so while Vegas isn't always right
Usually Vegas is way off
so you have any of those teams making the playoffs?Â
Not the playoffs but certainly more competitive. How many wins do you think the Bucs have this upcoming season??
Is Bain the guy to push us to a place of defensive relevancy?? Will him and Scott have the UM telpathy carry over to the pros? Â
Will Trotter show up early and make big time NFL plays. Will Anzalone be able to cover a TE/RB
Is Gainwell an upgrade over White? (he is)
Tampa is in good shape but like every squad, we have questions.Â
I am putting the Bucs at an optimistic 9-8 and winning the division but the same old story - hot start, mid season losing skid, prime time struggles and a first round playoff exit. I think we will feel more confident in them at the end of the year then we did the 2022 and 2025 Bucs whom we knew had no shot in playoffs but I dont think they will be as formidable as the 2023 (won a game!) or 2024 Bucs.Â
I have high hopes for Bain and it was a great pick. Could he turn out to be another impact guy like Wirfs was when he fell far enough for us to trade up and pick him? I hope so but hard for me to opine on the issue. He is only one guy though and much like you see with super stars in Garrett and Crosby on their respective bottom dweller teams, can't imagine Bain will have this defense being dominate on his back alone.Â
In terms of the rest of the defense, we ranked 19th overall in YPG and 20 overall in PPG. I like some of the additions with Robinson, Anzalone, etc as well as Bain and a hopefully returning healthy form injury Kancey. Believe the team is talented enough to improve a bit but still dont see them much higher than middle of the pack. Hard to envision them as a top 10 defense. Vita Vea getting up their in age. Is this the year father time gets him?
More concerning than our back-up running back is Bucky Irving status. One would think we have talented enough backfield with Bucky, Gainwell, and Tucker but will depend on how offensive line performs.Â
and while i know Bucs are the most talented team in the NFC South, we can't ignore that 2-7 slide after the bye week. The team looked to have gotten Bowles fatigue and quit on him. Yet, somehow Bowles is still the head coach. You can't dismiss that. So my 9-8 assumes Bucs play to their potential given the tough schedule and how they performed typically under Bowles as head coach SO i am putting less weight into the collapse when coming up with that 9 wins. If they play like the collapse then the team could be picking in the top 5 but the wheels would have had to fallen off.Â
I can't peg the Bucs as the most talented team in the NFCS anymore. I think the Panthers have passed the Bucs this off season and the Bucs 2026 rookie class has to show up big like home run big for this team to win 9 games or more along with Mayfield magic.
The rest of the roster is just average with some stars and potential star players scattered here and there.Â
I can't peg the Bucs as the most talented team in the NFCS anymore. I think the Panthers have passed the Bucs this off season and the Bucs 2026 rookie class has to show up big like home run big for this team to win 9 games or more along with Mayfield magic.
The rest of the roster is just average with some stars and potential star players scattered here and there.Â
Disagree. We are the tallest midgetÂ
I can't peg the Bucs as the most talented team in the NFCS anymore. I think the Panthers have passed the Bucs this off season and the Bucs 2026 rookie class has to show up big like home run big for this team to win 9 games or more along with Mayfield magic.
The rest of the roster is just average with some stars and potential star players scattered here and there.Â
Goofy. Atlanta's roster is better than Carolina's, the Saints may have a stronger argument than the Panthers.Â
I think the Panthers have passed the Bucs this off season
not sure about that.Â
Taking health out of the discussion, Bucs should have the OC edge (Grizz's offense was 3 or 4 PPG better than Canales) and the QB edge and their defenses were basically the same in 2025
Panthers added Phillips and Lloyd to a very impressive defensive front already. They also added depth defensively with Lee Hunter, Will Lee II, and Zakee Wheatley from the draft.
On offense they needed a WR opposite of Tet and they landed WR Chris Brazell II from the draft. Coker, and Legette bring the rear. They also took Monroe Freeling in round 1 and gives them flex with OL when they are fully healthy.  Their TE group on paper is a better collection of talent. They added Dillon as a hammer to off set the loss of Dowdie.Â
Biggest edge Panthers have is continuity right now and they are the defending champs. But they added a lot more high end talent this off season than the Bucs. The best the Bucs could do is off set their losses in comparison.Â
Panthers added Phillips and Lloyd to a very impressive defensive front already. They also added depth defensively with Lee Hunter, Will Lee II, and Zakee Wheatley from the draft.
On offense they needed a WR opposite of Tet and they landed WR Chris Brazell II from the draft. Coker, and Legette bring the rear. They also took Monroe Freeling in round 1 and gives them flex with OL when they are fully healthy.  Their TE group on paper is a better collection of talent. They added Dillon as a hammer to off set the loss of Dowdie.Â
Biggest edge Panthers have is continuity right now and they are the defending champs. But they added a lot more high end talent this off season than the Bucs. The best the Bucs could do is off set their losses in comparison.Â
The Panthers will finish third. Book itÂ
I can't peg the Bucs as the most talented team in the NFCS anymore. I think the Panthers have passed the Bucs this off season and the Bucs 2026 rookie class has to show up big like home run big for this team to win 9 games or more along with Mayfield magic.
The rest of the roster is just average with some stars and potential star players scattered here and there.Â
Goofy. Atlanta's roster is better than Carolina's, the Saints may have a stronger argument than the Panthers.Â
Atlanta has a lot of talent on defense but their offense has question marks at QB and WR.  The Saints are a year behind what the Panthers started and still need another year to augment their talent on defense. They are not there yet.Â
Panthers added Phillips and Lloyd to a very impressive defensive front already. They also added depth defensively with Lee Hunter, Will Lee II, and Zakee Wheatley from the draft.
On offense they needed a WR opposite of Tet and they landed WR Chris Brazell II from the draft. Coker, and Legette bring the rear. They also took Monroe Freeling in round 1 and gives them flex with OL when they are fully healthy.  Their TE group on paper is a better collection of talent. They added Dillon as a hammer to off set the loss of Dowdie.Â
Biggest edge Panthers have is continuity right now and they are the defending champs. But they added a lot more high end talent this off season than the Bucs. The best the Bucs could do is off set their losses in comparison.Â
The Panthers will finish third. Book itÂ
That's where I have them as well.
Panthers added Phillips and Lloyd to a very impressive defensive front already. They also added depth defensively with Lee Hunter, Will Lee II, and Zakee Wheatley from the draft.
On offense they needed a WR opposite of Tet and they landed WR Chris Brazell II from the draft. Coker, and Legette bring the rear. They also took Monroe Freeling in round 1 and gives them flex with OL when they are fully healthy.  Their TE group on paper is a better collection of talent. They added Dillon as a hammer to off set the loss of Dowdie.Â
Biggest edge Panthers have is continuity right now and they are the defending champs. But they added a lot more high end talent this off season than the Bucs. The best the Bucs could do is off set their losses in comparison.Â
The Panthers will finish third. Book itÂ
That's where I have them as well.
Fire & DH, is that primarily because of the QB? Head coach?
Panthers added Phillips and Lloyd to a very impressive defensive front already. They also added depth defensively with Lee Hunter, Will Lee II, and Zakee Wheatley from the draft.
On offense they needed a WR opposite of Tet and they landed WR Chris Brazell II from the draft. Coker, and Legette bring the rear. They also took Monroe Freeling in round 1 and gives them flex with OL when they are fully healthy.  Their TE group on paper is a better collection of talent. They added Dillon as a hammer to off set the loss of Dowdie.Â
Biggest edge Panthers have is continuity right now and they are the defending champs. But they added a lot more high end talent this off season than the Bucs. The best the Bucs could do is off set their losses in comparison.Â
The Panthers will finish third. Book itÂ
That's where I have them as well.
Fire & DH, is that primarily because of the QB? Head coach?
I'm not a huge Canales fan or Young fan. They have the #1 seed schedule and it's a doozy.Â
Hubbard isn't anything special and nor is their line. Any team that has modestly improve their pass rush should eat their pass pro alive.
Tet is good but outside of him I don't see many plus side play makers on offense with Dowdle gone.
They'll stay in the hunt because no team in the division is good enough to run away with it.
I've got Bucs winning it, Saints second, Panthers third, and Falcons last barring injury.Â
I've got Bucs winning it, Saints second, Panthers third, and Falcons last barring injury.
100%. The Panthers problem is more their schedule than anything else. Same with the Bucs.
I've got Bucs winning it, Saints second, Panthers third, and Falcons last barring injury.
100%. The Panthers problem is more their schedule than anything else. Same with the Bucs.
But to be clear, no team will run away with it. Someone will get injured.
But in a world where every team lives up to their modest potential this is how I see it shaking out because we have the best QB with the most experience.
I expect first and last place to be separated by a modest 4-5 games.