, the 6-foot-3, 293-pounder posted a 72.4 overall grade, with 60.7 run defense, 66.8 tackling and 74.1 pass rush marks.

The Bucs have liked what they’ve seen out of Greene in the last couple of years, and he may just have a chance to force his way onto the team’s 53-man roster out of camp. He’s more likely destined for the practice squad, but another strong night against the Ravens could give the Bucs something to think about.

Outside Linebacker: Cam Gill

Gill made a triumphant return to the field in the preseason opener two weeks ago, totaling 1.5 sacks in his first game since suffering a season-ending foot injury 363 days prior. But the Bucs are stacked at outside linebacker right now, and there’s a reason Todd Bowles said that position may be one of the toughest when it comes to making cuts for the 53-man roster. Shaq Barrett, Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, Anthony Nelson and Yaya Diaby are locks. The fifth spot is up for grabs.

Rookie Markees Watts looks to be leading the way for that OLB5 role. But as Pewter Report’s Scott Reynolds noted in his 53-man roster projection, Watts will need to prove reliable on special teams in order to beat out Gill, sixth-round pick Jose Ramirez, Charles Snowden and Hamilcar Rashed. Gill, for his part, might need to make a good final impression with a strong game against Baltimore. Otherwise, he risks losing out on a roster spot to Watts, who has flashed and been downright unblockable at times during the first two preseason games.

Inside Linebacker: J.J. Russell

There wasn’t much talk about Russell all summer, and there wasn’t much reason that he should’ve been talked about. It seemed clear that his time in Tampa as a depth inside linebacker could soon be over after the team drafted SirVocea Dennis and signed a promising undrafted free agent in Jeremy Banks.

But Banks was cut before training camp, Dennis underwhelmed in his preseason debut before missing the second exhibition and the starting linebackers have been rested over the last two games. That has left Russell with a chance to make plays.

Russell came up with an interception against the Steelers and forced a fumble against the Jets, two splash plays that sparked Tampa Bay. Turnovers have been hard to come by for the Bucs defense, but Russell has been forcing them in preseason play.

His 89.6 and 94.2 overall grades from PFF in the first two preseason games have made him one of the team’s top performers. He still faces long odds to make the roster, as he’ll likely need the team to carry five inside linebackers. That’s a possibility, or he could force his way in over K.J. Britt with another dazzling performance on defense and special teams this Saturday. Britt may miss the preseason finale with a hamstring injury.

Cornerback: Keenan Isaac

Isaac very well might be in position to make the Bucs’ 53-man roster, but he’ll need to solidify his spot on Saturday night. The 6-foot-2 cornerback who was an undrafted free agent out of Alabama State had a very underwhelming debut against the Steelers two weeks ago. He posted a 48.3 PFF grade, with a run defense grade of 32.5 and a tackling mark of 25.5. Three missed tackles were the glaring issue, though he posted a not-so-bad coverage grade of 55.8.

Isaac bounced back last week against the Jets with a much better performance. His 78.9 overall grade — with 68.8 run defense, 79.9 tackling and 78.7 coverage marks — was third-best among Bucs defenders who played more than 20 snaps. He’s likely needing to fend off veteran Anthony Chesley and sixth-round pick Josh Hayes for a roster spot, but his raw talent may give him the edge in the eyes of Todd Bowles and the coaching staff.

Safety: Nolan Turner

Turner had a nice training camp and preseason last year, and he was off to a good start in camp again this year. The 2022 undrafted free agent had an interception and several pass breakups in the early days, but he has been less impressive during preseason play. He was all-around poor against Pittsburgh before a slightly better — but still not great — night against New York last week.

The former Clemson Tiger is firmly on the roster bubble. Kaevon Merriweather and Chris Izien are far more likely to take the final two spots at safety behind Antoine Winfield Jr. and Ryan Neal. Turner is likely a practice squad option at this point, but if he shows up against the Ravens and proves more valuable on special teams than Merriweather, maybe he can still sneak his way onto the final roster.

Kicker: Chase McLaughlin

There’s only one kicker to watch now. The Bucs waived Rodrigo Blankenship this week, leaving McLaughlin as the winner of the team’s kicking competition. The veteran went 2-of-2 on extra points in the preseason opener, then finished 1-of-1 on PATs against the Jets in addition to hitting a 48-yard field goal. Blankenship missing from 55 and 32 yards last weekend made things pretty clear at the kicking position for Tampa Bay.

Punter: Jake Camarda

Camarda has put together an uneven preseason. He had a 61-yard punt against Pittsburgh, but also had kicks of just 36 and 40 yards. In the win over New York, he booted another 61-yarder, but he also had a 28-yarder. The second-year punter has exceptional potential, but whether he reaches that potential and becomes a possible Pro Bowler will depend on his consistency.

Kick Returner/Punt Returner: Trey Palmer

Deven Thompkins is likely still the favorite to be the Bucs’ return man, but there’s no denying the excitement that Palmer could provide if he’s inserted in that role. His elite speed would make him an especially intriguing option for the kick return job. It remains to be seen whether Tampa Bay wants to use him heavily in the return game, though. With Russell Gage’s injury, Palmer is likely set to be the team’s WR3, so it may be wise to keep him out of harm’s way as much as possible.