It’s a glorius thing to have a quarterback. With one, anything’s possible; you always have a chance. And without, well, you better have a really good defence. I’m talking 2002 Bucs’ defence good…

Jameis Winston isn’t there yet, where he’s mentioned among the league’s best at his position, or even in that “really good” second tier. But the Tampa Bay Buccaneers sophomore showed a lot of promise in his rookie season last year. The runner-up for Offensive Rookie of the Year finished with 4,042 passing yards and 22 touchdowns to 11 interceptions, completing 58 percent of his passes. Compare that to past strong performances from QBs in their rookie seasons (guys who actually worked out at least) and Winston’s 2015 is maybe only dwarfed by Russell Wilson’s 2012 debut (3,118 passing yards, 26 touchdowns to 10 interceptions on 64 percent passing).

Winston’s great rookie season represents hope for Bucs fans, something they haven’t had in their quarterback since Josh Freeman’s brief stint of special play in 2010.

Hope for the fans and hope for the teammates. Yes, it turns out good QB play begets good play elsewhere on a team’s offence, as evidenced by Doug Martin’s resurgence last year. After two injury-plagued seasons as just another running back, Martin returned to Muscle Hamster form last year, finishing second in the league in rushing with 1,402 yards and six scores. The 27-year-old is back, via a five-year, $35.75 million deal signed in the off-season, and should have plenty of gas left in the tank provided he can stay healthy.

The good news on offence spreads to the receiving corps and offensive line as well. Promising third-year receiver Mike Evans and veteran Vincent Jackson lead the receivers. Evans has had some problems with drops but his production so far outweighs his concerns. Evans is a proven 1,000-yard man with the potential for so much more if he can improve on his middling 50 percent catch rate. Jackson meanwhile, was robbed of six games and perhaps his fifth-straight 1,000-yard season by injuries. Getting a bit long in the tooth, the 33-year-old should settle in comfortably to the team’s No. 2/mentor role.

Any production out of tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins, who was a high second-rounder just two years ago but has since been an enigma, would be considered a bonus.

The Bucs’ line is strong, led by sophomore left tackle Donovan Smith, and featuring imposing guards JR Sweezy and Ali Marpet.

There shouldn’t be a large drop-off in production on the defensive side of the ball, if any. While Tampa Bay was one of the easiest teams to score on last year, the fared well in yards against, finishing a respectable 10th last year. To get a clearer picture, we defer to the analytics community, with Football Outsiders ranking the Bucs the 19th best defence in the league last year, finishing 4.5 percent behind a “league average” defence.

Wherever you rank them, they’re getting better. The secondary added former Pro Bowler Brent Grimes and first round draft pick Vernon Hargreaves at cornerback. While both come with worries – for Grimes, his age, and for Hargreaves, his height – they represent an upgrade over last year’s starters.

Tampa made similar upgrades on the defensive line, Robert Ayers as a free agent – after a career year lined up nicely with a contract year – and Noah Spence in the draft – after the one-time Ohio State product fell to the second round due to character concerns. If Spence can be believed when he says his drug issues are a thing of the past, he’ll be a steal for the Bucs; but don’t expect Ayers to ever reach the 9.5 sacks he recorded last year again.

The linebackers meanwhile, were already a team strength with Lavonte David and Kwon Alexander, but added some veteran insurance and leadership in Daryl Smith; a nice signing.

The Bucs roster has the look of a potential playoff contender heading into the season, just a season removed from a league-worst two-win season. The key, of course, is Winston’s continued development. He certainly looked the part of a future star last year and followed that up spending the off-season fighting off his reputation as a little lazy by losing 18 pounds. Winston could soon take his place as the franchise’s best QB ever, surpassing even Super Bowl winners (somehow) Brad Johnson and Trent Dilfer. If Winston maintains his positive momentum, Grimes’ wife Miko may even approve of him.