we really don't know much for certain.Analysts throughout the off season have pegged this team from a win projection of 3 to Herm Edward's predicting that the Bucs will be in the Superbowl. Most have settled upon a 8-8 record that indicates improvement, but really just indicates that they think the Bucs could be anywhere from 6-10 to 10-6.So here are some topics that are tripping up the analysts:POINT: Lovie Smith and Jason Licht are a upgrade to Greg Schiano and Mark Dominik. Almost every analyst believes this is true, but surprisingly there are a very few that don't feel that last years season was the product of bad coaching or of an inferior front office. Thoughts on how much impact Lovie/Jason will have on the team vary, but the general feeling is that this change is huge. From the standpoint that most of the GMs work is done in the off season, one could make a very valid argument that Jason Licht has already made a higher impact on the team than any impact that Dominik made. Not only did Licht address weaknesses in the starting positions, he also built depth in critical game positions that was lacking in last years team. While Lovie Smith's impact has yet to be determined, Licht has given his coach what appears to be a pretty good roster of tools to have a successful year. Lovie's impact will start this week. Over the next 6 weeks, we'll see how well the team has improved compared to last season's squad.POINT: Josh McCown is... And that's the big question for this team. It's probably a very fair statement to say that of all the players that the team brought in, Josh McCown is one of the most polarizing. Some analysts feel he'll only play a half season before giving over to Mike Glennon while others at the other end of the spectrum see McCown as another possible Rich Gannon. The analysts that feel McCown could be in for a 'Gannon' career surge point to last season's performance that the light has gone on for the quarterback, while opponents point to the same games and say that there isn't enough play to make that assumption and that McCown is more likely to return to the quarterback that played last for the Raiders and Cardinals. Early reports have noted that Josh has a ton of leadership skills, but running around in shorts in June is not the same as running for your life against the Carolina Panthers front seven. POINT: The South division is too tough for the Bucs to do much. This is another point often brought up by analysts. Yes, the Bucs will improve they say, but are still destined to be fourth (or sometimes third) in the division. The Saints are too tough, the Falcons are healthy and the Panthers are last season's darlings. Few note that Carolina was 3-9 in 2012 before winning the last 4 games and then the following season, lost 3 of the first 4 games before winning 11 of the last 12. Is Carolina really that tough? They lost their entire receiving corps, defensive backfield and most of their offensive line in the off season. Atlanta is in a similar position. They needed to replace 4 of 5 players on their offensive line, the did not really improve their defense (and lost Weatherspoon) and have age issues on their offense. They will be tougher if they stay healthy, but as one of the older teams in the division, can they do that? Finally, are the Saints really that tough? Well any team that has Drew Brees is tough, but if you look at Drew's stats, you note that he can gamble and throw interceptions. He was also sacked 37 times last season and like everyone else in the division they are rebuilding their offensive line. However with stellar coaching and decent depth, of the four teams in the division, this appears to the the most complete team. But that also means, that the Saints will be each of the other teams prime target. Every week, the Saints are going to be some teams super bowl and that has a wearing down of some teams. Can they rise above it as their roster also ages?FINAL POINT: The Bucs 'Won' the offseason, no team that wins the off season has a good regular season. To this, I say some team WILL pick up the right parts and have a good regular season. It will happen. However, considering how many players that the Bucs acquired, some will not work out. Will we see the Micheal Johnson of 2012 or 2013? While the team sells the 'pressures' statistic, the reality is that he dropped in sack production. Will we see the 2013 Josh McCown or the 2009 version? Can Antony Collins play good left tackle over a 16 game schedule? Will Brandon Myers make any impact? Is Clinton McDonald that much of a upgrade over Spence? The odds are that some of the players we picked up will not have the impact we expect, but was there enough talent on the team to provide some impact from unexpected sources? Is the coaching good enough to find some players and make solid contributors that will impact the team when the team needs them most?All valid questions. We are split on the answers. The fact is, we really don't know what to expect. We expect improvement, but some analysts tell us THAT's even unlikely. One thing is certain though. It's going to be an interesting ride this year!
