What To Watch For In Every Game

NFL News 2024: Tampa Bay Buccaneers Final 53-Man Roster Projection

What to Watch for in Every Game

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers open the regular season against the Washington Commanders on Sept. 11. With the season just around the corner, here's a projection of the Buccaneers' final 53-man roster:

Offense (26)

• Quarterbacks (3): Tom Brady, Blaine Gabbert, Kyle Trask
• Running backs (5): Leonard Fournette, Rachaad White, Giovani Bernard, Ke'Shawn Vaughn, Kenjon Barner
• Wide receivers (6): Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Julio Jones, Scotty Miller, Jaelon Darden, Breshad Perriman
• Tight ends (4): Cameron Brate, Kyle Rudolph, Cade Otton, Ko Kieft
li>Offensive linemen (8): Tristan Wirfs, Ryan Jensen, Ali Marpet, Alex Cappa, Aaron Stinnie, Luke Goedeke, Fred Johnson, Robert Hainsey

Defense (25)

• Defensive linemen (9): Vita Vea, Akiem Hicks, Will Gholston, Rakeem Nunez-Roches, Logan Hall, Anthony Nelson, Carl Nassib, Patrick O'Connor, Deadrin Senat
• Linebackers (8): Lavonte David, Devin White, Shaq Barrett, Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, Anthony Nelson, K.J. Britt, Olakunle Fatukasi, Grant Stuard
• Cornerbacks (6): Jamel Dean, Carlton Davis, Sean Murphy-Bunting, Zyon McCollum, Dee Delaney, Anthony Chesley
• Safeties (5): Mike Edwards, Logan Ryan, Antoine Winfield Jr., Keanu Neal, Nolan Turner

Special Teams (3)

• Kicker (1): Ryan Succop
• Punter (1): Bradley Pinion
• Long snapper (1): Zach Triner

What's at Stake for Playoff Races

The Buccaneers are currently projected to be a playoff team, but there are a number of teams competing for the final few spots in the NFC. Here's a look at what's at stake for each team in the playoff race:

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: The Buccaneers need to finish with a better record than the Carolina Panthers and New Orleans Saints to win the NFC South. They also need to avoid a tiebreaker with the Philadelphia Eagles or Dallas Cowboys, who are both currently projected to be wild card teams.

Carolina Panthers: The Panthers need to finish with a better record than the Buccaneers and Saints to win the NFC South. They also need to avoid a tiebreaker with the Philadelphia Eagles or Dallas Cowboys.

New Orleans Saints: The Saints need to finish with a better record than the Buccaneers and Panthers to win the NFC South. They also need to avoid a tiebreaker with the Philadelphia Eagles or Dallas Cowboys.

Philadelphia Eagles: The Eagles need to finish with a better record than the Buccaneers, Panthers, and Saints to win the NFC East. They also need to avoid a tiebreaker with the Dallas Cowboys.

Dallas Cowboys: The Cowboys need to finish with a better record than the Buccaneers, Panthers, and Saints to win the NFC East. They also need to avoid a tiebreaker with the Philadelphia Eagles.

And of Course, Final Score Picks

Here are the final score picks for Week 18:

• Tampa Bay Buccaneers over Washington Commanders
• Carolina Panthers over New Orleans Saints
• Philadelphia Eagles over New York Giants
• Dallas Cowboys over Tennessee Titans

Visit ESPN to view NFL Expert Picks for the current week and season.