How Far Off Are The Bucs?
February 7th, 2011
So Joe stuffed his face, drank Bass Ale and watched the Packers make big plays against the Steelers and take home another Lombardi Trophy on Sunday. Pretty good game.
Then Joe had to listen the talking heads say over and over again that the Packers are the second youngest team in the NFL — a certain Tampa Bay club is the youngest — with a star quarterback and shot at a dynasty.
Joe does not think the Packers are a budding dynasty. Hell, if the Bucs beat the stinkin’ Lions at home in December, Green Bay never makes the playoffs. Yes, Joe still feels the pain.
But the Packers win should be a slap in the face to Mark Dominik to alert him and Team Glazer that the Bucs are right on the cusp of a Super Bowl run, if management is willing to do what it takes to push the team over the hump in the coming months.
Any excuse that Bucs are young or they’re still building the “lasting-contender” is bogus. The Packers were young and ravaged by injuries, just like the Bucs. There’s not much that separates all these teams. The Bucs have the available money and should have the urgency to win now.
February 7th, 2011 at 12:30 am
I disagree every single time I hear anyone say we need to start spending all that available money the Bucs have. The reason teams like the Packers and Steelers have consistent success and are consistent contenders is because they build within. There aren’t many big name free agents that have created their team success. The only player from both these Superbowl teams that I believe was a big name free agent is Charles Woodson. The Bucs needed to to achieve big free agents for their Superbowl success because they had so many busts through the draft. I hope Bucs continue with their plan because I hated seeing such boring teams for so many years after our ONLY Superbowl win. Instead of looking to the success free agency has had for the Superbowl Bucs team we should look at the aftermath and realize this won’t create a lasting contenter.
February 7th, 2011 at 12:59 am
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Super Bowl Champions 2011-2012
February 7th, 2011 at 1:01 am
Totally agree, the Bucs are right on the door step to becoming Super Bowl contenders. Add some good pieces in the Draft and sign a good free agent (I’m looking at you Nnamdi Asomugha) and they can most definitely do it.
February 7th, 2011 at 1:47 am
I think a lot of people are being fooled by the easy schedule. The Bucs were killed by the Steelers. OK, yeah we beat the Saints, the same team that Seattle put 41 points on.
The offensive line needs work. The defensive line needs lots of work. LB needs work. And we need another RB. We are not a few pieces away, we are at least a few years away. Remember of the last 17 teams to have a turnaround similar to the Bucs, only one of those teams made the post-season the following year.
February 7th, 2011 at 2:24 am
While I agree there is much work to do…Several times during the game, I saw places where the Bucs were as good as the Packers. I think Tampa Bay would have done a better job of running the ball. Their defense did a spectacular job, one our D would be hard pressed to match.
And they did it without Brett.
February 7th, 2011 at 5:16 am
This year should have the biggest class of Free agents ever. Tampa has the most money to spend in the NFL. No reason in the world we don’t squire some key free agents. A young DE( in addition to drafting a couple), a young TE,an outside Lb or 2,a right tackle, a left Guard,and a safety all should be sought after. Javier- don’t forget the Packers acquisition of Reggie White . He was signed from Philadelphia. He helped them secure a ring or two!
February 7th, 2011 at 5:57 am
I still think we are a year away from being a true Super Bowl contender (meaning not next year, but the year after). That doesn’t mean we can’t make the SB next year if things go our way, but I think we need one more year until we are an elite team. We are just so young in so many critical areas. I am expecting playoffs next year, anything less would definitely be a disappointment. I just think it’s jumping the gun to say we are on the cusp of a SB run (assuming you mean next year). I sure do hope I’m wrong though.
Joe, how exactly did GB become the second youngest team? I heard all year Carolina was #2 (they were #1 until we cut Vincent). Going down their roster, they have so many guys that have been in the league for a while (Driver, Jennings, Woodsen, etc.). That just doesn’t seem right to me, but if it is, we are significantly younger than them.
February 7th, 2011 at 6:10 am
Super Bowl talk is nice, but I’d rather just set sights on getting into the playoffs. That’s where the big boys play, and that’s what the next step is for this new young Buccaneer franchise.
February 7th, 2011 at 8:18 am
Cusp of a SuperBowl run?
You guys are freaking NUTZ!!!!!! If you really believe that you need to get professional help.
Cusp of a playoff run maybe…SuperBowl? No Way!
Put the Bucs in that game against either team and they would have been swallowed whole! The Bucs run defense looks like a sieve and the Bucs O-Line allows DE’s to come thru like a screen door on a sub!
Keep dreaming….
February 7th, 2011 at 9:18 am
Joe,
The Bucs always have the money available! But you forget that it is the Glazer boys that have that money! And they aren’t about to spend the money on players that would help this team. Dad was the only Glazer with vision & the will to spend money to win.
February 7th, 2011 at 10:50 am
For those of you who were actually around during the Dungy era, you will prob. remember this..Simeon Rice was the big ticket free agent for Kif’s defense. Sim had all the talent, but was a head case and a bit of a gamble.
What was the key to the turn-around? ROD MARINELLI. Rod was able to get to Sim and give him better pass-rush skills. Better run-block ability. Rod was a motivator and had a way with his guys.
Watch who the Bucs hire as D-line coach very carefully. It’s the most important hire for this team right now. Prob. why they are taking so long about it. If you can’t put the oppositions qb on the ground, you aren’t goin to any friggin Super Bowl!
February 7th, 2011 at 11:17 am
If the SuperBowl showed me anything, it was how important it is for a team to draft well consistently. Both the Packers and Steelers draft well year in and year out. Javier is exactly right! Outside of Woodson and maybe Flozell, there are no big name FAs on either team. The Bucs are a couple years away from legitimate SuperBowl talk in my opinion, but are building a team the way champions do.
February 7th, 2011 at 11:34 am
tampa2:
But you forget that it is the Glazer boys that have that money! And they aren’t about to spend the money on players that would help this team. Dad was the only Glazer with vision & the will to spend money to win.
As Danny Snyder, Ted Thompson and Kevin Colbert have proven, spending cash on players just to spend cash not only doens’t work, it’s foolish.
February 7th, 2011 at 11:38 am
tampa2:
As Danny Snyder, Ted Thompson and Kevin Colbert have proven, you don’t have to spend money to win. In fact the opposite in true. Spending cash on players just to spend cash is foolish.
The Bucs narrowly missed the playoffs with 10 wins, same as the Pack. How much did the Bucs spend on players?
Joe had an epiphany last week flying to Dallas reading a feature on Ted Thompson who is allergic to free agents. In short, spending cash on free agents a team almost always overspends and it is unneccesary. Just draft well and coach ’em up.
What, there have been three No. 6 seeds that have won the Super Bowl in the past seven years? Just get in the tournament.
February 7th, 2011 at 12:24 pm
Can we all stop using the schjedule as an excuse to why the Bucs did well. No one was giving them a break for doing poor under the hard shcedule from the year before. No one gives the Pats grief over their crap devision. I beleive the 72 Miami team beat a bunch of teams with losing records as welll. There were several play off teams with easier schedules as well. This is the NFL not college, there are no easy games.
February 7th, 2011 at 12:24 pm
Oh, and Joe is right.
February 7th, 2011 at 12:48 pm
So the Bucs go 10-6, (youngest team) cant win the critical Division games to get them into the playoffs. They have a shot at a Dynasty
But the Packers, (2nd youngest team) who go 10-6 win the games neccessary to get into the playoffs .. Play Excellent football and beat the Steelers to Win the Super Bowl, Yet the Packers are not a budding dynasty
That is retarded. Sure the Bucs could have a dynasty building but to make a statement that the current SuperBowl Champs are not is ridiculous.
Still love ya Joe, Just disagree
February 7th, 2011 at 2:15 pm
Former Buc, thank you for the insight. Thats the type of comment I find useful, anonymous or not. I wish we could get Marinelli back.
I agree with Hawaiian Buc. We’re going to make a run but won’t be on the cusp of a championship til another year.
While its true the Packers are a young team with a lot of injuries, just like us, I don’t see much of a comparison (right now). Defense wins championships, and the CheesePackees have a lot more going on with their D than we do. Another year together, healthy, and hopefully with a young stud DE will get us where we need to be.
February 7th, 2011 at 9:00 pm
we need to spend the money in the right places… get impact players on defense ( like the bears peppers packers woodson vikings allen) and why not go after a stud guard like mankins.. the man makes wholes that were lacking last year… thanks to the blunt we were able to sidestep enough for something to open up… oh and why not spend a small amount of cash on an aging receiver who will give it his all bc hes running out of time to win a super bowl like TO…. bucs can go alot of ways and i fully trust in dominik