Often overlooked among the NFL landscape, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are starting to garner some attention with their free agent signings.
During a five game tear through the middle of the 2016 season, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were still consistently overlooked by national media. It didn’t matter who they were beating or how, the national media – sans Tony Dungy – discounted the rise we were beginning to witness.
That appears to be coming to an end.
Elliot Harrison, a media analyst for NFL.com, issued his post free agency power rankings on Tuesday. To no one’s surprise, the New England Patriots were firmly cemented at number one. Defending champs, acquiring the likes of Brandin Cooks, Dwayne Allen, and bringing back Dont’a Hightower.
However, the Buccaneers found themselves ranked within the top ten after their signings of DeSean Jackson and Chris Baker. Here’s what Harrison had to say about the Bucs;
"“The Bucs were my sneaky NFC squad last year, but if they keep executing the kind of savvy moves they’ve made of late, these guys won’t surprise anyone by going 10-6. The headliner, of course, is the arrival of DeSean Jackson. We’ll see if he can continue to be the same deep threat we’ve come to know him as in Year 10. It should be noted: Randy Moss went to the Patriots in his 10th year and went ape@#$#, scoring an NFL-record 23 touchdowns. Much depends on Jameis Winston. Much depends on the running game. Was bringing back Jacquizz Rodgers enough for the RB group?”"
The fact that Jason Licht was able to bring in guys like Jackson and Baker to help take this team over the hump was significant enough but now people are starting to take notice of the noise the Bucs are beginning to make. There’s no question Jackson helps kicks this offense up a notch but the Bucs certainly aren’t done adding firepower to that side of the ball. Drafting another receiver as well as a feature back come April will make this – on paper – the most potent offense in team history.
All that’s left to do is for them to show it on Sundays.