We all know where we stand. We have heard it time and time again over the last few years, whether it be from local media or our friends giving us a hard time. The Buccaneers have not been to the playoffs since the 2007 season and our last postseason victory came in Super Bowl XXXVII at the end of the 2002 season.
We have been through names like Johnson, Griese, Simms, Gradkowski, Rattay, Garcia, Leftwich, Freeman, Glennon, and McCown (Luke and Josh). But those names are long gone. We have been through Morris, Schiano, and Smith. Those names are also history.
Coming off, possibly the best draft in recent Bucs history, the time is now for talks of “maybe next year” to no longer be acceptable. General Manager Jason Licht has committed to building a perennial championship contender in this city. We have our head coach in Dirk Koetter. We have our franchise quarterback in rising star Jameis Winston and his weapons include names like Mike Evans, Desean Jackson, Cameron Brate, Adam Humphries, and the newly drafted dynamic tight end O.J. Howard out of Alabama. I haven’t even gotten to Chris Godwin yet. The 2017 Bucs offense has top 5 potential written all over it if they can stay healthy.
Defensively, the pieces are all there to keep the Bucs in games. There is nothing wrong with winning 48-38 in today’s NFL. With Gerald McCoy and Lavonte David leading a group that includes: Brent Grimes, Vernon Hargreaves III, and 3rd-year stud linebacker Kwon Alexander, this unit could be suffocating if it lives up to its full potential. The capability to lead the NFC in takeaways and scoring defense is there. Minimizing big plays will be key to not letting games get out of control to the point where Winston and the offense can’t lead a comeback.
The time for excuses is over. The time to win and contend is NOW!
