NFL Predictions 2010: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

TheSportsWatchers want to get you in shape for the upcoming 2010 NFL football season. So in the spirit of NFL training camp, we are doing two-a-days to get you in gear for each and every NFL team.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were a mess in 2009 and finished last in the NFC South. If they don’t see some improvement in 2010, their head coach might be looking for another job.

2009 NFL Recap for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Bucs started their season off all kinds of wrong last year. They fired their offensive coordinator just weeks before the season started, putting them in the unenviable position of having to run an offense that nobody there was responsible for. As you can imagine, that resulted in little offensive success, very little growth at any offensive positions, and ultimately, a 3-13 record. Defensively, the Bucs weren’t much better, finishing 27th in total defense.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2010 Offseason Transactions

Given the type of season the Bucs had, their myriad of offseason moves was right on point. To start things off, the Bucs traded for WR Reggie Brown, given them a veteran wide receiver that knows how to work the West Coast offense. The Bucs also had WR Maurice Stovall sign a one-year tender, and got RB Clinton Smith and RB Cadillac Williams to sign one year deals. To bolster the defense, the Bucs drafted DT Gerald McCoy with the third pick of the 2010 NFL Draft, and signed DT Brian Cox to a four-year deal. Also from the draft, the Bucs landed WR Mike Williams out of Syracuse.

2010 NFL Predictions for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Buccaneers have their work cut out for them this year. Certainly, the 2010 NFL schedule did not help them out at all. Despite finishing in last in 2009, the Bucs have to face off against the Saints twice, the Falcons twice, the Steelers, the Bengals, the Cardinals, the 49ers, the Ravens and a much-improved Washington Redskins club. I am tempted to say that the Bucs will lose all ten of those games, but I will give them at least one of those on the oft-chance they win a fluke game. As for the remaining 6 games, the Bucs have it much easier. And if they had tweaked their defense with some veteran acquisitions, I would have given them as many as 3 of those remaining six games. But with the young Josh Freeman at quarterback, Reggie Brown as their best wide receiver, and a troubled offensive line, it is very hard for me to envision the Bucs splitting 6 games as less than mediocre competition. Thus, I believe the Bucs leave the 2010 NFL season the same way the left the last one: exhibiting no growth. The Bucs go 3-13 for the second time in a row.

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