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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: Should we be worried so many interceptions are being thrown by the quarterbacks or thrilled that the defense is becoming opportunistic?

Bucs QB Baker Mayfield – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

ANSWER: I wouldn’t be worried about the number of interceptions in Bucs training camp thus far given the fact that the defense only came away with 13 interceptions in 2023 and just 10 the year before. Tampa Bay’s defense has to come away with more picks this year and it has been a big point of emphasis this offseason. Pewter Report’s unofficial tally has the defense coming away with 14 picks through the first nine training camp practices, which should delight head coach and defensive play-caller Todd Bowles.

“Depending on which side of the fence I’m playing that day… If I’m on the defensive side, that’s great,” Bowles said after practice on August 2. “If I’m on the offensive side, we never want turnovers. It’s a time to experiment and try things out and get your reads down, so it’s not a problem at this time, but we know we can’t have them in the game.”

The good news for Bowles and offensive coordinator Liam Coen is that starter Baker Mayfield has only thrown five of those interceptions. Given that he’s no longer in a quarterback competition like last year, Mayfield has been taking the lion’s share of reps in training camp, so that’s a relatively low number given the number of passes he’s thrown. Backups Kyle Trask (three) and John Wolford (six) have combined to toss nine picks in camp thus far.

And every interception has a different tale. Mayfield’s first pick came on a scripted Hail Mary pass to end that period. Safety Jordan Whitehead came down with that INT. Mayfield’s second interception came off a pass that was tipped by linebacker Lavonte David with cornerback Jamel Dean coming down with the deflection.

Then Mayfield’s third pick of camp came on a pass that was thrown to an area of the field where there wasn’t a receiver within 10-15 yards of the errant toss. It was an obvious miscommunication between Mayfield and the receiver and cornerback Zyon McCollum came down with his lone pick in camp as a result. So Mayfield has really only thrown two picks that would be deemed worrisome, and that’s quite an acceptable number given the hundreds of passes attempted in camp through the first nine days.

QUESTION: We know K.J. Britt can play the run, but how has he looked in pass coverage?

Bucs ILBs KJ Britt and JJ Russell – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

ANSWER: Bucs inside linebacker K.J. Britt is known for his ability to stuff the run in between the tackles, but he has worked hard on his pass coverage drops this offseason. That’s been apparent in training camp and it’s shown with some good coverage at times in practice. There have been instances where he’s raced to the flat to stop running back Bucky Irving and others for minimal or no gain. But there have also been times when Britt is a bit slow to diagnose and react in coverage and his lack of elite footspeed shows.

When Britt identifies the pass play quickly he has enough speed to put himself in position to cover the tight end or the running back. But he isn’t the elite athlete that Devin White is and doesn’t have the make-up speed if he doesn’t diagnose the play quickly enough. The guess here is that the Bucs’ head coach and defensive play-caller will give Britt the benefit of the doubt on third downs early in the season and make him an every-down Mike linebacker – unless Britt really struggles in coverage in the preseason.

Second-year inside linebacker SirVocea Dennis is more adept at pass coverage and had several interceptions in training camp last year, and has a pick-six in this year’s camp, too. Dennis is also a great blitzer and had 15 sacks in his career at the University of Pittsburgh. I could see Bowles platooning Britt and Dennis the way he did with Britt and White at the end of last year. After White lost his starting job to Britt he would come in on third-and-long situations or obvious passing downs to blitz or cover. That might be Dennis’ role this year if Britt gets exposed in coverage.

QUESTION: Recent years have shown the Bucs are pretty decent at finding undrafted free agents. So far which ones have the best chance of making the 53-man roster or priority practice squad? I’ve heard good things about a couple of the cornerbacks, wide receivers, and the linebacker Kalen DeLoach.

Bucs ILB Kalen DeLoach – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

ANSWER: Bucs rookie inside linebacker Kalen DeLoach, an undrafted free agent out of Florida State, has impressed in training camp so far and has a pretty decent chance of making the 53-man roster depending on how he fares on special teams. With Lavonte David, K.J. Britt and SirVocea Dennis each locks to make the team, Britt is battling J.J. Russell, Vi Jones and fellow undrafted free agent Antonio Grier Jr. for the fourth spot on the depth chart – unless Tampa Bay decides to keep five inside linebackers. DeLoach has taken some first-team reps when David has had a veteran rest day and has shined as a blitzer.

Rookie wide receiver Kameron Johnson, an undrafted free agent from Barton College, flashed in camp before an injury sidelined him for the last two practices. Johnson is fast, quick and athletic, and he’s a legitimate contender for the WR5 or WR6 spots on the depth chart – depending on how many receivers the Bucs keep. He’s also in contention for the role of kick and punt returner as well.

Cornerback Tyrek Funderburk has looked good in training camp following a nice showing in the offseason OTAs and mandatory mini-camp. The undrafted free agent from Appalachian State has a chance to make the 53-man roster as CB5 behind Jamel Dean, Zyon McCollum, Bryce Hall and special teams gunner Josh Hayes. Funderburk’s primary competition is Keenan Isaac, who was on the practice squad last year.

Those are the three undrafted free agents that have shined the most during the first nine Bucs training camp practices. We’ll see who steps up as the preseason games begin and Tampa Bay holds joint practice sessions with both Jacksonville and Miami in the coming weeks.

QUESTION: Might Todd Bowles be on the hot seat this season?

Bucs LT Tristan Wirfs and HC Todd Bowles – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

ANSWER: I don’t think Todd Bowles starts the 2024 season on the hot seat. And even if the team underwhelms at the start of the regular season I think he’ll be given some grace and leeway by the organization to turn things around like he did a year ago.

After a hot, 3-1 start the Bucs lost six of seven games and were 4-7 in late November before winning five of their last six games to finish 9-8. Bowles’ steady hand and calming presence played a big role in that as the Bucs were a very young team last year and had to go through some midseason growing pains.

But bigger expectations can lead to bigger disappointment if those expectations are not met. The team is focusing on the Bucs’ strong finish last year rather than Bowles’ regular season record of 17-17, and the fact that he’s got a 1-2 mark in the postseason as head coach. The Glazers and general manager Jason Licht have shelled out hundreds of millions of dollars in contract extensions this offseason to quarterback Baker Mayfield, wide receiver Mike Evans, linebacker Lavonte David and also made free safety Antoine Winfield Jr. and left tackle Tristan Wirfs the highest-paid players in the NFL at their respective positions. Taking the next step and getting to double-digit wins is the expectation this year.

It helps that Bowles won back-to-back division titles with two very different Bucs teams. The 2022 squad led by 45-year-old Tom Brady was one of the oldest teams in the NFL. After purging a lot of aging players from that roster, the 2023 Bucs suddenly became one of the youngest teams in the league. That’s quite a remarkable accomplishment that doesn’t get highlighted enough.

As long as Todd Bowles keeps showing progress – and keeps winning division championships – his job security will be on the rise.

QUESTION: Who are the Bucs next two outside corners after Jamel Dean and Zyon McCollum? And what is Pewter Report’s slot corner depth chart projection between Tavierre Thomas, Christian Izien, and Tykee Smith?

Bucs CB Zyon McCollum and DB Tykee Smith – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

ANSWER: As it stands right now, newcomer Bryce Hall is the No. 3 cornerback behind starters Jamel Dean and Zyon McCollum given his experience with the New York Jets. Josh Hayes, who was one of the best gunners in the NFL last year during his rookie season, is probably CB4 based on his knowledge of Todd Bowles’ defensive scheme. Yet undrafted free agents Tyrek Funderburk and Keenan Isaac have had their moments, too.

And I wonder if Tavierre Thomas, who is mainly used as a nickelback and a reserve safety, gets a shot at outside cornerback in a pinch due to his experience and playmaking ability. The former Houston Texan leads the Bucs in camp with three interceptions and he’s a tough, physical tackler.

At nickelback, rookie Tykee Smith, the team’s third-round pick, is in line to start. Todd Bowles wants a more consistent playmaker in the slot this year. Christian Izien started his rookie season hot last year with back-to-back interceptions in the first two weeks but then didn’t record an interception over the next 17 games, including the playoffs. Izien has struggled in coverage in camp and seems destined to be the backup at free safety behind Antoine Winfield Jr. unless he really comes on during the preseason and turns things around.

Smith, who suffered a minor ankle sprain in Sunday’s practice, is getting challenged for the nickelback role by veteran free agent Tavierre Thomas, who has a team-leading three interceptions in training camp. Thomas has also played well on special teams and may force Bowles to find a role for him on defense in a dime package or rotating with Smith in the slot in nickel defense.