The Tampa Bay Buccaneers do enough in the off season to win the NFC South? The Tampa Bay Buccaneers in-depth analysis of the free agents signed and players lost for the 2014 NFL season. Will these additions help The Tampa Bay Buccaneers turn around their 2013 season and win the NFC South in 2014?
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers finished a dismal 4-12 in 2013. They immediately fired coach Greg Schiano and it couldn't come fast enough. Better suited for coaching college, he is just too regimented and uptight to be a mentor and a leader to grown men. His need to dominate players was ill-advised and doing that with millionaire ballplayers with ego is an easy way to alienate an entire team as we saw firsthand. Tampa Bay Buccaneers got bit hard by the injury bug last season. Three separate cases of Staph infection and the inures to RBs, Doug Martin and Mike James just made it impossible for them to get any traction especially with a rookie QB, Mike Glennon. So it wasn't entirely on Greg Schiano's shoulders. Some players emerged throughout the 2013 season; the discovery of RB Bobby Rainey, the emergence of TE/FB Tim Wright and the fact that QB Mike Glennon can be their future franchise QB, he just needs some time watching and becoming a student of the game.
New Broom sweeps clean
New head coach, former Chicago Bears head coach, Lovie Smith immediately started cleaning house. In the off season, the transformation began by unwinding the damage done with the Darrelle Revis trade from the Jets. He then released Donald Penn feeling the $6.5 million a year would be better spent on younger players. Seven more players felt the axe after that and Lovie and new GM Jason Licht went on a signing spree adding starers and depth to their roster adding 15 players including NFL veteran starters; Michael Jonson, Alterraun Verner, and Evan Dietrich-Smith. He also signed his backup QB from Chicago, Josh McCown. He drafted a big bodied wide receiver to play across from WR Vincent Jackson. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers had an excellent draft, read my article, 2014 Tampa Bay Buccaneers NFL Draft Report Card and Player Analysis and see what I thought about each player. He free agents and the draft picks will immediately transform the Buccaneers into a brand new team with a different style of play and swagger.
Players lost in the off season to other teams
Adam Hayward, OLB--7 seasons, signed by The Washington Redskins
Michael Hill, RB--Rookie, signed by The Green Bay Packers
Ted Larsen, G--4th seasons, signed by The Arizona Cardinals
Erik Lorig, FB--4th seasons, signed by The New Orleans Saints
Dan Orlovsky, QB--9th seasons, signed by The Detroit Lions
Donald Penn, T--8th seasons, signed by The Oakland Raiders
Darrelle Revis, CB--7th seasons, signed by The New England Patriots
Tiquan Underwood, WR--5th seasons, signed by The Carolina Panthers
Dekoda Watson, LB--4th seasons, signed by The Jacksonville Jaguars
Players signed in free agency from other teams
Jeremy Cain, LB--7th season, signed from The Chicago Bears
Anthony Collins, T--6th season, signed from The Cincinnati Bengals
Oniel Cousins, G--6th season, signed from The Cleveland Browns
Evan Dietrich-Smith, C--4th season, signed from The Green Bay Packers
Dane Fletcher, MLB--4th season, signed from The New England Patriots
Lavelle Hawkins, WR--6th season, signed from The San Diego Chargers
Mike Jenkins, CB--6th season, signed from The Oakland Raiders
Michael Johnson, DE--5th season, signed from The Cincinnati Bengals
Jorvorskie Lane, FB--2nd season, signed from The Miami Dolphins
Josh McCown, QB--11th season, signed from The Chicago Bears
Clinton McDonald, DT--5th season, signed from The Seattle Seahawks
Louis Murphy, WR--5th season, signed from The New York Giants
Brandon Myers, TE--5th season, signed from The New York Giants
Alterraun Verner, CB--7th season, signed from The Tennessee Titans
Major Wright, SS--7th season, signed from The Chicago Bears
Can The Tampa Bay Buccaneers make it to the playoffs in 2014?
I think the NEW Tampa Bay Buccaneers are the best team in the NFC South on paper. We will see if all the pieces of the puzzle fit together and the players work well as one unit They now have the perfect compliment on receivers with a veteran QB who makes few mistakes and they have an amazing depth at running back. Their running game has two players that will make this a hard team to defend, Bobby Rainey and Tim Wright. Josh McCown is known to be a great check down QB and with the weapons that can spread the field and freeze line linebackers, these two RBs can easily take advantage of that in the flats catching passes and breaking one on any play. Both sides of the field will have tall speedy sure handed receivers so it can be a simple day of throwing catch and getting he big gain. I look forward to a bounce back season for the Buccaneers and their fans and think they are the bona fide contender to win the NFC South and upset the favored Carolina Panthers and New Orleans Saints.
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