Rebuilding.

It’s kind of a nice word on the surface. Like, oh, there was this awesome building that fell into a bit of disrepair, but now they’re rebuilding it, and it will be better than ever! There will be new carpeting, and an atrium in the lobby, and the entire electrical system will run off of solar panels!

Sounds great, right? But that’s only true if the new carpeting isn’t orange shag, the atrium isn’t cavernous and noisy, and the lights work even when the sun isn’t shining.

It seems that the Bucs are entering a rebuilding year—what with the brand-new GM and head coach (who is brand-new to head coaching) and a roster full of young and unproven players. And though for the first time in a long time we have the opportunity to watch the development of a group of Young Bucs, it’s too early to tell whether the team’s figurative solar panels are going to work.

If you read any of the online chatter, and if you’re here you clearly do, then you know that the general consensus is a resounding, NO. (Or at the very least, not this year.)

As a result, reading sports pages this offseason has been downright dreary. You know those popular preseason rankings that all the major sites do? Well, the Bucs haven’t exactly fared well.

I guess in one sense it’s nice to temper expectations a little, because any victories the Bucs do have this year will be a pleasant surprise. But in another sense, well, ouch.

Feeling masochistic? Check out some of what the sports media has to say:

Peter King has the Bucs ranked #26 for the upcoming season.

ESPN predicts the Bucs will come in at #27.

CBS Sports, aka the home of the really smart football analysts, puts the Bucs at a (relatively) respectable #22.

NFL.com and bleacher report both say the Bucs will land at #29. Eek.