Buccaneers: Predicting The Stars of Hard Knocks

The Buccaneers have been tabbed for HBO’s latest season of “Hard Knocks”. Which players (or family members) are most likely to star on the show?

Well, it’s officially official: your Tampa Bay Buccaneers are this years Hard Knocks team. In a joint press conference featuring Dirk Koetter, Jason Licht and representatives of HBO the decision to feature Tampa Bay was formally announced. Like or dislike the news, the Bucs are sure to be one of the more entertaining teams that the show has ever covered. They’re rich with unique personalities, compelling back stories, and a real sense of urgency to make the playoffs, all of which should make for quality Sunday night television.

This should be fun. Our little Bucs are going to be television stars. Dirk Koetter and his playoff-hungry team will show themselves off weekly on a national, highly-touted program.

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Being a television show, Hard Knocks will quickly seek out potential stars in the organization – be it coach, player or executive – to keep up with throughout the five-episode series. In past seasons these have been people like Rex Ryan, Chad Ochocinco, Devonta Freeman and Vince Wilfork. The Bucs have several candidates to star on the show, and I’ve compiled who I think the five most likely are. Let’s take a look, starting at five.

Gerald McCoy

The Bucs’ star defensive tackle could have very easily been higher on this list, which is a testament to how strong a cast the team has. McCoy will be featured early and often on Hard Knocks thanks to his outgoing personality and joyful approach to the game. Viewers will surely learn all about McCoy’s love for superheroes and all things nerd-related.

We all know the role that McCoy has had on this team. For a long time, he was the shining star on the defensive line through some tough times. Now he finally has help. Noah Spence and Robert Ayers are back to share the limelight with him. Even forgetting the personal end, watch how these guys prepare. The show is great for insight on how these guys work, and how they create chemistry together.

McCoy’s recent comments about a renewed mindset in 2017 add some extra intrigue to the show. McCoy was critical of his leadership in the past and promised his eighth NFL season won’t be like the previous seven. HBO’s cameras will give viewers an up-close and personal look at the new Gerald McCoy; might his change in attitude actually make him less entertaining than he would have been in years past?

Kwon Alexander

Hard Knocks is generally thought of as an annoying nuisance, but it can do positive things like shed light on players that deserve more of it. Kwon Alexander is one of those players. Two seasons into his career Alexander is certainly a household name among Buccaneer fans, but nationally is very much still a secret. This is common for Buccaneer players given the lack of team success and the average sized market they play in. I suspect that Hard Knocks will change that for Alexander and give last year’s league leader in total tackles (108) the spotlight he deserves. Alexander himself has talked about how Hard Knocks will give exposure to great players that typically don’t get the attention that they deserve.

Similar to Gerald McCoy, the Buccaneer’ middle linebacker has promised a more intense and focused approach to the game of football this season, and one has to imagine that Hard Knocks will be eager to document it. Great players are great at preparing, so it will be interesting to watch Alexander work this summer. Kwon’s frequent Instagram workouts will now become Kwon’s frequent HBO workouts, and America will learn quickly why he has captured the hearts of so many Buccaneer fans.

Ali Marpet & Donovan Smith

I know this might be cheating, but oh well. I can’t include Ali Marpet without including Donovan Smith, and can’t include Smith without Marpet. Over the last two seasons this pair of Buccaneer offensive linemen have formed a friendship that has made for several hilarious segments featured on the Buccaneer website. If you haven’t seen them already I recommend venturing over to the Bucs official site and checking them out. Team reporter Casey Philips interviews the two in various locations and it’s well worth your time if you want some laughs.

HBO turns over every stone in their quest for interesting storylines; I expect that they’ll uncover the hilarious dynamic between Marpet and Smith and give it plenty of airtime. There’s a lot to track on the practice field with these two as well. Marpet finds himself transitioning from guard to center, while Smith battles to keep the bust label from looming over his head. The trench battles in general between the Bucs offensive line and defensive line will be very entertaining to watch during practice, particularly Marpet vs McCoy and Smith vs Spence. When these guys get to live hitting, watch out. It will be fun.

The Grimes Family

Thank goodness that HBO has no qualms about cuss words. There are a lot of reasons to be excited for Hard Knocks, but meeting the Grimes family has to be near the top of everyone’s list. Brent and his outspoken wife Miko are a match made in heaven not only for each other but for Hard Knocks. In past seasons we’ve met countless forgettable families that have left viewers bored and quickly ready for the next scene. That will not be the case with the Grimes family, and Miko already appears ready to leave her mark on the show.

Though Miko will surely get plenty of screen time – she should narrate the whole thing if you ask me – Brent will get a ton of coverage himself as he remains one of the very best corners in all of football. In practice, Brent will be matched up regularly on either Mike Evans or DeSean Jackson, two more players that are sure to be seen quite a bit. You want the receivers to be ready for battle? It always helps to have the luxury of having them practice against one of the best. Like the trench battles I mentioned earlier, watching Grimes take on the Bucs receiving duo will be excellent television.

Jameis Winston

Who else could possibly be number one on this list? Jameis Winston is not only the most captivating personality on the Bucs, but perhaps the entire league as far as quarterbacks go. Since his days at FSU Winston has been no stranger to the camera and public eye, so he’ll be plenty comfortable with HBO. Winston is the key reason that I predicted the Bucs to be on Hard Knocks back in December, and you can bet your entire life’s savings that he’ll be the star of Hard Knocks this season. Football personalities simply don’t get bigger than Jameis Winston.

Hard Knocks can also act as image repair for Jameis Winston. The Tallahassee and Tampa communities already know about the legendary work ethic, the bone-chilling speeches, and the charitable giving, but I can’t say the same about the general public. Winston is still very much haunted by the ghosts of his past and the exposure of Hard Knocks can help clean some of that up. The national audience will get to see the Jameis Winston that us locals have come to know over the last two seasons and I think that by seasons’ end he could be one of the league’s most popular players.

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Well, that’s my list Buccaneer fans. What’s yours? Did I leave anybody out – coach or player – that you think will make for entertaining television? Let us know in the comments.