The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are on track to be one of the more surprisingly successful teams next season, but a lot of that success lies heavily on the shoulders of new head coach Bruce Arians. Arians brought in his own coaching staff to join him in Tampa Bay and has spoken very highly of former 1st overall Jameis Winston.
The direction of the team is clear now that Arians has arrived, but the NFC South division is amongst the league's toughest divisions if not the toughest. Arians is up to the task and knows things will be tough, but he could very well change the culture of the team as he did previously with the Arizona Cardinals. The Buccaneers could surprise many onlookers, and Arians' presence puts Tampa Bay right in the hunt for a playoff spot next season.
Jameis Winston has Career-Year Under Bruce Arians
The commitment head coach Arians has voiced in regards to Jameis Winston has to mean something. Considering the wonders Arians has worked with players at the quarterback position in the past, Winston could be in for a gigantic season.
Winston has had off-field issues as well as making questionable decisions on the field, resulting in plenty of turnovers throughout his career. Arians has coached players including Peyton Manning, Ben Roethlisberger, and Carson Palmer throughout his career, so his presence could prove to be precisely what Winston needs to finally display his full potential.
Attentiveness to Defense Needs in the Draft Pays Off
The Buccaneers used their first four picks on defensive players most notably LSU linebacker Devin White with the 5th overall selection. White was highly regarded as the most talented linebacker in the 2019 draft. The selection could bode well for Tampa Bay after losing injury-prone Kwon Alexander to the San Francisco 49ers this offseason. Alongside fellow linebacker Lavonte David, the tandem could be amongst the best in the league.
Tampa Bay's Achilles heel for the past several years has been their secondary, but with Todd Bowles, as the new defensive coordinator, it's hard to believe the trend will continue. Bowles possesses a great defensive mind and could feature new draftees like Sean Bunting, Jamel Dean, and Mike Edwards into his defensive plans right out of the gate. The Buccaneers defense could very well be one of the big surprises of the 2019 season as they are poised for a huge turnaround.
Mike Evans will Eclipse 1,500 Yards and Eight Touchdowns (again)
The Buccaneers have one of the league's best wide receivers in Mike Evans, but his yearly efforts are often underrated considering the team's overall struggles since he came into the league. Evans has the freakish stature of Julio Jones along with a great set of hands, but the Buccaneers losing ways have muddied Evans' recognition amongst the league's best receivers.
After a career season in regards to receiving yards with 1,524 to go along with eight touchdown catches. Evans was having as successful of a season as any through the first half of the 2018 season, but the offense couldn't gain any momentum once the team began switching back and forth between Winston and Ryan Fitzpatrick at quarterback. If Winston is going to have the success, he is poised to have; this can only mean his favorite target will feast on opposing secondaries in 2019.
Todd Bowles' 3-4 Defensive Scheme will Help Turn Things Around
The unfortunate truth behind why the New York Jets struggled so much was not because of Todd Bowles. In all fairness, New York's offense suffered a painful rebuild throughout Bowles' time with the team while the defense showed some flashes of promise.
Bowles is bringing forth a tough and fast-paced defensive mindset to a Buccaneers team that has the potential but has struggled to find a coach able to bring that out of this young defensive unit. With the addition of Devin White alongside Lavonte David, this could help bring a fast and ferocious change of pace for the Buccaneers defense. A 3-4 scheme will provide some much-needed pressure off the edge as well as necessary coverage in specific schemes. Bowles has stated he will feature the 3-4, but could also feature the 4-3 to force the defense into being “versatile.” clear a 4-3 scheme was not the answer for the Buccaneers at times in the past, so Bowles system could prove to be the difference maker.