Tampa Bay Buccaneers Dream Team

As players get bigger, stronger and faster coupled with rules of the game

being in constant change, conventional wisdom suggests that players from

different eras cannot be compared. However, I have decided to defy that

notion. 

Considering that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers entered the NFL as an

expansion team in 1976, the task becomes quite challenging. Today, I have

taken on the daunting task of compiling an All-Time Buccaneers team. Like

every franchise, the Bucs have had their Golden Age but that performance

level was a blip on the screen. The pinnacle of the franchise was the 2002

Super Bowl champions that annihilated the Oakland Raiders 48-21. From

1997-2007, the Bucs reached the playoffs seven times. They also reached

the NFC CHampionship Game in 1999, losing to eventual Super Bowl

champion St. Louis Rams 11-6. 

The Bucs lost their first 26 games in franchise history under head coach

John McKay. The Bucs would eventually rebound and reach the postseason

three times in four years from 1979-1982, including an NFC Championship

Game appearance in 1979. The Bucs, however, have had two lengthy

playoff droughts (1983-1996; 2008-present). 

There are some rigid criteria in making this team. The player needed to have

played at least four seasons as a Buc. Since the free agency era began 30 years

ago, that standard needs to be in place. Two-year rentals don’t make this

list. Personality or legal flaws are not a deterrent to making this team. This is

football, not the Boy Scouts. Being in the Hall of Fame is the first

consideration coupled with impact on the franchise. The number of All-Pro

seasons are a top consideration with longevity also helping immensely.

While I understand it is hard to compare eras, I’m not going to convolute

this discussion. 

Generational reminders

All eras matter. Being on the Bucs during a Super Bowl run or does not get

you a hall pass on this team. Playing for any randomly wretched team does

not disqualify you either. 

To further the challenge, we are constructing the roster in two-deep format,

which means some worthy players get left off the list. So, if you want to

make a case for a player being on the team, don’t just tell me he should be

there and why, tell me who you would remove. Before you make a case to

put someone on the list, ask yourself, “Who do I take off the list at that

position?” 

OFFENSE

QB -- First team: Doug Williams. Honorable mention: Brad Johnson.

Johnson and Trent Dilfer were similar in that they were caretakers more so

than difference makers. The Bucs defense and running game did most of

the heavy lifting. The tiebreaker, however, is Johnson delivering a Super

Bowl title as a quarterback in 2002. Though Williams is known for being

the first black quarterback to lead a team to a Super Bowl title for the

Washington Redskins, he was also a significant part of the Bucs history

highlighted by leading the franchise to an NFC Championship Game

appearance in 1979. Williams, however, is more closely tied to the Bucs'
success of his era. Johnson is essentially Dilfer with a Super Bowl ring.

RB -- First team: Warrick Dunn, Cadillac Williams. Honorable mention:

Michael Pittman, Doug Martin.

Though Dunn’s best seasons statistically came as an Atlanta Falcon, he

remains one of the most beloved players in franchise history. In his five

years as a Buc, he was a Pro Bowler twice and was named NFL Offensive

Rookie of the Year in 1997. Dunn is No. 3 in franchise history in both

rushing yardage and receptions. Much of Williams’ legacy is what could

have been. He burst onto the scene as the NFL Offensive Rookie of The

Year in 2005 but after tearing his patellar tendon in 2007 he was never the

same. Pittman arrived in Tampa Bay in time to help deliver a Super Bowl

title after joining the team as a free agent in 2002. Pittman played six seasons

as a Buc. In the Super Bowl win over the Raiders, Pittman delivered 124

yards on 29 carries. Martin spent six seasons with the Bucs and became

No. 4 in franchise history in career rushing yardage. Martin was a two-time

Pro Bowler and was first-team All Pro in 2015. 

FB -- First team: Mike Alstott. Honorable mention: James Wilder.

Alstott was like a rhinoceros in pads. He was a dominant fullback that formed

a great backfield tandem with Dunn and later Pittman. Alstott spent all 11

seasons as a Buc and was a member of the 2002 Super Bowl champions.

Alstott was a six-time Pro Bowler and four-time All Pro (four first-team). He

is the franchise’s No. 2 career leading rusher. Alstott also caught 305 career

passes, fifth in franchise history. Though he played on some wretched Bucs

teams from 1981-1989, Wilder was a workhorse. In that span, Wilder made

just one Pro Bowl but would have made more if the Bucs had better teams.

Wilder remains the franchise’s all-time leading ground gainer. Wilder could

fit either at running back or fullback. 

WR -- First team: Mike Evans, Keyshawn Johnson. Honorable mention:

Kevin House, Mark Carrier.

Despite not having the best play at quarterback, in six seasons, Evans is

the franchise’s No. 1 pass-catcher with 462 receptions -- and counting.

Evans is a three-time Pro Bowler and was second-team All Pro in 2016.

Johnson was viewed as a finishing piece to a championship level team when

the franchise acquired him via trade from the New York Jets. Johnson played

four seasons (2000-2003) in Tampa Bay. Johnson was a member of the 2002

Super Bowl champions. That season, Johnson caught 76 passes for 1,088

yards and five touchdowns. House played seven years (1980-1986) on

some bad teams but would have been a more household name had the team

been better. House had a pair of 1,000 yard seasons. Carrier played six

seasons as a Buc and his best year was 1989, when he caught 89 passes for

1,422 yards, both were single season records. 

TE -- First team: Jimmie Giles. Honorable mention: Ron Hall.

Giles played 13 seasons for four different teams but his best years (1978-

1986) came as a Buc. Giles was a four-time Pro Bowler. No tight end in

franchise history has more receptions than Giles. Hall spent seven years

(1987-1993) with the Bucs. In that stretch, he caught 209 passes for 2,422

yards and 10 touchdowns. 

OT -- First team: Paul Gruber, Demar Dotson. Honorable mention:

Donald Penn, Rob Taylor.

Gruber was a marquee player on many bad Bucs teams. In his 12 seasons

(1988-1999), Gruber was one of the most reliable offensive tackles in the

business. Gruber was an All Pro twice and probably would have achieved

more recognition if the Bucs had better teams. Dotson recently completed

his 11th season and made the team as an undrafted free agent in 2009. Penn

was also an undrafted free agent and played for the Bucs for seven years,

starting all but four games. Taylor spent all eight of his seasons (1986-1993)

with the Bucs and started 91 games. 

OG -- First team: Davin Joseph, Ian Beckles. Honorable mention: Jeremy

Zuttan, George Yarno.

Joseph was a beast of an interior lineman. He spent eight seasons (2006-2013)

as a Buc and reached two Pro Bowls. Beckles spent seven seasons (1990-

1996) with the Bucs and was a steady and reliable presence. Zuttah spent six

years with the Bucs, playing both center and guard. Zuttah started 76 games.

Yarno spent two different stints (1979-1983; 1985-1987) with the Bucs. He

was versatile enough to play both guard and tackle. 

C -- First team: Tony Mayberry. Honorable mention: Randy Grimes.

Mayberry spent all ten seasons in Tampa Bay (1990-1999) with his final

three seasons all ending with a Pro Bowl nod. He experienced many highs

and lows in franchise history. Grimes split time between guard and center as

a rookie but went on to become a reliable ten-year starter at center from

1983-1992.

DEFENSE

DE -- First team: Leroy Selmon, Simeon Rice. Honorable mention:

Chidi Ahanotu, Greg Spires.

Selmon was the first superstar in franchise history and an original Buc.

Selmon spent all nine seasons of his Hall of Fame career in Tampa Bay. He

was a six-time Pro Bowler, five-time All Pro (three first-team) and 1979

NFL Defensive Player of the Year. Selmon recorded 23 career sacks but

keep in mind, it was not an official stat until 1982, making that number

severely deflated. Rice played for five teams in 14 years but his best stretch

came as a Buc from 2001-2006. The fact that Rice is not in the Hall of

Fame is a gross omission. Sapp rushing inside and Rice on the outside --

good luck. Rice was a vital member to the 2002 Super Bowl champions.

As a Buc he was a Pro Bowler and All Pro twice (one as a first-teamer).

Rice is No. 2 in franchise history with 69.5 sacks. Ahanotu spent eight

seasons with the Bucs (1993-2000) and was part of a franchise rebirth.

Ahanotu is fourth in franchise history with 34.5 sacks. Spires joined the

Bucs as a free agent in 2002 and joined an already loaded defense that

became Super Bowl champions. In six years as a Buc, Spires tallied 26

sacks. 

DT -- First team: Warren Sapp, Gerald McCoy. Honorable mention:

Dave Logan, Brad Culpepper.

Sapp pumped life into a franchise that was in the dumper for years.

Though Sapp spent his last four seasons as a Raider, his resume was the

nine years in Tampa Bay. Sapp is a Hall of Famer, seven-time Pro Bowler,

six-time All Pro, 1999 NFL Defensive Player of the Year and is the

franchise leader with 77 career sacks. Sapp was a member of the 2002

Bucs. McCoy recently completed his 10th NFL season and signed a free

agent contract with the Dallas Cowboys. McCoy spent nine years (2010-

2018) as a Buc and though the franchise never made the playoffs in that

stretch, McCoy was a force. McCoy was a six-time Pro Bowler, four-time

All Pro (three first-team) and is third in franchise history with 59.5 career

sacks. Logan went from 12th round draft pick to solid start for eight

seasons (1979-1986). Logan was a two-time All Pro and recorded 28 sacks

but that number is deflated because it was not an official stat until 1982.

Wood was an original Buc and played nine seasons (1976-1984). He

started every game between 1978-1981. Wood intercepted nine career

passes and scored two touchdowns. He also recovered six fumbles.

Culpepper retired by the time the Bucs won the Super Bowl but after

joining the team as a free agent in 1994. In six seasons, Culpepper played

a role in years leading up to the Super Bowl team. Culpepper recorded 34

sacks. 

OLB -- First team: Derrick Brooks, Hugh Green. Honorable mention:

Cecil Johnson, Dave Lewis.

There was nothing Brooks could not do from stuffing the run, pressuring

the passer and dropping into coverage. Though Sapp is the first that comes

to mind for those Bucs defenses, Brooks was every bit as dominant. In his

14 seasons on the way to a Hall of Fame career, Brooks was an 11-time Pro

Bowler, nine-time All Pro (five first team) and 2002 NFL Defensive Player

of the Year in a season that ended with the franchise’s lone Super Bowl title.

Brooks intercepted 25 passes, forced 24 fumbles and scored seven

defensive touchdowns. Green spent more of his career as a Miami Dolphin

but made a bigger impact in his four years (1981-1984) as a Buc. Green

was a two-time Pro Bowler. Johnson was a Buc lifer playing for nine

seasons (1977-1985). He intercepted nine career passes. Lewis spent five

years as a Buc, reaching the Pro Bowl in 1980. He intercepted ten passes

in that span. 

ILB -- First team: Hardy Nickerson, Shelton Quarles. Honorable

mention: Lavonte David, Richard Wood.

Nickerson played for four teams over 16 years but his best football came

from 1993-1999 as a Buc. Nickerson tends to get overlooked because he

was not a member of the famed 2002 team but he played alongside legends

like Sapp and Brooks. In his seven years as a Buc, Nickerson was a Pro

Bowler five times and first-team All Pro three times. Quarles was a member

of the 2002 Super Bowl champions that gets overlooked but make no

mistake, he was impactful. In his ten seasons, he was a Pro Bowler once

and holds the franchise record for longest interception return (98 yards).

David recently completed his eighth season and has made just one Pro

Bowl but should have made at least a few more. David is another in a

legendary mix of linebackers in franchise history. 

CB -- First team: Ronde Barber, Mike Washington. Honorable mention:

Donnie Abraham, Ricky Reynolds.

Barber played 16 seasons with the Bucs. He defined consistency and

reliability. From 1999-2012, he played in every game starting all but one.

Barber was a five-time Pro Bowler and five-time All Pro (three first-team).

He is the franchise leader with 47 interceptions. Barber’s signature moment

was his 92-yard game-sealing interception return for a touchdown in the

2002 NFC Championship Game against Philadelphia that sent the Bucs to

the Super Bowl, when they smashed the Raiders a week later. Washington

was an original Buc and started 97 of the 100 games he played.

Washington intercepted 28 passes, putting him fourth in franchise history.

He also scored defensive touchdowns. Abraham played five seasons as a

Buc (1996-2001). Abraham is No. 2 in franchise history with 38

interceptions. He was the NFL co-leader in interceptions in 1999 and a

Pro Bowler in 2000. Reynolds spent seven years (1987-1993) and started

103 of 105 games he played. Reynolds tallied 17 interceptions. 

S -- First team: John Lynch, Dwight Smith. Honorable mention: Dexter

Jackson, Cedric Brown.

Lynch ended up being the first building block to what became some

dominant Bucs defenses. Lynch is one of the hardest hitters and most

ferocious tacklers in NFL history. Lynch spent 11 seasons as a Buc before

spending five more as a Denver Bronco. In a Tampa Bay uniform, Lynch

was a Pro Bowler five times and All Pro four times (two as a first-teamer).

Lynch was also a key member of the 2002 Super Bowl champions. Smith

was a Buc for just four seasons (2001-2004) with one of them being a

Super Bowl winning season in 2002. Smith intercepted Rich Gannon twice

in Super Bowl XXXVII with both going for touchdowns. Like Smith,

Jackson was a Buc for just four seasons (1999-2002). Also like Smith, he

intercepted Gannon twice in that contest on the way to becoming Super

Bowl MVP. Brown was an original Buc that played nine years (1976-1984)

and was a bright spot for a franchise that failed to win a single game for

almost two years. Brown is No. 3 in franchise history with 29 career

interceptions. 

SPECIAL TEAMS

K -- First team: Martin Gramatica. Honorable mention: Matt Bryant.

Gramatica played for six different teams but his biggest impact came as a

Buc from 1999-2003. Gramatica was a member of the 2002 Super Bowl

champions. He was a Pro Bowler and All Pro in 2000. Bryant spent most

of his career with the Atlanta Falcons but his four seasons (2005-2008) as

a Buc were impactful. Bryant made good on 83.1% of his field goal attempts. 

P -- First team: Josh Bidwell. Honorable mention: Michael Koenen.

Bidwell spent five seasons with the Bucs (2004-2009). He averaged 44.0

yards per punt and was both a Pro Bowler and All Pro in 2005. Koenen

spent four seasons as a Buc (2011-2014). He averaged 43.7 yards per punt. 

RETURN -- First team: Karl Williams. Honorable mention: Michael

Spurlock.

Williams was nicknamed “The Truth” just like the famous boxer, who

shared his name. Williams went from undrafted free agent to best returner

in franchise history. Williams was a Buc from 1996-2003, including the

2002 Super Bowl team. Williams returned five punts for a touchdown as

a Buc. Spurlock spent five seasons with the Bucs (2007-2011). Spurlock

became the first player in franchise history to return a kickoff for a

touchdown. 

HEAD COACH -- First team: Tony Dungy. Honorable mention: Jon

Gruden.

Dungy and Gruden were about as polar opposite personalities as you

could get. Dungy was a smooth jazz band, Gruden was a heavy metal band.

Dungy was a defensive mind. Gruden was an offensive mind. Both

coached in the Golden Age of Bucs football. Dungy took over what had

become a perennial loser into a contender. Dungy coached six seasons

and compiled a 54-42 record. The Bucs advanced to the NFC Title Game

in 1999. Four of those six years were playoff campaigns. Dungy installed

a 4-3 defense with a Cover 2. His teams had a punishing defense and

dynamic running game. Though the Bucs won the Super Bowl in 2002

under Gruden, the year after Dungy was fired. Dungy, however, has

ample sweat equity in that title. The Bucs acquired Gruden via trade after

he went 40-28 for the then Oakland Raiders. Gruden’s Bucs subsequently

destroyed the Raiders in the Super Bowl. After that triumph, however, the

Bucs went 45-49 under Gruden and was fired after the 2008 season. 

TEAM -- 2002. Pretty clear cut choice. Gruden took over a ready made

team with a dominant defense but added Pittman at running back and

Keenan McCardell at wide receiver to add some punch to the offense. The

offense made slight improvements during the season, but the strength of

the team was the defense. The 2002 Buccaneers became the first team to

lead the league in total defense, points allowed, and interceptions since

the 1985 Chicago Bears. They also held opposing quarterbacks to an

unbelievable 48.4 passer rating for the season. With 40 interceptions, 31

in the regular season and an additional nine in the playoffs, the

Buccaneers recorded the most picks of any Super Bowl winning team in

history.