Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Projected offensive depth chart for 2019
Running Back
Peyton Barber, Ronald Jones II, Andre Ellington
Based on last season and his current work with the first-team offense during training camp, it’s likely that Barber will open the season as the starting running back. Last season, he rushed for 871 yards and five touchdowns over 16 starts. Not bad, but Arians would like more production out of his top running back.
So far, the reports out of camp have been encouraging, though. Time will tell if his fourth season will bring his first 1,000-yard campaign.
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After being taken at the top of the second round in last year’s draft, Jones was a disappointment, to say the least. He was supposed to take over the starting back role at some point last year, but after dealing with a couple of minor injuries and being in former head coach Dirk Koetter’s doghouse for a while, his rookie season never took off.
Arians and Licht hope he can rediscover the form that made him a high second-rounder. Ellington is back in the league after a year away. He has a ton of experience in Arians’ offense and will likely replace Jacquizz Rodgers as the third-down back due to his receiving ability.
Wide Receivers
Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Breshad Perriman, Justin Watson, Scotty Miller, Anthony Johnson
Evans is arguably the best player on the roster. He’s started his career with five-straight 1,000-yard seasons and is coming off his second Pro Bowl nod. He caught 86 balls for 1,524 yards and eight touchdowns. He’s entering the prime of his career and is a top 10 receiver in the NFL. Winston trusts him completely, and will often look for him when in trouble. Look for Evans to continue his 1,000-yard season streak in 2019.
Third-year man Chris Godwin is looking to break out into stardom this season. He had a strong sophomore season, amassing 59 catches for 842 yards and seven touchdowns as he took over the No. 2 receiver spot from veteran DeSean Jackson. His emergence is one of the reasons why Licht felt comfortable enough to deal Jackson to the Eagles before the draft. As long as this upward trend continues, Godwin could very well log his first 1,000-yard season.
Perriman was brought in to serve as the third receiver and nominal deep threat following a resurgent season with the Browns last year. The hope is that he can at least mostly fill Jackson’s role from the past couple seasons.
Behind him are three young receivers: second-year man Watson and rookies Miller and Johnson. If anyone could make a big rise up the depth chart, it’s Johnson. Although he was an undrafted free agent find, he consistently broke records during his time at the University of Buffalo. He should be able to sneak onto the roster as the sixth receiver.