2009 Record: 3-13, Fourth in Division
2009 Playoff Record: Did not Qualify
Key Losses: Josh Bidwell, Aaron Sears, Antonio Bryant
Key Additions: Reggie Brown, Arrelious Benn, Gerald McCoy
Going young seems to be pretty common for many teams this season, but the Bucs are the team that are best ready to make something out of that trend. They've been up and down since winning the Superbowl in 2002, but they seem poised to make a return to contention as they were in 2008 when they barely missed out on a playoff berth. Their team looks radically different now than it did back then, but they should still be a force. Hopes for an immediate playoff berth should be tempered, though, as they play in a tough division and could be fighting an uphill battle.
They didn't do great in retaining key players, but they didn't do awful either. They lost their punter, which is never good for a team, but it probably won't make or break any games. They also have the benefit of already having played Josh Bidwell's replacement in 09 while he was injured. Their biggest losses came from their receiving corps, veterans Mark Bradley and Antonio Bryant are no longer with them. Bradley didn't play a snap for them last season, but might have made an impact in a young corps. Bryant is a bigger loss, the absence of his production will be felt. Hopefully Reggie Brown, who was productive for the Eagles from 05-07 but fell off the past two seasons, can help to fill the void left by Bryant. Also being counted on to produce will be rookie Arrelious Benn. Pressure will be immense and he might not live up to expectations, at least not immediately. This is a problem, as the team will be counting on second year QB Josh Freeman to step up in a big manner. His supporting cast has begun to dwindle and that will make it hard for him, but he does still have some support on the offense. Tight End Kellen Davis should be a reliable go-to for him, and the line should be reliable after finishing last season near the middle of the league in sacks allowed. Losing guard Aaron Sears won't help, but he was absent from the lineup last season anyways. Finally, they have a talented back in Cadillac Williams, though the line will have to get better in run support. They didn't do much to address the offensive line, and it could turn into a problem area for them this season.
Otherwise the offense is steady. Williams is an elite back when healthy, and Freeman showed many positives during the tail end of last season. The offense showed it could win games for this team, putting up 82 points in their three wins. They weren't pushover wins by any means, either, as they came against the Packers, Seahawks, and Saints. The big question will be if the defense can keep up, and that is less clear. They did very well against the pass in terms of yards and were ninth in the league in interceptions. They were 26th in sacks, however, and 27th in scoring defense. They focused heavily on this area in the offseason, drafting two defensive tackles in the first and second round. Gerald McCoy especially looks promising, but who knows if he will produce immediately. They also still don't have good production from their ends, which is key in their system. The one thing helping them greatly will be that their secondary is almost completely in tact, but the problem areas from last year could persist. Finally, they were abysmal against the run last year, dead last in the league. This is one area where the new faces at DT should be able to help from the start, but linebacker was yet another area that didn't see significant upgrades. This, like their problems pressuring the QB and along the offensive line, could be another area where problems will mimic those of last season.
They face some very good teams this year and ones that match up favorably against them. KC in particular could gouge them with the run, and the AFC North knows how to pound the run as well. Detroit and Washington could also prove problematic, and all these games could turn to disappointment for Tampa if their problem areas do not significantly improve. On the plus side, if they mimic the offensive success of last season, then they should be in position to win a good chunk of games, but they have a lot of ifs and a lot of high hurdles to clear. They will definitely be improved in the second year under head coach Raheem Morris, but in a competitive division, facing competitive teams, and with many holes to fill it is doubtful they will make a run at the playoffs. They have a good core, though, and could be in contention next year if they make the right moves.
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