ESPN Top 200 Players: No Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Top 100

ESPN unveiled their Scouts Inc. Top 200 today, and it seems that they were thoroughly unimpressed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Just four Buccaneers make the list, and none of them appear in the top 100. Josh Freeman, Aqib Talib, Kellen Winslow and Davin Joseph are the only four players out of Tampa Bay to make the list. Notably absent: Mike Williams and Donald Penn, the best tackle in the league (or so said Michael Lombardi, anyway). 

148. Josh Freeman

The first Buccaneer on the list is Josh Freeman, who doesn't appear until number 148 - behind such luminaries as Russell Okung, Jason Brown, D.J. Williams and Mike Iupati. He's the 14th quarterback on the list, behind Matt Schaub, Jay Cutler and Tony Romo among others. If you ask me, Josh Freeman certainly deserves to be listed higher than that after his ridiculously efficient year as just a second-year quarterback. 

152. Aqib Talib

Not long after Freeman, Aqib Talib makes his appearance at number 152. This actually seems pretty fair - Talib has the tools to be an elite cornerback and certainly flashes that at times, but he's not there yet. He is the 18th ranked cornerback on this list. The only players I think he should be ranked ahead of in the 16 ranked ahead of him are DeAngelo Hall, Chris Gamble and Vontae Davis. 

163. Kellen Winslow

This seems awfully low for one of the top pass-catching tight ends in the league. Undoubtedly his lack of blocking prowess hurts him, which is why 10 tight ends are ranked ahead of him. The only thing I don't understand: why Owen Daniels, who has not produced in two years, is ranked ahead of Winslow. 

200. Davin Joseph

Yep, number 200. The very last player on this list. He's the 12th guard listed, behind Marshal Yanda, Ben Grubbs, and Vernon Carey among others. This seems about right, really. He could be a little higher, but Joseph has not had particularly great years recently.