2015 NFL Preview: Buccaneers hope Jameis Winston is the answer

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Tampa Bay Buccaneers

There was a lot of optimism in Tampa Bay last season with the hiring of head coach Lovie Smith, who guided the Chicago Bears to three division titles, two NFC Championship games, and their first Super Bowl appearance in 21 years. Smith's first season with the Bucs proved to be a disappointment, though, as the team finished with the worst record in the NFL at 2-14.

Highlight of 2014

Rookie wide receiver Mike Evans connects with quarterback Mike Glennon on a 26-yard touchdown pass - the first of his career - to give the Bucs an early lead in their Week 4 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers. Evans finished the season with 68 receptions for a team-high 1,051 yards and 12 touchdowns.

Preseason Power Ranking - #28

While their defense might continue to hold them back, the Buccaneers should be exciting on offense with Jameis Winston pushing the ball downfield to Mike Evans and Vincent Jackson. More ...

2015 Season Outlook

Schedule | Roster

Head Coach: Lovie Smith
Off. Coordinator: Dirk Koetter
Def. Coordinator: Leslie Frazier

Smith and Frazier are both back for a second season, but it will be Smith handling defensive play-calling duties this time around. There will also be a new face in charge of the offense, with Koetter joining the Bucs after spending the past three seasons with the division-rival Atlanta Falcons.

The first-round selection of Jameis Winston brings a renewed sense of optimism to Tampa Bay, and he appears to be taking his job very seriously. He also has the fortune of playing one of the NFL's easiest schedules, as the Bucs face just two of the league's top 10 pass defenses from last season.

Key Additions

• QB Jameis Winston (first round)
• OG Ali Marpet (second round)
• DT Henry Melton
• DE George Johnson
• LB Bruce Carter
• LB Kwon Alexander (fourth round)
• S Chris Conte
• S D.J. Swearinger

Key Departures

• QB Josh McCown
• OT Anthony Collins
• DE Michael Johnson
• LB Mason Foster
• S Dashon Goldson

Winston is the flashiest of the Bucs' offseason additions, and is developing into the leader the team hoped he'd be. He'll be paired with two talented receivers in Mike Evans and Vincent Jackson, both of whom are coming off 1,000-yard seasons.

Lovie Smith added some familiar faces on the defensive side of the ball in Henry Melton and Chris Conte, both of whom played under him in Chicago. The coach is also very high on fourth-round pick Kwon Alexander, and gave him some practice time with the starters after his impressive preseason debut.

Bold Predictions

The Buccaneers will earn the No. 1 overall pick for the second straight year. The Buccaneers made plenty of improvements to their roster this offseason, highlighted by the addition of a potential franchise quarterback in Jameis Winston, but there's still a long way to go. Winston will almost certainly go through his share of ups and downs as a rookie, meaning Tampa Bay is still in for another disappointing season before being able to take a step forward. - Daniel Wilkins

Jameis Winston will be benched. In an effort to prevent damaging a slumping Winston's confidence, the Buccaneers will demote their high-profile passer and insert Mike Glennon as starter. Glennon will outperform Winston, leading to a minor quarterback controversy. - David P. Woods

The Buccaneers head into their bye week 5-0, miss the playoffs. With a winnable opening five games, Jameis fever is going to be spreading across Florida in early October. Things get tougher for the Bucs from there, and a second-half slump can be expected for their stable of rookies. Still, a 7-9 finish would put the Bucs well on their way back to NFL prominence. - Joe Thomson