Buccaneers Labeled 'Most Vulnerable' Defending Division Champion in 'Wide Open' NFC South

Despite winning the NFC South Division in back-to-back seasons there are many who believe the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are in for a letdown campaign in 2023.

Welcome to your new normal Tampa Bay Buccaneers fans, where the entire world thinks very little of your favorite team and gives little consideration to things they'd give loads of credit for with other franchises. 

And it has most picking the Bucs to not only lose their defending-division champion crown but finish dead last in the NFC South. 

"The Bucs barely won the NFC South at 8-9 last season, just one game better than the rest of the division, and the biggest reason for their success -- Tom Brady -- is now retired," says Judy Battista of NFL.com. "Baker Mayfield and Kyle Trask will compete to replace the G.O.A.T. (good luck), but the Saints have upgraded their QB situation with Derek Carr, the Panthers have the top draft pick in QB Bryce Young, and the Falcons, who were better than expected last season, drafted dynamic weapon Bijan Robinson. This division is wide open."

There's a sort of underdog mentality that comes with being a Bucs fan and while it was nice these past three seasons with quarterback Tom Brady erasing all of that with one swipe of the COVID-restricted pen, we think most would agree that we all saw this day coming. 

The day when Brady would leave and take the adoration of the masses with him. 

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Now, suddenly, receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin are no longer good enough, offensive linemen Tristan Wirfs and Ryan Jensen aren't two of the best in the NFL, defensive lineman Vita Vea isn't a massive disruption, linebackers Lavonte David and Devin White can't take over games, outside linebacker Shaquil Barrett isn't a pass rusher every offensive line fears, cornerback Carlton Davis III wasn't about to become the most coveted defensive free agent on the market just two years ago, and safety Antoine Winfield Jr. isn't perhaps the best young center fielder in the game. 

No, none of that matters anymore. 

If you identified those characteristics for - say - the Los Angeles Rams, it would be the perfect environment for a quarterback like Baker Mayfield to revive his career the national media would say. 

In Tampa, however, he's just one more hole that's going to sink the ship before it sets sail. 

Battista wasn't the only one at the league's media site to pick the Buccaneers as 'most vulnerable' to losing their division. 

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Jeffry Chadiha predictably targeted the quarterback position as well and also pointed out Tampa Bay's 8-9 record last season. 

Eric Edholm also took the "low hanging fruit," picking the Bucs and joined the group in criticizing the team's poor roster as a reason they finished with just eight wins last year while glossing over the fact that the Saints, Panthers, and Falcons all have rosters that won fewer. 

We never thought the day would come when Derek Carr would be hailed as the hero of the entire division, but here we are. 

And the Buccaneers are back at the bottom of the NFC South it would appear, with everyone and anyone taking their turn to get their shots in. 

Welcome back, Tampa Bay.

Find David Harrison on Twitter @DHarrison82

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