Full Tampa Bay Buccaneers Midseason Awards
With Week 8 in the books, the Bucs are nearing the midway point of the 2015 season, having already eclipsed last year's win total with their third victory on Sunday over the Atlanta Falcons.
Behind a resurgence from running back Doug Martin and gradual improvement from quarterback Jameis Winston, Tampa Bay's offense is starting to click. Most of the team's struggles lie on defense, but there is also promise to be found on that side of the ball as well.
There's still plenty of room for improvement in Tampa Bay, but the Bucs currently sit just a game under .500 with a 2-1 record against division opponents, coming off an emotional win that proved they have passionate young leaders on both sides of the ball ready to usher in a new era.
Here are our picks for the Bucs' 2015 midseason awards.
First-Half MVP: RB Doug Martin
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No player has been more valuable to the Bucs than Doug Martin, who has bounced back from two injury-riddled seasons to give the Bucs a glimpse of his rookie-year self so far this year.
Martin currently ranks fourth in the NFL in rushing with 612 yards, which is already more than he had in each of the past two years. He's averaging 4.6 yards per carry, adding 15 catches for 136 yards through the air for four total touchdowns.
Martin dropped 20 pounds this past offseason and is putting his slimmer frame to good use, showing renewed explosion and quickness to go with great patience and vision. Despite the lost weight, Martin is still churning out plenty of yards after contact, proving he's 100 percent healthy and willing to move the pile.
After posting nearly 2,000 total yards in 2012 on his way to the Pro Bowl, Martin is on pace to rack up over 1,700 this year. His effectiveness on the ground has been a huge help to rookie quarterback Jameis Winston and has helped the defense stay fresh thanks to more sustained drives.
Offensive Rookie of the Year: QB Jameis Winston
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This is an easy choice, as Winston has already established himself as the team's vocal leader, and his on-field performance is improving on a weekly basis.
Despite some early-season struggles with turnovers, Winston has now gone three straight games without turning the ball over, posting the league's fourth-best quarterback rating over that stretch. He's currently on pace to throw for over 3,700 yards and has accounted for 12 touchdowns—two rushing—and eight turnovers.
Winston's numbers are even more impressive considering the injuries the team has dealt with at receiver so far this year, plus the fact that his offensive line is still a work in progress.
Winston is already proving he was worthy of the No. 1 overall pick in this year's draft, and the sky is the limit for the man who is already establishing himself as the new face of the franchise.
Defensive Rookie of the Year: LB Kwon Alexander
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He doesn't have much competition for this award, but that doesn't mean Kwon Alexander isn't putting together a fantastic rookie campaign worthy of recognition.
The fourth-round pick out of LSU has already established himself as a playmaker, and his performance in Week 8 put an exclamation point on his capabilities. Playing with a heavy heart following the death of his younger brother, Alexander racked up 11 tackles and forced two key turnovers, helping the Bucs get a huge road win against a division opponent.
So far this season, Alexander has tallied 49 tackles, two interceptions, seven pass breakups, a sack and a forced fumble.
Alexander's passion and commitment under such difficult circumstances were an inspiration to the team, and further proof that the team made the right decision by making him the starter in the middle during the preseason. He's the perfect fit in that spot in the Tampa 2 and is already making his presence felt in a big way.
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Most Improved Player: RB Doug Martin
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This one also goes to Martin, who missed decent chunks of each of the last two seasons with injury, which led to the team's decision not to pick up his option for the 2016 season.
All Martin has done since then is come to training camp in the best shape of his life and look like a new man in the Tampa Bay backfield, showing plenty of flashes of the rookie who earned a Pro Bowl berth in 2012.
Last week was the first time in four games Martin failed to tally 100 yards on the ground, becoming the first Buccaneer to top the century mark in three straight games since Cadillac Williams in 2005.
Martin has been the engine that drives the Tampa Bay offense so far this year, breaking tackles and turning short gains into first downs and helping the offense end up in manageable situations on second and third downs. If he can stay healthy, he should be in the running for the NFL's Comeback Player of the Year award.
Biggest Underachiever: LB Lavonte David
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Widely regarded as one of the league's best linebackers—and arguably the best 4-3 outside linebacker—Lavonte David was rewarded with a five-year extension in the preseason worth over $50 million.
But David's play so far this year has left much to be desired. Much like last season, he has yet to make many big plays, owning just a sack and a forced fumble with no interceptions. He's struggling with missed tackles more this season than in any other up until now and has been largely overshadowed and outplayed by rookie Kwon Alexander in the middle.
David is still on pace for another 100-tackle season, but it looks like he's pressing too much after signing his big-money deal. If he can stop trying to do too much and just settle into a comfort zone, he should improve over the second half of the season and play up to his lofty potential.
Biggest Overachiever: DE Howard Jones
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Many were surprised the Bucs didn't make any significant moves in the offseason to add a quality edge-rusher to their lackluster pass rush, but they may have found a diamond in the rough who can give them what they need in Howard Jones.
An undrafted free agent in 2014 out of Shepherd University, Jones spent the 2014 season on the Steelers practice squad. The Bucs signed him to their practice squad just before the start of the regular season this year, then promoted him to the active roster just before their Week 5 matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Jones wasted no time making an impact, bagging two sacks in his NFL debut. In his next game following the bye week, Jones came up with another big play, scooping up a fumble and racing 43 yards for a touchdown against Washington. This past week against the Atlanta Falcons, Jones notched the Bucs' only sack of the game, forcing a fumble in the process.
At 6'4", 238 pounds, Jones is considerably undersized for a typical 4-3 defensive end but is extremely explosive off the edge. A combine standout, Jones ran a 4.60 40-yard dash, showing off his impressive athleticism and obviously doing enough to intrigue the Tampa Bay personnel staff.
Jones is already giving the Bucs quality production in a situational role and is just barely scratching the surface when it comes to his athletic potential. If he continues to develop and refine his skills, he could end up being a huge steal.
Secret Weapon Award: RB Charles Sims
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Last spring, the Bucs surprised many by spending their high third-round pick on a running back, despite many other pressing needs and a stacked depth chart in the backfield.
But after a rookie season that was cut in half by an ankle injury, Charles Sims is proving this season why the Bucs were so high on him coming out of West Virginia.
Sims has been the perfect change-of-pace back to complement starter Doug Martin, giving the Bucs a shifty, explosive runner to throw at defenses after getting bruised by the tough-running Martin. A versatile back who is perhaps more dangerous as a receiver out of the backfield, Sims is on pace to eclipse 1,000 total yards this season.
Tampa Bay's decision-makers took plenty of criticism for taking Sims instead of addressing their needs in the trenches with that early draft pick last year, but it looks like the decision is starting to pay off.
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