"I Lead, Thats What I Do"

As a rookie last year, Jameis Winston was beyond better than expected and was a main reason the Bucs won 6 games last year. Winston quickly became the leader of the team, and is ready to do even bigger things in year 2. Bucs defensive tackle Gerald McCoy talked about Jameis on NFL Network's show NFL's Top 100 and is happy that Winston is on his team and can't wait to see what he becomes as he will only get better in time.

"Enjoy being a rookie, and just be the best Tampa Bay Buccaneers Qb that you can be," McCoy told Jameis. "No, that's not me, I lead that's what I do," said Jameis.  "It's just who he is, It's in his blood I'm happy he is on our side," said McCoy.

Jameis is a born leader, and his desire to win is unmatched by his competition. He is working non-stop to build this team into championship form. Jameis has the ear of his teammates which is a sign of a great leader and how the Quarterback should be viewed as. Jameis still has to grow and learn more but he is ahead of the curve which should lead to a great second season in the NFL. Here is the full video below.

.@Jaboowins isn't just a QB.
He's a leader;
A grinder;
A kid on his way up.
Almost landed in the #NFLTop100 at #126.https://t.co/hMsbnKAz0W

— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) June 29, 2016

Who Stands Out to Koetter?

A photo posted by Dan Vitale (@danvitale86) on Jun 19, 2016 at 5:20pm PDT

If there is a way to make the roster its to stand out to the head coach. So when asked last week who is standing out in practices Koetter gave a politically correct answer then threw out one name above all.

Are there names that have popped out to you from this rookie class?

 Oh sure on different days all those guys have. I mean we got the tight ends, the running backs, the defensive lineman, Luke the middle linebacker has moved up the depth chart a little bit. These guys are all working hard and you know its a long way from 90 to 53 but love the way their working.

That middle linebacker is Luke Rhodes of small school William & Mary, where he was a 2 time team captain and is known for his vocal leadership and extreme motor. Luke has an NFL ready body 6'2 242 lbs similar to Dan Vitale (seen above) and has all the athletic gifts to become a good player. Considering the already crowded room the bucs have at linebacker, Rhodes will have to compete to earn a spot on special teams. Lets see how high up the depth chart Luke can rise?

Will The Bucs Have Top Ten Ranking on Offense and Defense?

The Bucs offense took a big step forward last season as they finished 5th in total offense and broke franchise records. However, the offense wasn't perfect as they were 20th in scoring offense and are looking to be much improved in that area in 2016. The offense should be close to last year's ranking if not better with the continiuty in place for the unit, the bigger question is the defense. Enter Mike Smith, whose defense will be multiple but tailored to the player's strengths allowing them to play fast.

If the defense can make a big leap forward similar to how the offense did in 2015, then the Bucs could be in store for a special season in 2016. The defense has improved depth up front in the trenches specifically on the edge with Robert Ayers and Noah Spence coming aboard. The Linebacking core is very talented with Lavonte David and Kwon Alexander as well as new veteran Daryl Smith making the unit improved and more experienced. The secondary is probably the most improved unit on paper with additions of Brent Grimes, Josh Robinson, Vernon Hargreaves, and Ryan Smith.

This team is ready to win, and I believe it finally has the right coaching staff in place with Dirk Koetter and Mike Smith leading the offense and defense respectively. The offense will be there with Winston, Martin, and Evans leading the way every Sunday. The key will be the defense making major improvement and into a top ten ranking which is definitely possible with the talent on board. Could this be the year the Bucs have a top ten offense and defense? Wouldn't that be something Bucs fans!

Humphries is Ready to Compete for Playing Time

Adam Humphries has some stiff competition for the slot receiver and returner positions as we get closer to July. Humphries was one of the few bright spots on the team last year as he stepped up nicely filling in for the injured Louis Murphy as the slot receiver. He is not the biggest or the fastest but reliable and that is what you want from your third receiver. Humphries had a decent rookie season hauling in 27 catches for 260yds and one touchdown. Humphries is working hard to improve in all areas and feels he has already improved via Buccaneers.com.

"I do feel like I'm a better player [this year]," said Humphries. "I feel like every year I need to improve and that's what you have to do to stay in this league. I had a good offseason and I feel like so far in OTAs we've improved. Personally, I feel like I've improved and that I've performed well this offseason.

Humphries looks up to New England's star receiver Julian Edelman and wants to evolve his game similar to him by being precise in his route running and overall lateral quickness. If Humphries can become anything close to Edelman then the Bucs got another steal and the offense will be in good hands. Humphries is going to have to earn it as he faces tough competition from Kenny Bell and Evan Spencer. The receiver position will be a fun one to watch come training camp.

Alstott Sees Success for Rookie Vitale

Every Bucs fan remembers the A-train Mike Alstott as he is one of the legends in Buccaneer football history. A player that not every Bucs fan knows is 6th round pick Dan Vitale out of Northwestern who has an similar playing style to the Buc legend. Vitale had the chance to sit down with Alstott to talk about football and what it takes to be successful in the NFL. Alstott had nothing but great things to say about the rookie, and thinks he has a bright future via Buccaneers.com.

"What a great kid," said the former Buc great. "He has a lot of similar traits to me when I was growing up, his work ethic and his passion. You can just tell in the first 10 minutes of talking to him what kind of guy he is, how blessed he feels to be here and what he's going to do to make the team. He knows he needs to do everything he can on special teams, and he knows he needs to pick the brains of the veterans."

Vitale has the right mindset and work ethic according to Alstott and believes he will have success right away because he loves the game of football.

"You have to earn your way on special teams first, and at the same time learn your position and do whatever it takes," said Alstott, recounting his words to Vitale. "Early mornings, late nights. Be on time. He understands all that already. He is very passionate, and if you have that, you've got half the battle won." 

Vitale is working at tight end/fullback and is likely to be the starting fullback at some point during the 2016 season. Vitale has the skillset to be a weapon on offense and special teams, and should become a fan favorite pretty quickly just like his football hero Mike Alstott.

Dirk Wants Competitiors

Head coach Dirk Koetter has set the tone ever since becoming the lead man for Tampa and hasn't shied away from saying what he wants. Last week during practice a fight broke out in which Dirk jumped in to break up the skirmish. When asked later what he thought of the fight, Koetter gave his usual strong answer.

I want a team full of competitors, I want a bunch of guys that are going to play emotional, hard-nosed football. Hey I don't think we should be backing down from anything. If you think its not going to get a little heated out there we're kidding ourselves.

 "Never back down from anything", was the strongest quote in my opinion. The bucs over the years have learned to become losers and give up at times. It seems Koetter refuses for that to happen. He along with Winston have that strong passion to win no matter what. Koetter truly believes he has a good team and will push them to get the most he can out of them. You are either on his ship or not but either way his ship is being pushed in the right direction, who all is on board?

Koetter Says Good Off-Season so far

The off-season has been kind so far to the Buccaneers as they have been able to put in quality work and for the most part have been healthy for the entire workout program. Coach Koetter expects full participation from all 90 players when training camp starts at the end of July and is proud of the work the team has done so far via buccaneers.com.

“Well, what we accomplished, number one, is we put in a whole new defensive scheme [and] a whole new special teams scheme," said Koetter. "We integrated 24 rookies and five or six free agents into our system [and] we continued to develop our offensive scheme."

That is great news for this team as they get closer to the start of the season where this year's training camp will feature some intense position battles throughout the roster. The other bright spot is allowing Jameis to put more on his plate which is great for the offense as it will allow the unit to grow even more.

"Jameis can handle a lot and does handle a lot every day," said Koetter. "He can handle more than we’re giving him. Compared to last year at this time, he knows way, way more than he did a year ago at this time." 

The Bucs are about 6 weeks away from training camp and as of now they appear to be in great shape to get things back to winning ways.