2014 NFL Preview: Everything you need to know about the Tampa Bay Buccaneers

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Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Schedule | Roster

Last season got off to a rocky start for the Buccaneers, as Pro Bowl guard Carl Nicks and place-kicker Lawrence Tynes contracted a serious staph infection known as MRSA during a preseason outbreak at the team's training facilities. Reports of tension between head coach Greg Schiano and quarterback Josh Freeman dominated headlines in September and October, and the team went on an eight-game losing streak to start the season.

Freeman was benched and subsequently released by the team, thrusting rookie Mike Glennon into a starting role. Glennon played in 13 games, completing 59.4 per cent of his passes for 2,608 yards with 19 touchdowns and nine interceptions.

Tampa's 4-12 record wasn't the worst in the NFC, but it placed them at the bottom of their division for the third consecutive season. It also marked the end of Schiano's tenure with the team, as he and general manager Mark Dominik were both fired in December.

Preseason Power Ranking - #18

The Buccaneers made a number of significant changes this offseason, from the hiring of head coach Lovie Smith to signing several impact players in free agency. They are a team on the rise, but they have a ways to go before they are a true threat in the NFC South. More ...

Key Additions/Departures

Key Additions: DE Michael Johnson, OG Logan Mankins, CB Alterraun Verner, QB Josh McCown, OT Anthony Collins, DT Clinton McDonald, C Evan Dietrich-Smith

Key Departures: CB Darrelle Revis, OT Donald Penn, TE Tim Wright, K Connor Barth

The Bucs were among the more active teams in free agency, adding several impact players to their roster. Verner, McCown, Collins, and Dietrich-Smith are all expected to start, while Johnson and McDonald will provide a much-needed boost to the team's pass rush.

The release of Revis was primarily a cost-cutting move by the Bucs, who signed the cornerback to a six-year, $96-million contract after acquiring him in a trade with the New York Jets prior to last season. Verner provides the team with a younger and more affordable option, and is widely considered a better fit for head coach Smith's Tampa-2 scheme.

2014 Draft Class 

Evans, a favorite target of Johnny Manziel during their days together at Texas A&M, has a lot of similarities to Bucs veteran Vincent Jackson. Both are big, physical receivers capable of making contested catches, and should be among the league's more dynamic duos this season.

Seferian-Jenkins is playing catch up after missing all of organized team activities because of rules prohibiting rookies from joining NFL teams before the end of school, but has the potential to be a big contributor for the Bucs this season. He will compete with Luke Stocker, Brandon Myers, and Tim Wright for the starting tight-end job. 

Despite joining a crowded backfield that includes Doug Martin, Mike James, and Bobby Rainey, Sims will likely get an opportunity to contribute right away.

Coaching Staff

Head Coach: Lovie Smith
Offensive Coordinator: Jeff Tedford
Defensive Coordinator: Leslie Frazier

Tampa has an entirely new coaching staff this season, which means new philosophies and, ideally, better results. Smith spent nine seasons with the Chicago Bears, guiding the team to an 81-63 regular season record, three division titles, and their first Super Bowl appearance in 21 years. He previously served as a linebackers coach for the Bucs on Tony Dungy's staff.

This season marks Tedford's first in the NFL after an 11-year stint as head coach of the California Golden Bears. He has been particularly successful in grooming future NFL quarterbacks, including Aaron Rodgers and Trent Dilfer.

Frazier comes over from Minnesota, where he spent the past three seasons as head coach of the Vikings. Before that, he served as the Vikings' defensive coordinator for four seasons, and ran the Cincinnati Bengals' defense from 2003 to 2004. 

2014 Schedule

The Bucs start the season with two home games before visiting their NFC South rival Atlanta Falcons in their lone prime-time matchup of the season. Their road trip continues in Pittsburgh before wrapping up against another division rival - the New Orleans Saints - in Week 5.

Among the more intriguing matchups of the season for the Bucs is in Week 12, which takes Smith and McCown back to their old Chicago stomping grounds. Things could get even more interesting depending on the weather forecast for that week.

Tampa was 1-7 on the road in 2013, and faces a particularly difficult stretch in Weeks 11 through 15. Of those five games, four will be played away from Raymond James Stadium.

Bold Predictions

Doug Martin will run for 1,500 yards: Martin is only two years removed from an impressive rookie campaign in which he amassed nearly 2,000 total yards, and while he likely won't see as many touches under new head coach Lovie Smith, he is still the Bucs' No. 1 running back. Look for him to bounce back in a big way this season. - Caitlyn Holroyd

Mike Glennon will start more games than Josh McCown: Everyone assumes McCown will be the starter in Tampa because of his relationship with Lovie Smith, but the organization wouldn’t part ways with Glennon this offseason. He played well on a terrible Bucs team in 2013 and is more than 10 years younger than McCown. Don’t think that has gone unnoticed in Tampa. - Michael Amato 

Mike Evans will catch at least 10 touchdowns. Evans, the No. 7 overall pick in May’s draft, is just 20 years old and only took up football in his senior year in high school. He is far from a polished route runner, but he is already a physical freak who will give opposing cornerbacks fits in tight spaces. At 6-foot-5 and 231 pounds, and with tremendous leaping ability, Evans is built to be a force in the red zone. And it just so happens that his quarterback, McCown, likes chucking the ball up for his big receivers to go get it. Evans will lead all rookies by catching double-digit touchdowns. - David Woods