Todd Bowles didn’t hide from what the Buccaneers showed Friday night. He also didn’t want one preseason flop to be the final word on Tampa Bay’s offensive line depth.
After a 19-0 shutout loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars in the preseason finale, Bowles was asked how worried he was about the group behind the starters. The answer landed in the middle: the first unit still earns his trust, but the backup picture is another matter.
“I like the first five and when everybody's healthy,” Bowles said. “I'll look at the tape.
If you judge by tonight, yeah there's concern. I'll look at the totality of the tape and see where it came from.”
That split is the story for Tampa Bay right now. The Buccaneers feel good about their projected starting five - Tristan Wirfs, Ben Bredeson, Graham Barton, Cody Mauch and Luke Goedeke - but the depth chart underneath them is where the uncertainty lives, especially if injuries hit once the regular season starts.
Friday did nothing to calm those nerves. With Tampa Bay resting its starters, the game was a chance for Bowles and his staff to sort through the players battling for roster spots and backup roles. Instead, the offense managed only 87 net yards and allowed five sacks.
Rookie quarterback Jalon Daniels, who had helped spark comeback wins in the first two preseason games, finished 8 of 15 for 57 yards and took three sacks before exiting in the third quarter. The run game never got going, and the Buccaneers spent the night without much rhythm at all.
Bowles had already raised the issue during the game, saying Tampa Bay needed more movement up front and better protection for the quarterback.
The concern makes sense given what the Buccaneers went through along the offensive line in 2025. Injuries forced constant shuffling and left the offense fighting to find stability, which is why dependable depth became such a priority heading toward 2026.
For now, Bowles is holding off on any hard verdict. The tape from Jacksonville will be part of a bigger evaluation as roster cuts approach, and that review will help determine how much trust the Buccaneers can place in the men waiting behind their starting five.
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Buccaneers Have One Last Roster Battle Fans Need To Watch
The Buccaneers head into their final preseason game against the Jaguars with the roster picture still carrying a few loose ends, and those fringe battles are often where the most attention is earned in late August. For Tampa Bay, the game is less about the scoreboard and more about which players can turn a strong summer into a legitimate case for one of the last spots before cutdown day.
Jalon Daniels is among the names worth tracking as he tries to make a push for the backup quarterback job, while Ayden Garnes has helped himself with his play on defense throughout the preseason. Kam Johnson also remains in the mix by doing the kind of special teams work that can tip the scales for players who need to stand out in more than one phase, which is exactly the sort of detail that can decide these final roster calls. [Read more 🡒]
Jaguars Take Control As Buccaneers Backup Battle Gets Messy
The first half of the Buccaneers-Jaguars preseason game offered plenty of work for Tampa Bays reserves, even if the scoreboard stayed quiet with Jacksonville up 3-0. Anthony Nelson gave the staff a useful reminder of why he remains a depth pass-rush option, while Kameron Johnson looked like the most reliable receiver in the group despite one drop. Punter Dixon also helped his case by averaging 45.3 yards per kick and placing two punts inside the 20.
The more uneasy part of the evaluation came elsewhere, where running back Tucker had only limited success after an early run and quarterback Jalon Daniels never really settled in. Daniels finished 7 of 14 for 54 yards and added a turnover, leaving Tampa Bay with more questions than answers as the backup competition plays out. For a team trying to sort through the edges of the roster, these are the kinds of snaps that tend to matter most. [Read more 🡒]
Buccaneers Backup QB Battle Just Put One Roster Spot In Focus
The Buccaneers quarterback room has become one of the more interesting parts of their preseason, with Jalon Daniels and Jake Browning competing for the backup job behind Baker Mayfield. Todd Bowles has kept the final-game plan close to the vest, leaving open the possibility that both quarterbacks will get work against the Jacksonville Jaguars as Tampa Bay continues sorting out its depth chart.
What makes the situation notable is that this may not be a simple winner-take-all battle. Tampa Bay could keep three quarterbacks on the active roster after final cuts, which would allow the team to hold onto both Daniels and Browning if it decides the room is too valuable to trim. The preseason finale should help clarify the pecking order, but the bigger roster question may linger a little longer. [Read more 🡒]