After five years of failing to break the .500 mark there are signs of a renewal in Tampa Bay. The Buccaneers had a promising first season with No. 1 overall pick Jameis Winston and scored more points than they had in a season since 2008.
However, 2016 brings a new coach and whether or not his offense can maximize Winston’s potential.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Playoff Odds at BookMaker.eu
Yes +320
No -400
2015 TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS SEASON REVIEW
The Buccaneers looked like a team with playoff potential through the first three-quarters of the season before losing their last four down the stretch and falling out of contention. Winston made some mistakes as a rookie, but was very solid and continually showed the flashes that made NFL GM’s drool when he was at Florida State. He ended up throwing for over 4000 yards last year with 22 touchdowns, but he will need to improve his decision making as 15 interceptions just won’t cut it.
Doug Martin had an All-Pro season in the backfield. He ran for over 1400 yards and six touchdowns and averaged almost five yards a carry. It was a breakout season for Martin who had failed to live up to his promise after a fantastic rookie campaign in 2012. He did struggle down the stretch, failing to crack the 100-yard mark in his last six games, but if he comes to camp in shape will help keep the pressure off of Winston.
KEY LOSSES
Tampa Bay’s main roster loss from last season is Logan Mankins. Mankins was a seven-time Pro Bowler who was a big part of Tampa’s success running the ball in 2015. He was leaning towards retirement after the Pro Bowl and gave Tampa Bay plenty of time to make plans for the upcoming season with his early announcement. Surprisingly, the Buccaneers may be even better along the offensive line this season.
KEY ADDITIONS
Perhaps the best addition for Tampa Bay was promoting offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter to head coach. Koetter played a large part in the offense’s success last season and if a move wasn’t made, the Buccaneers likely would have lost him to another job. Keeping him in place is key for the development of a talented prospect like Winston.
The Buccaneers hope to have gotten better defensively through some free agent acquisitions. Brent Grimes is one of the better cornerbacks in the league and Daryl Smith was a solid linebacker with the Ravens last season. If first-round pick Vernon Hargreaves III lives up to his talent, the Buccaneers should be much improved defensively.
2016 TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS SEASON PREVIEW
Tampa Bay has the potential to make some noise in 2016. If Winston takes another step forward and Martin runs the ball like he did last season, this team is dangerous offensively. A player that could have a big say in the Buccaneers offense though is Mike Evans. Evans dropped a lot of passes last season and wasn’t at his best despite a 1200-yard season. He was by far Winston’s biggest target last season and if he improves upon his NFL-worst 7.4 percent drop rate from last year, he’ll be an even bigger asset.
Defensively, Gerald McCoy is the lynchpin of the defense. McCoy has made four straight Pro Bowls in the middle of Tampa Bay’s defensive line and draws a constant double-team with his disruptive presence. When he is healthy, Tampa Bay’s run defense is one of the best along with standout linebacker Lavonte David, but he has had some injury issues and has only started every game once in his six NFL seasons.
The Buccaneers have the misfortune of drawing the AFC West and NFC West in divisional play, and if not for that would be a solid bet to make the postseason. Still, this team is young and there is a lot of talent across the board. The offensive line is deep, the skill positions are strong, and there were actually moves made to help a defense that struggled at times in 2015. At these odds, Tampa Bay is worth the gamble to get to the postseason.
NFL Odds: Tampa Bay Buccaneers to make the playoffs +320
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