Doesn't it seem that the rest of the NFC South is going "All in"

[Zsnore]

Going into the 99 season, many "experts" predicted the Bucs to go to the Superbowl.   I don't think it took losing in the championship game to have anyone realize we had a team capable of going to the superbowl.   I was surprised we didn't do better in 98.   99 I still think the Bucs make the superbowl if Dilfer hadn't gotten hurt.  King was pathetic.

Thank you for making the argument for me. I remember thinking we would never beat Brett Favre. Going into that '99 season I thought that could be the year. But it was all speculative until we actually got there. Hence the excitement we all felt. So the argument is a push right?


Lemme get this straight. You felt good about giving up two 1's and two 2's for John Gruden? Looking back this really hurt him in the long run

[tatmanfish]

How does anyone figure either team went "all in?"

Falcons resigned there own guys, lost Dahl and signed Edwards so far.

Saints resigned 10 out of 29 of their own guys. lost Bush and added LB Will Heirring, HB Sproles, and FB Hall. They also got S Amaya in the Bush deal.

Panthers resigned their own guys, and signed a bunch of average guys like, S Payne, TE Harstock, DT Edwards, K Mare, S Considine, TE Olson, and LB Gaither.

Thats not all in by any means. Mostly a bunch of depth guys. Sproles takes over Bush's role, so thats a wash. Edwards may or may not be worth a crap without Allen and the Williams Wall and the loss of Dahl, I call it a wash. Asside from that, the rest are back ups, depth, STers, or low level starters at best.

These teams improved more in the draft than they did in FA....except the Panthers and future bust Newton...they drafted horribly.

[tatmanfish]

Ravens have only resigned Yanda.

Cowboys have only signed 3 of their own.

Pats have only signed Morris and traded for Ocho and Haynesworth

Jets have resigned 3 of their own and an aussie punter

Giants resigned 2, C Bass, and a punter

Steelers resigned 4 of their own

Once you actually look at who teams are signing, theres really only a handful that have made a lot moves for players other than their own.

[JavaRay]

Going into the 99 season, many "experts" predicted the Bucs to go to the Superbowl.   I don't think it took losing in the championship game to have anyone realize we had a team capable of going to the superbowl.   I was surprised we didn't do better in 98.   99 I still think the Bucs make the superbowl if Dilfer hadn't gotten hurt.  King was pathetic.

Thank you for making the argument for me. I remember thinking we would never beat Brett Favre. Going into that '99 season I thought that could be the year. But it was all speculative until we actually got there. Hence the excitement we all felt. So the argument is a push right?


Lemme get this straight. You felt good about giving up two 1's and two 2's for John Gruden? Looking back this really hurt him in the long run

Actually, more experts were picking the Bucs in 2000 and even 2001.   But they didn't make it to the championship game those years.   

Was I happy they traded those picks for Gruden?   I thought it was nuts.   Worked out well though because they won a superbowl.

It is definitely not a "push" comparing that great 1999 team to this lame team of young yet unproven players.

[Skull and Bones]

I like the strategy of Dom in trying to make the bucs lasting contenders.

 Bringing in these free agents for crazy contracts wouldnt make this young team a lasting contender, there is still far too much young talent to be developed. But you gotta love the rapid development of these young players into stars.

the strategy is the owners and it is not to spend more than they have to.  They have no intentions of even hitting the floor since they are not required to.  why so many here seem to want to make excuses or deny this little fact I don't know. 

[Skull and Bones]

Are they more likely to regress, or improve?

They will regress from 10-6 almost certainly.  That was a fluke due to weak schedule.

Most excitement generated by a Buccaneers team since '99. Done.

You are quite uninformed.   The 2002 team was the most exciting.    Trading 2 number ones and 2 numbers twos to get Gruden.   Big pressure to produce immediate results.   Best record by any Buc team in history.   Then beating the hated Eagles in the playoffs to advance to the Superbowl.   And facing the team that Gruden come from in the superbowl?   My God, you don't get any more excitement than that.

2nd most exciting season was 1979.   I realize you weren't born then, but trust me, it was unbelievably exciting.

3rd most exciting season was 1997.

4th would be 1999 (Shaun King kind of ruined that year with his crappy performance against the Rams). 

5th would be 2005.

this current team?   Please.   Not even close.

you forgot 2003 when we started out favored to win the SB again.  Nobody on the NFLN thinks this current team will even make the playoffs.

[Skull and Bones]

So the Seahawks, a 7-9 playoff team from last year, who are always active in free agency are better off right now than the Bucs are?

We get Mike Williams and Arrelious Benn in a single draft, two rising stars and up-and-coming wide receivers. The Seahawks missed completely on Deion Branch when they traded a 1st to the Patriots and made him one of the highest paid receivers, missed horribly on TJ Houshmanzadeh when they paid him 9 mil a year to average less than 10 yards a catch, and are going to fail horribly on Sidney Rice who they just invested 40+ million(18.5 mil guaranteed) in.

We accomplished in one single draft what they havent been able to do for almost a decade. This is how winning franchises are built. Some of you are just too stupid to see it.

I'm willing to give you that Williams has established himself in the NFL but when has Benn?  He's  nothing more than potential at this point.  For all we know Golden Tate could be the better pro.

[BucBalla85]

We will go do some FA shopping when our other guys are locked up. They are going about this the smart way.

[dbucfan]

When it comes to buccaneer history there are few who can inform and evaluate as quickly and accurately as Java - as long as you veer away from Dom and Raheem - you will have a hard time finding a better source or evaluator.  JMVHO - argue all you want about Dom and Raheem with Java - but you will risk being made to look foolish for all things buccaneer prior to the their hiring.

[BucNY]

bucs getting slammed on the front page of yahoo.

You lost me at Yahoo.

[BTownBucFan]

The other teams want to win now.  The Bucs don't want to win now.

That's why there will be more blackouts this year.

We understand the "build through the draft", but when you are 1 game out of the playoffs, where ANYTHING can happen, you have to do more than "maintain".  A splash Free Agent (or 2) isn't going to put butts in seats, but a commitment from the team SHOWING they want to win this year WILL!

[Benchwarmer#1]

Are they more likely to regress, or improve?

They will regress from 10-6 almost certainly.  That was a fluke due to weak schedule.

Most excitement generated by a Buccaneers team since '99. Done.

You are quite uninformed.   The 2002 team was the most exciting.    Trading 2 number ones and 2 numbers twos to get Gruden.   

The Pats gave up a first round pick and 500,000 to win multiple SB's. ....TB got ripped off by JGru by comparison.

It was just another move to keep them from spending money. Two firsts & 2 seconds for a coach? ..Well, that automatically stops two seasons of high draft picks they would have otherwise had to pay much more for, than just one HC. Gruden got paid well, but nowhere near as much as two first round picks (for actual players) would have been. It was calculated cheapness, but it still was cheapness nonetheless

You're right about the 2002 argument about the excitement level. You are however overlooking the fact that this team will have more longevity, and the likelyhood that they will become even more exciting 2002 with an actual offense that scores points.

[alldaway]

The other teams want to win now.  The Bucs don't want to win now.

That's why there will be more blackouts this year.

We understand the "build through the draft", but when you are 1 game out of the playoffs, where ANYTHING can happen, you have to do more than "maintain".  A splash Free Agent (or 2) isn't going to put butts in seats, but a commitment from the team SHOWING they want to win this year WILL!

This.

[NotDeadYet]

    Truth is the Bucs have more YOUNG talent than any of the other NFC South teams. Others are using the ol' shortcut method of bringing in a few high-priced established players. IMO, they are more than a player or two away from a Super Bowl. Atlanta isn't even close, New Orleans is much closer, but if they ever lose the diminuitive Brees to an injury, they're in deep trouble...

[alldaway]

None of the NFC South teams are "old" .  Yes, the Bucs are the youngest in the league, but lets not be delusional.