A Best-In-The-Game Case For The Bucs, Graham Barton
May 23rd, 2025
The Bucs draw intense Super Bowl talk.
Man, Joe hasn’t heard a more passionate and detailed take on the Bucs in a long time outside of the Ira Kaufman Podcast.
It comes courtesy of Jon Gruden, who made the case for the Bucs as a 2025 Super Bowl team during his visit to WDAE radio this week.
Chucky knows about Super Bowl teams. He coached one in Tampa 23 years ago.
“I think some of these guys that are proclaimed experts are just really just reading stuff on their phones,” Gruden said.
“I don’t know that anybody has really studied the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ offensive line. To me, that’s a group that is as good as anybody in football. And they rival the Eagles, I think, as being the best offensive line in football. I would do anything to have Tristan Wirfs and [Luke] Goedeke at tackle. And I think [Graham] Barton is going to be the best center in the league. They’ve got two pretty good guards. They’ve got two distinctly different running backs, quality tight end in Otton, and they’ve got firepower on the outside. And you can say whatever you want, Baker Mayfield is a hell of a player, and he makes plays when nothing’s there.”
And Gruden went on and on about the Bucs’ have so many championship elements all the way down to a stud field goal kicker. The only hiccup Joe had in Gruden’s analysis was him claiming Todd Bowles always has good defenses.
Gruden only paused once during his rave session — when he referenced rookie offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard and his expected growing pains.
It was obvious to Joe that Gruden spent extended time around the Bucs since the NFL Draft.
Like most people who visit One Buc Palace these days, Gruden left singing the praises of rookie fourth-round pick David Walker, the edge rusher out of the University of Central Arkansas.
A “sawed off shotgun” is how Gruden described Walker and likened him to Elvis Dumervil, the five-time Pro Bowler for the Broncos and Ravens, a guy who also was a fourth-round pick.
Gruden referenced spending a day recently with Lavonte David, and yes, Gruden was clear. He thinks the Bucs can get to the NFC Championship game and win it.
May 23rd, 2025 at 8:11 am
I agree they can win NFC South if another 9-8 record can make it. After that maybe they can do it if things fall in for them.
May 23rd, 2025 at 8:19 am
Bucs win 12 regular season games at minimum this year.
And then I definitely think we can make a Superbowl run.
May 23rd, 2025 at 8:29 am
It’s good to hear from someone that has actually looked at tape, and especially when the writer has gone to One Buc.
This team will go as far as they think they can. They need the confidence to take down the big boys, which they can do. They need to stop playing down to the division, and instead do a sweep and destroy in the division. This team can absolutely go to the championship game, they just need health and belief in themselves.
May 23rd, 2025 at 8:55 am
Uggh…this scares the crap out of me. I hope our guys don’t pay attention to this stuff. Stay hungry, play with a chip…Go BUCS!
May 23rd, 2025 at 9:00 am
Always enjoy Grudens energy and viewpoints. Good entertainment. I for one am glad he is back in good graces with the Bucs.
May 23rd, 2025 at 9:05 am
Still prefer the fly under the radar approach. Raising the bar so high only leads to disappointment. This team has too many questions that need to be answered before a Super Bowl run mainly on defense. I’ll leave it at that for now.
May 23rd, 2025 at 9:07 am
One thing about our GM and scouting staff is now we don’t sit on our hands and worry about when our draft picks will implode.
Go Bucs.
May 23rd, 2025 at 9:08 am
As always it comes down to the great unknown …….injuries. On paper we have a championship caliber team. When the injury bug bites, and it will, will it just be an annoying, short lived noseeum or a brutal gator bite?
May 23rd, 2025 at 9:15 am
Have we learned nothing about setting reasonable expectations?
You don’t go for the hottest woman at the bar first.
Start with the wall flower that is hoping a guy will notice her.
You might even get the hot woman a little jealous.
Mix in a few drinks and let the bad decisions roll.
The Bucs are the guy just good enough to barely pick up the wall flower, and then get dumped.
While the stud teams like the Chiefs and Eagles get the hot girl and seal the deal.
May 23rd, 2025 at 10:00 am
BucfanPHX
Agreed. I realize it’s the off season and we’re all starved for Bucs football, but seems like a lot of irrational exuberance here in May..
Original Buc fan here, so I’ve seen some things. A lot of them not so good. Always hope for the best, but I’m not shouting SB before we even get close to camp.
Wouldn’t be prudent.
May 23rd, 2025 at 10:09 am
i hope the offense reads his take- great firepower to keep the chip on their shoulder
May 23rd, 2025 at 10:09 am
I would put up our starters against ANY team in the NFL. It’s how good our depth is and how much of an impact our rookies can make and how good our new OC/first-time play-caller is that will determine how deep into the playoffs we can go.
If we don’t get hit with multiple serious injuries at a position where we lack quality depth, I like our chances. If Haason Reddick plays like it is 2023 and Diaby takes another step forward in his development, and Walker is anything close to how he’s been advertised, 31 offensive coordinators in the NFL are going to have nightmares.
May 23rd, 2025 at 10:40 am
If JL and TB were able to fix the defense this off season then this team is ready to take no prisoners! Time will tell! Bring on September!
May 23rd, 2025 at 10:44 am
Biff Barker Says:
May 23rd, 2025 at 9:07 am
One thing about our GM and scouting staff is now we don’t sit on our hands and worry about when our draft picks will implode.
Go Bucs.
Uh, I think we JUST got rid of JTS. Did he implode or just wither away? Braswell- -is he going to implode or explode? Things look good but I don’t think you should apply for SB tickets just yet. Does this make me a troll because I no longer jump up and down based on underwear football?
May 23rd, 2025 at 10:52 am
Barton looks cut and bigger than last year.
Diet and weight training in offseason
May 23rd, 2025 at 11:00 am
it’s all about the defense being able to stop 3rd and even 4th downs. If they can do that, the Bucs are a SB ready team.
May 23rd, 2025 at 11:44 am
Didn’t do enough on defense let’s stop with the super bowl talk already #!!
May 23rd, 2025 at 1:03 pm
If the D is improved, NFC title game is in play.
If they are not better on D, then the Divisional round of the playoffs is high water mark.
They will be fine on offense.
But will the Defense carry their weight week in and week out??
Yes, the offense was not that good at all in the playoff loss to Wash, but it was the same ol story as in other losses last year.
The defense could not stop Washington from driving late eating up all the clock and hitting a Game Winning FG
If the Defense is legit, then the Bucs are legit serious contenders.
If the Defense is like last year, then pretender would be the ugly reality.
GO BUCS!!!!!!!
May 23rd, 2025 at 1:57 pm
Yes 2002 Bucs were a Super Bowl Team but they were a little better than the 2001 Bucs that went 9-7 and made the playoffs as the number 6 seed. Big change was that in 2002 the Bucs were not in the NFC Central, getting beat down by the Bears and Packers a couple times a season, and finished 12-5 and the number 2 seed.
As the 6th seed has won the Super Bowl 4.3% of the time and the number 2 seed 21.3 just the move to a worse Division made the Bucs 4x’s likely to win the Super Bowl.
That move paid dividends in 2002 and is still paying them to this day. Last years 10-7 would have been good enough for 4th in the Old NFC Central this season.