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Jeff Garcia went to the Pro Bowl in his first season as a Buc and helped lead the team to the playoffs.

EXPERTS' PICKS

The Bucs finished first in the NFC South last season with a 9-7 record. For NFC South coverage, visit Pat Yasinskas' NFC South blog. | Discuss Bucs | MAG Preview

ANALYST	PREDICTION
Jeffri Chadiha ESPN.com	DIVISION FINISH: 3  All you have to know about coach Jon Gruden's tenure is that he never has recorded consecutive winning seasons with the Bucs. That trend will hold true once again.
John Clayton ESPN.com	DIVISION FINISH: 3  The NFC South turns over division winners every year, so history says the Bucs won't repeat. Jeff Garcia was the right fit to take Jon Gruden back to the playoffs, but age at the skill positions will prevent Tampa Bay from being one of the conference's top scoring teams.
Tim Graham ESPN.com	DIVISION FINISH: 2  Brett Favre? You mean he was available? The Bucs can play dumb all they want about their interest in Favre, but they still need a quarterback.
Jeremy Green Scouts Inc.	DIVISION FINISH: 3  I do not think the defending NFC South champs are a playoff-caliber team right now. QB Jeff Garcia is not any younger, and this team still lacks a playmaker opposite WR Joey Galloway and has concerns at RB, where Cadillac Williams will miss the first half of the season.
Paul Kuharsky ESPN.com	DIVISION FINISH: 2  With a lot of key people getting older, the Bucs need players from the next generation -- such as Alex Smith, Gaines Adams and Aqib Talib -- to emerge as forces. A threat to repeat atop division.
Matt Mosley ESPN.com	DIVISION FINISH: 2  It's impossible to predict this division. You'd think the Bucs would build on last season's finish, but they're not as talented as the Saints.
Mike Sando ESPN.com	DIVISION FINISH: 2  The Bucs hope to outrun Father Time one more season. Jeff Garcia, Joey Galloway, Ike Hilliard, Warrick Dunn, Derrick Brooks, Ronde Barber and Kevin Carter are well into their 30s in most cases.
Kevin Seifert ESPN.com	DIVISION FINISH: 2  Jeff Garcia couldn't have been thrilled with the Brett Favre flirtation. This team has wild-card potential but should get overtaken by the Saints.
James Walker ESPN.com	DIVISION FINISH: 2  A poor offseason has dropped the reigning NFC South champs a notch. But this team still has one of the best defenses in the conference, which will keep the Bucs in contention all season.
Seth Wickersham ESPN The Magazine	DIVISION FINISH: 3  With Jeff Garcia, Derrick Brooks, Ronde Barber and Joey Galloway, the Bucs will set an NFL record for "veteran leadership." Good thing Earnest Graham, Alex Smith and Michael Clayton are there to balance it out.
Bill Williamson ESPN.com	DIVISION FINISH: 2  Brett Favre would have made the Buccaneers interesting, but Jon Gruden will just have to muddle on without him. Jeff Garcia is still a fine option. This team made the playoffs last season and will not be an easy out this season.
Matt Williamson Scouts Inc.	DIVISION FINISH: 2  This up-and-coming offensive line should ensure success on the ground. If Jeff Garcia minimizes mistakes, as he did so well a year ago, the offense will get by. On the other side of the ball, Monte Kiffin will have this group flying around the ball. Expect another top-10 defensive performance.
Pat Yasinskas ESPN.com	DIVISION FINISH: 3  This team needs some young stars because Derrick Brooks, Ronde Barber, Jeff Garcia and Joey Galloway are going to slow down at some point. If it happens all at once, the Bucs could have a long season.
	CONSENSUS DIVISION FINISH: 2 | NFL standings

BEST OF THE BUCCANEERS

Best offensive player: Jeff Garcia.The Bucs made an unsuccessful run at Brett Favre, but they already had a Pro Bowl quarterback in Garcia. He's efficient and a perfect fit in Jon Gruden's offense.

Best defensive player: Derrick Brooks. The surefire Hall of Famer is nearing the end of his career, but he is still one of the best tacklers in the league.

Best playmaker: Joey Galloway. Age hasn't caught up to this speedster. Galloway works harder than just about anyone at taking care of his body, and it shows.

Best clutch player: Ronde Barber. A rare threat at cornerback with more than 20 career interceptions and sacks, Barber is one of the league's smartest defensive players

Best unheralded player: Chris Hovan. You don't hear this defensive tackle's name a lot, but that means he's doing his job well. Hovan is a big reason the linebackers are allowed to run free in this defense.

-- Pat Yasinskas, ESPN.com

SCOUTS INC.'S FAB FIVE

Scouts Inc. has evaluated and graded more than 2,400 NFL players heading into the 2008 season, giving Insiders a leg up on the competition with exclusive grades, alerts and scouting reports.
Top five players	ANALYSIS
1. Davin Joseph Guard 6-3 | 313	(Grade 81) He has excellent size for the position and is a top-level athlete who can pull, trap or fire out to make the inline block. Joseph can shuffle and slide in pass protection. He's a young, bright spot on the offensive line.
3. Jeff Faine Center 6-3 | 291	(78) He is tough, athletic and savvy. Faine's a right-handed center who can handle the shotgun snap. He has good initial quickness off the snap and into blocking patterns. He is a stabilizing influence.
3. Tanard Jackson Safety 6-0 | 200	(78) He is a decent-sized safety with excellent cover skills and great ball skills. Jackson shows good ability to read the quarterback's eyes and get a jump on the ball, but still needs a lot of work on route recognition.
4. Barrett Ruud Linebacker 6-2 | 241	(75) He is an above-average athlete for the position with good lateral range and downfield speed. Ruud is quick to locate the level of the ball and pull the trigger on plays. He is a solid starter with good upside.
5. Derrick Brooks Linebacker 6-0 | 235	(74) He might have lost a step, or two, over the years, but he still plays the game faster than most linebackers. He is a downhill linebacker who is very quick to read, react and pull the trigger.
Player grading scale: Elite (90-100), outstanding (80-89), solid starter (75-79), good starter (70-74)

SCOUTS INC.'S ANALYSIS

Best play option Everyone knows WR Joey Galloway is fast and runs deep routes, but somehow he still beats his defender on plays like this. More best plays

Strengths

RB depth: The Bucs are well-stocked in the backfield and shouldn't suffer a drop-off with Cadillac Williams (knee) beginning the season on the PUP list. With Earnest Graham and Warrick Dunn able to share carries and keep one another fresh, Tampa Bay's run game should feature a nice blend of power and quickness. If Williams returns this year as anything resembling his old self, this group could be very effective late in the season.

Efficient QB play: With his accuracy and mobility, Jeff Garcia was able to lead the Bucs back into the playoffs in 2007. His quick adjustment to coach Jon Gruden's complex offense and terminology was impressive. Garcia is extremely well-versed in the West Coast offense, and his varied skills -- savvy defensive reads, accurate throws and escapability against the rush -- are maddening to defensive coordinators. Preparing airtight game plans for Garcia and the Bucs is nearly impossible.

Improved O-line: Tampa Bay has beefed up its front five in recent years, and the team's blocking has become more physical. LG Arron Sears and RG Davin Joseph have the toughness and body type to create movement inside. Free-agent C Jeff Faine, lured from the Saints, is a high-quality addition. LT Luke Petitgout and RT Jeremy Trueblood are adequate starters, and OT Donald Penn is a sound pass-blocker who could become a complete player if he can muscle up in the run game.

Weaknesses

Age at key positions: The ages of Joey Galloway (36), Derrick Brooks (35), Kevin Carter (34), Ronde Barber (33), Ike Hilliard (32), Garcia (38), Dunn (33) and Petitgout (32) raise all kinds of durability and depth red flags. Each of the aforementioned players still is a productive contributor, but how much longer can that last?

Wide receiver: Galloway continues to defy the aging process, but he is playing on borrowed time. Michael Clayton hasn't lived up to the promise of his rookie year. Hilliard is nifty in the slot, but he is in the same rickety boat as Galloway. Antonio Bryant could be a find, but he must prove he can stay out of trouble and buy into his role. Rookie Dexter Jackson is extremely fast but is making the jump from a small college to a complicated NFL scheme.

Tight end concerns: Alex Smith, Ben Troupe and Jerramy Stevens have talent, but each has one issue or another that could arise during the season. Smith has shown a drop-off in production since his rookie year. Troupe is athletic, but he has had durability issues. Stevens seems to be almost constantly involved in off-field problems, and he faces an upcoming suspension.

-- Scouts Inc. watches games, breaks down film and studies football from all angles.