Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-USA TODAY Sports

Welcome to the second round of #BucsBracket, the unofficial competition held here at the Pewter Plank to determine the most popular and most beloved Buccaneers of all time. The first round is in the books, and our second round matchups will be a bit closer, and that means every vote is important.

Be sure to cast your vote in each matchup, because every vote counts! Sound off in the comments and let us know why you made the picks you made, because we will use comments on the blog as tiebreakers, in case of a tie.

There are four matchups today, so we’ll keep the descriptions short and to the point so you can make your choices and get all the information you need. The bracket can be found below. You can click on the image to load a bigger version of the bracket.

1 seed: Derrick Brooks, Linebacker, 1995-2008

Brooks easily advanced to the second round, leaving Ryan Nece behind. The 9-time All-Pro and former Walter PaytonMan of the Year, NFL Defensive Player of the Year, and Pro Bowl MVP was one of the key figures in the Buccaneers’ dominant defense in the early 2000′s and late 1990′s. Brooks was dominant at his position and was also very active in the community in his charitable efforts.

9 seed: Mike Washington, Cornerback, 1976-1984

Mike Washington bested Scot Brantley in a slight upset to earn his place in the second round. In seven seasons (from 1977-1983) Washington intercepted 28 passes, returning 3 for touchdowns. His career would be ended early due to a spinal injury, but he was certainly one of the better players in the Buccaneers’ earliest days.

So will it be an original Buccaneer, or a career Buccaneer with a Super Bowl ring? Make your pick below.

5 seed: Doug Williams, Quarterback, 1978-1982

Doug Williams advanced to the second round by defeating Jeff Garcia. Williams is well-known for his performances in Washington with the Redskins, but Williams also donned the orange and white in Tampa Bay for a few seasons, and led the team to an improbable appearance in the NFC Title Game in 1979 against the St. Louis Rams. His numbers were poor, but he led the team to wins before departing after the 1982 season.

4 seed: Jimmie Giles, Tight End, 1978-1986

Jimmie Giles advanced to the second round by moving past Keyshawn Johnson. GIles is a member of the Buccaneers’ Ring of Honor and a four-time Pro Bowl selection. He was a very prolific receiving tight end who once caught four touchdowns in one game, and finished his Buccaneers’ career with 34 touchdowns.

So which of these early Bucs that helped bring the team from worst to first is your pick to move on?

6 seed: Donald Penn, Tackle, 2006-Present

Donald Penn moves on to the second round after getting the best of Chris Hovan. The one-time Pro Bowl selection is a sturdy but never spectacular left tackle who the Bucs developed after signing him as an undrafted rookie out of Utah State. Penn is a big, strong tackle who lacks elite skill, but performs consistently and helped pave the way for Doug Martin‘s fantastic 2012 season.

3 seed: Warrick Dunn, Running Back, 1997-2001, 2008

Warrick Dunn made the second round by defeating Kevin House. Dunn was a hard-working, unique running back who rose to fame with the Buccaneers in the Tony Dungy era. The small but surprisingly tough runner made two Pro Bowl appearances as a Buccaneer, and was frequently recognized for his off-the-field efforts to help those less fortunate. Dunn finished with 28 touchdowns as a Buccaneer.

So which of these two popular figures in recent Bucs’ history moves on to the Sweet 16?

10 seed: Karl Williams, Wide Receiver/Returner, 1996-2003

Karl Williams advanced out of the opening round by upsetting Vinny Testaverde. “The Truth” was a dynamic punt returner who brought back 5 punts for scores during his NFL career, and also chipped in on offense as a wide receiver. He was a member of the 2002 Super Bowl winning team as well.

2 seed: Shelton Quarles, Linebacker, 1997-2006

Shelton Quarles moved on to the second round after defeating Trent Dilfer. A 2002 Pro Bowl Selection, Quarles was maybe the “best of the rest” on the Buccaneers dominant defense at the turn of the century. Not tabbed as one of the biggest stars, Quarles simply did the dirty work needed as a linebacker next to Derrick Brooks, and logged tackles, defended passes, and occasionally chipped in on the pass rush. The former CFL player caught on with the Bucs after going undrafted, and turned into a solid contributor to one of the best defenses ever.

Which of these Super Bowl era Buccaneers is your pick to move on to the next round?

Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ talent is on full display on national TV, as the NFL Network’s Top 100 for 2013 has featured yet another Buc. Doug Martin, Darrelle Revis, Gerald McCoy, and Dashon Goldson have all already had their names called for the list, and one more was added tonight as Vincent Jackson was announced as the 52nd best player for 2013 according to the player vote.

The Buccaneers’ leading receiver in 2012 received high praise from his peers, especially safety Thomas DeCoud of the Atlanta Falcons, who recalled his ability to go up and catch passes that seem impossible to get to. You can see the whole video here.

Take a moment to consider the fact that five of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are considered among the 100 best in the league. With 32 teams in the league, not every team will have even 3 or 4 players on this list, and it speaks to the job the front office has done that the players they have brought in via trade (Revis), signing (Jackson and Goldson), and the draft (McCoy and Martin) are paying off in such a major way.

So, what other Buccaneers do you expect to see on the list? I would guess that Carl Nicks may still have his name called. There doesn’t appear to be another logical addition to the top 50 from the Buccaneers, but if you have an idea, let us know in the comment section. I think it would be pretty awesome to head into 2013 knowing that the players in the NFL think 5 or 6 of the 100 best players are Tampa Bay Buccaneers, with the potential for others (like Lavonte David, Mike Williams, Davin Joseph, Donald Penn, and maybe even Josh Freeman) to perform at such a level that makes them strong candidates for next year’s list. This Buccaneers team has undoubtable talent. The job for this season is to translate that talent into wins, which is something that is far from automatic in the NFL.

Mandatory Credit: Spruce Derden-USA TODAY Sports

The Buccaneers put pen to paper with another rookie today, as Johnthan Banks, rookie corner out of Mississippi State, signed his first professional contract to stay on with the Buccaneers for 4 years. Sports Talk Florida’s Bucs Insider Jenna Laine broke the news of the contract details, outlining that Banks will receive fully guaranteed pay in years one and two of the deal, in addition to a singing bonus. Here is the breakdown from Jenna:

Details of player contracts are not made available to the public, but a source tells Sports Talk Florida that Banks’ deal is worth $4,726,321 and includes a signing bonus of $1,817,324.

Banks will earn a base salary of $405,000 in 2013, which is standard for NFL rookies. In 2014, that figure jumps to $619,833. In 2015, he’ll make $834,666 and in 2016, $849,498.

This is just another sign of how valuable draft picks can be, because Banks will be making a very small salary (in NFL terms) for four years, and may wind up being an every week starter at some point during this deal, making him a massive value pick for the Bucs.

Banks may not step into a starter’s role right away, but he doesn’t have to. He’s got plenty of competition at cornerback, which is a surprising statement given the results from the secondary last season, and there are questions about his speed and his lack of experience as a press-man corner. His inexpensive contract and the presence of Eric Wright and Leonard Johnson combine to allow him time to develop into the cornerback the Buccaneers drafted him to become.

Mike Glennon remains the only unsigned rookie for the Buccaneers, which is not surprising, as quarterback contracts always take a while, even under a new Collective Bargaining Agreement. Expect to see Glennon signed soon, and the Buccaneers poised to make some bargain moves after June 1st, when another wave of cuts across the NFL may happen.