Dolphins - Buccaneers: Five players to watch when the Bucs are on defense

Here are five Buccaneers on defense I will keep my eye on during tonight's preseason game. You can find the players I'll be watching on offense here. 

DT Brian Price

Last year's second-round pick has not really had a chance to show his skills on the field. Ever since he became a Buccaneer he has struggled with pelvis and hamstring injuries. He had surgery to fix those issues. The surgery involved ripping both hamstrings off his pelvis and then reattaching them using screws. Painful. 

The good news is that Price is set to make his return to the field tonight. Don't expect him to blow up any offensive line yet, as this will be the first time he will be playing football in nearly a year. But I do hope to see some glimpses of the explosion and quickness that made the Buccaneers select him early in the second round last year. Look for him at nose tackle on passing downs with the first team. 

CB Myron Lewis
Last season, Myron Lewis was a very talented but very raw cornerback who needed a lot of work to become a good cornerback. This offseason the former third-round pick was supposed to get that work in and take the next step, but a hamstring injury has kept him out for most of training camp. Like Price, he is expected to make his debut tonight. 

With Aqib Talib likely facing suspension, the Bucs will need Myron Lewis on passing downs. If Lewis isn't ready to take on the nickel role once the regular season starts, the Bucs may be forced to keep Elbert Mack around or rely on rookie seventh-rounder Anthony Gaitor. 

DE Da'Quan Bowers
Much is expected of Da'Quan Bowers, who still doesn't look entirely healed from offseason knee surgery. He looked a little better against the New England Patriots than he did against the Chiefs, but he didn't look particularly explosive. I want to see some progression in terms of get-off and pass-rush moves from the big man. So far he has not really challenged Michael Bennett for a pass-rushing spot, although he has looked good as a run defender. 

LB Mason Foster
We know Foster can fly around and hit people. The question is whether he can play within this defense without slowing himself down. Foster didn't look entirely comfortable these past two weeks, but that is to be expected. Again, progress is key here: Foster needs to improve his understanding of the defense every week. 

S Sean Jones
Jones has not looked particularly good this preseason. While Jones is usually a solid but unspectacular presence, he gave up a touchdown to Ochocinco by biting very hard on a playfake and has in general not looked particularly sharp. Jones isn't in danger of being cut, but if he doesn't pick it up he could lose his starting spot if Tanard Jackson comes back into the fold.