2006 NFL Season Preview: Tampa Bay Buccaneeers

With the preseason in full swing and the opening weekend less than a calendar month away, now is the perfect time to glance in at all 32 NFL franchises and get a scoop on what to expect this season. I will be grading every team on all three phases of the game: offense, defense, and special teams. I will also take a look at the coaching staffs of all 32 teams, including the 10 new Head Coaches and evaluate the impact they might have on their team's success. Then I will outline some key position battles and some names you may or may not know about to watch for the upcoming season.

The 2006 edition of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have the ability to either repeat what they did last season or completely go into the proverbial tank this season. That's true with almost any team in the NFL, but the fact of the matter is that Tampa Bay can be read completely wrong regardless of what you think. They have pieces that can either perform well or just bomb. Even more so than most other NFL teams. I have difficulty seeing whether Jon Gruden's 2006 squad will be like the 2005 season or the 2004 season, when they went 5-11. Even though they won their division in 2005, they lost to the 49ers, who finished the season 4-12. They are entrusting their offense to a quarterback who hasn't been a full-time starter in the NFL and they are continually aging on both sides of the ball. Although it's hard to read teams regardless of these extra circumstances, the Bucs literally could be on both ends of the spectrum. Where will they really be in 2006?


Offense

Head Coach Jon Gruden has established himself as one of the best coaches in the NFL during his stints with the Raiders and now with Tampa Bay. For all intensive purposes, he serves as the Offensive Coordinator as well as Head Coach for the Bucs. They have much to deal with this season on offense, even though the personnel doesn't change too much. The team loses the quarterback that started the season as their starter, but they also get some new players in as well. We'll have to see how the Bucs adjust to having Chris Simms as the full-time starter.