The 1987 season was the second NFL campaign interrupted by a players' strike, but this time the NFL turned to "replacement players" for three weeks and only lost one game off the original 16-game schedule. Ray Perkins replaced Leeman Bennett as the head coach and the roster got a huge infusion of youth with a then-record 20 players picked in the 1987 draft, beginning with first-overall pick Vinny Testaverde, the Heisman Trophy winner at Miami. Steve DeBerg held onto the starting quarterback job for most of the season, however, with Testaverde taking over for the last four games, all losses. After starting the season 4-3, including 2-1 in replacement games, the Bucs lost their last eight to finish 4-11. Among the long-term contributors who arrived in the draft were cornerback Ricky Reynolds, linebacker Winston Moss, tight end Ron Hall and wide receivers Mark Carrier and Bruce Hill. Ron Holmes, the first-round draft pick from 1985 that the franchise hoped would replace Lee Roy Selmon, turned in a career-best 8.0 sacks.
