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Who Knows Where Season Will Take Bucs?

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 7, 2008

TAMPA - Today it begins. Where it ends, no one knows. Not even the so-called experts. If you doubt that, glance back at last year's fearless predictions. You won't see too many calling for the Giants to win the Super Bowl.

Closer to home, the Bucs are trying to get back to the playoffs. If they do, it will mark the first time in the Jon Gruden era that they have reached the playoffs in successive seasons.

History it seems is stacked against them. Since taking them to the Super Bowl in 2002, Gruden's Bucs have compiled a 36-46 record, including an 0-2 mark in the playoffs. But who knows? The Bucs could be this year's Giants.

With that in mind, we're going to forego the usual predictions and give you five reasons to be optimistic about the coming season and five reasons to worry that it won't work out the way Bucs fans hope it will.

DYNAMIC DEFENSE

A Bucs defense that finished second overall in yards allowed and third overall in points allowed in 2007 could be even better in 2008. It certainly figures to be faster, what with the addition of cornerback Aqib Talib and Sabby Piscitelli rotating in at safety. The secondary has not only the talent but also the big-play capability to again be the best in the league. If this unit can provide the occasional score it could be the league's best.

DEPTH AT QB

It seems the Bucs have never been more prepared for an injury at quarterback than they are this year. Other teams may have backup quarterbacks with more upside but you'll be hard pressed to find a team that has two backups who have more experience in their coordinator's system than Brian Griese and Luke McCown have in Coach Jon Gruden's scheme. Starter Jeff Garcia may be 38 but he still moves around like he's 28, seldom makes mistakes with the ball and has a better grasp of the offense this time around.

THE OFFENSIVE LINE

The average age of the starters here is 25. That's not necessarily a good thing, but the talent level is unsurpassed in Bucs lore. When Davin Joseph is manning the right guard spot, the interior unit has the potential to be one of toughest and best in the league. Starting tackles Donald Penn and Jeremy Trueblood are not as good as the guards or the center, but they seem to get better every year. If Penn gets stronger as a run blocker and Trueblood gets quicker as a pass protector, this will be a major strength.

RUNNING BACK DEPTH

The Bucs didn't rush Cadillac Williams back onto the roster because they didn't have to. With Earnest Graham, Warrick Dunn and Michael Bennett the Bucs are as deep at this position as they've been in years. All three bring a different dynamic to the game, with Bennett providing the home run potential that was lost when Williams went down. There's so much talent here that Gruden may have a hard time keeping all of his backs happy and in rhythm. Can you say pleasant problem?

GAINES ADAMS

We didn't see a lot of flash from him during the preseason, but there is every reason to believe Gaines Adams is in for a breakout years. He seemed to finally develop an understanding for what it takes to be a consummate pro in the second half of last year and so he comes into this season more determined, in better shape and more eager to prove he was worthy of the No. 4 overall pick in the 2007 draft. The Bucs are expecting Adams to reach double digits in sacks this year. If he does that, the pass rush and the Bucs should be better.

THE AGING PROCESS

The majority of the Bucs' best players, including linchpins such as QB Jeff Garcia, WR Joey Galloway and LB Derrick Brooks, aren't just over 30, they're nearing 40. None have shown their age but it's natural for players that age to struggle more with injuries and we've already seen seemingly minor ailments sideline the likes of Garcia and Galloway for extended stretches. The Bucs are boasting about depth through their lineup this year. Good thing; they may need it.

THE RECEIVING CORPS

We'd love to give the Bucs the benefit of the doubt here but the simple fact is, Galloway and Ike Hilliard are still the only truly reliable receivers on the squad. Yes, Antonio Bryant, Maurice Stovall and Michael Clayton all looked great in training camp. And all of them pretty much carried that over into the preseason. Still, they're going to have to show us that they can produce in the regular season before we become believers and list this as an area of strength.

DEPTH UP FRONT

The Bucs have quality depth at just about every position on the field except their offensive front. They have a couple of former starters here but there's a reason Sean Mahan was let go after starting 16 games for the Steelers last year and a reason the Bucs keep looking for someone other than Anthony Davis to push Donald Penn at left tackle. The biggest concern: with top lineman Davin Joseph out, the Bucs are leaning on a rookie with about one game's worth of preseason experience under his belt. That's shaky.

THE TIGHT ENDS

As the season drew to a close last year, Jerramy Stevens emerged as the Bucs' best option at tight end. That's great, except that Stevens' off-field problems will keep him off the field for the first two games. And those are critical games. The Bucs have what they believe is more than adequate depth at this spot, but it's not a stretch to say that Ben Troupe and even Alex Smith have been inconsistent. Some have even called them underachievers. If both fail to step up and play at a high level, the Bucs may never max out offensively.

KICKING SLUMP

Matt Bryant is as reliable as they come, but he fell into a slump in the preseason and never got out of it. He kept pushing makable kicks off the right hash to the right and jamming himself on kicks of 50 yards or more. With no coach to work with him, Bryant has to find a way out of this slump on his own. If that takes a couple of weeks or so the results could be costly. The Bucs don't have a lot of offensive firepower. They need Bryant to bail them out. If he's not up to it, more than a victory or two could slip through their hands.

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