Although the nine-year veteran posted career lows with 28 tackles and seven assisted tackles, Smith still posted an approximate value of six according to Pro Football Reference. Ham was the most technically proficient linebacker of all time. The Buccaneers' defense had six sacks against the Vikings in Week 14 and Barrett accounted for two of them. In 2000, Lewis willed the Baltimore Ravens to their first Super Bowl win by limiting opponents to a measly 10 points per game. Though he never had more than 87 tackles in a season, he’s one of the all-time sacks leaders with 160 quarterback takedowns. The Buccaneers’ depth isn’t anything special, but Kevin Minter can hold down the fort well enough, and Jack Cichy was a player I liked coming out of college, if he could ever stay healthy. The inside linebackers will get their vote, eventually. In San Diego, Chargers fans delightfully exclaimed that Junior made opponents say “ow” at the point of attack. Next: He made a lot of opponents say ‘Ow.’. Unfortunately, Butkus was never part of a winning regime during his nine seasons with the Chicago Bears. Of all his other scores, only Roberts’ shuttle time of 4.26 seconds falls outside of the “Great” category of 8.0 or higher. With his buzz cut, reliability, and proclivity to inflict pain, Dick Butkus was a true Monster of the Midway. He could have signed for more money with other teams but stayed in Tampa. Lavonte David, Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Please review their qualifications and vote for two linebackers in the poll to the right. However, in our opinion, these 15 players stand out from the rest. Roberts also came away with a “Poor” performance in the 3-cone test, finishing with a time of 7.2 seconds. Among them were three members of the Dome Patrol who helped boost the team from a disastrous 1-15 campaign in 1980. © TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS. Which five have been the best to play the position wearing the Burgundy and Gold? Between 1965 and 1972, Butkus was sent off to the Pro Bowl after each season and was a first-team All-Pro on five separate occasions. Pittsburgh’s Steel Curtain had a pair of Jacks who were defensive aces, the aforementioned Jack Lambert and Jack Ham. David is amongst the most underrated players of this generation at any position. Next: One of the best players in his team’s history. Included are players that played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (NFL) from 1976-2020. All-time Receiving Leader: Mike Evans 510 rec, 7,873 yds, 59 TD At that time, it was somewhat of a surprise that the AFL would win out against the NFL in a bidding war for players. Mike Singletary was the face of the Chicago Bears’ 46 defense run by coordinator Buddy Ryan. He was unblockable in the box and ran downhill to punish running backs in the hole. Through careful study, he was always one step ahead of the competition. The Hall of Fame player racked up 1,297 tackles during his career, but he was a dangerous pass defender, too. The Bucs fought off the Vikings' attempt to replace them as the NFC's sixth seed and now have a two-game edge over the teams just outside the conference playoff picture. Lynch was a five-time Pro Bowler and two-time First-Team All-Pro selection. The Hall of Fame player racked up 1,297 tackles during his career, but he was a dangerous pass defender, too. © Copyright 2020 Endgame360 Inc. All Rights Reserved. Kirkland rounds out an All-Time great group of linebackers that easily has snubs. All-Time Tampa Bay Buccaneers Team home page. Gruber was the best player on some horrible teams. In the clutch, he rose to the occasion to diagnose plays, stuff the run, bat down passes, and get stops. Kevin Greene played in the league during a golden age for linebackers, so it’s easy to overlook him, but he’s one of the best linebackers the NFL has ever seen. Felled by injuries, he retired from the game of football as the greatest middle linebacker of all time — having mastered his position with a controlled rage. 51 jersey and grotesque padding — to blow up ball carriers and strike fear in the hearts of the opposition. In Baltimore, he was the traditional centerpiece for a Ravens franchise that has prided itself on stout defense. 5 and 4 who dominated at the same time). Early-round picks have less commonly been used on linebackers in the '90s and the new millennium, but the Bucs have still made several strong hits, most notably that of Derrick Brooks in 1995. All-Time Tampa Bay Buccaneers Team: Nominated Outside Linebackers. Eight of his seasons with the New York Giants overlapped with Lawrence Taylor, and the duo formed one of the best LB tandems in league history. Seasons: 45 (1976 to 2020) Record (W-L-T): 274-429-1 Playoff Record: 6-9 Super Bowls Won: 1 (1 Appearance) Championships Won *: 1 . 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