Buccaneers battle plan for a future without Jameis Winston

Depth Chart:

Offense
QB: Andy Dalton, Blaine Gabbert, Jacob Eason
RB: Ronald Jones, David Johnson, Najee Harris, Dare Ogunbowale, TJ Logan
WR: Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Justin Jefferson, Scotty Miller, Justin Watson
TE: Cameron Brate, Darren Fells, Antony Auclair, Tanner Hudson
OT: Donovan Smith, Demar Dotson, Bryan Bulaga, a camp body
OG: Ali Marpet, Alex Cappa, Earl Watford, Xavier Sua-Filo, Michael Liedke
C: Ryan Jensen, Earl Watford

Defense:
D-Line: Vita Vea, Jordan Phillips, William Gholston, Rakeem Nunez-Roches, Benito Jones
OLB: Shaq Barrett, Jason Pierre-Paul, K’Lavon Chaisson, Anthony Nelson,
ILB: Devin White, Levonte David, Malik Harrison, Kevin Minter, Justin Stranad
CB: Logan Ryan, Carlton Davis, Jamel Dean, Sean Murphy-Bunting, Ryan Smith
S: Jordan Whitehead, Mike Edwards, Justin Evans (hopefully), D’Cota Dixon. and an Andrew Adams/Darian Stewart type player.

Specialists:
K: Matt Gay
P: Bradley Pinion

2020 Outlook
A lot of people are not going to like Jameis not being part of this battle plan. The simple fact is that by going this direction the franchise saves $10+ million dollars without having to worry about a long term financial commitment in guaranteed money.

The Bucs have almost $90 in cap but Jameis and Shaq would take away half of that immediately. Then there are so many tough decisions on JPP, Nassib, Suh, etc. and his team needs to bring in a solid veteran DB.

All those necessary depth moves become moot if Jameis is under contract. In the end, saving $10-12 million on switching Dalton for Jameis will be vital to obtaining the necessary depth on the defense and on the offensive lines.

Which do you picture happening? Jameis throwing for 4,200 yards with 25 TD’s and 17 INT’s or Andy Dalton throwing for 3,700 with 22 TD’s and 13 INT’s? If either quarterback hits those numbers the Bucs are a playoff-caliber team.

In this example, the decision has to be Dalton. Jameis keeps more opposing teams in games and every game fans never know what they’re going to get. The NFL is about winning the games you are supposed to win and steal some games both at home and on the road.

What we know about Jameis is Bucs games will be close. So far in his career, the Bucs have lost more than they won, sometimes his fault and other times the defense’s fault. This defense led by Todd Bowles can change the narrative to start reminding Bucs fans of the glory days of the late 90’s-early 2000s.

Also, watching Josh Allen on Saturday night gave a glimpse of what Jameis could be in a playoff setting. Some great plays, but some really bonehead moves that cost the team. Successful teams have consistency offensively, defensively, and on special teams. Jameis Winston, however, is a roller coaster.

Einstein defined insanity as one doing the same thing repeatedly and expecting a different outcome. How many more times must we test this narrative with Jameis Winston? BA said it and you should believe it. This team CAN win with another quarterback. If you trust BA, then trust what he is saying.

Having a solid defense and running game take pressure off the quarterback and if we bring Jameis back there won’t be enough resources to take the game off his shoulders, which lead to more mistakes. Is this fair to Jameis? No, but it’s a harsh reality Bucs fans must prepare for.

Long-term, the Bucs can either franchise Dalton in 2021 or turn to Eason in his second year if they think he is ready. If Eason is the real deal and becomes the starter the Bucs will have more money and resources dedicated to helping him become a franchise quarterback and a big part of a new playoff push for the Buccaneers.

This may seem like lofty expectations to start, but as Bucs fans, we deserve to see a team that can make the playoffs and then does it consistently. With these players and coaching staff, it is possible! All it takes is one season to change the narrative.

Comment below and let us know your thoughts, comments, and additions/subtractions you would like to see. Is this defense constructed well enough to be a top 10 defense? Is this offensive line good enough to have a sustainable running game? Is this stable of running backs the right combination? Would love to see the insight Pewter Plank readers!