Best All-Around Team?
June 25th, 2021
Bucs coach Bucco Bruce Arians
Look, the Bucs are loaded.
They are defending Super Bowl champs. Anything less than a second-straight Super Bowl appearance would be considered a terrible disappointment.
(My, how standards have changed around these here parts — thankfully!)
Marc Ross, typing for NFL.com, agrees that the Bucs are stacked but claims they don’t have the best roster. He has the Bucs’ personnel ranked No. 2 in the NFL.
… The fact that the Buccaneers were able to retain their entire title-winning starting lineup is unheard of, especially when you consider three players in particular (Shaq Barrett, Chris Godwin and Lavonte David) were set for massive paydays in free agency. Hats off to Jason Licht for keeping this group together, and to Bruce Arians for getting everyone to buy in. …
There is no weakness on this roster, as Tampa boasts a respectable special teams unit. Ryan Succop had his best performance last season since 2016, converting more than 90 percent of his field-goal and extra-point attempts, which earned him a new three-year deal.
So who does Ross think has the best roster in the NFL? He goes with the Cleveland Browns.
As for why he didn’t give the defending Super Bowl champions the top honor? Ross is not fond of the Tampa Bay run game — but admitted with such a powerful pass game, why would a team hand off?
Ross also seems unconvinced that the secondary will ball out like it did in the Super Bowl, calling Bucs defensive backs “talented” but “promising.”
The Bucs can run when they need to. But Ross is right, with their passing game, why the hell would you run?
If the young secondary steps up like it should, the Bucs have one of the most talented rosters in recent decades.
June 25th, 2021 at 6:10 am
The browns #1. 😂
Not with that qb- Baker
If that qb was here in tampa , bucs maybe 8-8 last year. Cause there would be no gronk, lenny, AB. You know the guys that came here to play with the goat
June 25th, 2021 at 6:55 am
We are in a good position personnel wise, but after reading some of the Cheifs fans sites they keep talking how the SB was a fluke and all the excuses and how we aren’t gonna make it back this year and how they will dominate who ever is gonna be in the super bowl this year. lol. But just like them we need to focus on getting better one game at a time and not focus on the SB just yet. Earn every inch because we now have a big target on our backs.
June 25th, 2021 at 6:56 am
TV ad clown Baker Mayfield over Tom Brady? Ok, Marc Ross. Ok.
June 25th, 2021 at 8:01 am
Joe I usually dont correct your typos because Im not a nerd and I dont actually care…….But this one is too bad to overlook. In the headline you accidentally used the question mark symbol instead of an exclamation point.
June 25th, 2021 at 8:07 am
Of couse I made my first comment without actually reading the article. Now Im laughing my head off because the Browns are being touted as the best roster………..Sounds cute on paper I guess.
June 25th, 2021 at 8:07 am
I’ll say it. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are the team to beat!
PERIOD! End of story.
Know how I know? The Lombardi resides at One Buc.
I think it is way underestimated at how much better we are with the same roster.
KC can whine all they want. We exposed them for the one-trick pony that they are. With everything on the line, the Bucs CRUSHED ’em.
17-DASH-0!
June 25th, 2021 at 8:22 am
Ironic that Ross mentions Special Teams as being a solid group. Besides our kicking team, the rest of special teams is a weak point. Let’s hope this year’s draft produces better results.
June 25th, 2021 at 8:25 am
You run because you control the clock, force the safeties to play the run which sets up the passing game- and Bucs have the OLine and RB’s to produce.
June 25th, 2021 at 8:25 am
Like the story goes, “it’s hard to repeat” and every team will be gunning for the Bucs. So it sorta makes sense that these writers would be leery to stake their wits and reputations, on any team that history has shown may crumble and slide, going for a consecutive championship.
June 25th, 2021 at 8:25 am
What team does Ross follow? Seems to favor the AFC, failing to mention san Fran or rams, both potential top 5 rosters imo. Yet he has 4 afc and the superbowl champs…
June 25th, 2021 at 8:44 am
Our running game is far better than most give credit & with the addition of Gio Bernard….it’s completed.
June 25th, 2021 at 8:51 am
The top 5 teams on the list were the Bucs and 4 AFC teams. That makes me happy…..and optimistic.
June 25th, 2021 at 9:01 am
A LOT of holes in Mr Ross’ list.
First, the “OBJ is healthy” narrative. So what? That is the equivalent “what if” to saying the Bucs OJ is going to put the Bucs over the top; could be impactful, but only God knows.
Personally, I would have ranked Buffalo higher. I think my top three would be the Bucs, of course, the Rams (not even on Ross’ Top 5 list) and Buffalo (#5)
And I do not understand everyone’s infatuation with KC. Yes, Mahomes is awesome, he deserves all the praise he gets. But his Oline? It is almost entirely rebuilt from last year, with at least 3 to 4 new players and, therefor, unproven. Yet a very common theme is that the KC Oline will be a top unit – PFF has them ranked #7 only two spots behind the Bucs (#5 in NFL)
June 25th, 2021 at 9:11 am
and Ross has the Chargers over the Bills?! And over the Rams that he fails to put on his list?! I like Hebert a LOT. But Ross is obviously relying a lot on the “potential” of OJ for Cleveland and the “potential” of the talent on the Chargers. Buffalo and Rams have proven their capabilities.
And if “potential” was REAL and a factor and not an intangible, JW would have held up the Lombardi trophy for the Bucs last year.
June 25th, 2021 at 10:10 am
Well we see. What is Ross going to say when the Bucs go to the SB and Cleveland is watching from home? Best rosters win SBs.
June 25th, 2021 at 10:14 am
@Joe … The Bucs can run when they need to. But Ross is right, with their passing game, why the hell would you run?”
Can’t believe you’d agree with Ross on that one Joe. If you don’t ‘keep a defense honest’ by using a BALANCED ATTACK, sooner or later the passing game will break down. And that’s a good way to get your QB maimed.
June 25th, 2021 at 10:17 am
With Brady the pass sets up the run
June 25th, 2021 at 10:46 am
I’m sorry, but the Bucs have the best and most loaded roster in the NFL and there is no way the Browns have a better roster.
June 25th, 2021 at 11:48 am
Ne+ bucs . That is not the truth the passing game has never opened up the run game. It has always been the running game opening up the passing game!!
June 25th, 2021 at 1:14 pm
Mike … Not sure how relevant it is to rank teams based on their roster, and especially at this time of year. Now ‘grouping’ (say into Top-third, Middle-third and Bottom-third) might have some validity, but even that’s a stretch.
Last year 8 teams in the AFC & 5 teams in the NFC had winning records. All of the AFC winning teams EXCEPT ONE (Miami) made the playoffs, accounting for their 7 playoff teams. All 5 of the NFC winning teams made the playoffs PLUS 1 team with a break-even record (Chicago) AND another with a losing record (Washington).
Looking at the AFC teams, half of whom had winning records, it’d be hard to pick the best one. Based on record alone, Chiefs would be #1 (14-2), followed by Buffalo (13-3), then Pittsburgh (12-4) and then 4 teams with 11-5 records (Baltimore, Cleveland, Indy & Tennessee).
Over in the NFC, Green Bay (13-3) then Seattle (12-4) & New Orleans (12-4) followed by the Bucs (11-5) then Rams (10-6) would’ve taken the top-5 spots, with Chicago (8-8) & Washington (7-9) rounding out the Top-7 for the playoffs. Obviously with essentially the same roster that we now have, the Bucs would’ve ranked probably at best #7 in the NFL prior to the playoffs. And yet, we kicked arse. We would’ve easily ranked in the Top-Third, but within that ‘group’ just about anything can happen in the playoffs as we saw.
June 25th, 2021 at 2:50 pm
With Bernard, we added a 2-dimensional back (he can catch and pass protect) to our rotation of 1-dimensional backs (can run through massive holes), so we now have a complete run game.
June 25th, 2021 at 4:15 pm
Fun to think about, but you still have to run.
June 25th, 2021 at 4:37 pm
Is that a joke? Cleveland has a better roster? What’s he been smoking. No No No I’ll take my Bucs roster over Cleveland’s every Sunday, Monday, Saturday,, or Thursday. What the hell has Baker done m?
June 25th, 2021 at 10:26 pm
1:30 left, come on lightning
June 25th, 2021 at 10:27 pm
Stressful
June 26th, 2021 at 5:31 pm
So…should be a Bucs Browns super Bowl then. I’ll take it. How awesome would it be to see the Brownies in the Super Bowl? They’ll lose of course, but I’d love to see it.
June 27th, 2021 at 7:22 am
The Browns do have a loaded roster. But have you had a look at their schedule? It’s really really tough and if they make it to the Superbowl, they will deserve it. I like our schedule and I like our chances. Jason light has put together one of the best teams I’ve ever scene. I’ve been watching football long time and this is a great roster. The veterans on this team, will not accept losing. The Browns don’t have that yet.