Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Backups Who Would Start on Other Teams

The Buccaneers have backups who would start on other teams?

Yes, actually, they do.

The roster may lack depth and experience, but the Bucs do have a few backups with enough talent to start for other teams. 

This is not to say that these backups would start on every team; this just means that at least one other team would start a player who is a backup in Tampa Bay. 

The depth chart used in this article is based off of predictions made by OurLads.com

RB LeGarrette Blount (or Doug Martin)

It's pretty well established that either Blount or Martin will start at running back for Tampa. It might be Blount, it might be Martin. 

But in this piece I'm predicting it to be Martin.

However, Blount would start for a great many teams. He is an explosive power back, with a career average of 4.6 yards per rush. Among NFL running backs, there is not a single other with pure strength comparable to Blount's.

Blount scored highly on ProFootballFocus.com's Elusive Rating, which measures how efficient a runner is once he is separated from his blockers. His 59.8 for 2011 was good for sixth best in the entire NFL. The guy has skills.

Sure, he has issues with fumbling. But he's working on that, adopting Tiki Barber's "high and tight" method of ball carrying.

If he can hold onto the ball, big money is in Blount Force's future.

DE Da'Quan Bowers

OK, this one may seem like a bit of a cheat, but Bowers is a capable defensive end, who, if not for an Achilles tear, would be a backup behind Michael Bennett and Adrian Clayborn.

Bowers was used sparingly in his rookie season, accumulating just 1.5 sacks over the course of 2011, a testament to how little he was on the field rather than to a lack of skill. Management did not want him to risk an injury, as he has been injury-prone in the past. His draft stock fell because of it.

Once Bowers gets healthy, he will finally be able to dominate at the level we all know he can.

DT Amobi Okoye

It's pretty hard to believe that a 25-year-old can have five years of NFL experience.

But then again, it's hard to believe that a 15-year-old can get offered a scholarship to Harvard. 

What can I say?

Amobi Okoye routinely does the impossible. 

After a slow start to his career, Okoye had his best year last season, with four sacks and 18 solo tackles. Because of the great Bears defensive line, he only got to start one game, but made every second he spent on the field matter. Not bad for a rotational player.

As of right now, it looks like Brian Price and Gerald McCoy are the starting defensive tackles, partially because Okoye had minor knee surgery and may need time to recover.

But once he's ready, Okoye will make a push to start and might just beat out the competition. 

Did I leave any players out?

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