1982 Tampa Bay Buccaneers Season - Preseason

Preseason

The preseason opened with the uncertainty of whether an NFL regular season would be held, as the players union and the team owners were having trouble renegotiating the expired union contract. The union was threatening a strike, while the owners were threatening a lockout. The union began to negotiate with cable television networks, investigating the possibility of holding their own games should a lockout occur. Players demanded a 55% share of gross team profits. They felt that they were not getting a fair share of NFL income, based on the facts that NFL salaries were lower than in other sports, while the NFL had the highest TV revenue of all sports. Team officials reported no slowdown of ticket sales, despite the likelihood of a strike and the lack of a league refund policy.

The on-field preseason action began with Randy Crowder, in his first workout since a 1980 knee injury, suffering a tear of his Achilles tendon that required surgery and meant that he would miss the season for the fourth time in his nine years in the NFL. The loss of Crowder was a blow to the team's plans of using more four-man fronts for added pass rush. Mike Washington, on the other hand, was able to make a successful recovery from offseason surgery that left him with only a 50% chance of ever playing again. Mark Cotney returned, having recovered from the knee injury that caused him to miss the 1981 season. Jerry Eckwood was diagnosed with a damaged spinal disc that required season-ending surgery. Former Green Bay Packers 1000-yard rusher Terdell Middleton was signed shortly afterward.

The emergence of the United States Football League prompted the NFL to expand each roster by four players to 49. Playing rosters remained at 45, with four players each week to be placed on an inactive taxi squad. The competition marked a change in the team's philosophy, in that they no longer regarded themselves as an expansion team, and were now willing to consider veteran players who could immediately help the team, rather than choosing strictly on perceived potential. Bill Kollar's slow recovery from his knee injury of the previous season opened up competition at left defensive end, with Dave Stalls performing well, and Booker Reese slow to learn Tampa Bay's system. A similar level of competition existed at linebacker, with Scot Brantley playing well enough to replace Richard Wood in the lineup, and rookie Jeff Davis in contention for a starting spot. Andy Hawkins survived a challenge from Dana Nafziger when, temporarily inserted into the lineup due to Hawkins' ankle injury, Nafziger wound up leading the team in sacks. The preseason ended with a 34-0 domination of the Atlanta Falcons that left observers with high expectations for the regular season, although coach McKay expressed concern over what he termed a "lackluster" practice on the Monday of final roster cuts, warning that others could be cut to make room for a signee from the waiver wire. There were 14 new players on the final roster, including 9 of the team's 11 draft picks, with the major portion of the turnover occurring at running back and on the defensive line. This development contradicted McKay's statements following the previous season's postseason loss to Dallas, in which McKay expressed confidence in his existing lineup.