Reason(s) To Hope
June 14th, 2026
Faith in Bucky Irving.
As we have reached minicamp week, it’s time to (try to) be positive about the Bucs.
Yeah, they choked like dogs in the second half of last season, plunging the team from Super Bowl contender to laughing stock, watching the playoffs on the couch just like you and Joe.
Alas, types Matt Verderame of SI.com, there is a lot to hope for with the Bucs. Two guys who the Bucs banked heavily on last year who didn’t come close to living up to expectations or hype are still with the team.
And that should give Bucs fans hope, Verderame notes.
Hope: Even after losing Mike Evans in free agency, this is a talented offense. Baker Mayfield is one year removed from throwing for 4,500 yards and 41 touchdowns. That same season, then-rookie back Bucky Irving totaled 1,122 rushing yards on 5.4 yards per carry. With second-year wideout Emeka Egbuka coming off a 938-yard campaign, the Buccaneers have ample skill-position talent.
Well, Mayfield, at least before the bye, more than living up to his hype. He looked like he was on his way to having an All-Pro season. And then? The floor caved in.
Bucky Irving never seemed comfortable in Josh Grizzard’s offense. And that was before he got hurt. He looked uncomfortable even in the worthless preseason games.
Bucky, and the run game early on, looked to Joe just like the run game did under knothead Byron Leftwich. It was like former Bucs offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard didn’t know how to craft an effective run game.
The devastating injuries to the offensive line sure didn’t help.
Joe has faith Bucky will bounce back. New Bucs offensive coordinator Zac Robinson clearly knows how to build a running attack.
So yeah, there is hope there. No question.
June 14th, 2026 at 12:16 am
5-12
The Bucs are going to be bad this year and that is reason for hope.
5-12 means high draft picks, $145M in cap, and a new coaching staff.
Embrace the suck!
June 14th, 2026 at 12:23 am
Hope is a dangerous word for longtime Bucs fans.
June 14th, 2026 at 1:00 am
Some great comedy.
June 14th, 2026 at 1:17 am
Joe, here’s a 2-for-1 SPECIAL:
SlyPirate:
Calling for 5-12 in June is the NFL version of rooting for your house to burn down because you want a new kitchen.
Pelsbuc61:
“Hope is dangerous.” So is pretending a team with Baker, Godwin, Bucky, and Wirfs is headed for 5-12.
Real Bucs fans see what’s happening at One Buc. A healthier offense, explosive youth on defense, and now Pistol Zac Robinson finally spreading the ball around. This offense should be must-watch TV.
And let’s be honest it’s going to be nice not holding our breath every time ME13 gets tackled and takes a little too long getting up. That’s San Francisco’s concern now.
The doom-and-gloom crowd predicts disaster every June. Then they disappear every September when the wins start stacking up.
LFG.
Ring Me.
June 14th, 2026 at 1:41 am
Hate to say it but we’re going to have to hit rb early next draft Jason…..
June 14th, 2026 at 1:44 am
Mestemaker, then rb Hardy
June 14th, 2026 at 2:14 am
if not rb, then DT Landino is looking good in the 2nd.
June 14th, 2026 at 2:40 am
‘Joe has faith Bucky will bounce back.’
Wish I could say the same Joe. But then again, I also think that’s why the Bucs went out and got Kenny Gainwell (who seems to be pretty much a clone of Bucky Irving, or vice versa). Bucky was fine while everything was going great for him, but as soon as things got dicey (his injuries, OLine issues, new OC, etc), he showed me nothing.
Letting Rachaad White go will have an even bigger impact than letting Mike Evans escape to San Fran. I’m still not convinced that Tucker is up to the task of being a Tier-1 RB.
June 14th, 2026 at 2:54 am
MadMax … My gut feel is that pairing Vea (6’4″ & 347 lbs) and Robinson (6’3″ & 320 lbs) will open a LOT of eyes in the NFL this year. Hoping that A’Shawn does extremely well this year & that we keep him for 2027 at least. He’s a beast.
June 14th, 2026 at 3:15 am
Yeah, I agree DR….but contract talks with Baker will stump things a little with V….its according to where V is at.
June 14th, 2026 at 4:05 am
I’ve changed almost EVERY word on my post, and it STILL won’t go through. 4TH ONE, in just the past 24-HOURS. I’ve never had this much trouble before. No clue what the “word” is this time, since everything is a normal word. I even took both Bijan AND Robinson out. Plus, several others, including deleting half my post. Makes NO SENSE. I can usually locate the potential issue, awfully quickly. Like, you can write “SOPH,” but by God you better NOT spell-it out like you can with FRESHMAN. It’s Ridiculous.
June 14th, 2026 at 4:08 am
Well, that one went through. Hmmmm…
June 14th, 2026 at 4:10 am
Just took me THREE ‘different’ combinations of that last one little sentence, in order to get THAT ONE through. Crazy. VERY Frustrating. Makes NO SENSE.
June 14th, 2026 at 4:12 am
I have little doubt that the D line WILL BE BETTER this year. In fact it’s about time!
I almost Doubt my favorite coach could even screw that up. Somehow though… I’m still left with some “concerns”. If “someone” will just let them DO what they are DESIGNED TO DO…. it could be glorious on that front line for a change.
June 14th, 2026 at 4:53 am
MelvinJunior … Just for info, I have that exact same problem maybe once every 10 comments or so (push Submit and the entrie comment simply disappears; but when I ‘Go Back’ 1 screen it reappears & I modify it; sometimes that works, sometimes it just happens again & again & again). Trying to figure out what phrase or word is causing the hiccup can be really frustrating, and sometimes I just give up.