Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2007 Team Preview

The Buccaneers lost starting quarterback Chris Simms and subsequently struggled to a 4-12 record. After winning their first preseason game, Tampa Bay lost seven straight games, including starting the season 0-4. Among the four wins were victories over play contenders Philadelphia and Cincinnati. Statistically, both the offense and defense struggled - they were 31^st in points scored and 21^st in points allowed.

Quarterback

2006 for Chris Simms was supposed to be a breakout season for the young lefty. It turned into three horrible games (1 TD, 7 INT) and a season-ending injury. Bruce Gradkowski had plenty of work the rest of the season, but will be pushed back to #3 on the depth chart in 2007. Jeff Garcia was signed as a free agent and will come into camp as the starter, but Simms remains the ultimate quarterback of Tampa Bay in the future. Garcia will work well with coach John Gruden (see Rich Gannon in Oakland) and should be the best performing quarterback for the team since Shaun King's rookie year.

Running Back/Fullback

Cadillac Williams had a significant sophomore slump resulting in under 800 yards and only one touchdown in 2006. With 350+ carries, Williams will return to top-10 form. Michael Pittman is an excellent receiver and runs with power, while Mike Alstott remains one of the best overall fullbacks in the league.

Wide Receiver

Joey Galloway is an aging receiver, but remains a top deep target in the NFL. He has great work ethic and continues to get behind most cornerbacks he lines up against. Michael Clayton had another disappointing season in 2006. He has plenty of potential, but that means he has 2007 to prove himself or find another team to play for in 2008. Rookie Maurice Stovall (Notre Dame) and veterans Ike Hilliard and David Boston will comprise the rest of the unit.

Tight End

Anthony Becht and Alex Smith are adequate in all areas, but lack the skills to excel against most defenses.

Offensive Line

Tampa Bay will start three players with three years of experience or less: Davin Joseph and Jeremy Trueblood have great potential, while Dan Buenning is average at best. Luke Petitgout comes in from New York as a veteran left tackle, but doesn't have too much left in the tank. The Buccaneers are notorious for not being able to grind out the clock with a power running game in the 4^th quarter and 2007 should be no exception. Other than that, they should be average.

Defensive Line

Greg Spires, Simeon Rice and Chris Hovan are very good together, especially against the pass. Kevin Carter and rookie 1^st round pick Gaines Adams will work their way into the rotation. Adams will be a full-time starter by 2008, possibly replacing Rice, who missed most of 2006 with injuries, on the right side.

Linebackers

Derrick Brooks, perennial All-Pro, and Cato June are exceptionally fast linebackers that can run with most running backs and slot receivers in the passing game. Rookie Quincy Black and veteran Jamie Winborn provide decent depth at the position.

Secondary

Ronde Barber and Brian Kelly are one of the best tandems in the NFC. Jermaine Phillips and Will Allen are questionable at best at safety, which explains why Sabby Piscitelli was drafted in the 2^nd round this year. He will push for playing time, filling in long-term if injuries strike.

Special Teams

Matt Bryant made the highlight kick of 2006 against Philadelphia, but remains a marginal kicker in the league. Josh Bidwell can improve on pinning opponents inside the 20-yard-line, but otherwise did a fine job in 2006.

Coaching

John "Chucky" Gruden remains a great coach of the west coast system and will always be hard on his quarterbacks. He is energetic and makes sound decisions late in games. Gruden will always inspire his teams to an extra win each year.

Prediction

With a difficult out-of-division schedule it will hard to break .500, even with an upgrade at quarterback. They are a team with average talent, average size and speed, and (except for Derrick Brooks) lack a playmaker on either side of the ball. In an above-average division they could win anywhere from 4-8 games.