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A trip down memory lane of Bucs' preseason expectations

 
Jameis Winston and running back Peyton Barber celebrate a touchdown last season against the 49ers. [LOREN ELLIOTT | Times]
Jameis Winston and running back Peyton Barber celebrate a touchdown last season against the 49ers. [LOREN ELLIOTT | Times]
Published July 27, 2017

With HBO's Hard Knocks in town and the Bucs opening training camp Friday with their highest expectations in a decade, here's a look back at Tampa Bay's preseason expectations since their last playoff appearance in 2007 — and the results.

2008

Expectation: Very high. The Bucs were coming off an NFC South championship and 9-7 season behind quarterback Jeff Garcia, who had a Pro Bowl season. Although many of the Bucs stars were aging, such as Derrick Brooks and Ronde Barber, the Bucs believed they had enough in the tank to make another deep playoff run. The team signed coach Jon Gruden and general manager Bruce Allen to three-year contract extensions.

Result: The Bucs were 9-3, tied with Carolina for the best in the NFC, when they met the Panthers in Charlotte on a Monday night. The Panthers ran all over them. Shortly afterward, defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin admitted he would join his son Lane at Tennessee following the season. The Bucs lost their their last four to finish 9-7, narrowly missing the playoffs. Weeks after the conclusion of the regular season, both Gruden and Allen were fired.

2009

Expectation: Low. The Bucs hired defensive backs coach Raheem Morris as head coach and named Mark Dominik general manager. Dominik purged the roster of veterans like Brooks, Warrick Dunn and Cato June and in the first round drafted Kansas State quarterback Josh Freeman. The Bucs went into training camp saying the battle for the starting job was between Byron Leftwich and Luke McCown.

Result: It was a disaster. Ten days before the start of the regular season, the team fired offensive coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski. Ten weeks into the season, they fired defensive coordinator Jim Bates. The Bucs started 0-7, turned the team over to Freeman, and finished 3-13, winning two of their last three teams.

2010

Expectation: Modest. With Freeman now established as the starting quarterback, the Bucs believed they had begun to assemble a young nucleus of players, including defensive tackle Gerald McCoy, the third overall pick. The Bucs started 10 rookies. Morris took over the defensive play-calling duties and Greg Olsen ran the offense.

Result: The Bucs stunned the league with a 10-6 record, but that was only good for a third-place finish in the NFC South. The team got big years from free agent running back LeGarrette Blount and receiver Mike Williams. Morris' race to 10 (wins) wasn't enough.

2011

Expectations: High. The Bucs were coming off 10 wins and Freeman was entering his third NFL season. But there was a fatal flaw. The Bucs did not spend any money in free agency, signing only a punter.

Result: The Bucs started fast, going 4-2 with wins over Atlanta and New Orleans. Then a trip to England to play the Chicago Bears ruined everything. RB Earnest Graham tore his Achilles and was lost for the season. The defense proved to the worst in the NFL. The Bucs lost their final 10 games and Morris was fired.

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2012

Expectations: Low. The Bucs attempted to hire Oregon coach Chip Kelly, who bowed out at the last minute. They hired hard-nosed Rutgers coach Greg Schiano to change the culture of the football team and instill discipline. They signed WR Vincent Jackson and G Carl Nicks.

Result: The Bucs roared to a 6-4 start and had the look of a playoff team. But Freeman wilted down the stretch. The Bucs finished 7-9. Rookie Doug Martin rushed for more than 1,400 yards.

2013

Expectations: Modest. The Bucs were hoping Freeman would recover from a bad finish in 2012 and they traded for cornerback Darrelle Revis to help their ailing defense. They also added three rookie starters - Jonathan Banks, Akeem Spence and William Gholston.

Result: The whole year was a train wreck. After an 0-3 start, Freeman was benched, asked for and received his release as the team turned to rookie Mike Glennon, a third-round pick from North Carolina St. There was an outbreak of MRSA that claimed Nicks and PK Lawrence Tynes. The Bucs started 0-8 and finished 4-12. Schiano was fired one day after the season ended.

2014

Expectations: Low. The Bucs hired former Bears head coach Lovie Smith, who had been a linebackers coach under Tony Dungy in Tampa Bay. The vibe was really good at One Buc and in the community. Smith hired Jeff Tedford as offensive coordinator, but in the preseason, he had a heart procedure and would wind up leaving the team. Smith and general manager Jason Licht signed former Bears backup QB Josh McCown to become their starter.

Result: The Bucs started 1-9, McCown was benched for Mike Glennon. The defense proved to be one of the worst in the NFL. The Bucs absolutely tanked the final game of the season against the Saints to secure the No. 1 overall draft pick.

2015

Expectations: Modest. After much internal debate, the Bucs drafted Florida State QB Jameis Winston No. 1 overall. Former Falcons offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter was hired for the same position by the Bucs. The team also used high draft picks on left tackle Donovan Smith and guard Ali Marpet.

Result: The Bucs showed improvement in all areas of the team and battled back to a 6-6 record. But rookie LB Kwon Alexander was suspended the final four games of the season. The Bucs lost all four games to finish 6-10 and Smith was fired.

2016

Expectations: Modest. The Bucs hired Koetter as their third head coach in four seasons. He retained the play-calling duties and worked closely with Winston. Koetter hired former Falcons defensive coordinator Mike Smith.

Result: The Bucs had a rash of injuries at running back and on the defensive line from the outset. The defense was historically bad the first half of the season but turned it around quickly after the bye week. Koetter piloted the Bucs through 1-3 and 3-5 starts. The team got hot, won five in a row, and narrowly missed the playoffs with a 9-7 record.