Three Questions Before Tampa Bay Buccaneers Mandatory Minicamp in 2024

Here's what we'll be looking out for as Mandatory Minicamp begins.

Aug 3, 2023; Tampa Bay, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs (78) gives a press conference after training camp at AdventHealth Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports / Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

Mandatory minicamp kicked off for most teams last week, but the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are set to get started this week. A lot of players showed up for OTAs the past few weeks, but mandatory minicamp is one step closer to the beginning of the season.

It's mandatory, for starters (in theory, at least), so attendance is expected to be better than it was at OTAs. And while the team continues to get acclimated to the Florida heat and install a brand new offense, there are three questions we came up with that we'd like to see answered before it officially kicks off in front of media from Tuesday-Thursday involving Tampa's star left tackle, a competition om the offensive line and more:

Will everyone be there (and will everyone participate)?

It isn't always a bad thing when veterans don't come to mandatory minicamp. For instance, Jaguars HC Doug Pederson told reporters that his mandatory minicamp will be similar to OTAs and that veteran players could be excused. And while that's a possibility for the Bucs, there's really one man everyone will be watching when mandatory minicamp begins — and that's LT Tristan Wirfs.

Wirfs reportedly held out during OTAs (as much as a veteran could, anyway) due to his need for a new contract, and it was also reported that Wirfs plans on attending mandatory minicamp. How much he will participate remains to be seen, however. If he truly does want that contract now, he could "hold in" and show up but not do drills. Given how other players in his situation have handled this, that seems unlikely, but we'll see how it goes soon enough.

READ MORE: PFF Praises Buccaneers For Re-Signing Core Players, Addressing Needs in Draft

Who will get the most reps at left guard?

Tampa Bay's left guard spot is open, and the competition is well underway. And while the team will likely want to see how the guards play with pads on once training camp comes around, it will still be interesting to see who is currently "leading" in the last stage before training camp.

The competition looks to be between two former NFC East guards, with former Philadelphia Eagle Sua Opeta going up against former New York Giant Ben Bredeson. In the three days that media was allowed to watch OTAs, Bredeson was with the first line twice while Opeta was with the first line once. It will be interesting to note which of the two will have more starts on the first line in the three days media are permitted to watch mandatory minicamp.

READ MORE: WATCH: Rookie WR Jalen McMillan Flaunts Route Running Skills During Buccaneers OTAs

How fluid will the offense look?

Liam Coen's offensive install is, well, still being installed, but it will be fun to take a look at what the offense is doing in mandatory minicamp.

So far throughout rookie minicamp and OTAs, it seems to be slowly progressing. While we can't report on exact formations and personnel, the use of motion is becoming more common and it seems like the team is getting more comfortable in running some more complex plays as the offseason goes on. Keeping an eye on how the offense operates in general will be a good idea, as it could show just how well the install is going and how smooth the operation looks before training camp begins.

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