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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been going through their backlog of Ring of Honor candidates pretty quickly since introducing the feature back in 2009. So far, they've introduced Lee Roy Selmon, John McKay, Jimmie Giles, Paul Gruber, Warren Sapp, Derrick Brooks, Mike Alstott and Doug Williams. That's a hefty list, but there are plenty of players who have yet to enter the Ring.
So, let's talk about a few candidates. Who's next on the list?
Hardy Nickerson
Five Pro Bowls with the Bucs, two years as a coach and a major part of the Bucs' rise to respectability in the mid- to late '90s. He came to the team in 1993, one of the very few free agent signings that actually worked for the Bucs at the time, and instilled some toughness and produced highlight-reel hits every game. He won't be returning to coach the Bucs' linebackers, but he did a good job in that role the past two seasons as well.
John Lynch
Give Pro Bowls with the Bucs and four more with the Denver Broncos, Lynch won a Super Bowl with the Bucs and had a stellar career, playing 11 seasons for Tampa Bay and becoming one of the household names. The only reason not to induct him is if you're still holding out hope he'll enter the Hall of Fame and you want to time it correctly. unlikely.
Ronde Barber
Retired since 2013, but managed four Pro Bowls in a whopping sixteen seasons in Tampa. He was essentially the face of the franchise after Derrick Brooks was cut in 2009, and even moved to safety in his final year. As with Lynch, the main reason not to induct him would be to wait for a potential Hall of Fame induction.
Tony Mayberry
Played center for the Bucs for ten years, making three Pro Bowls. That's a pretty big deal, and his tenure alone should make him a strong contender for the Ring -- even though no one seems to ever talk about him.
James Wilder
Also known as the back the Bucs ran into the ground. He was Tampa Bay's second-round pick in 1981, played for them for nine seasons and set an NFL record for touches during the 1984 seasons with 407 carries for 1,544 yards and 85 catches for 685 yards. That record still stands, and the record he set for carries in a season wouldn't be broken until 1998 when Jamal Anderson hit 410, with Larry Johnson hitting 416 rushing attempts in 2006.
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