“This Is Going To Be One Of The Surprise Teams”
June 4th, 2019
“I am going to go out on a limb.”
In the mind of one long-time NFL scribe who works for the league’s house organ, book your flight to Vegas or one of the many states that recently legalized sports wagering (Illinois, Iowa, Indiana and Tennessee just jumped on board) and put your cash down on the Bucs and the over on season-win totals.
Steve Wyche of the NFL Network recently was on the air bullish on the Bucs now that Bucco Bruce Arians has firmly planted his flag into the turf of the GlazerShed.
“But look, I am going to go out on a limb and say this: I think Tampa Bay with Bruce Arians’ impact and that coaching staff he is putting together, this is going to be one of the surprise teams in the NFL,” Wyche said. “Now we know the NFC South is loaded. But look at this: When bruce Arians went to Arizona, you know what their record was the year before he got there? That would be 5-11. What was the Buccaneers’ record last year? 5-11
“Bruce Arians, in one season, flipped that. 10-6 in Arizona. I think Tampa has the potential and the talent to flip it like that, even in that division.”
Joe isn’t worried about the offense. It is the defense that gives Joe the shivers.
There is just way, way, way too much hope and too many ifs and too many maybes on the defense for Joe to believes the Bucs can make a playoff run.
A lot of things have to happen for this defense to be even average. And we saw first-hand last year what an atrocity of a defense can do to a humming offense.
Of course, the defense was so hideous last year, that it could still be one of the worst defenses in the NFL and that would be a major improvement.
June 4th, 2019 at 9:36 am
I’m not making any assumptions this year. I believe anything is possible…another losing season or even going to the superbowl.
June 4th, 2019 at 9:39 am
I believe the defense being bad was all on the defensive coaching.
And I believe the kicking game will be improved under Matt Gay, do darn well better be on the roster with the was Santos is screwing up.
If I was Licht, I would cut Santos, sign Bryant and keep two kickers. Let Gay be mentored by Matt Bryant for a year…and fill in when needed.
June 4th, 2019 at 9:41 am
“do darn well better be on the roster with the was”
Typing in the dark, at the moment.
he darn well better be on the roster with the way
June 4th, 2019 at 9:43 am
yes sir, oh yes yes yes yes the Succaneers will indeed be a surprise team this season, in fact they will surprise everyone when they have a 0-16 record and average 23,000 fans a game,,, ohhhh I can see the Succaneers future, they will share a moving van with the Rays, one will go to Portland the other to San Diego or St Louis
June 4th, 2019 at 9:44 am
In the Bizzarro World that is my Tampa Bay Buccaneers, it would not surprise me if the the offense sh!ts the bed and the defense kicks a$$ this year.
Of course, I hope that’s not the case and that we have balance and win at least 9 games … but just saying…. it’s a Buc’s life.
June 4th, 2019 at 9:48 am
@ Succaneers
I believe you are being home-schooled by a moron. When (if) you grow up, you should file suit.
June 4th, 2019 at 9:55 am
Succaneers…..I’ll bet you everything I own that they NEVER move the team from Tampa to another city.
I see dumb people….
June 4th, 2019 at 9:57 am
I believe this is possible! Not crazy about the draft or some of the moves that have been made, but this team does have a lot of talent and now more capable coaching to lead it. I’m not ready to say “same ol Bucs”. No way we draw only 23k fans. Win or lose, this team is gonna be fun to watch and ticket sales will reflect that.
June 4th, 2019 at 10:01 am
Agree with BBonzai. Defensive coaching was a huge problem. We’ll see if that has been corrected. But my guess is that it has. Wyche may be right!
June 4th, 2019 at 10:01 am
playoffs this year!!!!!
GO BUCS!!!!!
June 4th, 2019 at 10:03 am
TBBF they don’t home school in caves. I can’t believe you would waste one second of your life coming to a message board and spouting stuff like she posts unless you were a complete loser and had no life, probably bullied all her life. I actually feel sorry for her. This message board is probably her only friend like the poster whose name gets you put right into moderation.
June 4th, 2019 at 10:03 am
Does anyone know if we have signed Devin White yet?
I don’t think we have.
Wouldn’t that be a top priority if he’s designated to be the defense’s team leader?
June 4th, 2019 at 10:04 am
Damn and I still got moderation!
June 4th, 2019 at 10:11 am
@Todd
We’ll sign White….no problem……problem is we are probably asking him not to “horse around”…..
June 4th, 2019 at 10:25 am
4-12
June 4th, 2019 at 10:27 am
TBBF—
Right! I’m just curious though, if he got injured (let’s say in a serious way, God forbid), would it could that impact his contract? Seems to me there should be some form of protection for these rookies if they volunteer to practice prior to actually signing their contract(s).
Probably is…I’m just unaware.
June 4th, 2019 at 10:33 am
Todd – I would think there is a short term insurance they could purchase although I don’t know that for sure
June 4th, 2019 at 10:33 am
Right on 813, I love your enthusiasm. This team is going to ball out for the old man. I get the feeling they have the right chemistry, personality and mix of talent and coaching to flip there record to 11-5. The previous coaching staff exuded a stand-offish/prissy attitude that could not rally a flock of penguins around a snowball party much less motivate a young team of talented football players to lay it on the line for their coach, team and community.
June 4th, 2019 at 10:36 am
White can’t get injured yet….he won’t be able to own a Ferrari until he signs his contract…..he will ride that horse instead of Ricky Bobby & Daisy Mae…..
June 4th, 2019 at 10:38 am
Yeah the bucs will improve 6-10.
June 4th, 2019 at 11:00 am
After how bad the D was the last 2 years it’s hard for me to be anything but excited because you would have to try hard to do worse… it almost seems guarenteed this should be the biggest improvement on the team and it just depends on which degree a change occurs.
Biggest loss is JPP but that’s it really IMO. And even with the JPP loss it’s slightly offset by signing SHaq Barret and drafting ANthony Nelson – two OLB/DEs we didn’t have last year.
Healthy Year 2 Vita Vea >> Hurt Rookie Vita Vea
Suh > McCoy
White >>> Kwon at ILB
Lavonte David with Bowles should = >> than Lavonte David with Mike Smith
Healthy Hargreaves in press scheme>> Hargreaves that missed all of 2018
Carlton Davis in press scheme > Carlton Davis in passive scheme of 2018 (also was banged up)
Sean Bunting + Jamel Dean > Brent Grimes who was done in 2018
Mike Edwards > Chris Conte or whoever our 3rd S was last year beyond WHitehead & Evans
Our secondary is the biggest “?” because we have no established players yet, but we also have the most ammunition in terms of draft picks spent on talent for that group. Some dudes are going to emerge unless Licht is the worst drafter in NFL history.
June 4th, 2019 at 11:18 am
“Licht is the worst drafter in NFL history.”
I agree, except I would word it a little different.
The Gumpster Fire is the worst drafter in NFL history!!
June 4th, 2019 at 11:45 am
Corny misspelling! Never thought that would happen…
June 4th, 2019 at 12:04 pm
10-6
And my two bold predictions:
1)D.Smith win the pewtie for most improved Buccaneer.
2)VitaV is a ProBowler.
June 4th, 2019 at 12:24 pm
Man, this guys’ mother clearly didn’t select his outfit the night before.
June 4th, 2019 at 1:03 pm
@rhenry
you’re correct brother…
bears went 5-11 in 2017……
they got a new coach, traded for a true leader on defense and went 12-4……
bucs can do the same thing!!!!!!
we have a new HC, signed suh who’ll be the total opposite of GMC and we can take off!!!!!!
the only folks that dont want us to be successful are dirk, smitty and @realist!!!!!!!!!!
GO BUCS!!!!!!
June 4th, 2019 at 1:09 pm
So we went 5-11 last year and there is not many people (if any) that dont think that the new coaching staff will be much much better. Talent wise we are better in every place a player left. White>Kwon, Suh>McCoy, Godwin>Jackson, Perriman/Miller>Hump, Bunting>Smith, Dean>Stewart, Edwards>Conte, Pinion>Anger, either kicker>Catanzaro and the depth is better across the board with the addtions of Shaq Barrett, Buccannon, Brice, Waford and Legget. This team is better there is no debating that but people just don’t want them to be cause they hate the QB so much.
June 4th, 2019 at 2:14 pm
NDOG
Well QB is still the most important position on an NFL squad. Many experts are calling for the Bucs to do well this year based on that position. Just let them hate.
You can always serve them a large portion of crow at the end of the season.
June 4th, 2019 at 3:01 pm
@lord cornhole: your yearly positivity should be applauded but you do realize that these are the Trampa Bay Buccaneers and have a sharty QB, terrible defensive talent, and not to mention they play games in a stadium that was built on an ancient Indian burial ground. Your stats and information dumps are useless and need to be fact checked faster than a CNN anchor’s. We all need to face it: The Cleveland Browns are no longer the dirty piece of gum on the bottom of your flip flop…while walking down Nebraska Ave. It is the Bucs now posing as the gum with a tinge of BP oil splashed on it.
June 4th, 2019 at 3:14 pm
Joe, you should be worried about the offense. Where’s the running game coming from?
June 4th, 2019 at 3:17 pm
Offense wasn’t a problem last year, even without a running game.
June 4th, 2019 at 3:28 pm
can we please drug test wyche?
June 4th, 2019 at 5:11 pm
Duke Johnson still asking for a trade.
June 4th, 2019 at 6:29 pm
Our coaches last year could of had our entire 2002 team and still went 4-12, you can judge any draft pick we have had in the last 5 years because we haven’t had one coach that could utilize any player we have had.
June 4th, 2019 at 10:39 pm
Agree with Wyche. All the naysayers better put your money where your mouth is and pound the under. Maybe you can push it down to six……. Can’t wait to pounce. Bucs bounce back begins in 2019.
June 4th, 2019 at 10:55 pm
I am impressed.
The more I see how Bruce Arians operates the more impressed I am. He is doing so many things right. He sees the big picture but he has attention to detail He is working on so many fronts that neither long time fans nor many professional sports writers get what he is doing. The differences between his approach and all of his Buccaneer predecessors spanning the past twelve years is night and day.
I have no idea how Steve Wyche came to the his conclusions. I have never heard of him until I read this article.
I have seen enough since January. Judging by the way BA operates I can see already see why he is so confident that he can turn the Bucs around this year.
10-6 is no longer impossible in my mind. In BA I trust.
_________
Go Bucs!!!
P.S. I’ll submit to a drug test also. No problem.