Buccaneers Round Table: Biggest need in the 2018 off-season

Sean Eck

The Buccaneers are on the tail end of a season that most everyone associated with the organization and the fan base would love to forget existed. The team had the hype train going full steam to start the season. At some point something misfired, and the train flew off the tracks and now that the Bucs are eliminated from the playoffs all we can do is plan for the future.

This week we look ahead to the most significant need to be addressed in the offseason. The Buccaneers have a multitude of needs from the position and possibly coaching standpoint but the biggest one, in my opinion, would have to be maturity and professionalism on and off the field.

When you think of the great franchise quarterbacks in the history of the NFL, you don’t see them poking opposing teams players in the back of the head instigating on-field issues. Try to imagine Peyton Manning eating a W in a pregame speech. Going back a few years there were charges of rape and theft during his time in college. The most recent uber allegations. These are just a few of the things that stand out when thinking of how young and immature the “franchise” quarterback is for a team that has playoff and Super Bowl aspirations. Jameis Winston is just the most prominent example of immaturity in the Buccaneers organization as there have been numerous accounts over the past few years of the players having issues.

This is not a problem that can be fixed overnight. The men on the Buccaneers roster as well as the coaching staff have to realize that there will be growing pains as the team finds its identity, but they have to go about it professionally. Dirk Koetter can’t act like the principle of a high school to make the kids on the team behave. They have to mature as all young 20 years old’s do and hopefully learn from their mistakes and allow them to become better football players and ultimately better, people for it.