Monday, 4 a.m.
Gone are the plug-and-play days, those seasons when the Bucs would draft a 21-year-old kid and expect him to the best player on the team.
These days, the team and talent need the same thing: Patience.
Content beyond this point is for members only.
Already a member? To view the rest of this column, sign in using the handy "Sign In" button located in the upper right corner of the GarySheltonSports.com blog (it's at the far right of the navigation bar under Gary's photo). Not a member? It's easy to subscribe so you can view the rest of this column and all other premium content on GarySheltonSports.com.
The Bucs concluded their draft Sunday afternoon with more emphasis on depth than on instant gratification. Sure, No. 1 pick Graham Barton will be expected to start, probably at center. Everyone else is going to have to work for their time.
Consider:
Second-round pick Chris Braswell from Alabama will probably work his way into the pass-rush rotation. But he’ll have to prove he can start, which he rarely did in college. He could start in the second half of the year.
Third-round pick Tykee Smith of Georgia comes with good clippings, but he’s at one of the Bucs’ strongest positions. He’ll compete for time as a backup and a nickel.
Jalen McMillan, the other third-round pick, will compete to be the team’s third receiver. No shame when you remember Mike Evans and Chris Godwin are the starters.
Fourth-round pick Bucky Irving of Oregon will compete to be the backup running back. Still, as bad as the Bucs have been at running the ball, that’s a good thing.
Sixth-round pick Elijah Klein of UTEP, one of the small school offensive linemen that Jason Licht loves, will compete for a backup spot. It may take him some time.
Seventh-round tight end Devin Culp of Washington will compete for time in a young position group.
It’s a better way for the Bucs, who have left too many prospects shell-shocked with high expectations. Oh, the Bucs expect Braswell and McMillan to be players. They just don’t have to be right now.
For now, the roles of the kids is to get ready, to grow, to develop. When a team is picking in the butt-end of the draft, it’s the smart way to play.