For this weekend’s Pewter Report Roundtable, the crew tackles another tough question. This week’s prompt: Bucs Mount Rushmore – all time roster.

Last weekend, the Pewter Reporters discussed the Mount Rushmore of Tampa Bay’s current roster. Having unanimously agreed that Tom Brady, Lavonte David and Mike Evans were the first three, we covered our thoughts on who the fourth member would be. This weekend, we each try our hand at finalizing all four members of the franchise’s all-time Mount Rushmore.

Scott Reynolds: Only The Best Of The Best Will Do

A few years ago this would have been an easy assignment. The Bucs franchise has always been built around great defense. And the four players on the mythical Bucs Mount Rushmore would have been Warren Sapp, Derrick Brooks, Lee Roy Selmon and Ronde Barber. That’s three Pro Football Hall of Famers and one who should be in the HOF in Barber. But with Tampa Bay’s offense stepping to the forefront with the arrival of Bruce Arians in 2019 and Tom Brady in 2020, selecting only four Bucs is a challenge. The Bucs offense has been in the Top 3 in the NFL since 2019 and averaged 30 points per game over the past two years. And a big reason for the success of the offense has been Mike Evans’ consistent excellence. Eight straight years with 1,000 yards receiving to start his career is an amazing NFL record.

Bucs legends Ronde Barber and Warren Sapp – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

As much as I love defense, football is the ultimate team sport. So with at least two elite candidates on the offensive side of the ball I have to include Brady, the greatest quarterback of all time, on my Bucs Mount Rushmore. Brady’s inclusion is well-deserved. No quarterback has had two excellent seasons back-to-back like that, throwing for nearly 10,000 yards and 83 touchdowns, and going 24-9 as a starter and winning a Super Bowl. Evans is the Bucs’ greatest offensive player in team history. Another 1,000-yard receiving season will give him 10,000 career yards and he owns nearly all Tampa Bay receiving records. Both Brady and Evans are future Hall of Famers.

On defense I have to include Sapp. In fact, he’s my first selection. He helped lay the foundation that changed the culture from the Yuccaneers to the Buccaneers. Sapp helped this franchise become respectable and win its first Super Bowl in 2002. He is one of the most elite defensive tackles to ever play the game – a one-man-gang, a juggernaut in his prime. Sapp’s attitude as much as his ability helped transform the franchise into one of the most feared in the NFL. While Brooks is the most decorated Buccaneer of all time with 11 Pro Bowls, Barber redefined the nickel cornerback position in the NFL. Barber became the first NFL player to record at least 45 interceptions (47) and 25 sacks (28). And his 92-yard pick-six in the 2002 NFC Championship Game is the franchise’s signature play.

Matt Matera: A Mix Of Each Super Bowl Winning Team

Ronde Barber may keep getting snubbed by the Pro Football Hall Of Fame, but I’ll be damned if he doesn’t at least make the Bucs Mount Rushmore! There was some extremely tough decisions to make. I wanted to blend some of the greats from their last run over a decade ago with a couple of players from today’s group. My list is composed of Barber, Tom Brady, Warren Sapp and Mike Evans. Barber makes it for multiple reasons. First off, he’s a fan favorite by many. Along with a Super Bowl, Barber holds multiple NFL records, including most consecutive starts as a defensive back and the only player in the league with over 45 interceptions and 20 sacks. His Bucs records consist of most interceptions (47) and most interceptions in a season (10). Barber not only has 14 touchdowns, but he essentially invented the nickel corner position.

Bucs QB Tom Brady – Photo by: USA Today

He has the signature play, too, with his pick-six over the Eagles in the NFC Championship game. How is he not in the hall yet? We know Brady will be there, and he might be the most controversial pick since Brady’s only entering his third year with the Bucs. With that said, it’s quality over quantity here. There’s only a handful of players that transcend their sport. Michael Jordan in basketball, Tiger Woods in golf and Brady in football. Brady changed everything for the Bucs when he signed with them in 2020. He plucked them from obscurity and made them Super Bowl champions. And in two seasons he’s already broken multiple records. They are the most single season passing yards (5,316) and touchdowns (43). The Bucs have played more primetime games in two seasons than they had in the previous decade. That’s Brady for you.

Sapp was arguably the most important piece of the Bucs’ defense on their Super Bowl winning team. As a defensive tackle, there wasn’t more of a dominant force you could get. Sapp was a four time All-Pro and the 1999 Defensive Player of the Year. Sapp recorded 77 sacks in Tampa Bay. And finally, there’s Evans. Evans is the greatest offensive player in Bucs history. Evans has racked up 606 receptions for 9,301 yards, 75 touchdowns in his career. He turned into a star from the get-go. Evans holds the franchise record for receiving yards, touchdowns and receptions. He’s been the best player on losing teams,  winning teams and various quarterbacks. On top of that he holds the record for most consecutive 1,000-yard seasons to begin a career. He’s at eight and counting. Evans finally got his Super Bowl ring in 2020. There weren’t many players more deserving.

JC Allen: Old And New Comprise Bucs Mount Rushmore

This is more difficult than I thought it would be. As you all know, I’m new to Bucs lore but looking back into the annals of Tampa Bay history, this became very hard to narrow down. However, I finally came to a conclusive list that comprises Bucs of old and new. Leaving players like Mike Alstott, John Lynch, Ronde Barber, Lee Roy Selmon, Paul Gruber and so many more were difficult decisions. But I tried to go with players that were game changers and arguably the best at their position all time. With that said, my Rushmore is comprised of Warren Sapp, Derrick Brooks, Mike Evans, and Tom Brady.

Bucs Hall of Fame LB Derrick Brooks – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Sapp was one of the most dominant defensive tackles to ever play the game. He’s a Super Bowl champion and love him or hate him he brought a lot of media attention to Tampa Bay in the late 90’s and early 2000’s. A personality on and off the field, Sapp was larger than life. His 77 sacks remains a franchise record. Brooks is the quintessential do it all linebacker and paved the way for guys like Lavonte David and so many others. Along with a Super Bowl victory, the list of Brooks accomplishments could fill this entire page. Brooks had 12 straight years of over 100 tackles and changed the way the linebacker position was played.

There’s so much to say about what Evans has meant to this organization off the field before you even get into his accomplishments on the field. A pillar in the community, Evans is a fan favorite for a reason but he’s also a tremendous teammate. Starting his career with eight straight 1,000 yard seasons, the first in history, Evans also holds the franchise record for touchdown receptions. Some might scoff at the inclusion of Brady on the list, but there is no denying the effect he has had on this franchise in two short years. Along with a Super Bowl victory, Brady has completely changed the culture around Tampa Bay and the way the team is perceived around the NFL. He’s the greatest quarterback of all time and belongs on the Mount Rushmore.

Josh Queipo: Focus On The Culture Changers

When you can only select four players off of a list that includes at least a dozen deserving nominees you are bound to have internal conflict. So I looked to try and find a defining characteristic that would provide a thread that connected each of my selections for the all-time Bucs Mount Rushmore. That characteristic was culture changer. Which players taught the next generation how to win? The Bucs have had three distinct winning windows in franchise history. The 1979-81 teams. The 1997-2002 squads. And the current iteration of the franchise. So I looked for the players that taught those generations how to elevate. I came up with Lee Roy Selmon, Hardy Nickerson, Mike Evans, and Tom Brady.

Former Bucs DE Lee Roy Selmon – Photo courtesy of the Buccaneers

Selmon was the driving force of the early Bucs. His 78.5 sacks rank first in team history and he led the team to the 1976 NFC Championship. Selmon could almost single-handedly will the team to victory. He put the team on the map and changed the culture. There was a time before Warren Sapp, Derrick Brooks, John Lynch, and Ronde Barber were the Sapp, Brooks, Lynch, and Barber we think of fondly now. The player widely credited with teaching the core of the Bucs defense was linebacker Hardy Nickerson. He arrived on the scene and racked up 926 tackles, nine sacks, seven INTs, and 13 forced fumbles on his way to four All-Pros and five Pro Bowls. More importantly, he groomed a generation of Hall of Fame-caliber players in Sapp, Brooks, Lynch and Barber. Nickerson changed the culture.

The last two I’ll discuss together. The addition of Mike Evans to the Tampa Bay offense signaled the beginning of something Tampa Bay never had. An offense that was to be feared. He has set the bar for receiver production so incredibly high no other player has yet to match his now eight years and counting run of 1,000 yard seasons to begin a career. He taught this offense how to be great. But until Tom Brady’s arrival in Tampa Bay in 2020 the team didn’t know how to win consistently. Since Brady’s arrival the results speak for themselves. A 24-9 record, a division title, a 5-1 playoff record, and a Super Bowl. Simply put these two players each changed the culture in their own ways. The Bucs Mount Rushmore of culture changers.

Bailey Adams: Three Hall Of Famers And Evans

One way or another, I’m bound to snub a very deserving Bucs legend. That’s the trick with only four spots, isn’t it? Not to mention, I’m 24 years old and never even got to see some true Tampa Bay superstars in action for myself. So, where to begin? Let’s start at the beginning and go right for the Bucs’ first star: Lee Roy Selmon. The first-ever draft pick for Tampa Bay, Selmon was a career Buc and had six Pro Bowls, three First Team All-Pro selections and the 1979 NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award to his name. He was the team’s first Pro Football Hall of Famer, as well as the first inductee into the Ring of Honor inside Raymond James Stadium. When talking Bucs legends, you can’t help but start with him.

Bucs WR Mike Evans – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Now, moving into the team’s first Super Bowl era, the next two picks have to be Warren Sapp and Derrick Brooks. Both drafted in the first round of the 1995 Draft, they transformed the Tampa Bay defense and franchise as a whole. They led one of the most dominant defenses in NFL history and brought the team its first-ever Lombardi Trophy. Sapp was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2013, while Brooks followed in 2014. But the fact that Selmon, Sapp and Brooks are such obvious selections makes determining the fourth so difficult. For the longest time, Ronde Barber was an obvious choice. He revolutionized the nickel cornerback position and has countless stats, accolades and moments to back up his spot. Guys like Mike Alstott and John Lynch warrant a mention as well.

But this decision, after recent years, boils down to Tom Brady or Mike Evans. Brady came to town in 2020 and helped lead the Bucs to their second Lombardi Trophy. He put the franchise back on the map and continues to do so, even at 44 years old. But ultimately, my fourth pick is Evans. He’s the best offensive player in team history. Eight straight seasons of 1,000-plus receiving yards. All of the franchise’s receiving records. Four Pro Bowls and a Super Bowl ring. And he’ll only be 29 when the 2022 season begins. That he’s already in the discussion to be one of the four best Bucs ever says so much about Evans’ production and impact. And for my money, he gets that fourth spot over quite a few others who are very, very deserving.