Let's break it down, shall we?
Health- injuries are always a concern but this is far and away my primary concern heading into the season. Should this team start slowly, I don't like Jon Gruden's chances of bringing this team back. Joey Galloway spent his off season in Ohio recovering from injury. He's barely participated in practice and doesn't appear like he will be ready to play in the opener. Jeff Garcia also had a tough summer. As if trying get himself mentally ready to put his tumultuous off season and the circus atmosphere of training camp behind him weren't enough, he immediately hurt his ankle, was unable to practice and proceeded to stink the joint up in his only preseason appearance. This could get dicey!
QB- there is reason for some optimism at the position however, and that comes in the form of Brian Griese who returns to T- town after a short stay in Chicago. Word has it that Griese was none to pleased to be back after being kicked to the curb by the Bucs after playing well in the playoff year in '05 and who could blame him? But, we know what to expect from Griese, he will look like an absolute top flight quarterback on one series and then is capable of some horrendous lapses and that leave even his biggest supporters (his mom & dad) shaking their heads. Inconsistency has pretty much been his MO during his time in the NFL but, I think he's played some of his best football in a Buccaneer uniform. Let's hope he continues his solid preseason play because chances are he'll be needed. Between the addition of Griese and Luke McCown's continued development the Bucs definitely look like they have upgraded this position. Josh Johnson will hold the clip in street clothes most weeks but, overall I think we're in pretty good shape.
Preseason rating- B
Offensive line- this group has me pumped up! Surviving the early part of the schedule without Davin Joseph will be a tall order. But, regardless of how this season goes, I'm looking forward to watching this group grow into one of the best in pro football.
Preseason (pre injury) rating- B+, (post injury)- B-
Running backs- again it starts with the line and we should see a thousand yard rusher this year. Warrick Dunn is an upgrade to Michael Pittman & Earnest Graham's got a new deal and should be ready to rock. Michael Bennet has some quicks and seems to be much more comfortable with a year under his belt. If he is able to build upon what he showed in preseason, he'll get some touches and will have some chances to contribute.
Preseason rating- B
Tight ends- Alex Smith MUST step up and show that he is a better than average tight end (which I believe he is). The additions of Troupe and Gilmore should give make the Bucs stronger both in the blocking and receiving departments and they'll need both to score more points in the red zone.
Preseason rating- C
WR- clearly it's Joey Galloway and then everyone else. That being said, Ike Hilliard is awesome to watch. What a pro! Supposedly Michael Clayton (down 15lbs.) had a great camp but to me he looked like about the same on game day. I root for the guy but he's got to be more explosive, more consistent, and hold onto the ball. Should Clayton not be able to seize his opportunity, I'd love to see Maurice Stovall become more involved in the passing game. Dexter Jackson has taken over the return job and we've already seen what he can do with a crease. There are A LOT of question marks here, including another off season acquisition who has found his way onto the opening day roster, Antonio Bryant. If everyone were to perform up to their capability, this would be a B+ group, easy. But in reality, that has yet to happen and this receiving corp, although decent, doesn't strike a lot of fear into people. And if Joey breaks down, this offense could really grind to a halt.
Preseason rating- C
Defensive line- pretty much the same cast of characters here, although Monte's been tinkering with some new alignments etc. With the likes of Hovan and Carter, Haye in the mix, this group should be fairly solid overall. More explosiveness on the edges would be nice. Greg White was a pleasant surprise in his 2nd stint with the team. And, we'll see if Gaines can can elevate his game to another level this season.
Preseason rating- B-
LB's- Brooks, Ruud, June and company. That'll work!
Preseason rating- A-
Secondary- man, what a difference one guy (Raheem Morris) can make. He had this unit playing some inspired football last year. Jermaine Phillips pretty much revived his career, Phillip Buchanan played well & Tanard Jackson was a star. Ronde was Ronde and I think he'll have a better season this year. Having Aqib Talib to come in and learn on the job will be nice but he will be counted on to come in and make some plays this year. We all know good things happen when the Bucs are playing hawkish D and taking the ball away.
Preseason rating- B
Special teams- don't look now but Matt Bryant had a lousy preseason. As bad as this offense can look, if we can't make our field goals, we're screwed. Josh Bidwell is as good as it gets, unless it comes to pooch punting and the return coverage team is respectable. Although, I personally have never been a huge fan of special teams coach Rich Bisaccia, the Bucs did return their 1st ever kickoff on his watch.
Preseason rating- C-
Projected record- 9 Wins, 7 losses
All things considered, the Bucs look like an average team. BUT, to me there doesn't seem to be a lot of gray area with Gruden's teams. They either look pretty strong or they suck. Once again, it'll be up to the Brooks' and Barbers' to rally the team if the ride gets rough. With Monte at the helm, the defense usually holds up its end of the bargain. The offense however, is another story entirely. With last year's offensive leader feeling disrespected, our leading receiver another year older and the centerpiece of our stellar young offensive line starting the season on the sidelines with an injury, it seems likely this unit could likely lose some of the little momentum it was able to find in '07-08. I realize that in pro football the players are primarily motivated by 2 things- their pay checks & their team mates. Playing for the coach, the logo or the city is farther down on the list. Since Gruden and Allen have been here they've opted for a hard line approach to things and have alienated their fair share of players, coaches and fans alike. I could be wrong of course, but it's hard for me to imagine that there are too many guys on the team that would be willing to run through a wall for their coach should they fall on hard times. I'm going to try and be positive and hope that the Bucs end up on the right side of mediocre. Unfortunately, the track record of this regime is not too good when it comes to consistency and it would surprise no one if followed up last season's 1st place NFC South finish with double digit losses. I think they're better than that but, we shall see starting Sunday afternoon.
BBQ Buc... out!
-A
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