The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have had plenty of great players come through the organization, and four of them earned recognition on CBS Sports' ranking of the 100 greatest players in NFL history.
Warren Sapp, Derrick Brooks, Rob Gronkowski and Tom Brady all made the list, with Brady taking the top spot as CBS Sports' greatest NFL player ever. Sapp was the first Buccaneer to appear, coming in at 79th. The Hall of Fame defensive tackle was one of the driving forces behind the defense that transformed Tampa Bay into a contender. CBS Sports pointed to his ability to impact both the run and passing game, including his 16.5-sack season in 2000. Sapp won Defensive Player of the Year in 1999 and eventually helped the Bucs capture their first Super Bowl following
the 2002 season. His longtime teammate Brooks wasn't far behind, landing at 59th. The linebacker spent his entire 14-year career in Tampa Bay, earning 11 Pro Bowl selections and five first-team All-Pro honors. His 2002 season remains one of the best by a defensive player in franchise history, and he put the finishing touches on Tampa Bay's championship run with a pick-six against the Raiders in Super Bowl XXXVII.
Gronkowski came in at 45th, and while most of his career accomplishments came in New England, his time in Tampa Bay added another important chapter to his résumé. He reunited with Brady in 2020 and caught two touchdowns in the Bucs' Super Bowl 55 victory over Kansas City. CBS Sports praised Gronkowski's combination of receiving ability and blocking while making the case for him as one of the most complete tight ends the league has seen. Then there is Brady in 1st, listed as the greatest player ever. Although Brady spent only three seasons with Tampa Bay, his arrival immediately changed the franchise's direction. He led the Bucs to a Super Bowl championship in his first season and became the oldest starting quarterback to win one at 43. CBS Sports specifically noted that his final championship with Tampa Bay helped cement his place as the greatest player in NFL history, taking an underperforming Buccaneers team to the mountaintop. Sapp and Brooks helped build the identity of the Buccaneers' first championship team, while Brady and Gronkowski played major roles in delivering the second. Having all four represented on an all-time list gives Tampa Bay a presence from two of the franchise's most successful eras.
This article originally appeared on Bucs Wire: Four former Bucs crack CBS Sports’ list of 100 greatest NFL players
