Browns DE Myles Garrett – Photo by: USA Today

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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.

What number will Myles Garrett wear when he arrives in Tampa Bay?

Browns DE Myles Garrett and Bucs QB Baker Mayfield – Photo by: USA Today

ANSWER: Well, to answer your question, reserve defensive tackle C.J. Brewer is currently wearing No. 95 and there’s no guarantee he will make the 53-man roster in 2025. Still, with as much money as Myles Garrett makes, he could obviously buy the number off Brewer if he were to land in Tampa Bay, right?

But the Bucs likely won’t be trading for Garrett despite the need for an elite edge rusher. I addressed the reasons why I’m very skeptical of general manager Jason Licht pulling the trigger on a blockbuster trade in Friday’s SR’s Fab 5 column. The biggest reason why is that it would likely take at least two first-round picks to acquire Garrett.

The biggest trade that Licht has made in 11 years as G.M. is trading for New York Giants edge rusher Jason Pierre-Paul in 2018, but that only took a third-rounder. I just don’t see this happening as Licht highly values his draft picks, and why wouldn’t he? Tampa Bay has done a phenomenal job of drafting in recent years. Plus, Cincinnati’s Trey Hendrickson could be available for less compensation, and if Licht were going to trade for an alpha edge rusher, I think it would be him.

One aspect I didn’t even address in my SR’s Fab 5 column is if the Browns can even trade Garrett. Cleveland is in salary cap hell with the team being $30 million over the cap as of right now. Trading Garrett would cause an acceleration of $36,216,220 worth of dead cap money that the team simply cannot afford. Garrett only accounts for $19,722,120 worth of cap space in 2025, so he might have to stay in Cleveland. The Browns are far better off with Garrett and a $19.7 million cap hit instead of taking a $36.2 million cap hit and not having the league’s best pass rusher.

Thoughts on the hire of Charlie Strong? Obviously, a lot of coaching experience. What do you think he can bring to the D-Line room?

Bucs DL Coach Charlie Strong – Photo by: USA Today

ANSWER: I simply don’t know. Charlie Strong has a lot of experience coaching defense for sure. He’s been a defensive coordinator in three stops in college at South Carolina (1999-2002), Florida (2003-09) and Miami (2022). Strong was also a head coach at Louisville (2010-13), Texas (2014-16) and USF (2017-19), but did not have much success with the Longhorns (16-21) and the Bulls (21-16). He was fired after USF finished 4-8 in 2019.

At age 64, he’s three years older than head coach Todd Bowles. Strong has only coached one year in the NFL, which was as assistant head coach and inside linebackers coach in Jacksonville in 2021 under Urban Meyer. Strong’s last coaching job was at Alabama as a defensive analyst in 2023 and he was out of coaching last year.

Curiously, Strong has coached inside linebackers far more than he has the defensive line throughout his coaching career. He coached defensive ends at Florida, including All-American Kevin Carter, from 1991-93 and coached defensive tackles for the Gators in 1994. He then coached the defensive line at Notre Dame from 1995-98. But over the past 20-plus years, it’s mostly been linebackers when Strong has been responsible for coaching one position group.

We’ll see how Strong fares as Kacy Rodgers’ replacement. I’m certainly willing to give him the benefit of the doubt and the chance to prove himself before any critiques. His job is certainly made easier with Pro Bowler Vita Vea and Calijah Kancey atop the depth chart at defensive tackle, along with Logan Hall showing improvement and entering a contract year.

QUESTION: Will the Bucs stay on brand with long, press man cornerbacks, or will they go more zone cornerbacks like they did with Bryce Hall? Do y’all feel the way that I do – that this will be the new normal?

Former Bucs CB Carlton Davis III and CB Jamel Dean – Photo by: USA Today

ANSWER: I don’t think so. I believe Todd Bowles values cornerbacks who can play press man, especially with how much he plays Cover 3, which is zone, but does have some man-to-man concepts when covering vertical routes down the field. I wish Bowles would call on his cornerbacks to press more at the line of scrimmage and actually play more man.

I don’t see Bowles and the Bucs shying away from drafting tall cornerbacks. Since selecting 6-foot-1 cornerback Carlton Davis III in the second round of the 2018 draft, Tampa Bay has drafted Sean Murphy-Bunting (6-0), Jamel Dean (6-1), Chris Wilcox (6-2), Zyon McCollum (6-2) and Josh Hayes (6-0). That’s six cornerbacks who are 6-foot or taller.

This is an average draft class for cornerbacks, but I would expect the Bucs to select one this year. Tampa Bay might part ways with Dean, an oft-injured starter who could save the team nearly $8.3 million. But they might need to find a starter in free agency as outside of maybe Texas’ Jahdae Barron, I’m not sure the team will be able to find a starting-caliber cornerback with the No. 19 overall pick.

QUESTION: They say you can’t grade a draft until three years have passed. Can you grade the Bucs 2022 draft players in that class?

Bucs RT Luke Goedeke and RB Rachaad White – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

ANSWER: I would say that Tampa Bay’s 2022 draft class is solid. Bucs general manager Jason Licht traded out of the first round and selected defensive tackle Logan Hall with the 33rd overall pick at the top of the second round. Hall was a reserve the first two seasons and didn’t show much promise initially, which prompted Licht to draft Calijah Kancey in the first round in 2023.

But Hall showed some signs of life in year three. He had a career-high 5.5 sacks and really improved as a pass rusher. Hall ended the season with a bang with seven tackles in the playoff loss to Washington. He should be highly motivated to play even better in a contract year.

Right tackle Luke Goedeke, who was also selected in the second round, has been the best player in Tampa Bay’s 2022 draft class. He’s become one of the best right tackles in the league and he should get a sizable contract extension this offseason as he enters a contract year.

Rachaad White, the Bucs’ third-round pick, has been a really solid selection. White is one of the best third-down backs in the league, and up until Bucky Irving, he was Licht’s best running back draft pick.

Bucs TE Cade Otton – Photo by: USA Today

Tight end Cade Otton has proven to be a very valuable Day 3 pick in the fourth round. He’s developed into one of the better tight ends because Otton has become much improved as a blocker. Fellow fourth-round pick Jake Camarda was the starting punter for two years but was released this season after becoming very inconsistent.

Cornerback Zyon McCollum has been a stellar fifth-round pick for Tampa Bay. He’s developed into a starting-caliber cornerback and has the chance to be a star with more consistency and more interceptions.

Sixth-round pick Ko Kieft is a blocking tight end and special teams contributor, and outside linebacker Andre Anthony, a seventh-round pick didn’t make the team. Goedeke, Otton and McCollum are locks to get contract extensions, and we’ll see what the future holds for Hall and White. Overall, this was a very good draft haul for Licht and head coach Todd Bowles.

QUESTION: Curious as to what to expect for draft season with John Spytek gone?

Bucs directors of player personnel Rob McCartney and Mike Biehl – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

ANSWER: John Spytek has been a very valuable member of the Bucs’ front office since 2016. Now he’s off to Las Vegas as the Raiders’ new general manager. It’s a well-deserved opportunity and I expect Spytek to help turn that organization around with new head coach Pete Carroll, who will build a winning culture in Vegas.

The good news for Bucs general manager Jason Licht is that he has a very deep and talented roster of scouts. Directors of personnel Mike Biehl and Rob McCartney will have even more influence now. Biehl has been running Tampa Bay’s drafts for over a decade, while McCartney also helps scout even though he works on the pro side with free agency.

Director of pro scouting Shane Scannell has been with the organization for 10 years. He’s a rising star and even though he works primarily with McCartney on free agents, Scannell was at the Senior Bowl and he’ll be at the NFL Scouting Combine lending a hand, too.

Senior personnel executive Byron Kiefer has worked as a college scout for the past 20 years. He’s Biehl’s right-hand man when it comes to the draft, and Andy Speyer has been the team’s national scout for the past 11 years.

Licht also has plenty of help from assistant director of college scouting Tony Hardie, national scout Antwon Murray and college scouts Brian McLaughlin, Cesar Rivera, Zach Smith and Emmett Clifford and NFS/Combine scout Korey Finnie. Not to take anything away from him, but I don’t think the Bucs will miss a beat in the draft with Spytek gone.