Buccaneers Preseason: Players to Watch vs. Cincinnati

Which players and positions will be worth monitoring when the Buccaneers kick off their preseason against the Bengals?

Photo: Joe Tryon; Credit: Buccaneers.com

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will play their first preseason game of the 2021 campaign on Saturday, at home against the Cincinnati Bengals at 7:30 P.M.

Amid a gruelingly hot training camp that has featured a lot of ups and some downs across all three units, one thing has become clear: The Buccaneers own a pretty loaded roster. That was expected, of course - Tampa Bay returned all 22 starters from its Super Bowl run and added a lot of talent through the 2021 NFL Draft. 

That being said, the roster can only fit so many players come cutdowns by the end of August, and not every talented member of the team will make the final 53. Therefore, analyzing the preseason has never been more important in Tampa Bay. 

Below, we've listed a handful of players and positions that will be worth monitoring in the Bucs' first preseason game. It's tough to expect starters playing too much in the first matchup of the preseason, so we're maily keeping our eyes on Tampa Bay's depth to see who makes a case to stick around, and who could be on their way out.

Edge rusher Joe Tryon

Ask anyone in or around Buccaneers training camp, and they'll tell you they've been impressed by first-round edge rusher Joe Tryon. Despite taking a year away from the field to train for the draft, Tryon looks as though he never missed a beat, handling even Tampa Bay's starting offensive tackles and creating pressure with a mix of speed and strength.

RELATED: Joe Tryon is "going be the difference maker" 

Now, it's time to see what Tryon can do against the opposition instead of against his teammates.

Head coach Bruce Arians suggested that healthy starters will play in the first preseason game of the year, so it will be interesting to see how much action Tryon gets with the first team. There is a chance he will come onto the field in sub packages with the starters, but it wouldn't be a surprise to see Tryon get most of his action once depth players begin to roll onto the field.

Quarterbacks Blaine Gabbert and Ryan Griffin

Tom Brady's job, obviously, is as safe as it gets. So is second-round rookie quarterback Kyle Trask's.

Who will be wedged between the two on the depth chart once the regular season begins, though? The preseason will give us the answer.

Blaine Gabbert and Ryan Griffin are in a competition for that role, as the immediate backup to Brady as Trask will continue to be developed slowly throughout the year. Both signal-callers have looked the part throughout training camp and offseason activities, but there is only room for one as Tampa Bay won't carry four quarterbacks into the season.

Gabbert was the Bucs' No. 2 QB last year and held the role down well in limited playing time. On top of that, both passers signed one-year contract extensions this offseason with Gabbert's deal being worth more than Griffin's. The writing might be on the wall, but Griffin has three game opportunities this August to erase it.

Tight end O.J. Howard

O.J. Howard was listed as a first-team tight end in 12-personnel on the Buccaneers' first unofficial depth chart of the year, despite his recent return to practice after missing the majority of the 2020 season with an injury.

It's hard to imagine the Bucs will force the ball Howard's way too often or make his workload grueling as he continues to get back to football speed. That being said, with fellow tight end Cameron Brate recently returning from injury as well, someone will need to make an impact once Rob Gronkowski's playing time is maxed out in preseason week one.

If Howard feels as though his game is close to, or back at 100 percent, he should be utilized. Howard was beginning to put together what looked to be a career year in 2020, and it's important to find out if he can get back to that level of play in 2021 as it is the final year on his contract. It all starts on Saturday night.

Defensive back Ross Cockrell

The star of training camp thus far, Cockrell has been a ball-hawk in practice and proven his worth by rotating between positions when depth was needed. Entering his first full season with the Bucs, the preseason should give us a glimpse as to how comfortable he is within the defensive scheme, if camp hasn't done that already.

With cornerbacks Carlton Davis III, Sean Murphy-Bunting and Jamel Dean, as well as safety Jordan Whitehead entering big seasons in regards to their future with the team (Davis and Whitehead are in year four of their rookie contracts; Murphy-Bunting and Dean will be eligible for extensions in the offseason), it's unlikely that Cockrell will unseat anyone as a starter. However, if he keeps picking off passes and holding down numerous roles, Tampa Bay may not have a choice but to start him should any other starter struggle.

The wide receiver depth

It's safe to say Chris Godwin, Mike Evans and Antonio Brown are locked into their roles in 11-personnel, and that all three will serve as a top target for Brady this year. But who will occupy the next three spots on the wide receiver depth chart? 

Scotty Miller, Tyler Johnson, rookie Jaelon Darden, Travis Jonsen, Jaydon Mickens, T.J. Simmons, Josh Pearson, and Cyril Grayson are all in contention for a depth role in the Bucs passing attack. Although Miller, Johnson, and Darden are considered favorites to make the roster, Arians has indicated that he'd like to see more from the two veterans of the three, which keeps the competition brewing into the preseason.

Of course, special teams prowess will be a big factor in this battle, and Miller, Darden, and Mickens can return kicks and punts. In addition to watching these pass-catchers catch passes, contributions as returners and coverage men will be equally important to monitor. 

Stay tuned to AllBucs for further coverage of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' preseason updates, and other news and analysis. Follow along on social media at @SIBuccaneers on Twitter and Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sports Illustrated on Facebook.