Predicting the Buccaneers 2016 starting offense

The offseason is in full swing, which means there's no better time for meaningless but fun predictions. No one knows for certain what will happen this season, but we do have a pretty good view of each team's roster. We can more or less predict which players will get on the field how much, barring injuries. So let's do that. Today: the starting offense.

Quick note: "starter" is a bit of a nebulous term these days. Technically, it refers to the players on the field on the first snap of the game. More and more, though, teams are putting together different packages with specific strengths and weaknesses: a run-heavy package may feature three tight ends, while a pass-heavy package could have none. That's why I'm roughly picking the players that will get the most playing time, and this list will contain more than the normal 11 total starters.

Quarterback: Jameis Winston

No debate there.

Running back: Doug Martin

Charles Sims will get plenty of playing time on third downs and as a change of pace back, but Martin is the unquestioned starter here.

Offensive line: Donovan Smith, J.R. Sweezy, Joe Hawley, Ali Marpet, Demar Dotson

The only real competition here will be between Joe Hawley and Evan Smith at center. The former held off the latter during the season last year, and there's no real reason to believe that will change this offseason.

Wide receiver: Vincent Jackson, Mike Evans, Kenny Bell

Jackson and Evans will be the starters, the more intriguing question will be who will get more playing time: straight-line speedster Kenny Bell, or shifty underneath/slot specialist Adam Humphries. Bell has more pure physical talent, but is pretty similar to both Evans and Jackson in terms of style, which could give Humphries more time on the field.

Tight end: Luke Stocker, Austin Seferian-Jenkins

The Bucs will use Stocker as a blocking tight end, while they hope Seferian-Jenkins can stay healthy and turn into the all-around tight end they think they have in him. Third-year tight end Cameron Brate should get some playing time, but doesn't have the explosiveness to be much more than a reliable underneath target -- and that job may quickly be usurped by fullback/H-back/sixth-round pick Dan Vitale.

This looks like a pretty good group to me, overall. There are veterans everywhere, as well as young, talented players with a lot of potential for growth. And those young, talented players have capable backups to push them or replace them, should they falter. While depth is a bit of an issue at wide receiver, all in all, this offense has the talent to do very well this season.