NFL: Projecting final records for all 32 teams
By Brad Rowland
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Bucs were a mess last season, accumulating a 4-12 mark that would cause Greg Schiano to lose his job. However, the talent level is very high for parts of the Tampa Bay roster, and new head coach Lovie Smith has won everywhere he has coached.
Defensively, the Bucs could be scary, and they happen to deploy two of the best defensive players in the NFL. Defensive tackle Gerald McCoy was my selection for defensive player of the year honors prior to the season, and linebacker Lavonte David wans’t far behind. Tampa Bay did lose Darrelle Revis in the off-season, but they added both Alterraun Verner and Mike Jenkins to the backfield, and with Michael Johnson and Clinton McDonald fortifying the front four, the loss of Revis can be overcome.
Offensively, the Bucs should also be improved from what was the 24th-rated team by DVOA measures. Josh McCown could be a one-year wonder from Chicago, but it is likely that he could form an upgrade over Mike Glennon, and with Doug Martin back and healthy behind an improved offensive line (Logan Mankins helps), that will help a great deal. The Vincent Jackson-Mike Evans combination is bad news for small cornerbacks, and the jump balls will be flowing.
A four-game turnaround would be huge for Tampa, but admittedly, the ceiling is far greater if McCown can replicate his 2013 season without the benefit of working with Marc Trestman. We’ll see.
The Pick: 8-8