Buccaneers preview: New weapons could pay off for Jameis Winston
Training camps are still in the distance, but USA TODAY Sports is providing five things you need to know about every team in the NFL to catch you up on the offseason. Today, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers ...
1. Jameis Winston has some much-needed new weapons
The Buccaneers’ 2016 offense was pretty much quarterback Jameis Winston and wide receiver Mike Evans against the world. That won’t be the case in 2017 after the front office worked to improve Winston’s supporting cast. The biggest move came in free agency when Tampa Bay landed mercurial receiver DeSean Jackson. When he’s on his game, Jackson changes the way defenses can play because of his top-end speed. Defenses have to play a safety over the top or they will fall victim to the deep ball. Tampa Bay also drafted tight end O.J. Howard in the first round. He’s a physical freak who will draw the defense’s attention to middle of the field, opening things up for Evans and Jackson on the outside.
2. The Bucs still believe in Martin
About five months ago, Doug Martin’s time in Tampa appeared to be up. That doesn’t appear to be the case any longer after the team waited until the fifth round to draft a running back. Martin missed the final two games of the 2016 regular season. He had failed a drug test and eventually checked himself into rehab. He’s back with the team now and expected to be a starter, though he still has three games remaining on his suspension. The Bucs need Martin to stay clean and be on his game if they are going to prevent opponents from gearing up against the pass again.
3. The offensive line is still an issue
Having all of these skill-position players won’t matter if the offensive line continues to struggle. The front office didn’t really address the issue, so in-house improvement is a must. Left tackle Donovan Smith is the key. If he can’t protect Winston’s blind side and there’s no time for deep passing plays to develop, the Evans-Jackson receiving duo won’t be nearly as effective as it could be. Neither receiver is particularly dangerous in the quick passing game.
4. The defense is ready to make the leap
The Bucs defense made great strides in the second half of the season, and the coaching staff will expect a lot more out of two second-year players, defensive end Noah Spence and cornerback Vernon Hargreaves, in 2017. The strength of the defense is the middle of the front line, where Chris Baker will join star tackle Gerald McCoy to form one of the best interior duos in the NFC. If Spence can provide a presence on the edge, this line will be tough to block, which will make things easier on a suspect secondary.
5. Aguayo might be feeling the heat
Kicker Roberto Aguayo, a 2016 second-round pick, is feeling heat after missing nine of 31 field goal attempts in his rookie season. The Bucs brought in veteran Nick Folk to push Aguayo, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if the former Florida State star is looking for a new job by the end of training camp.
Follow Steven Ruiz on Twitter at @theStevenRuiz.
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