Unconfirmed reports reveal this to be a photo of former Buccaneer wide receiver Dexter Jackson watching a punt coming his way durind the 2008 season.

Jeff Faine thinks one of the problems with today’s NFL is players aren’t given enough time to develop before hard decisions are made about their future.

Faine talked about this trend on 1010 AM on Friday evening and used himself as an example. He said he wasn’t much of a player when he entered the NFL as a first round draft pick of the Browns in 2003. 

Then Faine went on to give a specific example of a team giving up on a player perhaps far too soon. He picked former Bucs wide receiver/returner Dexter Jackson, the collosal bust of the 2008 draft.

Faine had a little stress in his voice when he mentioned Jackson, as if not to come off as fingering the Bucs for making a mistake. 

“Maybe an ill-advised pick. Who knows? Maybe he wouldn’t have done anything. I don’t know if he had the opportunity,” Faine said. “There’s a growing tendency in the league to make quick changes. …Stick by the players a little.”

Joe is surely not going to condemn Mark Dominik and Raheem The Dream for cutting Dexter Jackson. Sure seemed like the correct move, and the fact he’s wallowing on the Panthers practice squad right now says a lot.

As for teams not giving players time to develop, Joe’s not buying that. If you’ve got ability, there’s always another team willing to take a look, and a whole big league in Canada that is scouted thoroughly.

Faine also went on to passionately identify what he believes is a winning combination the current Bucs have yet to master, “spending the money to get some players. ….a good mix of developing players and veterans who can make plays.”