clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Falcons 2017 schedule: Atlanta finally draws the Buccaneers in Week 12

The Bucs are dangerous, and could be Atlanta’s primary competition in the division.

NFL: Atlanta Falcons at Tampa Bay Buccaneers Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

The Buccaneers might be the biggest threat to the Falcons in the NFC South this year. Their offense has all the pieces they’ll need to be one of the NFL’s 10-15 best units, and the defense has flaws but also brings considerable upside to the table. If everything goes right, they’ll have a winning record and will give some of the NFC’s finest fits, at minimum.

Of course, this is the same Tampa Bay team that has fallen short of expectations countless times in the past, so I won’t hold it against you if you need to see it to believe it. Still, this is not a team to be taken lightly, and I truly believe they’ll be Atlanta’s greatest threat over the next 3-5 seasons if they just manage their roster effectively. This first game between the two teams may have genuine playoff implications.

To give us a closer look at what the team did this offseason, we turned to Bucs Nation. Here’s their report.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Notable free agent additions: WR DeSean Jackson, DT Chris Baker, S J.J. Wilcox, QB Ryan Fitzpatrick

Notable free agent departures: S Bradley McDougald, QB Mike Glennon, WR Vincent Jackson, WR Russell Shepard

Trades: --

Draft picks expected to contribute as rookies: TE O.J. Howard, S Justin Evans, WR Chris Godwin, RB Jeremy McNichols

Biggest offseason addition: WR DeSean Jackson

Biggest storyline heading into training camp: Will Roberto Aguayo get unseated by Nick Folk? Yes, kickers are the biggest storyline. Also Hard Knocks.

Under-the-radar storyline heading into training camp: Safety: Justin Evans, J.J. Wilcox, Chris Conte and Keith Tandy could all earn a starting job, so which two will come out on top?

Notable injuries heading into training camp: No severe ones. A few that should be healthy by training camp: Noah Spence, Jacquies Smith, J.J. Wilcox, Justin Evans most notably.