Bucs Getting Better
July 5th, 2017
Improving.
Take this with a grain of salt.
It seems the PFF tribe tends to agree with winning Bucs coach Dirk Koetter.
During rookie minicamp this spring, Koetter said his roster is “by far” better than at any point since he has been in Tampa. Given that Koetter arrived after Tampa Bay won the “Chase for Jameis,” Joe would hope that is true.
And it seems the well-trained orangutans at the PFF tribe seem to believe the same as Koetter. The tribe tapped on their keyboards and ran out of printer ink pumping out so many spreadsheets to determine who has the best (and worst) roster in the NFL. The tribe believes the Bucs rank No. 13.
The Buccaneers’ additions this offseason should give quarterback Jameis Winston even more potential to make plays downfield. Free-agent pickup DeSean Jackson led the league with 579 yards on passes thrown more than 20 yards downfield, while rookie third-round pick Chris Godwin had 504 yards on such passes in his final season at Penn State.
Interesting that the Bucs fall now in the top half of the league. That tells Joe they should be playoff contenders, if one is too believe the tribe.
Now why did Joe advise taking this all with a grain of salt? Well, consider the source. And there’s also is this little Three-Stooges-like open palm to the grill: The tribe believes the Titans have the third-best roster in the NFL.
Yeah, that same team that couldn’t make the playoffs last year despite playing in a total crap division. If the Bucs played in the AFC South, they likely would have won it.
July 5th, 2017 at 6:05 am
Matters little at this point in the 2017 season whether the PFF tribe ranks the Bucs 1st, 13th or 32nd. What does matter IMO is that our Bucs … just like the Titans … have developed an excellent coaching staff and stockpiled some pretty significant talent at multiple positions. Yet there are still a bunch of intangibles that affect how well all that talent performs on game days to generate wins.
Statistics at this point in the season can’t predict how well each play will be designed, selected & executed during each game. Statistics can’t measure the heart of someone like Mike Alstott just willing himself into the end zone on a 4th-and-1 with the game on the line, not to be denied that TD. Statistics can’t tell you how many players each team will lose to injuries during the course of the season, and to whom they’ll occur, or how well their replacements will play in taking their spot.
Lots of work ahead as several coaches & players have already noted this off-season, but there’s a commitment to become great which is quite obvious at this point. I see it & hear it in not just Jameis, but lots of other Bucs. What we do know at this point is that we’ve got a chance, a good chance, to make the playoffs. And with that a chance to go all the way. Exciting times ahead.
July 5th, 2017 at 6:24 am
Bucs and Titans GM both have done great jobs. Titans got lucky the one year cause they had top pick and already had their qb of future so they got a fortune of top picks. It will come down to one simple fact : who plays better , Jameis or Mariota. That’s all that matters as both in 3rd year where there is no more excuses. Period. Whether one is a quiet leader or vocal leader as joe has written many of articles about. (Probably a 100). Only wins matter in the end………….hopefully Jameis takes bucs to the next level this year cause the fans have been waiting patiently!
July 5th, 2017 at 6:34 am
Well said Defense Rules!!!!
Licht keeps getting us more Jameis, Ayers, Alexanders to eventually replace the Davids, McCoy and we will become the a team you no longer expect to beat.
As Jameis predict last year, “playoffs will be the norm around here!”
Go Bucs!!!
July 5th, 2017 at 6:48 am
The main focus of the Bucs have been the offensive additions and improvement, is everyone just automatically expecting rhe defense to be be better? I don doubt Jameis can.take the next step with all his new toys but I still see this defemse putting us in bad positions and giving away leads
July 5th, 2017 at 7:12 am
I want to see a Titans/Bucs bowl in the next couple years. Rematch from the nat’l championship would be a GREAT game.
July 5th, 2017 at 7:28 am
When the soft Mariota can stay healthy for 16 games I’ll worry about Tennessee until then they are just another pretender without a franchise Qb
July 5th, 2017 at 9:39 am
“BUCS GETTING BETTER” As they should!!!
July 5th, 2017 at 11:34 am
The Titans will compete for that division title with every team in it. Likewise the Bucs division will be a knockdown dragout ordeal right to the finish.
July 5th, 2017 at 11:46 am
Wait….
tmax posted WITHOUT somehow turning into his closeted rant against the object of his desires, McCoy? I’m blown away.
July 5th, 2017 at 1:44 pm
I respect Tennessee, but the Titans can’t touch us.
July 5th, 2017 at 1:49 pm
LOL Marlon – and BIGHOG didn’t spew nonsense either – what kind of a parallel universe thread is this??
The Bucs are more talented than 13th. More like 7-8 IMO with the current roster. But much of that talent is young and thus not recognized nationally (Kwon, Marpet, D. Smith, Pamphile, Brate, Hump, even Jameis and ME to an extent) – and/or was not developed enough last season to be seen as such (VH3, Spence, Ryan Smith, Benenoch).
Add to the mix what I believe will ultimately turn out to be another terrific Buccaneer draft class – headed by the best TE prospect to come out of College in many years and a late 1st round talent at WR plucked out of the 3rd round….
Man this team is brimming with young talent. A few of these players will “bust out on the scene” nationally this year just like Evans did last year. Winston, Kwon, Spence and Marpet being the prime candidates.
If very talented Vets like DJax, GMC, LD54, Grimes, Ayers, Baker and Doug Martin could play at or near their potential this year – we could be looking at quite the magical season for our Buccaneers in 2017.