Bucs Mailbag: Mike Greenberg’s Future; Final Draft Questions

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Pewter Report’s Scott Reynolds answers your questions from the @PewterReport Twitter account this week in the Bucs Mailbag. Submit your question to the Bucs Mailbag each week via Twitter using the hashtag #PRMailbag. Here are the Bucs questions we chose to answer for this week’s edition.

QUESTION: On a recent Pewter Report Podcast I heard you mention that Mike Greenberg was promoted to assistant G.M. to try and retain him and leaving for another team. Do you ever see Jason Licht being appointed to the role of team president and Mike Greenberg being promoted to G.M.? It might be a matter of semantics but if those position changes keep the krewe together would it ever be a possibility?

Bucs GM Jason Licht and assistant GM Mike Greenberg – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

ANSWER: Well, technically, Mike Greenberg, the team’s capologist and chief strategist, was promoted to assistant general manager because he deserved the promotion and the accompanying raise that went with it. Bucs general manager Jason Licht did the same for personnel guru John Spytek. Those moves weren’t necessarily made to retain either Greenberg or Spytek. Instead, they were rewards for a job well done, as Tampa Bay won Super Bowl LV in 2020 and has won the NFC South division the last three years.

I too have thought about Licht, who is entering his 11th year as general manager for the franchise, moving up to a team president role and promoting Greenberg to general manager. Licht probably understands that Greenberg’s path to becoming a general manager in Tampa Bay would be far easier than it would elsewhere in the league. I think Spytek will ultimately get more play than Greenberg in the future for general manager positions around the league due to his extensive personnel background.

With Greenberg’s specialty being on the financial side with salary cap management, he’ll likely get less consideration as a result. Yet, Greenberg did get an interview for the vacant general manager job in Carolina in January, which was great experience for him, before the Panthers chose Dan Morgan for that role. Greenberg is entering his 15th season with the Bucs, while Spytek has been in Tampa Bay since 2016, so Greenberg has seniority when comparing the two worthy candidates.

If Licht would ever consider a team president role, the promotion of Greenberg to general manager makes a ton of sense. Greenberg has been an invaluable member of the organization when it comes to salary cap management, contract negotiations, draft preparation and long-term strategy and planning, and Licht was incredibly wise to retain him when he became the team’s G.M. in 2014. If another team would ultimately hire Greenberg away as its general manager, it would be disastrous to the Bucs organization, especially if Greenberg took Jackie Davidson, the team’s vice president of football research and Greenberg’s right-hand woman, with him. He’s just such a huge asset to the franchise.

QUESTION: How would you rank the Bucs’ positions of need before the draft? And which position is most likely getting picked in the first round?

Bucs head coach Todd Bowles and GM Jason Licht – Photo courtesy of the Buccaneers

ANSWER: In my opinion, the Bucs’ first-round pick has to play and be a starting-caliber player this year to justify the selection. The Bucs currently don’t have a starter at left guard, and that might be the most pressing need on the team. Yet Bucs general manager has typically found starting-caliber guards in the second round (Ali Marpet in 2015, Cody Mauch in 2023) or third round (Alex Cappa in 2018). So just because left guard might be the biggest need, it may or may not be addressed in the first round.

Finding another starting-caliber outside linebacker is also considered a big need. The Bucs released 31-year old veteran Shaq Barrett, and Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, Anthony Nelson and newcomer Randy Gregory are all in a contract year. Only YaYa Diaby, Markees Watts and Jose Ramirez are under contract in 2025 in the outside linebacker room. If the right edge rusher is there at the end of the first round, don’t be surprised to see the Bucs pull the trigger.

Finding an upgrade at center over Robert Hainsey is also on the team’s to-do list. If the right center candidate is there at No. 26, that certainly could be the first-round pick.

There are a couple of wild card selections that could also fit the bill at No. 26. Defensive tackle could be a consideration considering that Logan Hall has underwhelmed and he’s currently a starter in Todd Bowles’ 3-4 defensive front. Nickel cornerback is also a starting position, as Bowles plays nickel defense the majority of the time. And wide receiver could also be considered, as WR3 is a starting role in Liam Coen’s three-wide receiver sets.

QUESTION: What players, currently on the team, are not looking forward to the draft?

Bucs DT Logan Hall and OLB Joe Tryon-Shoyinka – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

ANSWER: The four players that initially come to mind are outside linebacker Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, center Robert Hainsey, defensive tackle Logan Hall and wide receiver Trey Palmer. Those players are probably hoping the Bucs don’t use a premium pick on their positions this year because each one is in a precarious situation entering the 2024 season.

Tryon-Shoyinka and Hainsey are part of the Bucs’ 2021 draft class. The team did not pick up Tryon-Shoyinka’s fifth-year option and he’s entering a big prove-it season. Tryon-Shoyinka lost his starting job to YaYa Diaby last year, but with Shaq Barrett’s departure, he’s hoping to win it back in training camp – unless the team drafts an outside linebacker on Day 1 or Day 2.

As for Hainsey, he’s entering a contract year and has been adequate-at-best as a center. The team has seen a noticeable drop off in play since he filled in for Ryan Jensen in 2022, especially in the run game because Hainsey lacks power in his lower body. The Bucs could draft a center as early as the first round, but Hainsey is hoping that the team waits until Day 3 to take a lesser prospect.

Hall has underwhelmed at defensive tackle despite being the team’s top pick in 2022. Todd Bowles can’t have enough stellar defensive tackles because stopping the run is paramount in his defense. Hall would be in jeopardy of being replaced if a defensive tackle is selected in the first, second or third round this year.

And finally, Palmer struggled with consistency last year during his rookie campaign and has not solidified the WR3 spot on the depth chart. As a sixth-round draft pick, there isn’t the onus on the team to thrust him into that role if he doesn’t deserve it. If the Bucs spend a premium pick on a wide receiver this year, it could mean that Palmer slides one spot down the depth chart.

QUESTION: How much of a priority is it to add to the receiving corps through the draft?

Western Kentucky WR Malachi Corley – Photo by: USA Today

ANSWER: I think it’s huge for the Bucs to add another wide receiver in this year’s draft for a multitude of reasons. First, it’s a deep draft at wide receiver, so Jason Licht should take advantage of that and play to the strength of the draft. Second, the Bucs could use another starting-caliber receiver because Liam Coen runs so many three-receiver sets rather than two-tight end sets. That means that WR3 is a starter more often than not.

The Bucs also need to have an eye on the future. Mike Evans returns for his 11th season in Tampa Bay, but will turn 31 in August and the team should draft his eventual replacement and have that receiver learn from the best offensive weapon in franchise history. Also, Chris Godwin is entering a critical contract year and will need to prove that he’s worth an extension in 2025 when he turns 29.

And finally, both Evans and Godwin played all 19 games last year and didn’t miss any time due to injury. That’s a rare occurrence that the Bucs can’t expect to happen again next year. If either starter goes down there will be a big drop in the passing game production, especially since Trey Palmer didn’t exactly lock down the WR3 role heading into the 2024 season.

I wouldn’t be surprised if the Bucs draft a wide receiver in the first round if the right one is there. And using one of the team’s three Day 2 picks on a receiver also seems reasonable. Licht has also doubled up on drafting receivers in the same year before and I wouldn’t be surprised if he selects one on Day 2 and Day 3 this year to bolster the receiver room.

QUESTION: Do you guys think if one of the top shelf D-linemen are still there at No. 26 like Byron Murphy II or Johnny Newton – even if it’s not a major need – that it would be too good of a value to pass up for Jason Licht and Todd Bowles?

Texas DT Byron Murphy II – Photo by: USA Today

ANSWER: Yes. The Bucs should draft the best player available at No. 26. And if either Texas defensive tackle Byron Murphy II or Illinois defensive tackle Jer’Zahn “Johnny” Newton is there when Tampa Bay is on the clock the team should pull the trigger.

Both Murphy and Newton are widely regarded as mid-first-round picks, so the value in selecting either one would certainly be there. Murphy was in for a Top 30 visit, and the guess is that the Bucs have also had in-person conversations with Newton, who hails from St. Petersburg.

I outlined the reasoning as to why the Bucs are scouting the defensive tackle position so hard this year in my SR’s Fab 5 column last Friday. Basically, it’s a relatively deep position this year in terms of talent, especially through the fourth or fifth round. But given the fact that Vita Vea is 29 and has missed a total of seven games over the last two seasons, and Calijah Kancey essentially missed four games last year, the Bucs could use another starting-caliber defensive tackle.

Internally, the Bucs feel like they missed on defensive tackle Logan Hall, who was the team’s top pick at No. 33 overall in 2022. Kancey was drafted the next year to make up for that mistake. And it’s a big year for Hall to prove to the organization that he actually can develop into a star player and be a part of the team’s long-term plans. But Tampa Bay can’t count on that happening as Hall has been slow to develop, so drafting another defensive tackle with a premium pick makes sense. Stopping the run is paramount in Todd Bowles’ defense.

QUESTION: Will this week’s NFL Draft be a horror flick or have a sappy happy ending for the Bucs?

Bucs general manager Jason Licht – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

ANSWER: That’s a great question, and one I’m not equipped to answer because I don’t have a crystal ball. Bucs general manager Jason Licht has earned the reputation for being very good at drafting players. He’s learned from his mistakes, such as the 2016 draft, which featured Vernon Hargreaves III, Noah Spence and Roberto Aguayo, in addition to the 2021 draft with Joe Tryon-Shoyinka and Kyle Trask.

Despite Logan Hall not living up to expectations yet, the Bucs’ 2022 and 2023 drafts seem to be quite good with both draft classes producing a total of nine other starters. So if you believe in recency bias, Licht appears to be on a roll and could be in line for yet another solid draft haul this week.

But picking No. 26 presents its challenges. Licht and the Bucs will have to let the draft come to them, and won’t know which players will be available for the first few hours on Thursday night. Licht has done far better picking inside the Top 20 (Tristan Wirfs at No. 13 in 2020, and Calijah Kancey at No. 19 in 2023) than he has outside the Top 20 (Tryon-Shoyinka, No. 32 in 2021 and Hall at No. 33 in 2022). Hopefully the Bucs will avoid the horror show and a sappy happy ending is in store for Tampa Bay.

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