Can the Tampa Bay Buccaneers make a run in 2014?

So much of the blame for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ 0-8 start last year was placed on head coach Greg Schiano, who is now gone. He’s been replaced by the well-respected Lovie Smith. And now a Buccaneers team that was never really short on talent in the first place has spent the offseason refueling in a big way.

Remember: The Bucs were a respectable 4-4 during the second half of the 2012 campaign.

Now, they’ve secured a trustworthy, proven coaching staff and have spruced up the personnel on both sides of the ball. The offensive line took a step forward with the addition of Anthony Collins and Evan Dietrich-Smith, the defensive front is much better with Michael Johnson and Clinton McDonald, they’ve replaced Darrelle Revis with Alterraun Verner, and Josh McCown could have what it takes to hold down the franchise quarterback job for at least a couple years.

As a result, they’re getting rave reviews from the punits. Pete Prisco of CBS Sports gave the Bucs an “A” grade for their performance on the free-agent market, while ESPN’s gurus did the same.

From former Colts general manager Bill Polian:

“This may be the best job ever done in free agency, maybe since Green Bay signed Reggie White,” Polian said. “They got rid of a lot of guys who either didn’t fit, cost too much or were bad guys, and they added good guys and who fit perfectly at good prices. Dietrich-Smith is a really good player. Verner is a perfect Cover 2 corner. Michael Johnson is a little overpaid, but he will be very productive in that system. McCown will be the quarterback and a great mentor for [Glennon].”

According to Football Outsiders, only seven teams were hit harder by injuries than the Bucs were in 2013. If they get better breaks in that department, a well-coached team with a lot of talent could have a chance to play spoiler.

Every year there are a handful of teams that emerge out of nowhere. This year, with the cap-strapped Panthers taking a step backward in the offseason and the Falcons still trying to recover from a messy 2013 campaign, Tampa Bay could come out of nowhere and make a run at its first playoff berth since 2007.

About Brad Gagnon

Brad Gagnon has been passionate about both sports and mass media since he was in diapers -- a passion that won't die until he's in them again. Based in Toronto, he's worked as a national NFL blog editor at theScore.com (covering Super Bowls XLIV, XLV and XLVI), a producer and writer at theScore Television Network and a host, reporter and play-by-play voice at Rogers TV. His work has also appeared at Deadspin, FoxSports.com, The Guardian, The Hockey News and elsewhere at Bloguin, but his day gig has him covering all things NFC East for Bleacher Report.

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