Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Welcome back to #BucsBracket. Let’s keep things going in the unofficial competition, set to determine the most popular and beloved Buccaneers of all time. This edition is the Selmon division, named after the first Buccaneer to make the Hall of Fame.

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.

As usual we’ll keep the descriptions short and to the point so you can make your choices and get all the information you need.

1 seed: Lee Roy Selmon, Defensive End, 1976-1984

What else can be said about the original Buccaneer? Selmon was a star from day one, earning Pro Bowl bids and a Hall of Fame induction during the Bucs formative years. With 78.5 sacks and 28 forced fumbles in his career, Selmon was a disruptive force on the defensive line and a great man on and off the field. He passed away just a couple of years ago, and his impact on the Tampa Bay Area with both the Buccaneers and the USF Bulls Athletic Program will live on for years and years to come.

16 seed: Ian Beckles, Guard, 1990-1996

A name that most local Buccaneer fans likely hear more often in relation to his radio job or his recent police incident, Beckles was a very good guard for the Buccaneers during the early 90′s. He helped pave the way for some strong rushing attacks and played alongside Tony Mayberry to provide a bright spot on an otherwise disappointing franchise.

Select your favorite between these two former Buccaneers here:

8 seed: Davin Joseph, Guard, 2006-Present

Davin Joseph is a team leader and a key member of the Buccaneers’ strong offensive line heading into 2013. He’s active in the community, and a captain for the Buccaneers.

9 seed: Cedric Brown, Safety, 1976-1984

One of the original Buccaneers, Cedric was a safety out of Kent State who secured 29 interceptions during his career in Tampa Bay, including 9 in 1981. He scored three return touchdowns, setting the playmaking precedent for Buccaneer defenders for years to come.

Which of these Bucs do you pick to move on to the next round?

5 seed: Anthony McFarland, Defensive Tackle, 1999-2006

Booger, as he is more commonly known, was the lesser known of the two Buccaneers’ defensive tackles during the Super Bowl run. But he was still a key cog in the system that produced some of the most dominant defensive performances in NFL history, and was disruptive enough despite mainly being in his position to create space for others.

12 seed: Dexter Jackson, Safety, 1999-2002, 2004-2005

It’s strange that a Super Bowl MVP would be so low in the seeding, but Jackson had such a short time as a prominent player with the Buccaneers that his valuable performance in the Super Bowl was a rare highlight. Jackson appeared in 73 games for the Bucs, logging eight interceptions and forcing three fumbles. It was his two interceptions in the Super Bowl against the Raiders that are more well-remembered, and cemented his name in the team’s history books.

They both won a ring with the Buccaneers, but which one wins the matchup?

4 seed: Richard Wood, Linebacker, 1976-1984

Richard Wood was an incredibly productive linebacker for the newly opened Buccaneers’ franchise, logging tackles all over the field and starting game after game in the middle of a strong defense. He was one of the men to score in the Buccaneers first victory in 1977, and was known for his scoring on defensive plays in addition to his tackling ability.

13 seed: Mark Carrier, Wide Receiver, 1987-1992

Mark Carrier was a standout performer in 1989, earning All-Pro consideration for his more than 1400 yards and 9 touchdowns. He would never produce quite as many catches in any other season, but still turned in an impressive Buccaneer career before moving on to the Browns and Panthers.

Defense or offense, which way are you going to go?

6 seed: Vincent Jackson, Wide Receiver, 2012-Present

Even being one of the newest members of the team, and having one of the shorter tenures of anyone on this list, Vincent Jackson made a huge impact during his first year with the team. He had his career best in yards and catches, and finished with almost 20 yards per grab in his first season with Josh Freeman. Jackson will be an important part of the success of the 2013 Buccaneers, and his big play ability has already made him a fan favorite.
11 seed: Mark Cotney, Safety, 1976-1984

Cotney was the “other” safety for the early Buccaneers teams, not quite having the production of Cedric Brown but still contributing to a surprisingly good defense on a surprisingly streaky team. His career was ended short due to a back injury, but he still produced for the Buccaneers for 9 solid seasons.

The new guy on the block, or an original member of the defense. Which one do you pick?

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.
3 seed: Simeon Rice, Defensive End, 2001-2006

Rice was the key pass rusher in the Buccaneers’ 2002 Super Bowl defense, logging 15.5 sacks that regular season and forcing six fumbles. Rice was brought to Tampa after being just as dominant with Arizona, and continue to dominate in his prime with the Buccaneers.
14 seed: Shaun King, Quarterback, 1999-2003

Shaun King got his first chance thanks to injury, and took advantage, helping to lead the team all the way to the 1999 NFC Championship Game. King never turned into an impressive NFL quarterback, but he made the key plays needed to help get enough points for the defense to do the rest.

Pass rusher or passer? Make your choice below:

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.
7 seed: Cecil Johnson, Linebacker, 1977-1985

Johnson was an athletic linebacker who played well in coverage, snagging a career high five interceptions in 1981. He was a strong tackler, as well, and played a key role calling plays in the surprising Buccaneers’ defenses in the late 70′s.
10 seed: Gerald McCoy, Defensive Tackle, 2010-Present

Gerald McCoy was a high draft pick who failed to stay healthy and live up to his expectations until 2012, when he broke out and became a Pro Bowl player at his position. McCoy is a leader on the Buccaneers’ defense, and a disruptive force in the middle of the defense that other teams must account for.

Which of these defenders will move on?

2 seed: Mike Alstott, Fullback, 1996-2007

One of the best fullbacks in the history of the NFL, Alstott was maybe the most beloved Buccaneer during his 12 seasons. His six Pro Bowls and 4 All Pro selections don’t quite speak to the impact he had on the fanbase, who all rallied behind the A-Train anytime the Buccaneers’ offense was on the field. Alstott had 58 rushing touchdowns and 13 receiving touchdowns, many of which were earned by barreling over defenders on his way to the end zone.
15 seed: Al Singleton, Linebacker, 1997-2002

Singleton was a special teams tackler and a strong, well-built linebacker who never got a chance to shine on a regular basis as a Buccaneer. He still added plenty of tackles and a few interceptions during his time in Tampa Bay, but likely won’t get past the A-Train in this matchup.

Does the A-Train get upset? Vote below and decide:

Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

I will begin this article by admitting that I am not a fan of Josh Freeman. As of the end of 2012, I don’t trust him to deliver accurate passes needed to convert key plays, and feel he is too inconsistent to be counted on in important in-game situations. He’s fully capable of doing nearly everything a NFL quarterback needs to do, but he just fails to do so on occasions, and in a league where even the worst of teams can play to within a possession of the best teams, mistakes can be very costly.

I think my stance on Josh Freeman was pretty apparent at the end of last season, and while I have had some time to evaluate his season as a whole, I still feel he is frustrating and inconsistent and has a lot to prove in 2013.

But there is no way on God’s beautiful green Earth that Mike Glennon is going to start at quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2013, provided a healthy Josh Freeman is available to play.

I understand the old saying that the backup quarterback is every fan’s best friend, and there are a million other clichés to explain the reasons why fans grow dissatisfied with starting quarterbacks. But let me present three reasons as to why Mike Glennon is not going to be taking over for a healthy Josh Freeman in 2013

Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports

He hasn’t even been that bad.

I kn0w Josh has been frustrating. I have yelled at him through my television plenty of times over the past few years. But he’s not been as bad as you think. Last season he had a frustrating final month, but considering that 8 of his 17 interceptions came over the course of two games, that means he had an otherwise acceptable year with two negative games. And as I pointed out in my article breaking down Josh Freeman’s interceptions, he tends to throw more picks while the team is trailing, as he has a “Captain Comeback” mentality that tends to result in Josh trying to do too much.

And remember around week 10 last season when Josh was one of the best quarterbacks in the league, leading an efficient offense with a strong running game? That guy still plays for the Bucs, as well. This isn’t a Mark Sanchez situation, where there is literally no redemptive qualities. Josh Freeman had 27 touchdowns and passed for over 4000 yards last season with a makeshift offensive line in front of him. He’s not bad enough to be eclipsed by a third round pick…

There is too much invested in Josh Freeman.

… especially considering Josh Freeman was a first round pick back in the days when huge contracts were given to first round picks (especially QBs). So there has been a ton of money, time, and faith invested in Josh Freeman since he was selected, and the team has no reason to stop now, when they’ve had so many other chances to bail on him and move on. Josh was always seen as a bit of a project, considering that he lacked the accuracy and decision-making needed to be an elite NFL quarterback from day one. His success as a Buccaneer cannot be ignored, especially when considering the investments made.

Imagine you run a restaurant, and you buy the nicest steaks available and hand them to an awful chef. The steaks may occasionally turn out to be delicious, but there are bound to be plenty of mistakes and poorly prepared meals. Josh Freeman was brought to a team in need of a quarterback, and lacking in talent at skill positions, and has been handed from “chef to chef” as coaching changes and personell changes have led to a lack of consistency. He still has all the qualities required of a very good NFL quarterback, they just need to be brought out and accented well by his coaches, by his teammates, and by his own decision-making and work ethic.

Mike Glennon is not qualified to be the Buccaneers’ savior.

The Buccaneers have aspirations of making a playoff run this season, and Mike Glennon is not the guy to take them there. He’s going to be capable of running something resembling the Buccaneers offense from day one, because he has the arm to make all the throws needed. But there’s a reason that he was taken in the third round of the NFL Draft. He’s got decision-making concerns, and doesn’t inspire the confidence in his ability to perform on such a high level right away. He’s a project, just like Josh Freeman was, and while he may develop into a very good NFL signal caller, he’s not even close to being there yet.

The Bucs are going to give Josh Freeman every chance this season to prove he’s the guy to bring the team back to the playoffs for years to come. They’ve invested a ton of time and effort into him, and they’re not going to give up on him now. Mike Glennon may wind up being a quality NFL QB, but it’s not going to be in 2013. Josh Freeman, like him or not, is going to get his chance to prove if he’s a true franchise quarterback. And for the sake of the sanity of every member of Buc Nation, let’s hope he is.

Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

The NFL has begun the announcement of their top 100 players of 2013, and I noted yesterday, I already disagree strongly with the ranking of Darrelle Revis. So I wanted to see if our friends in the NFC South agreed with these rankings, and we all decided to rank the NFC South separately and come up with our top players in the division. Chris Roling of our New Orleans Saints blog Who Dat Dish, and Ken Dye of Cat Crave (our Carolina Panthers site) both took the time to rank their top 13 players in the division, and I combined them with my rankings to provide to top 13 consensus rankings. Why 13? The NFC South is 1/8 of the NFL, and 13 is approximately 1/8 of 100, so this is cutting out all the other divisions and focusing the rankings on the teams in the NFC South only.

Without any further introduction, here’s the list: