The Tampa Bay Buccaneers as a whole have their sights set on a massive 2020 season, but these players, in particular, have the most to win.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are in a unique position where the team and the individual players have opportunities to make a splash during the upcoming NFL season.
Tampa Bay has been in the middle of the pack recently in almost everything, and neither the team nor the players have earned the recognition that they deserve. The hope is that if the team starts to perform better and gets more media coverage, the players will see an uptick in individual awards.
If this comes to pass and the Bucs players are highlighted more on a weekly basis, fans could see many more Buccaneers in the Pro Bowl or on the All-Pro teams in the 2020 season.
While most people (players included) would prefer overall team success over just having individually-accomplished players, this does not take away from the importance of these players winning these significant awards.
Future contracts, endorsements, legacy, and many other factors are influenced by earning this recognition during the season, and the Buccaneers will undoubtedly see an increase in the size of their spotlight.
Many players on the Bucs have something to prove during next season, but these three players may have the most on the line.
Player number one and player number two are both extremely close on this list. Tom Brady only edges out his counterpart due to the fact that so much hype has surrounded this move.
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Brady is, without a doubt, the most successful NFL quarterback of all time. All of his incredible success has come during his time in New England alongside coach Bill Belichick, and this is mostly why Brady comes in at number one on this list.
Many people believe that Brady left the Patriots because he wants to prove that he is a great quarterback and can still find success without Belichick. The phrase “system quarterback” has often been used to describe Brady, and that likely played heavily in his decision to come to make his mark on a young Bucs team with high aspirations.
It also should be understood that Brady is immediately a polarizing figure upon his arrival in Tampa Bay. A small but loud part of the fanbase was extremely upset with the decision to move on from Jameis Winston, and Brady will have every error magnified heavily by this group.
Brady needs this first season to go well in an effort to win over this disappointed part of the fanbase.
The second player on this list is practically 1B to Tom Brady’s 1A spot. The entire NFL has underrated Lavonte David for far too long, and being on a team that will play in five primetime games in 2020 will only help David get the recognition that he deserves.
Those who have played sports can attest to this fact, but there is nothing lonelier for an athlete than being the best player on a bad team. No matter how well you play, the outcome is often the same: a loss.
This has primarily been Lavonte David’s experience while in Tampa Bay. The offense has been inconsistent, there have been few above-average defensive pieces alongside David, and the team never made the playoffs.
To make matters worse, Lavonte David was often overlooked for spots on the Pro Bowl team or the All-Pro roster because of how bad the Bucs were, even though David outperformed his competition in almost every way.
Fortunately, the time has come that David will finally step into a point of national prominence. Luke Kuechly, one of David’s most significant competitors for recognition, has retired, and Bobby Wagner took a step back in 2019.
Wagner still was an All-Pro and a Pro Bowler last season, but his 76.1 PFF grade compared to Lavonte David’s 89.2 grade shows that both awards are based on popularity, and David is about to get substantially more popular next season.
Ronald Jones has a lot on the line for the 2020 season for numerous reasons. Not only does he have the opportunity to shine and gain a share of the limelight, but he also has a chance to lose his job as the starting running back.
Jones did not have the start to his NFL career that anyone expected. After a dominant college showing at USC, Jones did not become a full-time starter during his first two seasons. That looks set to change this year.
After passing on several high-profile running backs in the 2020 NFL Draft that would challenge Jones for the starting role, the Bucs drafted Ke’Shawn Vaughn to fill the void left by Peyton Barber. This likely leaves Jones as the starter for the time being.
The assumption is that RoJo is going to get a greater share of the touches next season. If he does well, the Bucs could have their first 1,000-yard rusher since Doug Martin and Jones could emerge as a clear starter for the future.
On the other hand, if Jones struggles as the starter, the Buccaneers could decide to hand the reins over to Vaughn, and Jones could see his number of touches crumble in the future.
2020 will be a defining point of Ronald Jones’ career. For better or worse, Tampa Bay will have their questions answered about their young back’s future at the end of the 2020/2021 season.