Tampa Bay Buccaneers: All-Decade Bucs Team for the 2010s

Linebackers: Lavonte David, Kwon Alexander, Mason Foster

Despite transitioning from a 4-3 to a 3-4, the Buccaneers were lucky to roster several talented coverage linebackers in the 2010s, the best of which is Lavonte David. David would likely be player number one on the entire list for this team during the decade and he still has some gas in the tank.

Kwon Alexander may not have been with the Bucs for as long as the fans would have liked, but his blazing speed and three healthy seasons with the Buccaneers were enough to earn him a spot on this team.

Completing this position for coverage linebackers is Mason Foster. Foster was the best Buccaneer linebacker on the roster in 2011 and paired up well with Lavonte David from 2012-2014.

Inside defensive linemen: Gerald McCoy, Vita Vea

Sticking with the confusion that stems from the transition from a 4-3 to a 3-4, the best players for this position from the decade are hard to come by, other than Gerald McCoy, because the requirements of the position are dramatically different.

Gerald McCoy was the clear best defensive tackle for the Buccaneers during this past decade and is likely a future Ring of Honor member like Lavonte David. Vita Vea also gets the nod because he has been great for the Buccaneers after the transition to the 3-4 and was instrumental in allowing the new defensive line to find massive success in 2019.

Edge: Shaquil Barrett, Jason Pierre-Paul, Michael Bennett

Edge rusher for the Buccaneers is one position where the recency bias works. Shaquil Barrett broke the single-season Buccaneer sack record in 2019 and JPP had the second-most sacks by a Buc in a single season during the 2010s with 12.5 in 2018.

While Barrett and JPP are outside linebackers, defensive end Michael Bennett also earns a spot on this list to appease the 4-3 crowd. Bennett only had two good seasons with the Bucs, but his 9.0 sacks in 2012 get him on here as a defensive end that the Bucs should have tried to keep on the roster.

Corner: Ronde Barber, Aqib Talib, Darrelle Revis 

Ronde Barber could have played in only one season in the 2010s and he would have still made a case to be on this team. Barber is the consensus best corner in team history and one of the best all-time, not just in the decade, and at the end of his career he was still able to prove that.

The Bucs tried to find their next Ronde Barber in Aqib Talib, and while he didn’t pan out long-term, his three seasons playing with the Bucs in the 2010s with 10 interceptions and 32 passes defended landed him here.

Finishing this position grouping is one of the worst what-could-have-been situations for the Buccaneers during the decade. Darrelle Revis is one of the best man corners in NFL history and had a great single season for the Bucs. While only one season may not be enough to get on this list normally, Revis narrowly edges out Brent Grimes after the latter seemingly quit on the team during his final season, a move that still leaves many bitter.

Safety: Mark Barron, Chris Conte, Bradley McDougald

The Buccaneers were not known for a wealth of safety talent in the 2010s and often had a revolving door mentality at the position.

Of this group, Mark Barron and Chris Conte were generally the most successful even though Barron was only on the team for two and a half seasons and Conte had his share of lowlights.

Rounding out this group is Bradley McDougald, who was able to piece together five interceptions and 21 passes defended throughout four seasons with the team to make it on this list.