Tampa Bay Buccaneers Information
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers won their first Super Bowl in 2003, the only time the team had ever made it to the big game, but fans of the team will remember the early days when the Bucs were an absolutely horrendous team. The Bucs finished their inaugural 1976 season 0-14 and didn’t win their first game as a team until the end of their second season. The team surprised the league by winning division championships in 1979 and 1981 along with a 1982 wild card berth but then went another 15 years before making the playoffs again. In less than 10 years, the team has made five playoff appearances, won two division championships, and recorded a victory in the only Super Bowl they’ve played in. Tony Dungy was the coach that built the team up in the late 1990s but he had trouble getting the team motivated in the biggest games. Jon Gruden took over as coach in 2002 and immediately led the team to the Super Bowl victory. In the 30-year history of the Bucs, only Dungy and Gruden have recorded winning records as coach.
Brad Johnson was the quarterback of the Bucs in the 2003 season and his numbers were stellar once again. Johnson threw for more than 3,800 yards and had a completion percentage higher than 62% in what was arguably the second best year of his ten year career. Michael Pittman and Thomas Jones split carries last season, but Jones left the team in the off-season to sign in Chicago. Pittman won’t have to contend with Jones anymore but the team brought in numerous other running backs to compete for the job this year. Keyshawn Johnson was one of the most notable players on the recent Bucs teams but after years of bickering with teammates and management, Johnson was traded to the Dallas Cowboys for wide receiver Joey Galloway. Galloway will team with Keenan McCardell to form a solid receiving duo. Joe Jurevicius and Charles Lee will also contribute at the receiver position.
The Buccaneers are best known for their defense and the 2004 season shouldn’t be any different. Linebacker Derrick Brooks patrols the middle of the field and has won defensive player of the year awards in the past. Simeon Rice led the team with 15 sacks and six forced fumbles last year and Dwight Smith had a team high five interceptions. Outspoken defensive tackle Warren Sapp, once regarded as the best defensive player in the game, left the team after the 2003 season to sign with the Oakland Raiders. His position on the line, best if filled by a speed rusher, will be filled by Anthony McFarland, a player that has reminded many officials of a younger version of Sapp himself.
The Bucs were one of the most active teams in the off-season. They picked up running backs Charlie Garner, Jamel White, and Brandon Bennett and also signed QB Brian Griese and LB Ian Gold but lost long time safety John Lynch to the Denver Broncos. The Bucs had eight picks in the 2004 draft and surprised a few people by choosing Michael Clayton with the 15th overall pick. Clayton, a wide receiver out of Louisiana State University, was an impact player in the Tigers’ run to a share of the national championship last year and shouldn’t have trouble adjusting to the new speed of the game. Their only other first day pick was used in the third round on Marquis Cooper, an outside linebacker from the University of Washington. A real impact player might be Will Allen, a safety from Ohio State University, who was drafted in the fourth round. Allen has first round potential but questions about his character and work ethic caused his draft stock to plummet. He could start a few games for the Tampa Bay defense as early as the 2004 season.