Benn, Williams Prove It’s All About Freeman
April 28th, 2010
Joe had heard various employees at One Buc Palace talk about the need to add players to help out franchise quarterback Josh Freeman.
When the Bucs passed on a chance to add a young, elite receiver like Santonio Holmes for a fifth round pick, Joe was chagrin, convinced that talk of helping Freeman was lip service.
But then Bucs general manager Mark Dominik landed stud wide receivers like Arrelious Benn and Mike Williams.
NFL Network’s Steve Wyche, writing for NFL.com, is convinced Josh Freeman has become a markedly better quarterback as a result of last week’s draft, before Freeman has even thrown a ball their way.
As good as Dominik feels about the defensive upgrade, adding big, game-breaking receivers Arrelious Benn and Mike Williams with second- and fourth-round picks, respectively, will make Tampa Bay competitive faster than presumed after last season’s 3-13 train wreck.
The 6-foot-1, 219-pound Benn and Williams, who’s 6-1, 221, provide Freeman two noticeable targets to team with tight end Kellen Winslow. Benn and Williams are strong run-after-the-catch players who could help Freeman’s completion percentage by allowing him to throw shorter routes and letting the receivers do the rest of the work. Benn’s style has been compared to Baltimore receiver Anquan Boldin, a powerful runner who often makes catches in tight traffic because of his physicality. Williams can stretch the field more than Benn, but he is similar in the way he fends off would-be tacklers.
Tampa Bay’s existing and former crop of receivers was more prone to catch the ball and go down. The Buccaneers wanted significantly more help with the maturation of Freeman, who started nine games last season, completing 158 of 290 passes (54.5 percent) for 1,855 yards, 10 touchdowns and 18 interceptions.
Joe isn’t overly impressed with the Bucs’ running game, though he thinks the world of Earnest Graham and Cadillac Williams. Maybe since the Bucs receiving corps last year was so miserable, teams pretty much ignored the passing game and concentrated on the rush.
Perhaps the two new stud rookie receivers can take some pressure off the Bucs’ running attack.
April 28th, 2010 at 10:14 am
The two new WRs and a defense that can get off the field easier should help.
Hopefully they do run it better and the line gets back to form from 2 years ago and even improves on it.
April 28th, 2010 at 10:42 am
Man I cant wait to see what the team thinks of these 2 during the rookie minicamp. When does it start? Thurs? Fri? Lets do this! I wish I could watch video of the practices.
Joe, are these mini-camps open to the public, are you going to watch?
April 28th, 2010 at 10:48 am
Benn ran a 40 time of 4.42 , WIlliams ran a 40 time of 4.49 , so I’m not sure I understand this guy’s analysis that Williams is a deep threat and Benn is not.
April 28th, 2010 at 10:54 am
Our studs could be duds.
Surprising to me that so many think relying on starting rookie wideouts is actually going to work!
April 28th, 2010 at 11:06 am
I’ve never seen someone so against rookies…wasn’t DeSean Jackson a rookie once, and the best receiver on the Philly team. I just don’t get it. What has happened in the past that leads you to believe that nothing but FA’s is the way to go?
April 28th, 2010 at 11:10 am
@nick
When did I say that nothing but FA’s is the way to go?
April 28th, 2010 at 11:20 am
Well you complain about rookies and complain we didn’t sign all the FA’s available. That only leads me to one conclusion
April 28th, 2010 at 11:23 am
Seems like your leaving yourself open. If we win with rookies and the draft class, you say “I told you so” If we lose you say “I told you so”
April 28th, 2010 at 11:43 am
@nick
If we win with the rookies and the draft class I will have been proven completely wrong, and could never say “I told you so”.
Good drafting and FA/trade aquisitions are not mutually exclusive. Im not saying trade off all our picks, that would be foolish.
I just believe they lost some opportunites to fill some major needs to suppplement the draft, thats all. Contrary to the Title of the thread, I think we have left our young QB high and dry, which is disgraceful IMO.
April 28th, 2010 at 11:46 am
Whoa whoa Joe!?!?! I have to admit, I haven’t been to the site as frequent as once before, but when did Josh become the Franchise instead of Bust in Waiting? I’m the first to be happy about the change, but it’s not Joe Like at all what so ever?!?!?! Ya know it’s all love…
April 28th, 2010 at 11:51 am
Joe here,
Whoa, E2, there’s a name from the early days of JoeBucsFan.com. ..Dropped the bust-in-waiting tag on from about this time last year.
April 28th, 2010 at 1:52 pm
Benn will be a beast Willimas I am a little afraid what he will act like when he gets paid. I knwo this is off the subject but was watching NFL Network and I saw a highlight of the saints game at home Bryant did casue a Int Freman was trying to hit Bryant on a crossing route and Bryant did cut off his route this was the first time I senn this on tape
April 28th, 2010 at 3:39 pm
Smells like the 2000 Bengals. They started 2nd year Akili Smith at QB and started two rookies that year Peter Warrick and Ron Dugans from thier 2000 draft. Well let’s just hope it doesn’t turn out as well as that did.