Bucs Mount Rushmore – All Time Roster

For this weekend’s Pewter Report Roundtable, the crew tackles one other robust query. This week’s immediate: Bucs Mount Rushmore – all time roster.

Final weekend, the Pewter Reporters mentioned the Mount Rushmore of Tampa Bay’s present roster. Having unanimously agreed that Tom Brady, Lavonte David and Mike Evans had been the primary three, we coated our ideas on who the fourth member could be. This weekend, we every attempt our hand at finalizing all 4 members of the franchise’s all-time Mount Rushmore.

Scott Reynolds: Solely The Greatest Of The Greatest Will Do

A couple of years in the past this may have been a simple task. The Bucs franchise has at all times been constructed round nice protection. And the 4 gamers on the legendary Bucs Mount Rushmore would have been Warren Sapp, Derrick Brooks, Lee Roy Selmon and Ronde Barber. That’s three Professional Soccer Corridor of Famers and one who needs to be within the HOF in Barber. However with Tampa Bay’s offense stepping to the forefront with the arrival of Bruce Arians in 2019 and Tom Brady in 2020, choosing solely 4 Bucs is a problem. The Bucs offense has been within the Prime 3 within the NFL since 2019 and averaged 30 factors per recreation over the previous two years. And an enormous cause for the success of the offense has been Mike Evans’ constant excellence. Eight straight years with 1,000 yards receiving to start out his profession is an incredible NFL report.

As a lot as I really like protection, soccer is the final word group sport. So with no less than two elite candidates on the offensive facet of the ball I’ve to incorporate Brady, the best quarterback of all time, on my Bucs Mount Rushmore. Brady’s inclusion is well-deserved. No quarterback has had two wonderful seasons back-to-back like that, throwing for practically 10,000 yards and 83 touchdowns, and going 24-9 as a starter and profitable a Tremendous Bowl. Evans is the Bucs’ biggest offensive participant in group historical past. One other 1,000-yard receiving season will give him 10,000 profession yards and he owns practically all Tampa Bay receiving information. Each Brady and Evans are future Corridor of Famers.

On protection I’ve to incorporate Sapp. In truth, he’s my first choice. He helped lay the inspiration that modified the tradition from the Yuccaneers to the Buccaneers. Sapp helped this franchise develop into respectable and win its first Tremendous Bowl in 2002. He is without doubt one of the most elite defensive tackles to ever play the sport – a one-man-gang, a juggernaut in his prime. Sapp’s angle as a lot as his capacity helped remodel the franchise into one of the crucial feared within the NFL. Whereas Brooks is essentially the most embellished Buccaneer of all time with 11 Professional Bowls, Barber redefined the nickel cornerback place within the NFL. Barber grew to become the primary NFL participant to report no less than 45 interceptions (47) and 25 sacks (28). And his 92-yard pick-six within the 2002 NFC Championship Recreation is the franchise’s signature play.

Matt Matera: A Combine Of Every Tremendous Bowl Profitable Workforce

Ronde Barber might hold getting snubbed by the Professional Soccer Corridor Of Fame, however I’ll be damned if he doesn’t no less than make the Bucs Mount Rushmore! There was some extraordinarily robust selections to make. I needed to mix among the greats from their final run over a decade in the past with a few gamers from at present’s group. My checklist consists of Barber, Tom Brady, Warren Sapp and Mike Evans. Barber makes it for a number of causes. First off, he’s a fan favourite by many. Together with a Tremendous Bowl, Barber holds a number of NFL information, together with most consecutive begins as a defensive again and the one participant within the league with over 45 interceptions and 20 sacks. His Bucs information include most interceptions (47) and most interceptions in a season (10). Barber not solely has 14 touchdowns, however he primarily invented the nickel nook place.

He has the signature play, too, along with his pick-six over the Eagles within the NFC Championship recreation. How is he not within the corridor but? We all know Brady might be there, and he may be essentially the most controversial choose since Brady’s solely getting into his third yr with the Bucs. With that mentioned, it’s high quality over amount right here. There’s solely a handful of gamers that transcend their sport. Michael Jordan in basketball, Tiger Woods in golf and Brady in soccer. Brady modified all the pieces for the Bucs when he signed with them in 2020. He plucked them from obscurity and made them Tremendous Bowl champions. And in two seasons he’s already damaged a number of information. They’re essentially the most single season passing yards (5,316) and touchdowns (43). The Bucs have performed extra primetime video games in two seasons than that they had within the earlier decade. That’s Brady for you.

Sapp was arguably crucial piece of the Bucs’ protection on their Tremendous Bowl profitable group. As a defensive deal with, there wasn’t extra of a dominant pressure you would get. Sapp was a 4 time All-Professional and the 1999 Defensive Participant of the 12 months. Sapp recorded 77 sacks in Tampa Bay. And eventually, there’s Evans. Evans is the best offensive participant in Bucs historical past. Evans has racked up 606 receptions for 9,301 yards, 75 touchdowns in his profession. He was a star from the get-go. Evans holds the franchise report for receiving yards, touchdowns and receptions. He’s been one of the best participant on dropping groups,  profitable groups and numerous quarterbacks. On prime of that he holds the report for many consecutive 1,000-yard seasons to start a profession. He’s at eight and counting. Evans lastly acquired his Tremendous Bowl ring in 2020. There weren’t many gamers extra deserving.

JC Allen: Outdated And New Comprise Bucs Mount Rushmore

That is harder than I believed it could be. As you all know, I’m new to Bucs lore however wanting again into the annals of Tampa Bay historical past, this grew to become very exhausting to slim down. Nonetheless, I lastly got here to a conclusive checklist that contains Bucs of previous and new. Leaving gamers like Mike Alstott, John Lynch, Ronde Barber, Lee Roy Selmon, Paul Gruber and so many extra had been tough selections. However I attempted to go along with gamers that had been recreation changers and arguably one of the best at their place all time. With that mentioned, my Rushmore is comprised of Warren Sapp, Derrick Brooks, Mike Evans, and Tom Brady.

Sapp was one of the crucial dominant defensive tackles to ever play the sport. He’s a Tremendous Bowl champion and love him or hate him he introduced lots of media consideration to Tampa Bay within the late 90’s and early 2000’s. A character on and off the sphere, Sapp was bigger than life. His 77 sacks stays a franchise report. Brooks is the quintessential do all of it linebacker and paved the way in which for guys like Lavonte David and so many others. Together with a Tremendous Bowl victory, the checklist of Brooks accomplishments may fill this complete web page. Brooks had 12 straight years of over 100 tackles and adjusted the way in which the linebacker place was performed.

There’s a lot to say about what Evans has meant to this group off the sphere earlier than you even get into his accomplishments on the sphere. A pillar locally, Evans is a fan favourite for a cause however he’s additionally an amazing teammate. Beginning his profession with eight straight 1,000 yard seasons, the primary in historical past, Evans additionally holds the franchise report for landing receptions. Some may scoff on the inclusion of Brady on the checklist, however there isn’t any denying the impact he has had on this franchise in two quick years. Together with a Tremendous Bowl victory, Brady has fully modified the tradition round Tampa Bay and the way in which the group is perceived across the NFL. He’s the best quarterback of all time and belongs on the Mount Rushmore.

Josh Queipo: Focus On The Tradition Changers

When you’ll be able to solely choose 4 gamers off of a listing that features no less than a dozen deserving nominees you might be certain to have inner battle. So I regarded to attempt to discover a defining attribute that would supply a thread that related every of my choices for the all-time Bucs Mount Rushmore. That attribute was tradition changer. Which gamers taught the following technology how one can win? The Bucs have had three distinct profitable home windows in franchise historical past. The 1979-81 groups. The 1997-2002 squads. And the present iteration of the franchise. So I regarded for the gamers that taught these generations how one can elevate. I got here up with Lee Roy Selmon, Hardy Nickerson, Mike Evans, and Tom Brady.

Selmon was the driving pressure of the early Bucs. His 78.5 sacks rank first in group historical past and he led the group to the 1976 NFC Championship. Selmon may virtually single-handedly will the group to victory. He put the group on the map and adjusted the tradition. There was a time earlier than Warren Sapp, Derrick Brooks, John Lynch, and Ronde Barber had been the Sapp, Brooks, Lynch, and Barber we consider fondly now. The participant broadly credited with educating the core of the Bucs protection was linebacker Hardy Nickerson. He arrived on the scene and racked up 926 tackles, 9 sacks, seven INTs, and 13 pressured fumbles on his solution to 4 All-Professionals and 5 Professional Bowls. Extra importantly, he groomed a technology of Corridor of Fame-caliber gamers in Sapp, Brooks, Lynch and Barber. Nickerson modified the tradition.

The final two I’ll talk about collectively. The addition of Mike Evans to the Tampa Bay offense signaled the start of one thing Tampa Bay by no means had. An offense that was to be feared. He has set the bar for receiver manufacturing so extremely excessive no different participant has but to match his now eight years and counting run of 1,000 yard seasons to start a profession. He taught this offense how one can be nice. However till Tom Brady’s arrival in Tampa Bay in 2020 the group didn’t know how one can win constantly. Since Brady’s arrival the outcomes communicate for themselves. A 24-9 report, a division title, a 5-1 playoff report, and a Tremendous Bowl. Merely put these two gamers every modified the tradition in their very own methods. The Bucs Mount Rushmore of tradition changers.

Bailey Adams: Three Corridor Of Famers And Evans

A method or one other, I’m certain to snub a really deserving Bucs legend. That’s the trick with solely 4 spots, isn’t it? To not point out, I’m 24 years previous and by no means even acquired to see some true Tampa Bay superstars in motion for myself. So, the place to start? Let’s begin at first and go proper for the Bucs’ first star: Lee Roy Selmon. The primary-ever draft choose for Tampa Bay, Selmon was a profession Buc and had six Professional Bowls, three First Workforce All-Professional choices and the 1979 NFL Defensive Participant of the 12 months Award to his title. He was the group’s first Professional Soccer Corridor of Famer, in addition to the primary inductee into the Ring of Honor inside Raymond James Stadium. When speaking Bucs legends, you’ll be able to’t assist however begin with him.

Now, transferring into the group’s first Tremendous Bowl period, the following two picks must be Warren Sapp and Derrick Brooks. Each drafted within the first spherical of the 1995 Draft, they reworked the Tampa Bay protection and franchise as an entire. They led one of the crucial dominant defenses in NFL historical past and introduced the group its first-ever Lombardi Trophy. Sapp was inducted into the Professional Soccer Corridor of Fame in 2013, whereas Brooks adopted in 2014. However the truth that Selmon, Sapp and Brooks are such apparent choices makes figuring out the fourth so tough. For the longest time, Ronde Barber was an apparent selection. He revolutionized the nickel cornerback place and has numerous stats, accolades and moments to again up his spot. Guys like Mike Alstott and John Lynch warrant a point out as properly.

However this choice, after latest years, boils all the way down to Tom Brady or Mike Evans. Brady got here to city in 2020 and helped lead the Bucs to their second Lombardi Trophy. He put the franchise again on the map and continues to take action, even at 44 years previous. However in the end, my fourth choose is Evans. He’s one of the best offensive participant in group historical past. Eight straight seasons of 1,000-plus receiving yards. The entire franchise’s receiving information. 4 Professional Bowls and a Tremendous Bowl ring. And he’ll solely be 29 when the 2022 season begins. That he’s already within the dialogue to be one of many 4 finest Bucs ever says a lot about Evans’ manufacturing and influence. And for my cash, he will get that fourth spot over fairly just a few others who’re very, very deserving.