Unlike many other national #NFLMedia stenographers who believe the Bucs won with smoke and mirrors last year and will revert to their pre-Bucco Bruce Arians level of losing, one man is not buying that mindset.
Matt Verderame thinks the Bucs have the talent to compete. He typed for SI.com the Bucs showed last year they have the talent to win again and perhaps make a run in the playoffs.
While most folks would say the key to the Bucs winning is Mike Evans and Lavonte David continuing to stiff-arm Father Time, Verderame thinks the Bucs being a playoff team or sinking back into the abyss rides on the shoulders of Baker Mayfield.
Verderame further types that the Bucs can only win if Mayfield plays well.
Furthermore, should Mayfield regress, the offense isn’t equipped to succeed in another capacity. The run game ranked last in yards per game (88.8) last season, and nothing changed in the personnel. Mayfield needs to continue being the focal point.
Now, now, now. Joe knows Bucs fans reading that excerpt from Verderame are ready to jump out of their chairs and scream, “What about Bucky Irving???”
Hold up now. Joe is a huge fan of the Bucs drafting Irving. As much as many Bucs fans want to see him turn into Warrick Dunn, pause the excitement. Realize Irving is a late-fourth-round pick. And a rookie.
But expecting Irving to blow up as a rookie and unseat Rachaad White is a big expectation. For this season. Not everyone is LeGarrette Blount (he was a rookie 14 years ago) or last year’s fifth-round phenom Kyren Williams.
Besides, White, the Bucs’ incumbent No. 1 running back, is so dangerous in the passing game, Joe firmly believes White will have to play his way out of a job first for Irving to get enough carries to lead the rushing attack if Mayfield regresses.
Simply put, if Mayfield has a bad year, it’s not a stretch to think the Bucs have a bad year.
