The 1988 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season was the franchise's 13th season in the National Football League the 13th playing their home games at Tampa Stadium and the 2nd under head coach Ray Perkins. Perkins had by now rebuilt the Buccaneers as the NFL's youngest team, having replaced so many veterans that leadership became an issue. A strong draft produced several starters, including standout offensive tackle Paul Gruber. The team was largely competitive and showed an ability to outplay opponents in the second half of games, but continued their tendency toward mental errors, and finished with a disappointing 5–11 record. Second-year quarterback Vinny Testaverde was inconsistent: an effective leader at times, as in their late-season upset of the AFC-leading Buffalo Bills, mistake-prone at others. His 35 interceptions are still (as of 2017) a team record. His frequent costly errors caused the coaching staff to lose confidence in him, and at one point to replace him with backup Joe Ferguson. The team finished the season on a strong note with wins in two of their final three games, including respectable performances against two playoff contenders.
Offseason
National Football League Players Association figures showed the Buccaneers to have the lowest average salaries in the NFL, despite having one of the league's highest-paid players in Vinny Testaverde. Team assistant Phil Krueger disputed the accuracy of the figures.Steele, David. "Thrifty Bucs rank last in average player salary". St. Petersburg Times. 24 Feb 1988 The team filed suit against former linebacker Hugh Green, saying that he still owed more than half of the signing bonus that he was required to repay as part of his trade to Miami.‘Buccaneers sue Miami's Green’. Ocala Star-Banner. 23 April 1988
Founding coach John McKay was honored with election to the College Football Hall of Fame.Wire reports. "McKay, Perry picked for Hall of Fame". The Spokane Chronicle. 21 Jan 1988
Personnel moves
The team was especially active in the offseason, with as many as 123 players on the roster over the summer.Luttermoser, John. "Mini-camp? One Buc Place set for maximum occupancy". St. Petersburg Times. 1 June 1988 They had finished the previous season as the league's youngest team, with an average age of 25, and with the release of several veterans were expected to get even younger.Associated Press. ‘Young Bucs are getting younger under Perkins’. The Daytona Beach News-Journal. 10 July 1988 The team declined to make qualifying offers to tackle Marvin Powell and punter Frank Garcia, who became free agents with the expiration of their contracts. Powell spoke highly of the team and fondly of his days in Tampa, a sharp contrast with his acrimonious departure from the New York Jets,Luttermoser, John. ‘Powell says Buccaneers treated him fairly’. St. Petersburg Times. 29 Jan 1988 who were later cleared of charges of unfair labor practices that were filed when the Jets released him a week after he was elected union president."Jets Cleared on Powell". The New York Times. 1 Sep 1988 Several free agents were signed during the offseason, including former Hurricanes and Dolphins linebacker Jay Brophy, and former Buccaneer replacement player Harold Ricks.‘Brophy is one of 10 free agents signed by Buccaneers’. St. Petersburg Times. 19 Feb 1988 Former starting quarterback Steve DeBerg was traded to the Kansas City Chiefs for safety Mark Robinson and a pair of draft choices.Associated Press. ‘Buccaneers ship DeBerg to Chiefs’. Ocala Star-Banner. 1 April 1988 The move was considered to be a calculated risk, because the team gained a draft pick and a player at a problem area, while they lost experience from a young team. The departure of DeBerg, combined with the loss of quarterbacks coach Marc Trestman to the Cleveland Browns, left only Perkins, who also served as the team's head coach, general manager, and offensive coordinator, to coach Testaverde.Zucco, Tom. ‘Bucs’ deal takes away safety net’. St. Petersburg Times. 1 April 1988 Robinson, who had been unable to break into the Chiefs’ starting lineup behind Deron Cherry and Lloyd Burruss, reunited with Chiefs’ secondary coach Doug Graber, now the defensive coordinator at Tampa Bay.Luttermoser, John. ‘Bucs’ new safety knows how an All-Pro performs’. St. Petersburg Times. 1 April 1988
The team's initial qualifying offers to Scot Brantley, George Yarno, and Bobby Kemp were later withdrawn. Injuries had affected Brantley's play over the last several years. Kemp had started all non-strike games the previous season, but was released due to his lack of speed. Yarno requested the release so that he might have a chance to catch on with another team after being told that his chances of making the team were poor.Zier, Patrick. ‘Brantley, Yarno, Kemp released by Buccaneers’. The Lakeland Ledger. 28 May 1988 Several of the previous season's backups were released, including Steve Bartalo, Charles Gladman, Harold Ricks, Conrad Goode, and Mike Stensrud. Ricks and Gladman were replacement players who had been retained by the team when regular play resumed.Kaufman, Michelle. ‘Bucs waive four players’. St. Petersburg Times. 10 May 1988Wire reports. ‘Bucs release fourth-year offensive lineman Goode’. St. Petersburg Times. 17 May 1988 Kicker Van Tiffin and defensive back Rodney Bellinger were signed as free agents.DeStefano, Chris. ‘Muster, Davis to Miss Camp’. The Palm Beach Post. 18 May 1988 They were also rumored to be interested in acquiring receiver Wes Chandler from San Diego.Wire reports. ‘Bucs are looking at Chandler, agent says’. St. Petersburg Times. 27 May 1988 Buffalo Bills linebacker Eugene Marve was acquired for a 1989 draft pick.Associated Press. ‘Comings and Goings’. The New York Times. 15 Jun 1988 Marve was a longtime Bills starter who was made expendable by the drafting of Shane Conlan.Hornack, Ken. ‘Bills’ loss is Bucs’ Marve-lous gain’. The Daytona Beach News-Journal. 3 August 1988 Perkins later referred to the trade as an "absolute steal". The acquisition of Marve allowed the team to release their leading tackler Jeff Davis, whose request for a trade they had been unable to accommodate.Associated Press. "Tampa Bay releases Jeff Davis". The Gainesville Sun. 20 July 1988
Coaching changes The Buccaneers’ 1988 coaching staff was nearly identical to their 1987 staff, with the exception of Perkins taking over the quarterback-coaching duties from the departed Marc Trestman, and the addition of Mike Shula as an offensive assistant. Shula became the NFL's youngest assistant coach, having been a draft pick of the team the previous year. Perkins had close ties to Shula, having coached him in college, and having been coached by his father, Don Shula, as a receiver with the Baltimore Colts.Associated Press. "All in the family". The Daytona Beach Sunday News-Journal. 5 May 1988 Shula assumed some of the responsibility for coaching Vinny Testaverde, although Shula was 17 months younger than Testaverde and was drafted in the same year.George, Dave. ‘As Vinny struggles, are Bucs getting their bucks’ worth?’ The Palm Beach Post. 25 Oct 1988
NFL draft
A pair of draft-day trades gained the Buccaneers two extra fourth-round picks; Perkins reasoning that after the first dozen or so selections, the talent level is fairly similar between the next 100 players.Luttermoser, John. ‘Bucs put No. 1 on the line’. St. Petersburg Times. 25 Apr 1988
PickRoundPlayerPositionSchool41Paul GruberOffensive tackleWisconsin532 (from San Francisco)Lars TateRunning BackGeorgia834 (from Philadelphia)Robert GoffDefensive EndAuburn864 (from Kansas City) John BruhinGuardTennessee1074 (from San Francisco)Monte RobbinsPunterMichigan1135William HowardRunning BackTennessee1636 (from San Francisco)Shawn LeeDefensive TackleNorth Alabama1677Kerry GoodeRunning BackAlabama1988Anthony SimpsonRunning BackEast Carolina2259Reuben DavisDefensive EndNorth Carolina27911Frank PillowWide ReceiverTennessee State31012Victor JonesInside LinebackerVirginia Tech The Buccaneers traded their second-round pick, the 30th overall, to the Philadelphia Eagles for their second- and fourth-round picks, the 39th- and 83rd-overall. The second-round pick at #39 was then traded to the San Francisco 49ers for their second- and fourth- round picks, the 53rd- and 108th-overall. The Buccaneers also had Kansas City's fourth- and eighth-round picks, from the Steve DeBerg trade. The sixth-round pick used to select Shawn Lee came from the 49ers in exchange for Keith Browner.Sheppard, Jack. ‘Bucs cut five-year starter Davis’. St. Petersburg Times. 20 Jul 1988 The Buccaneers’ original fourth-round pick had been traded to New England, for a 1987 fifth-round pick. Their third-round pick was used to select Dan Sileo in a 1987 supplemental draft.
Draft selections
Despite pre-draft talk that they would select South Carolina wide receiver Sterling Sharpe with their fourth-overall pick, the Buccaneers took Wisconsin tackle Paul Gruber. Gruber was considered to be the best offensive lineman in the draft, and Perkins said that he would have drafted Gruber even if the Buccaneers had the first overall selection. Perkins had never drafted an offensive lineman higher than the fourth round, but left tackle had been a problem spot the previous season, and Perkins compared Gruber's abilities to those of John Hannah.Mizell, Hubert. ‘Perkins’ pick shows fans his priorities’. St. Petersburg Times. 25 April 1988 Perkins said that his change of mind about spending high picks on left tackles came about because the way that many teams were now lining up their best athletes at right end or outside linebacker had caused left tackle to become a skill position.George, Thomas. ‘Lots of Surprises After First Pick’. 'The New York Times'. 25 April 1988 The selection of Gruber had a ripple effect on the rest of the draft, as it affected the Jets’ and Giants’ selections shortly thereafter.Litsky, Frank. "Giants Beef Up the Line". The New York Times. 25 April 1988
The only well-known player the Buccaneers drafted was Lars Tate, who had scored 30 touchdowns at Georgia.Luttermoser, John. ‘Culverhouse didn't know No. 1 secret’. St. Petersburg Times. 26 April 1988 Perkins claimed that Tate was the running back that the team had rated highest before their trades were made, and that they were surprised to find him still available in the lower second round. Robert Goff was expected to provide help with the pass rush, and John Bruhin was selected because he was the highest-rated player available. William Howard was considered to be a good short-yardage and goal-line running back.
Of the second day's choices, Kerry Goode was considered particularly intriguing. One of Perkins’ former players at Alabama, he had been one of the Southeastern Conference's top running backs before suffering a knee injury, and after recovering had been unable to get past Bobby Humphrey into the starting lineup. With defensive line considered to be the team's most pressing need, they drafted North Alabama tackle Shawn Lee in the sixth round, and North Carolina tackle Reuben Davis in the ninth.Goodall, Fred. ‘Perkins hopes his former player will be "Goode" choice’. The Daytona Beach News-Journal. 26 April 1988 Lee, a converted linebacker, impressed scouts with unusual speed and agility for a defensive lineman.Goens, Mike. ‘Lee wakes up Bucs’ draft; Chargers get Phillips’. The Florence Times-Daily. 26 April 1988 The team drafted four running backs for the second year in a row. Despite the draft's unusual depth of talent at wide receiver, the Buccaneers’ only selection at that position was 11th-round choice Frank Pillow of Tennessee State University. Several receivers the Buccaneers were interested in were taken by the team picking directly ahead of them, including Brett Perriman and Michael Haynes.