Shaun King, annointed an expert by ESPN, says the Bucs will miss the playoffs and finish 8-8.

The onslaught of season predictions are coming this week, and they largely are nothing more than the pointless ramblings of blowhard, front-running commentators.

The NFC South picks of Shaun King, who at least knows the Bucs well, were all over BSPN today.  King, who started every game at quarterback for the Bucs in 2000, and was the backup on the Super Bowl winning team, has emerged as one the top NFL analysts on ESPN.

King’s 2008 picks: New Orleans 11-5; Carolina 10-6 (and a wild card berth); Bucs 8-8; Atlanta 4-12.

Joe isn’t busting out his predictions yet. But he will say that King clearly hasn’t learned the value of a good defense. The Bucs’ D is hands down the best in this division, even if they’re slightly less dominant than last season.