Tampa Bay Buccaneers Season Preview

With the addition of weapons on the offensive side of the ball to help young stars Jameis Winston and Mike Evans the offence should be even better. The defence remains a big question but it should hold up enough for the Buccaneers to make a playoff push. In a good division the Buccaneers will compete for a playoff spot but will probably fall short again this year.

Arrivals/Departures:

Arrivals: Chris Baker, Nick Folk, DeSean Jackson, Garrison Sanborn, JJ Wilcox
Departures: Mike Glennon, Bradley McDougald, Russell Shepard, Akeem Spence



Offence:

Jameis Winston has proven his worth as the number one overall draft pick so far but entering his third NFL season he will need to take the next step to lift the Buccaneers into the playoffs. Doug Martin was one of the best running backs in 2015 but in 2016 he had a horrible season but he seems to follow up a bad season with a good one. Charles Sims and Jacquizz Rodgers will be good backups if Martin struggles again but neither will be starter worthy when Martin serves his suspension to start the year. Mike Evans was one of the leagues best receivers last season providing a massive frame for Winston and with their chemistry building the pair could be even deadlier. They brought in deep threat DeSean Jackson as a great number two wide receiver who should combine with Evans as one of the best receiver duos in the NFL. Adam Humphries will work out of the slot with rookie Chris Godwin also getting time. The Bucs have a good tight end tandem in last years breakout tight end Cameron Brate and first round pick OJ Howard who should both create mismatches pairing up with Evans and Jackson. The offensive line could use some work as Donovan Smith, JR Sweezy, Joe Hawley, Ali Marpet and Demar Dotson start on the line with none of them being elite options.



Defence:

Gerald McCoy is still the best defensive player on the Buccaneers as he dominates the trenches even while facing constant double teams. Chris Baker comes over from the Redskins to be the other starting defensive tackle. The Starting defensive ends will be Robert Ayers and William Gholston with Noah Spence getting in the rotation as well. Lavonte David is a very good linebacker who leads the unit but he is coming off a down season so he should improve on last year. The unit also has Kwon Alexander who has shown great potential in his first two season as he may be the fastest linebacker in the game. The other starter will be Cameron Lynch with Jacquies Smith providing depth. Brent Grimes is a good shutdown corner who lacks size but returns to the fold after contemplating retiring and trying out for the NBA D League. Last years first round pick Vernon Hargreaves played good in his first season and should improve as he grows with age. The safety spots will be a battle in training camp between JJ Wilcox, Keith Tandy, Ryan Smith and Chris Conte.



Special Teams:

Roberto Aguayo was the Bucs second round pick last year and was terrible in his rookie season causing the Bucs to bring in Nick Folk to compete with Aguayo for the kicking job. Bryan Anger had a good season as the punter as he will return with Adam Humphries and Ryan Smith in the return game.

Starters:

Offence	Defence
DeSean Jackson	William Gholston
Mike Evans	Gerald McCoy
Donovan Smith	Chris Baker
JR Sweezy	Robert Ayers
Joe Hawley	Jacquies Smith
Ali Marpet	Kwon Alexander
Demar Dotson	Lavonte David
Cameron Brate	Vernon Hargreaves
OJ Howard	JJ Wilcox
Jameis Winston	Keith Tandy
Doug Martin	Brent Grimes

2017 Draft:

19. OJ Howard
50. Justin Evans
84. Chris Godwin
107. Kendell Beckwith
162. Jeremy McNichols
223. Stevie Tu'ikolovatu

Top 10 Players:

10. OJ Howard

9. Vernon Hargreaves

8. DeSean Jackson
 
7. Doug Martin

6. Kwon Alexander

5. Brent Grimes

4. Lavonte David

3. Jameis Winston



2. Gerald McCoy

1. Mike Evans

Season Prediction: 9-7 (3rd in NFC South)
Last Year: 9-7

Photo credit for DeSean Jackson goes to http://www.sportsnet.ca/. Mike Evans goes to http://www.cbssports.com/. Gerald McCoy goes to http://www.espn.com/. Jameis Winston goes to http://foxpsorts.com/.