Here is the Buccaneers unofficial depth chart when the team opens the season against the Dallas Cowboys. The biggest surprise is who is currently listed as the starting tailback, but what a nice surprise it is. Rookie Sammie Stroughter takes over the second kick return spot alongside with Clifton Smith. Also, it looks like the team expects Talib to not be suspended by the league. With the loss of Tanard Jackson for four games, Talib is desperately needed in the secondary especially with the team only carrying three safeties on the roster. Jermaine Phillips steps back into the safety position while Geno Hayes will get a chance to claim the starting linebacker job as his own.
OFFENSE
WR - 80 Michael Clayton, 85 Maurice Stovall
LT - 70 Donald Penn
LC - 76 Jeremy Zuttah, 62 Marc Dile
C - 52 Jeff Faine, 61 Jonathan Compass
RG - 75 Davin Joseph, 72 Marcus Johnson
RT - 65 Jeremy Trueblood, 69 Demar Dotson
TE - 82 Kellen Winslow, 86 Jerramy Stevens, 88 John Gilmore
WR - 89 Antonio Bryant, 18 Sammie Stroughter, 87 Brian Clark
QB - 7 Byron Leftwich, 5 Josh Freeman, 11 Josh Johnson
RB - 24 Carnell Williams, 28 Derrick Ward, 34 Earnest Graham, 22 Clifton Smith
FB - 35 B.J. Askew
DEFENSE
LE - 97 Jimmy Wilkerson, 94 Kyle Moore, 96 Maurice Evans
DT - 98 Ryan Sims, 93 Roy Miller
DT - 95 Chris Hovan, 92 Dre Moore
RE - 90 Gaines Adams, 91 Stylez G. White
SLB - 58 Quincy Black, 57 Adam Hayward
MLB - 51 Barrett Ruud, 56 Rod Wilson, 53 Niko Koutouvides
WLB - 54 Geno Hayes, 50 Matt McCoy
LCB - 25 Aqib Talib, 27 Torrie Cox, 31 E.J. Biggers
RCB - 20 Ronde Barber, 33 Elbert Mack, 30 Kyle Arrington
SS - 21 Sabby Piscitelli, 26 Will Allen
FS - 23 Jermaine Phillips, 26 Will Allen
SPECIALISTS
P - 8 Dirk Johnson
PK - Mike Nugent
H - 8 Dirk Johnson
LS - 48 Andrew Economos
PR - 22 Clifton Smith, 18 Sammie Stroughter
KR - 22 Clifton Smith, 18 Sammie Stroughter
PRACTICE SQUAD
RB 32 Kareem Huggins
WR 14 Patrick Carter
WR 19 Mario Urrutia
TE 46 Ryan Purvis
OT 77 James Lee
DT 79 Rashaad Duncan
P 15 A.J. Trapasso