Ryan Smith, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
The Buccaneers need to replace Ryan Smith.
Special teams is far from a popular position in the NFL. No one really grows up wanting to be a gunner or in the first row of the return formation, but these positions are necessary for a team looking to win the Super Bowl like the Buccaneers. Players like Ryan Smith didn’t show up on the stat sheet during last season, but their impact was clear.
Smith was never a large contributor on the defensive side of the ball, but he did fit in on the team as a special teams standout, playing 78% of the snaps in 2020.