Three players (non-QB) the Buccaneers can't win without
Look, everyone knows the Tampa Bay Buccaneers aren't the same team without Tom Brady. And there's nothing wrong with that. People can literally say that about any team with Brady. But even with Brady on the roster, there are a few players the Buccaneers can't win without. Below are the top-3 players -other than Brady- […]
Look, everyone knows the Tampa Bay Buccaneers aren't the same team without Tom Brady. And there's nothing wrong with that. People can literally say that about any team with Brady.
But even with Brady on the roster, there are a few players the Buccaneers can't win without.
Below are the top-3 players -other than Brady- that the Buccaneers have to have on the field in order to consistently win on Sundays:
3. WR Mike Evans
Evans is one of the league's best receivers, yet he doesn't fully receive the credit he deserves.
He's already the only receiver to ever record 1,000+ receiving yards over the course of his first eight seasons in the league, surpassing Randy Moss' old record of six straight seasons back in 2020. He also owns every major Buccaneers receiving record there is.
All-around, Evans is an integral piece to the Buccaneers offense. Per Sports Info Solutions, the offense, as a whole, averaged 0.11 EPA/play when Evans was on the field and -0.2 EPA/play when he wasn't on the field in 2021. The difference of 0.13 EPA/play led all the Buccaneers' starting offensive skill players last year and Evans was just one of three skill players that recorded positive differences in all three categories of overall offense, the passing game, and on the ground.
Evans' blend of size, speed, toughness, dedication, heart, and unselfishness have not only made him a player the Buccaneers can't win without, but one of the best in the NFL at his position.
2. DT Vita Vea
If you've watched Buccaneer football over the last 3-4 years, then you know exactly how important Vea is to the defense.
Vea not only makes his own plays, but his presence and his rarely-matched strength, size, and athleticism make him one of the toughest interior defenders to corral.
Vea is a huge reason why the Buccaneers have had one of the NFL's most dominant run defenses over the last three seasons. He's also key to the Buccaneers pass rush. Not only does he make his own individual plays, but his presence opens up a lot of extra opportunities for his teammates to make plays.
Vea is effective enough to the point where the Buccaneers blitz at a rate of 42% when Vea's on the field and 34% when he's not on the field, per SIS. He is major help when it comes to allowing Todd Bowles to run those exotic blitz schemes he's so well-known for.
Without the former Huskie, the defense just isn't the same unit, which embodies how important he is to this defense. If one player can cause a dramatic shift in philosophy like Vea, it easily puts him on this list.
1. RT Tristan Wirfs
The only first-team All-Pro on the Buccaneers and one of the best tackles, in general, to play in the league over the last couple of seasons. If anyone doubts Wirfs' place on this list, they should go back and watch last year's Divisional Round playoff loss to the Rams.
Per Pro Football Focus, the Buccaneers offensive line allowed 2.0 sacks and 25 total pressures in the game. One of the aforementioned sacks and 21 of said pressures came out of a true pass set. To put things into context: The Bucs offensive line allowed an average of eight pressures per game over the course of the regular season and allowed 20 in one game just once game.
Backup right tackle Josh Wells allowed six pressures that included one QB hit out of a true pass set in that game. Wirfs allowed just 10 through 18 games during the regular season.
And Wirfs allowed just one QB hit all year.
When Wirfs is in the game, there's essentially a concrete wall that makes defenders look like eggs being shot out of a cannon at said wall. He makes the NFL's best pass rushers look silly on a consistent basis and he's solid in the run game. There's plenty of room to argue that he's already a top-10 draft pick in Buccaneers history.
And the scary part (for the rest of the NFL) is he should continue to get better as the years pass.
Featured image via Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
