Pro Football Focus recently took on the challenge of identifying the top three players on every list in the NFL.
This was undoubtedly a challenging task - as for some teams - the closet is a goal. On the other hand - for teams like Bucs - narrowing down a deep and talented list to just three names is an even more complicated endeavor.
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With 22 different starting positions on the football field, most of which involve completely different responsibilities, how can you determine which players represent the greatest value to a team? And which ones are really the best?
Well, luckily, I’m not the one to try. Ben Linsei from the PFF accepted this challenge directly, and I am here to discuss his election.
According to the article - in the midst of top talents - Tom Brady, Tristan Wirfs and Mike Evans stand above their peers as the best players entering the 2022 NFL season.
Tom Brady sucks. Although he is entering his 23rd season in the NFL, what he lacks in his youth, he more than makes up for with experience and skill. There are good chances that he would be on this list even if the goal of the article was to identify the best 3 players in the sport, let alone the unique team he plays for.
The status of Tristan Virfs as one of the 3 best drunks follows a completely different set of criteria. What he lacks in experience, he makes up for with strength, technique and discipline. Recently identified as one of the three best offensive games in the entire NFL - despite being 8+ years younger than other top players in his position - he absolutely deserves to be on this list.
Tristan Wirfs’ value for the team is directly related to Brady’s. Because without Wirfs, who holds the right side of the offensive line, Brady would have neither the time nor the space to act in his pocket, on which he obviously depends to be successful. Especially when you consider his age and lack of mobility.
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As the only player in NFL history to record eight consecutive 1,000+-yard earnings to start his career, it should come as no surprise to see Mike Evans as the player chosen to round out the 2022 Top-3 Bucs.
The fact that the Buccaneers nearly beat possible Super Bowl champions Los Angeles Reims in last season’s playoff round of the playoffs, despite being without Chris Godwin or Antonio Brown, speaks to Evans’ importance to the offense.
In addition to his undisputed status as the best receiver in the game, Evans is also an important leader and top teammate. Unlike many VR1s in the NFL, he doesn’t need football in his hands to make an impact. He will be happy to run all day and will act more like a lure to open things for other players in the team, if that is what a certain match requires.
He also has 27 touchdowns in the regular season in the last two seasons together, which strengthens his status as one of the most dangerous threats of the red zone in the game. Evans is a favorite in Tampa Bay - as it should be - so it would be hard for you to find Bucs fans who disagree with his inclusion on this list.
With the star list, identifying the top 3 players in the Tampa Bai Buccaneers is an unenviable task. However, the only player whose name I think deserves to be on the list, and he is not, is Lavonte David. The question is whose name would I remove to add his?
My answer? I really do not know. Which is again why I’m grateful I didn’t have the task of making these selections.
It is important to note that Lavonte David, Vita Vea, Shak Mason, Chris Godwin and Antoine Winfield Jr. received honorable mention in the article as players who were also considered.
Whether or not you agree with the players selected for the Top 3 Buc entering 2022, this article serves as a friendly reminder that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are absolutely full of top talent, all over the field.
We hope that for Tampa Bay, all the above-mentioned parts will fit on the field as well as on paper, because if they fit in, the final result could be the completion of another championship puzzle for the Buccaneers.
For more news, analysis and opinions on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, be sure to follow Colin Haalbum on Twitter i YouTube.