Category: Latest Team News

Gregg Rosenthal calls the Bucs ‘The Team You Don’t Want To Face In December’

Find out why Gregg Rosenthal of NFL.com thinks the Bucs are headed for a win in Week 14 against the Indianapolis Colts.

The Buccaneers are 5-7 heading into Sunday’s Week 14 showdown with the Indianapolis Colts. But after going 3-1 over their past four games, Tampa Bay may be one of the hottest teams in the NFL right now.

Which is bad news for the 6-6 Colts, who are fighting to keep their slim playoff hopes alive. The Bucs have been competing on both sides of the ball lately, something you couldn’t say about them earlier in the year.

As the season draws to a close and teams look to solidify their postseason ranking, Gregg Rosenthal of NFL.com says Tampa Bay is the one team you don’t want to face in December. But, that may not sound as complimentary as you think.

Take a look.

“The Bucs look so good for stretches that it makes me angry they’ve lost seven games. The defense is peaking with Jason Pierre-Paul, Shaq Barrett and Devin White playing dominant ball, while the offense is looking more balanced lately, with O.J. Howard and Breshad Perriman making an impact. In short: They are The Team You Don’t Want To Face In December for the umpteenth straight season of the Jameis Winston era. This is the time of year the Bucs quarterback convinces all of Tampa that next year will be The Year. The hobbling Colts, their flaws showing after overachieving all year, are catching the Bucs at the wrong time.”

Talk about a backhanded compliment. Still, Rosenthal predicts the Bucs will beat the Colts 31-24. And, he isn’t wrong about Winston. The quarterback always seems to string together a few strong performances to end the season, giving fans and the team hope for the future.

However, things will be a bit different this time around, as the Bucs are under no obligation to bring him back in 2020 since he’s playing on the fifth-year option of his rookie contract. But, there are some who believe Winston will be back in 2020, if only for one more year.

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Bill Barnwell predicts Jameis Winston returns to the Bucs in 2020, but there’s a catch

Find out why Bill Barnwell of ESPN believes Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston could very well end up back with the team in 2020.

With four games left to go in the regular season, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers seem no closer to making a decision on quarterback Jameis Winston’s future now than they did before the season started.

Even head coach Bruce Arians dodged a question about Winston’s future yesterday, and at this point, it’s anyone’s guess whether or not the former Heisman Trophy winner suits up for the Bucs beyond this season.

With a sizable free agent quarterback market in 2020, Winston could find himself among a number of big names looking for a new team. But, according to Bill Barnwell of ESPN, Winston could very well end up back in Tampa Bay next season, but with a catch.

“The Bucs could wait to see whether they find that [downfield passing attack] quarterback in the draft, but the 67-year-old Arians didn’t join Tampa to start a rebuild, and the Bucs would run the risk of ending up without a veteran starter or a quarterback of the future. Given the tepid market Winston would likely see if he did hit free agency, my guess is that the two sides come to terms on a multiyear deal to keep him around for 2020 with no guaranteed money afterward.“

That right there would be the most likely scenario should the Bucs decide to bring him back. A one-year prove it deal (again) would give them a better idea of how to proceed going forward. If they choose to move on after 2020, they can part ways with him without taking a huge financial hit.

As I wrote yesterday, if you want to make the case for bringing Winston back for one more year, look no further than former Arizona Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer. Palmer, in his first year playing under Arians, threw 24 touchdowns and a career-high 22 interceptions. But, in his second full season playing under Arians, he threw for a career-high in both passing yards (4,671) and touchdowns (35), while leading the Cards to a 13-3 record and an appearance in the NFC Championship Game. Even better, he threw just 11 interceptions that year, the fewest in a season where he played at least 10 games.

Maybe giving Winston one more year to learn under Arians isn’t such a bad idea after all.

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Here’s one reason why Shaq Barrett wants to be in Tampa next year

See why Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Shaq Barrett would love to return to the Bucs next season.

Even the Tampa Bay Buccaneers couldn’t have anticipated the type of season linebacker Shaq Barrett has put together when they signed him to a one-year deal in the offseason.

The former Denver Bronco and Super Bowl 50 champion has been a revelation for the Bucs defense this season. He leads the league in sacks with 14.5, including a four-sack performance in Week 3 against the New York Giants.

Barrett just turned 27 in mid-November, so you can be sure that teams will be lining up this offseason to vie for his services. But, if you’re a Bucs fan and worried about Barrett taking his talents elsewhere, you might be happy to hear that he’d prefer to stay in Tampa Bay. And, his reason is a good one.

Take a look.

Seriously, who doesn’t hate moving? It’s a pain for everyone involved, and let’s be honest, living in Florida year-round isn’t exactly a negative, especially if you’re making bank (no state income tax!).

Of course, it’ll all come down to dollars and cents and whether or not the Bucs can meet his demands. But, given how much Barrett has flourished in his first season playing under Todd Bowles, it seems like a mutually beneficial relationship for both parties. Plus, having Barrett lining up alongside Devin White for years to come would make this young defense that much more imposing.

We’ll just have to wait and see…

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Bucs LB Devin White named NFC Rookie of the Month

Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie linebacker Devin White has been having a strong second half and has earned accolades for his play.

It’s good to be Devin White right now.

After a rough start to his rookie year, the former LSU product and number five overall pick in April’s draft has begun to show the league why many people had him pegged as the best linebacker in the 2019 draft class.

In Sunday’s Week 13 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, White had an interception, fumble recovery and defensive touchdown all in the first quarter. Head coach Bruce Arians said that White is finally coming into his own.

And it seems the rest of the NFL is starting to buy into the White hype, as the rook has just been named NFC Rookie of the Month for his solid play over the past several weeks.

White is the cornerstone of this Buccaneers defense. He was the first linebacker taken by Tampa Bay in the first round since Derrick Brooks in 1995.

The Bucs sure know how to pick ’em.

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Why the case for keeping Jameis Winston beyond 2019 involves Carson Palmer

See why former Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer is the perfect example of why a quarterback needs time to develop under Bruce Arians.

It may be hard to believe, but Bucs quarterback Jameis Winston still has a good number of defenders out there who feel he deserves to come back after this season, despite the number of interceptions and turnovers he has that have many experts saying otherwise.

Playing on the fifth and final year of his rookie contract, Winston has done little this season to make the decision about his future any easier for the Bucs. Despite big passing numbers, he leads the league with 20 interceptions, leading many to believe that these final four games could be his last in a Bucs uniform.

But, should Winston be given one more year under Bruce Arians before the team definitively decides whether or not to cut ties with the former number one overall pick?

It might be hard to argue in his defense, but, if you are going to, you need look no further than former Arizona Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer to plead your case.

Palmer, like Winston, was a number one overall pick and spent seven seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals before spending two forgettable years with the Oakland Raiders. Palmer came to Arizona in 2013, Arians’ first year coaching the team, and the numbers Palmer put up in that first year playing for Arians look very Winston-like.

In 2013, Palmer threw for 24 touchdowns and 22 interceptions while leading the Cards to a 10-6 record. Those 22 interceptions were a career high for Palmer. Through 13 weeks this year, Winston has thrown for 22 touchdowns and 20 interceptions, also a career high.

But, in his second full season playing under Arians in 2015 (Palmer was limited to just six games in 2014 due to injuries, but was 6-0 in those games), the former USC star led the Cardinals to a 13-3 record while throwing for a career high in both yards (4,671) and touchdowns (35), while throwing just 11 interceptions. He led the Cards to the 2015 NFC Championship Game and was a legitimate MVP candidate.

That’s not to say Winston will have the same success as Palmer if he continues playing for Arians, but the fact that Palmer also threw the most interceptions of his career during his first year with Arians may just prove that a quarterback needs time to learn and adjust his game to suit the offensive system.

Winston has four more games to make his case to Tampa Bay. Ultimately, Arians will likely be the one who decides his future beyond 2019.

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Bruce Arians dodges question about Jameis Winston’s future

See what Bruce Arians had to say when asked whether or not he thinks Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston should return next year.

The uncertain status of Jameis Winston has been the elephant in the room all season long for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Actually, it’s been more like an elephant sitting on your lap and refusing to get up.

Ever since the Bucs hired Bruce Arians to take over for Dirk Koetter, the biggest question has been whether or not Arians — the alleged quarterback guru who’s worked with players like Peyton Manning, Ben Roethlisberger and Andrew Luck over the course of his NFL coaching career — could save the career of the former number one overall pick and Heisman Trophy winner, who is playing on the fifth and final year of his rookie contract.

Winston has put up big passing numbers this year, and could make a run at 5,000 yards. But, as has been the case since he came into the league in 2015, turnovers have been the biggest issue for the Bucs quarterback. So far this season, Winston’s thrown a league-high 20 interceptions, and since coming into the league he’s turned it over an NFL-high 101 times.

Today, Arians was asked point blank if he’d endorse Winston returning beyond this year if Bucs management asked for an evaluation this week.

Take a look at what he had to say.

(Per Jenna Laine of ESPN.)

“I’m gonna pass on that one… I’m gonna wait until the end of December.”

I doubt any of us expected Arians to come right out and give a definitive answer one way or the other, but it’s clear that these last four games will be the most important of Winston’s career. Even if Tampa Bay chooses to go in a different direction and let Winston leave, a strong finish to the season would be a great way to convince other quarterback-needy teams to take a chance on him, even if only on a one-year deal.

The Bucs welcome the Colts to town in Week 14 and then face off against the Lions, Texans and Falcons to finish the season. Those last three opponents rank near the bottom of the league in pass defense, so Winston will certainly get the chance to put up big numbers.

The question is, can he do so without turning it over?

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Devin White cracks the top 10 in NFL.com’s rookie rankings

See where Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie linebacker Devin White lands on NFL.com’s latest rookie rankings.

The good news just keeps on rolling in for Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Devin White, who had his most dominant performance to date in Sunday’s win over the Jacksonville Jaguars.

White, the fifth overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, had an interception on Jacksonville’s opening drive and then scooped up a fumble and took it to the house on the next Jags possession, helping Tampa Bay take a commanding 15-0 lead, which they’d never surrender.

White was viewed by many as a favorite to take home the NFL’s Defensive Rookie Player of the Year Award before the season started, but a sprained knee suffered in Week 2’s win over the Carolina Panther sidelined him for several weeks and saw his odds of winning drop.

Well, people might want to start thinking about White as a viable candidate again based on how he’s looked the past two weeks. NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah has certainly taken notice, and moved White to No. 8 on his list of rookie rankings.

Here’s what Jeremiah had to say about the former LSU star.

“White has really come alive the past few weeks. He collected 2 sacks against Atlanta in Week 12 and followed that up with an interception against the Jaguars in Week 13.”

White and the Buccaneers we look to make it three-straight wins on Sunday when they welcome the Indianapolis Colts to town. At 5-7, the Bucs have a shot at avoiding their third-straight 5-11 season with a win.

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A closer look at Devin White’s touchdown shows just how great he is

Devin White’s instincts on his fumble recovery touchdown against the Jaguars shows why the Bucs took him with the fifth overall pick.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have won two-straight games for the first time this season, after convincing wins over the Atlanta Falcons and Jacksonville Jaguars, both on the road.

While the offense has usually been the reason for getting this team a W, it’s the defense that has been coming on strong of late. They’ve allowed just 33 points over the past two games, and the emergence of rookie linebacker Devin White has been a big reason why.

In Sunday’s win over the Jags, White had a monster first quarter, becoming the first Bucs rookie in franchise history to record an interception, fumble recovery and defensive touchdown in the same game.

White delivered the postgame speech in the locker room after the win, and head coach Bruce Arians sung the rookie’s praises for his big performance. And, when you go back and look at the replay of White’s fumble recovery and touchdown, you get an idea of why the Bucs saw him as the future cornerstone of this defense.

Take a look at this tweet, courtesy of Bucs staff writer Carmen Vitali.

(Note: White is the Bucs player behind part of the goal line.)

Tampa Bay took the former LSU linebacker with the fifth overall pick in April’s draft, and after a rough start to the year in which he dealt with tonsillitis and a sprained knee, White has started to come into his own.

Or, as he put, he’s “a big boy now.”

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Why Jameis Winston could pass for 5,000 yards

Buccaneers QB Jameis Winston has a chance to reach the 5,000-yard passing mark given the opponents he’ll face over the final three weeks.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are just 5-7, but they’re 3-1 over their past four games and have been playing some of their best football of late.

With three of their final four games at home, the Buccaneers have a chance to eclipse the five-win mark for the first time since the 2016 season, when they went 9-7 (they’ve gone 5-11 the past two years).

While Tampa Bay was hoping that by this point in the season they’d have some clarity as to what to do with quarterback Jameis Winston, who is playing on the fifth-year option of his rookie contract, it still seems as a big a question mark now as it did heading into Week 1.

Winston has put up big passing numbers this year, but leads the league in interceptions with 20. Still, a strong finish would go a long way in convincing the franchise to bring him back for at least another year under Arians.

One way Winston could do that is by hitting the coveted 5,000-yard passing mark. Right now, Winston ranks second in the NFL in passing with 3,659 yards. He’s on pace to finish with 4,879 yards, but could easily put up more when you consider his opponents over the final three weeks.

Week 14 will present the biggest challenge for the Tampa Bay quarterback, as the visiting Indianapolis Colts have the league’s 12th-best pass defense, allowing just 226.9 yards per game.

But the three opponents Tampa Bay will face over the final weeks of the season rank near the bottom of the league in pass defense: the Detroit Lions (30th), Houston Texans (28th) and Atlanta Falcons (26th). Remember, Winston already hung 313 yards on the Falcons in Week 12’s win.

Even if he comes up short of 5,000, Winston is on pace to obliterate his previous high for a season. But, will big passing numbers be enough to justify giving him another contract, especially when you factor in the turnovers?

That’s the question the Buccaneers are inevitably going to have to answer.

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Bruce Arians on benching Ronald Jones: ‘You can’t run the football if you can’t protect the quarterback’

See why head coach Bruce Arians made the decision to bench starting running back Ronald Jones in the second half against the Jaguars.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers earned an impressive 28-11 win Sunday on the road against the Jacksonville Jaguars, giving them their first winning streak of the season.

The story of the day, of course, was the play of rookie linebacker Devin White, who helped the team jump out to an early 15-0 lead in the first quarter. But, one story that shouldn’t be overlooked is the second-half benching of running back Ronald Jones.

Jones, the second-year back out of USC who just last month earned the starting gig, was sent to the bench in the third quarter after failing to pick up a blitz, which resulted in a Jameis Winston sack and fumble.

Jones finished the day with just six carries for 8 yards. But, for those worried that Jones will be riding the bench going forward, head coach Bruce Arians talked about the young back’s strong work ethic, while also pointing out that if he wants to play, he’s got to protect the quarterback.

“[Jones] works his ass off. He’s gonna get better at it. We need him running the football. But you can’t run the football if you can’t protect the quarterback.”

Protection for Winston has been a problem all season long for the Buccaneers. Jones is still young, so hopefully he can use yesterday as a learning experience. If he works as hard as his coach says, I doubt anyone is more frustrated about what happened than Jones.

Tampa Bay returns home in Week 14 to face the Indianapolis Colts. With a win, the Bucs would not only make it three-straight victories, but they’d earn their sixth win of the season, surpassing their win totals from 2017 and 2018, when they finished 5-11 both times.

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