9. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The year before the Buccaneers drafted Jameis Winston, they were 2-14. Tampa went 6-10 in his rookie season and backed that up with a 9-7 mark in his second year. That’s the sign of a team and its franchise player making big progress.
With just two years in the books, Winston is fast moving up the list of the NFL’s best quarterbacks. He also has a strong connection with one of the NFL’s best receivers, Mike Evans.
Mike Evans pulls in HUGE 34-yard touchdown catch over a defender! pic.twitter.com/AJKEpmVU9j
— Chat Sports (@ChatSports) December 24, 2016
What potentially holds the Bucs back is the division they play in. A team from the NFC South has represented the NFC in each of the last two Super Bowls. Also, while the championship days are probably over for the Saints, they’re not a pushover team.
But Tampa is on the upswing and went a solid 4-2 against NFC South opponents in 2016.
If proper resources in the draft and free agency are devoted to tightening up the defense, the Bucs become a real Super Bowl sleeper for the 2017 season.