3 Buccaneers players who could surprise in the 2021 season
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers roster is absolutely loaded. Which players on this team could surprise as the team looks to repeat as champions in 2021?
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are (re)loaded heading into the 2021 NFL season. The reigning Super Bowl champions will take on the Dallas Cowboys in the NFL’s season opener on Thursday night, and they are one of the rare teams in league history to be able to return the majority of their 53-man roster including their entire starting lineup from the championship team.
It’s going to be a very fun season for Buccaneers fans, even if they are going to get a healthy test in week one from a healthy Dak Prescott and his plethora of playmakers in that Cowboys offense.
As loaded as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are on both sides of the ball, there are still players that might come out and surprise some people in 2021.
On a roster this deep, many guys are just one injury away from seeing significant playing time but there are also a number of players who are coming back from injury or stepping into bigger roles this season that could have more of an impact than they did last season.
Which players might surprise for the Buccaneers in 2021?
Let’s look at three.
3 surprise players for the Buccaneers in 2021
1. Antonio Brown, wide receiver
Picking Antonio Brown as a “surprise” player may seem like some low-hanging fruit, and maybe it is, but hang with us for some deeper cuts.
Brown may not surprise a lot of Tampa Bay Buccaneers fans, but thanks to the rest of the stars on this roster, he’s been relatively left out of the majority of conversations regarding the Buccaneers that I have been part of.
Everyone talks about Tom Brady. Shortly after that, Rob Gronkowski will come up. Everyone loves Chris Godwin, and Mike Evans is well-established as the alpha at receiver on this Bucs team.
Brown has had his fair share of off-field issues in the last couple of years which ultimately resulted in what many thought would be the former All-Pro receiver being essentially blacklisted by the league.
Tom Brady convinced the Patriots to sign him once upon a time, and he must have done the same as Brown came off of a suspension from the league last season in Tampa Bay. He came into an already loaded offense and played 11 games (including postseason) and caught 53 passes for 564 yards and six touchdowns.
He had a vintage, dare I say “boomin” performance in week 17 against the Falcons in which he caught 11 balls for 138 yards and two touchdowns.
It’s still safe to say that Mike Evans and Chris Godwin will have the biggest target share in Tampa Bay this season, but could Antonio Brown creep up in there and be in the 120-130 target range?
If he is, I think his impact is going to be surprising, and in a good way for the Buccaneers.