It is a new year and with it comes a new Bucs Monday Mailbag where we answer your Twitter offered questions. You can submit your question each week via Twitter using the hashtag #PRMailbag.

Below are the questions we chose for this week’s edition of the Mailbag. Read them over and offer up your thoughts in the comment section.

Question: What is more important for the offseason/draft; a premier RB to help Jameis Winston, or DE to help Gerald McCoy?

Answer: In my opinion it isn’t even close. The Bucs won’t improve on their 2017 defense without finding a way to improve their anemic pass rush. And while having Noah Spence back will be good, can you really roll the dice on him solving the problems entirely? If you are, then there will be a lot of people in this organization looking for employment a year from now. It goes well beyond Spence, who was no Simeon Rice, even before he was injured early in the season. The Bucs must get pressure on the passer. I have said it 100 times, and I will say it again, they can have four Deion Sanders in their defensive backfield, but without a consistent pass rush they will get picked apart.

Some say running backs are a dime a dozen, and even though I don’t agree with that thought, it’s even less true when you are talking about effective 10-plus sack pass rushers that can get to the quarterback. Finding effective, elite pass rushers walking the street or as undrafted free agents is about as rare as finding the winning Powerball ticket blowing down the alley. However, I will take my chances of finding a running back later on in the draft, or even in free agency. And lets face it, you don’t need a 1,300 yard rusher to win Super Bowls.

The Bucs must add some help in the pass rush department via free and the draft and pray they don’t get decimated by injuries in 2018. The scheme needs to improve as well, but as the old saying goes, you can’t make chicken salad out of chicken… you know what.

Question: You hear all the outrage/frustration from fans…what’s the real problem offensively? Play calling? Run game, offensive line? Other?

Answer: The easy answer is to say all of it. And that isn’t untrue. Everything you mentioned contributed to the issued this team had scoring points. If I had to pick one however, I would go with the offensive line. But, here is where I disagree with many offensive line critics. I think there is enough talent to be good enough to win football games, but for some reason there were so many mental errors that killed drives – stupid penalties. missed assignments, poor technique – and it always seemed to come at the worst possible time. We all beat up Nick Folk for the Patriots game, and rightfully so, but we forget Evan Smith had a hands to the face call that negated a touchdown. I think it was Donovan Smith who had a penalty in the Buffalo game that brought back a score against the Bills, if my memory serves me. There were a number of these types of mistakes that absolutely killed drives. I can’t say if this coaching or on the players, but whatever the reason, it has to stop moving forward. And maybe that does mean different players. And Winston also can’t be let off the hook either. There were a number of throws that were just off that were the difference between a touchdown and a field goal attempt.

Penalties and missed throws are going to happen. We see it every week. We saw it this weekend and we will see it throughout the playoffs. But, teams that score seven instead of three win a heck of a lot more games – and Super Bowls.

Question: If the Raiders don’t give Gruden an unprecedented contract to be their coach do the Bucs fire Dirk Koetter?

Answer: Only four people know that for sure and they go by the names Bryan, Joel, Ed and Darcie Glazer. But, a good educated guess (and numerous conversations with others) tells us yes, Jon Gruden was a real player and very well could have made a return to coaching where he left off in Tampa.

Was there genuine interest? You bet. Now, how far along did it get is still unanswered. And would have Gruden come back for anything less that what the Raiders offered? Again, that is something we may not know. But, as PewterReport.com reported all the way back in July, Gruden was going to coach again at some point – either this year or next. Maybe all the details eventually come out one day, but it won’t come from the Bucs ownership.

Question: What is your bold, but realistic, prediction for the Bucs (either as a team or for an individual player) for next season?

Answer: I see the Bucs going 12-4 next season and winning the NFC. I kid. That was my prediction from last season, so I finally learned my lesson.

Moving forward whatever I think the Bucs record will be, I will then subtract three games from it. I have been burned too many times, which is foolish. I have followed this team and seen every game they have played since late 1977 when I watched my first Bucs game on a Sunday afternoon with my Dad. It just happened to be the first one they ever won. I was spoiled and ended up setting myself up for years of disappointment.

If you are pinning me to a prediction right now, which is entirely too early, I would say 7-9 or 6-10. I just don’t see where this team will improve much based on keeping everything together. Yes, there is a whole offseason to make changes, but I am going to be much more skeptical moving forward. Prove me wrong Dirk Koetter and Jason Licht and Mike Smith and Jay Hayes and George Warhop; prove me wrong and we will all be happy.

Player wise prediction? Jameis Winston sets franchise records for yards and touchdowns and Brent Grimes come back for one more season.