Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Breaking Down Final Roster and Week 1 Starters

The preseason games are all in the books, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are putting the finishing touches on what will be their final 53-man roster heading into a Week 1 home showdown against the Tennessee Titans.

With the weekend's deadlines for roster cuts and waiver claims now in the rear-view mirror, Bucs fans now have a clearer picture of what their Pewter Pirates will look like in 2015.

Tampa Bay overhauled over half of their roster last offseason, and this year proves they're not afraid to keep churning it to find the right group of players. Of the 52 players currently on the active roster—the signing of cornerback Tim Jennings has yet to become official, though he has agreed to terms—20 of them weren't on the team in 2014.

Let's take a look at how the Bucs current active roster breaks down.

Quarterback

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Starter

Jameis Winston

Reserves

Mike Glennon

Ryan Griffin

The Bucs will ride or die with top overall draft pick Jameis Winston, as the Heisman Trophy winner and national champion will guide Tampa Bay's offense as the starting quarterback from Day 1. The rookie signal-caller has had his ups and downs in the preseason, but he has shown flashes of the ability that made him a star at the collegiate level.

Despite a second offseason full of trade rumors, Mike Glennon remains a Buccaneer, giving the Bucs valuable insurance behind Winston. Glennon has 18 NFL starts under his belt over his two seasons of work, and he's one of the better backups in the entire league.

In somewhat of a surprising move, the Bucs claimed Griffin off waivers on Saturday, giving them a third quarterback when many assumed they would simply roll with Winston and Glennon. An undrafted free agent out of Tulane in 2013, Griffin was waived by the New Orleans Saints after spending most of the last two seasons on their practice squad.

Running Back

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Starter

Doug Martin

Jorvorskie Lane (FB)

Reserves

Charles Sims

Bobby Rainey

Mike James

Tampa Bay's backfield returns the same faces from last year, including Lane, who is trying to bounce back from a season-ending broken leg.

He'll pave the way for Martin, who has re-established himself as the Bucs' top back after a fantastic preseason full of flashes of his rookie-year form. He dropped some weight during the offseason and looks to have regained the explosiveness and confidence that earned him a Pro Bowl berth back in 2012.

A third-round pick last year, Sims has struggled with consistency this preseason, both as a runner and a receiver out of the backfield. Catching the ball is supposed to be his strongest attribute, but it didn't show in training camp.

Rainey and James will be left to fight over the scraps, but don't be shocked if either of them pushes Sims for the backup role, should he continue to struggle. Both Rainey and James can be effective runners between the tackles when space is there, and they can churn out the tough yardage when their isn't much room to be had.

Wide Receiver

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Starters

Mike Evans

Vincent Jackson

Reserves

Louis Murphy

Russell Shepard

Adam Humphries

The top of the depth chart at receiver is strong, as the Bucs return the only tandem to post 1,000-yard receiving seasons in the same year in Evans and Jackson. Evans is nursing a hamstring injury but should be good to go for Week 1, and while Jackson isn't getting any younger, he's still effective at moving the chains and creating mismatches in the red zone.

Murphy gives the Bucs veteran experience on the outside, while Shepard is a special teams standout who took the next step in his development as a receiver this preseason. Both help provide solid depth for Tampa Bay heading into the 2015 season.

With two rookie draft picks missing from the active roster—Kenny Bell was placed on injured reserve, while Kaelin Clay was waived—the most surprising name on this list belongs to Humphries. The undrafted free agent out of Clemson impressed all preseason long as both a receiver and return man, and he should get plenty of action in the slot this season.

Tight End

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Starter

Austin Seferian-Jenkins

Reserves

Luke Stocker

Brandon Myers

After dealing with nagging injuries throughout his rookie season, Seferian-Jenkins is fully healthy and primed for a breakout season as Tampa Bay's top option at tight end. A big, athletic target, the former second-round pick out of Washington should thrive in offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter's system.

Waiving Cameron Brate and trading Tim Wright leaves the Bucs with just Stocker and Myers behind Seferian-Jenkins.

Stocker had the best year of his career last year, but it was only after an unexpected position change that sent him to fullback to replace the injured Jorvorskie Lane. Stocker proved to be an effective lead blocker in addition to a solid receiver, which led the Bucs to re-sign him this offseason.

Myers signed a two-year deal with the Bucs last offseason, but he has yet to produce much as either a receiver or a blocker. Still, he's got plenty of experience and gives the Bucs some decent veteran depth, should injuries arise again.

Offensive Line

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Starters

Donovan Smith (LT)

Logan Mankins (LG)

Evan Smith (C)

Ali Marpet (RG)

Gosder Cherilus (RT)

Reserves

Kevin Pamphile (T)

Jeremiah Warren (C)

Eric Kush (C)

Matthew Masifilo (G)

Tampa Bay's starting offensive line has been shuffled yet again this year, with an intriguing balance of veteran experience and rookie talent.

Both of Tampa Bay's second round draft picks—Smith and Marpet—are expect to start Week 1 after beating out the competition during training camp. Both are raw prospects who will have to learn quickly if they want to protect the team's top overall draft pick, Jameis Winston.

The rest of the starting line features plenty of NFL starting experience. Both Mankins and Smith will be hoping to improve on last year's lackluster effort, while Cherilus was signed to fill the hole left behind by Demar Dotson, who will miss the first half of the season with a knee injury.

The backups are an interesting bunch. Both Kush and Warren are listed as centers, though both can play guard, if needed. Pamphile was a fifth-round pick last year who played well during the final few weeks of the 2014 season, and if his development continues, he should give the Bucs some decent depth as a swing tackle. Masifilo is a converted defensive tackle who beat out another fifth-round pick from last year—Kadeem Edwards—for a roster spot.

Defensive Line

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Starters

Gerald McCoy (DT)

Clinton McDonald (DT)

Jacquies Smith (DE)

George Johnson (DE)

Reserves

Tony McDaniel (DT)

Henry Melton (DT)

William Gholston (DE)

T.J. Fatinikun (DE)

This unit is stacked with experience and production on the inside, but it has an absolute dearth of both on the edge.

A three-time Pro Bowler, McCoy anchors the entire unit after leading the Bucs with 8.5 sacks in 2015, while McDonald returns after being arguably the team's best free agent signing last offseason.

Melton's most productive season came under head coach Lovie Smith in Chicago, and he's shown the versatility to slide outside and be an effective edge rusher so far in the preseason. McDaniel was signed to replace the injured Akeem Spence for the time being, but he might end up being an upgrade over a healthy Spence.

At defensive end, the Bucs will start two players who flashed the ability to get after the quarterback last year but lack a proven track record to feel confident about.

Johnson returns to Tampa Bay after bagging the first six sacks of his NFL career with the Detroit Lions last year, while Smith racked up 6.5 sacks over the final eight games in 2014 for the Bucs. That said, neither has ever been a full-time NFL starter, but the Bucs are hoping they continue to improve.

Behind them will be two polar opposites in Gholston in Fatinikun. A former fourth-round pick out of Michigan State, Gholston has a monstrous frame and can slide inside to tackle, if needed. Fatinikun is undersized and just 6'2", 250 pounds, but he's quick off the edge and shows plenty of promise as a situational rusher.

Linebacker

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Starters

Lavonte David

Kwon Alexander

Danny Lansanah

Reserves

Bruce Carter

Kourtnei Brown

Jeremiah George

Tampa Bay wanted to get deeper and more athletic at linebacker this offseason, and that's exactly what they did, using both the draft and free agency to improve a vital position group in the Tampa 2 scheme.

David returns as the league's best 4-3 outside linebacker, having signed a lucrative five-year extension with the Bucs during training camp. He'll be joined again by Lansanah, one of last year's training-camp standouts who carried that impressive play throughout the 2014 regular season.

The most pleasant surprise in this group is the quick emergence of Alexander, a rookie fourth-round pick who beat Carter out for the starting job in the middle. He's undersized at 6'1", 227 pounds, but he has the instincts, range and explosiveness to be a star in the Tampa 2.

Carter signed a four-year deal with the Bucs this offseason, and while some may find it disappointing he was beaten out for a starting job by a mid-round draft pick, he's still a good fit in the scheme and can play inside or out.

Brown and George are extremely fresh faces straight off the waiver wire, after the Bucs put their top waiver priority to good use over the weekend.

Cornerback

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Starters

Johnthan Banks

Alterraun Verner

Tim Jennings

Reserves

Mike Jenkins

Sterling Moore

Banks emerged as the team's top cover man last year, despite most of the hype surrounding the new acquisition in Verner. Both return to form a solid starting duo for the Bucs in 2015, hoping to improve as they feel more comfortable in their second year in the Tampa 2.

Jennings has yet to officially sign with the team, but he has agreed to terms and should end up being the team's starter in the slot. He played under head coach Lovie Smith in Chicago, which should make his transition to the Pewter & Red much easier.

Jenkins is back after missing most of the 2014 season with a shoulder injury. He'll provide depth on the outside, while Moore brings plenty of nickel experience from the Dallas, where he played in the Tampa 2 defense for former Bucs assistants Monte Kiffin and Rod Marinelli.

Safety

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Starters

Bradley McDougald

Major Wright

Reserves

D.J. Swearinger

Keith Tandy

Chris Conte

McDougald's play during practice last season was so impressive, the team felt comfortable trading former top-10 pick Mark Barron just before the trade deadline last season. He returns to the starting lineup this year as a promising playmaker against both the run and pass.

Wright's 2014 season ended prematurely with a trip to the injured reserve, but he brings a clean bill of health and tons of Tampa 2 experience back to the starting lineup this season.

A second-round pick in 2014, Swearinger was waived by the Texans and snatched up by the Bucs this offseason. He's similar to Barron in that he's much better in the box than against the pass, but there's no denying his overall natural talent.

Conte has spent most of training camp and the preseason injured, but his familiarity with the scheme has kept him on the active roster for now. He'll be pushed by Tandy, who capped off his preseason with an impressive showing last week, intercepting two fourth-quarter passes to help seal a victory and recovering a fumble on special teams earlier in the game.

Special Teams

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Starters

Kyle Brindza (K)

Jake Schum (P)

Andrew DePaola (LS)

DePaola is the only returning starter in this crew from last year's roster, as both kicker Patrick Murray and punter Michael Koenen were unseated during the latter part of the preseason.

The Bucs have been bringing in competition for Koenen for multiple seasons now, looking to find a younger, cheaper replacement. All challengers had failed up usurp the veteran until Schum, who averaged over 40 yards per punt this preseason, finally giving Tampa Bay what they needed to move in a different direction.

Murray beat out veteran Connor Barth for the kicking job last preseason, but the team brought Barth back to rekindle the competition after Murray struggled early. But after each of them missed a field goal in Tampa Bay's preseason loss to the Cleveland Browns, a trade with the Detroit Lions brought in a late challenger in Brindza, who snatched the job away with an impressive performance in the preseason finale, nailing field goals from 57 and 55 yards.