Five Storylines to Follow Entering Buccaneers’ Training Camp

The wait is over. The Buccaneers had another busy offseason that included a head coaching change, some new names coming in on defense and another intriguing draft. With all of that in the past, it’s time to shift focus to what happens on the field. Here, we will look at five big storylines to follow as Tampa Bay opens up training camp.

The Buccaneers made a big change in January, firing head coach Lovie Smith after two seasons and promoting offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter to lead the team. The move kicked off another big offseason for Tampa Bay, one that included Doug Martin signing a contract extension and some big additions joining the defense via free agency and the draft. Now, the Bucs are set to open training camp at One Buc Place, and there is plenty to talk about.

There were some positive storylines to follow last year. Jameis Winston, taken no. 1 overall in the draft, showed plenty of signs that he can turn into the franchise quarterback that general manager Jason Licht thinks he can be. Doug Martin saw a resurgence, finishing as the NFL’s second-leading rusher behind Adrian Peterson. And, Kwon Alexander quickly became a huge playmaker for the Tampa Bay defense.

On the other hand, the Bucs did have their share of negatives throughout the year. Veteran receiver Vincent Jackson struggled to stay healthy. The team’s kicking situation was a mess early in the season. The defense continued to underperform, with the pass rush and secondary remaining highly inconsistent. 2014 first-round pick Mike Evans struggled with drops. Tampa Bay continued to lose some winnable games.

Here, we take a look at some 2016 storylines to follow as the Bucs open up training camp.

Next: Year One Under Dirk Koetter