Given how sportsbooks have the Buccaneers as the favorite to win the NFC South, Joe thought more national analysts would take that ball and run with it, considering the sad collection of quarterbacks in the division not named Baker Mayfield.
But it’s been a relatively even split to date when it comes to Bucs prognostications for 2026. Some have the Bucs with a winning record; some have them as losers for the second consecutive season.
Over at TheAthletic.com, longtime Raiders, 49ers and NFL writer Vic Tafur made calls on every NFL team yesterday when it comes to where they will land after the regular season in relations to their projected win totals.
He sees the Bucs as losers.
Perhaps what most interested Joe is Tafur’s comments about Mike Evans.
Tafur covers the 49ers. Do these comments reflect what Tafur heard at 49ers headquarters during spring practices?
Buccaneers under 8.5 (-130)
Evans jumping ship after 12 seasons, despite the Buccaneers offering more money than the 49ers did, should sound off alarms. Maybe he knows Baker Mayfield can no longer hold up for a full season at age 31. Mayfield was hobbling with knee, arm and elbow injuries last season, and though he hasn’t missed a game in three years, his toughness overshadows his effectiveness down the stretch. Maybe Evans knows Todd Bowles is just a .500 coach (35-33 with Tampa Bay).
That said, I love rookie pass rusher Rueben Bain Jr., and the division is still wide open, so a one-game improvement and nine wins is definitely possible.
Joe loves Miami Mauler edge rusher Rueben Bain, too, and Joe thinks he could have a strong impact like, say, 2023 rookies Will Anderson and Byron Young.
Anderson had 7 sacks and 22 quarterback hits as a rookie; Young was right with him with 8 sacks and 61 tackles.
Hey, that’s the same year a Bucs rookie hamed YaYa Diaby had 7 1/2 sacks in limited playing time because, well, Diaby needed to learn more of the defense before Todd Bowles would let him hunt quarterbacks more often.
As for Evans, the full truth on why he left Tampa Bay has yet to be revealed. It’s leading to widespread speculation (see above) that Evans left because of Bowles and/or Mayfield.
Joe wonders whether Bucs officials or players will ever clear the air on that subject.