Are The Tampa Bay Buccaneers A Playoff Team?

Published: 9^th Apr 12 12:33 pm

by Max Luckan
NFL Columnist

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Douglas Jones-US PRESSWIRE

Now that free agency has cooled down, the new rosters are already beginning to take shape. We still have the NFL Draft ahead, but many of the key free agents have already found new homes. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been the the team to talk about so far this offseason, just like the Philadelphia Eagles were last year.

The Bucs made many key additions including Vincent Jackson, Carl Nicks, Eric Wright, and just recently Amobi Okoye. Now, are the Bucs a playoff team? No one knows. Many people thought that the Bucs could make a run at the playoffs last season after they finished with a surprising 10-6 record the year before. Of course, the team started 4-2 and then ended the season on a 10-game losing streak. But, do the Bucs have the talent of a playoff team? The answer is: almost certainly.

The philosophy ever since Mark Dominik took over the GM position has been to build a contender through the draft. From a talent standpoint, it certainly looks like the Bucs found a couple of gold charms in Josh Freeman, Gerald McCoy, and Mike Williams. So, it appears that Tampa Bay certainly has the talent to be a contender, especially with the recent acquisitions. Keep in mind, the draft is still ahead of us. In 2011, former head coach Raheem Morris appeared to lose his grip on the team and the result was an ugly mess. We can draw the conclusion that the team lacked discipline, structure, and the “youngry” desire to win last season. But the skill and talent was there.

With new coach Greg Schiano, the Bucs can be built into a contender. They have the players to do it. Judging from Schiano’s press conferences, the discipline will be there, and now the only missing element will be execution. Also, barring an absolutely horrid draft, though that’s unexpected from a draft-maestro like Mark Dominik. The front office has assembled a nice blend of young prospects and veteran guys, which seems like a good recipe for success. The veteran presence is there. The Bucs decided to bring back Ronde Barber, who will help out on defense and Vincent Jackson will guide the young receiving corps.

In short, the Buccaneers probably had the talent to make it to the playoffs in 2011, but due to various factors such as a lack of discipline and structure, the season was lost. Now, the Glazers have taken the initiative to bring in a disciplinarian in Greg Schiano, and they have spent the big bucks to improve the team, which could all translate into a potentially successful season in 2012 for Tampa Bay.

You can follow Max Luckan on Twitter @MaxLuckan

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