NFL Preview: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Bucs finished last season strong, and there’s no reason to assume that they won’t be a tighter outfit this term. Unfortunately for this young, rebuilding franchise, they share a division with the World Champions, one of the best teams to miss out on the playoffs last year and a team whose running backs can inflict some serious pain on an inexperienced D-line.


Raheem Morris has put the fate of the team in young QB Josh Freeman. Born in 1988, Freeman was only 15 when the Bucs last tasted the sweet nectar of success in early 2003. Now it’s his responsibility to anchor this occasionally prolific, frequently misfiring offence on the road back to glory.

With a talented Running Back in Earnest Graham, Freeman can expect a little more time in the pocket which will do nothing but aid his development which, despite a TD-INT rate of 10-18, looks to be coming along nicely.

The Bucs have been vocally optimistic about the progress made in OTAs and are expecting some exciting things from the team this year. I do not doubt they will be involved in exciting games, but whether they win all that many is less certain.

I think 6-7 wins would be a realistic and encouraging target for a team that must surely expect to finish as the foundation of the NFC South.


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