FAB 3. Bucs Assembling A Roster With Playoff Experience

Since the Glazers fired head coach Jon Gruden and general manager Bruce Allen after the 2008 season in which Tampa Bay missed the playoffs by a game despite having a 9-7 record, the Bucs have been in a constant state of rebuilding.

The team underwent a massive youth movement under rookie head coach Raheem Morris and first-year general manager Mark Dominik in 2009 that continued into the Greg Schiano era from 2012-13 and into the Lovie Smith era from 2014-15 when Jason Licht was installed as the team’s general manager, replacing Dominik.

Bucs WR Vincent Jackson – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

In each of the roster restarts under Morris, Schiano and Smith, an emphasis was put on the draft with the exception of a few free agent signings. While wide receiver Vincent Jackson home run and defensive tackle Clinton McDonald was a hit, the signings of running back Derek Ward, cornerback Eric Wright, safety Dashon Goldson, left tackle Anthony Collins, defensive end Michael Johnson and quarterback Josh McCown were awful.

The problem was that the roster was perpetually young with all of the wide-eyed rookies and second- and third-year players, and the free agents that were signed typically weren’t winners that didn’t have much experience playing in the playoffs.

Do you want to go to the playoffs? You need some players that have been there and done that to help lead the way.

That’s what Licht and head coach Dirk Koetter have done over the past two offseasons. They have continued the Bucs’ draft-first approach, but have sought out players that have played in meaningful playoff games and even won Super Bowls.

As the 2017 season begins, the Bucs have as much playoff experience now as they have had since some of the veteran-laden teams that Gruden built in Tampa Bay from 2002-08.

Before I list the 14 Buccaneers that have played in at least one playoff game – obviously with another team – would you like to guess which Tampa Bay players have the most playoff experience?

Bucs DE Robert Ayers – Photo by: Getty Images

Defensive end Robert Ayers? Nice try.

Ayers was 3-3 in his six playoff games in Denver with three sacks, but lost his lone Super Bowl appearance to the Seattle team that McDonald was on. If you guessed McDonald you’d be wrong, although he was 4-1 in his five postseason appearances with the Seahawks and he did win a Super Bowl title.

How about newly signed wide receiver DeSean Jackson, who went to the playoffs with both Philadelphia and Washington during his NFL career? No, he’s not the most seasoned Buccaneer when it comes to the playoffs.

While Jackson has played in seven total postseason games, he’s only 2-5 in those contests and hasn’t reached the NFC Championship Game despite catching 21 passes for 332 yards and two touchdowns in those playoff contests.

The two most Bucs with the most playoff experience are actually right guard J.R. Sweezy and backup nose tackle Sealver Siliga.

Sweezy has a 7-3 postseason record, the best of any player in Tampa Bay, and has been to two Super Bowls with Seattle – winning one against Denver, and losing one against New England. Siliga is 5-3 in the postseason with New England and Seattle with one Super Bowl win with the Patriots.

Bucs guard J.R. Sweezy – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Newly acquired cornerback Robert McClain has a 3-2 postseason record while with the Falcons, while fellow cornerback Brent Grimes has played in three playoff games, but is 0-3. New safety J.J. Wilcox brings some playoff experience to Tampa Bay from his days in Dallas where he was 1-2 in the playoffs.

New kicker Nick Folk is 2-2 in playoff games with the New York Jets, while running back Jacquizz Rodgers was 1-2 in Atlanta’s postseason games and offensive lineman Evan Smith was 1-3 in the playoffs in Green Bay.

Defensive back Josh Robinson and new nose tackle Chris Baker are 0-2 in the playoffs with Minnesota and Washington, respectively. Reserve center Joe Hawley is 0-1 from his time in Atlanta.

Credit Licht and Koetter for getting players in nearly every unit that have at least some playoff experience to help this young Tampa Bay team get to the postseason and then learn how to deal with it once they get there. They saw the impact of trading for veteran guard Logan Mankins in August of 2014 and how he helped develop young offensive linemen like left tackle Donovan Smith and interior linemen Ali Marpet and Kevin Pamphile.

Former Redskins and current Bucs WR DeSen Jackson – Photo by: Getty Images

When the Bucs make the playoffs this year and Winston, running back Doug Martin and Pro Bowl wide receiver Mike Evans are in a postseason huddle for the first time in their careers they’ll be getting some sage advice from Sweezy and Jackson.

The same holds true on defense with playoff newbies Pro Bowl defensive tackle Gerald McCoy and linebackers Lavonte David and Kwon Alexander. They’ll receive wisdom from Ayers, Grimes and Siliga.

And the Buccaneers will be better because of it.