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A few rankings have cropped up recently and it's always fun to go over those. So, let's!
Pete Prisco of CBS Sports gave us overrated and underrated players for each NFL team. Here's what he had to say about the Tampa Bay Buccaneers:
Overrated: G Davin Joseph. He can be a mauler at times, but his game was off a bit in 2011. Should be better with the pairing inside with Carl Nicks.
Underrated: DE Michael Bennett. He plays hard and will be a full-time starter in 2011 with the injury to Da'Quan Bowers. He had four sacks in 10 starts last season, so look for that number to go up.
Another ranking: the top offensive linemen in the NFL in 2015 as ranked by ESPN. New Tampa Bay guard Carl Nicks came in at number 12:
12. Carl Nicks, G, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
After signing him to a huge contract this offseason, the Buccaneers obviously agree with me that Nicks will be an elite guard for years to come. While they still appear weak at right tackle, adding Nicks to this line and moving Jeremy Zuttah to center should give Tampa Bay one of the better offensive lines in the league in 2012. Nicks will turn 30 years old in March, so he will be 32 when the 2015 season begins. At that point, some decline may have occurred, but I still expect the Nicks contract to be paying off for the Bucs. Josh Freeman and Doug Martin surely will appreciate Tampa's new left guard.
And finally, Gil Brandt of NFL.com came up with his power rankings. The Bucs rank a disappointing 27th.
This is an interesting team with a new coach in Greg Schiano. College coaches have not had a lot of success in the NFL in the past, but I think this one will. The free-agent signings of wide receiver Vincent Jackson and guard Carl Nicks were huge upgrades. But quarterback Josh Freeman must return to 2010 form for this team to compete in a loaded NFC South.