Letting Antonio Bryant Walk Could Be “Bad”
July 9th, 2010
Yeah, yeah, yeah. It’s old news. Antonio Bryant is gone. That doesn’t mean it won’t affect the play of the Bucs this season.
Jason Cole, of Yahoo! Sports, is ranking all the wide receiver groups of each NFL team. Naturally, with blocking icon Michael Clayton, second-year man Sammie Stroughter and a pair of rookies as your best receivers, it’s easy to see how Cole can rank the Bucs near the bottom at No. 29.
29. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Mercurial TE Kellen Winslow returns, but getting rid of Bryant in favor of rookie Arrelious Benn might turn out bad for the Bucs.
This is why Joe isn’t expecting much from Josh Freeman this year. First, who aside from Winslow does he have to throw to? That’s not an impressive list. Second, the running backs, as Joe has pointed out, are at best average.
With limited targets to throw to and guys running the ball who are past their prime, how can anyone expect Freeman to shine? Maybe Cole is right? Maybe the Bucs should have kept Bryant around one more year to help Freeman develop?
July 9th, 2010 at 8:22 am
I was pissed we let him walk to, surely we would have been better if he stayed. It was imperative we hit a homerun in the draft or FA to make us forget about him. Early reports of Williams, Benn and Brown are making me do just that. When the pads come on, we’ll know more.
July 9th, 2010 at 8:40 am
Seriously Joe, “Could be?” How about “will be”! It didn’t matter how good the player was, how much teaching value they had, how dedicated to the Bucs they were, or how much the fans cared. Team Glazer made any veteran that was worth a damn walk the plank these last 2 years! Seemingly to allow Raheem the Dream to remold the team into a youthful team. Well, you got your wish “team Glazer”! Lets see how that works out for you!
July 9th, 2010 at 8:53 am
My god, we’re still talking about Bryant? Jeez.
He wasn’t good for the chemistry of the team, that’s why he’s gone. If he was Joe Jurevicius in Antonio Bryant’s body, he’d still be here.
Plus, we just drafted two guys to replace him, including one who is supposed to have very similar talents.
I, for one (on THIS team at THIS time), would rather be developing the future AB than hoping that the old AB can get back to his formerly very good self while overcoming previous injuries.
July 9th, 2010 at 9:34 am
I admit that I was/am an AB guy. I think that he has top 10 wr skill and playmaking ability.
I also am very happy about the Mike Williams draft pick, but don’t expect him to ever be the player that AB is – Ido expect him to be a solid pro if he doesnt destruct mentally.
Benn in my estimation will be a bust. He was a huge disappointment last year and I know that he was rated very low by a lot of nfl teams. Yes, I know he and his apologists blame the qb situation – that is a difficult stance to take with any certainty. Even though he ran a good 40 time and he has decent straight away speed, he looks very slow laterally which is troublesome.
The conclusion: I wish that they would have resigned AB – he is only 29 I believe, and I project that he plays great for at least the next 3 years. Noone can honestly say that this offense is improved by his release and the addition of the draft pick and trade wr’s for 2010.
Like Joe says – this org is not trying to win this year, which is why I am frustrated and why you sheep accuse me of being negative and a hater.
July 9th, 2010 at 9:37 am
I liked AB but it just seemed like he had a bad attitude. Now you Pair him up with 85, and Palmer you talk about ego’s. Benn is going to suparise alot of people it may not be this year but next year and Williams is good too. Bucs fan gotta be patient. Cause Everybody in the NFC shouth is getting years older we are getting younger with younger talent. I really do Belevie that the Bucs will realease Clayton cause I thnk it will be Benn and Williams starting with stroughter in the slot Stovall and Regiie brown backing them up. Think about it when we Clayotn get playing time the Bucs dont run 5 receiver sets. and to be truthfull if they do run 4 recevers set Winslow is going to take one of them spots he cant be off the filed and has not sometimes on are 3 wr sets he lines up in the slot.Surely the Bucs are not going to pay 26 million to someone that is not going to play. Cutting Clayton will be like Maim getting Lebron parties will be everywhere
July 9th, 2010 at 9:43 am
This team is planning for the future (or so they say — it just looks like cost-cutting to me). So, when will the future become the present?
I personally don’t see the Bucs being able to sign many of the 17 UFA’s after this season (even if they wanted to sign them). That means next year will be spent replacing those lost players with draft picks. So, it looks to me we’ve got at least 2 more years of losing before we can even dream about being a contender — assuming there’s no lockout.
In this day and age when teams have been able to turn things around in a single season (Atlanta, Miami, Baltimore) why are so many people satisfied with this sorry excuse for a plan???
July 9th, 2010 at 9:54 am
@ Louie Yo are right teams can turn it around I think if we dont put pressure on Freeman to throw 30 times a game and run the ball which means give ward and graham more carries cause I think are Defense will be alot better then people think. but in reality sitll a really really young QB Rookie WR’s two bad kness TE makes me really think 7 wins are possiable 2011 should be back to the playoff pushe (if there is a season )
July 9th, 2010 at 12:46 pm
It would have been fine to let AB go if we had only gotten Brandon Marshall!!!
(Little shout out to my man Eric!)
July 9th, 2010 at 12:54 pm
Bryant wasn’t helping Freeman’s development – he was hindering it.
If you look at the game tape it’s obvious he was half-assing routes that lead directly to a few interceptions. That was easy to realize before the reports came out about the team claiming that.
You can also notice that Freeman was forcing a lot of passes his way when he came back from injury. Before he came back, Freeman was doing an excellent job of spreading the ball around… You know that he felt pressured to get AB the ball and I’ve obviously never been in the huddle, but it would make sense if AB was in Freeman’s ear about it.
AB is also bad for chemistry and has a negative attitude. This can provide a negative environment for the entire team, especially when it’s from one of your playmakers.
Everybody hates the move. I agree that it was hard to see him go. He was quite arguably our best offensive player…. All of these are true, but the move makes a lot of sense.
July 9th, 2010 at 1:10 pm
Ab is in Cincy good luck. he did not look like the same player he was in 2008 in 09 yeah he had/has knee issues what NFL player doesn’t?
What if we had kept him? and he slipped to Clayton’s level? or worse gets hurt.( I hope not ) These things could happen. What would we be stuck with?
Now at least we are “trying” to gather young WR’s with potential to grow with our QB.
AB, Marshal, Boldin all good receivers. But not on our team.
So we let AB walk, i wont be convinced this was “BAD’ until the last game of the season and we compare the results.
we could be disappointed or we could be pleasantly surprised…. Only time will tell
July 9th, 2010 at 1:11 pm
How long till Training Camp???
July 9th, 2010 at 2:15 pm
OMG .. For those of you who salivate over AB it makes me wanna throw up .. You seriously talk about him like he is Michael Jordan
How many 1,000 yd seasons does an elite WR average in a career ??
5, 6, 7 ???
How many 1,000 yd seasons has AB had ???
2 !!!!!!!
Here are his yardage per season numbers going back from 2009
600; 1248; 733; 1009; 812; 550; 733 to go with 30 TD in 7 seasons which averages at 4.28 TDs per year
That is not elite .. Even Galloway had better numbers his last 3 seasons plus you add in a knee problem that was complex and quitting on routes and pouting all the time .. I had no problem with him speaking out .. But his body language was always Lame-O .. I am just surprised by the love of this guy.
July 9th, 2010 at 2:17 pm
I am only confused by how anyone could be ranked below the bucs.
AB is an issue because it happened this year, and the idiotic decision will severely hinder the team.
However, our wonderboy GM doesnt seem to recognize going into the season counting on a couple of unrpoven rookies to start and contribute is a recipe for disaster.
The only aspect even more horrific than the wideouts is the coaching staff, easily the worst in the league.
July 9th, 2010 at 2:35 pm
Eric — maybe you are on the road to recovery. No mention of MB? Impressed
July 9th, 2010 at 2:36 pm
Oops. BM
July 9th, 2010 at 3:13 pm
jvato,
No, not eilite. But, he was the best WR we have had the last 2 years. Also, I tend to look at who he was catching footballs from too. His first year he was catching throws from 2 QBs Chad Hutchinson and Q Carter, his 2nd he was Q Carter, his 3rd (2 different teams 3 QBs) V Testeverde, Jeff Garcia, and Luke McCown, his 4th year was 2 QBs Trent Dilfer and Charlie Frye, his 5th was with Alex Smith, and the final years you should know was Jeff Garcia and Brian Griese. 9 different QBs in 7 years! Now are his numbers really that bad? He is talented and I think they made a mistake.
July 9th, 2010 at 3:36 pm
Nice analysis oar.
Even though you were being facetious – I agree with Jimbuc and Eric that AB was disposable if you acquired Marshall or Boldin. I am more partial to Boldin but would have been thrilled with either.
Yes – Ab injured will likely be better than the rooks this year. by 2012 Williams may be a stud!
July 9th, 2010 at 3:44 pm
Thomas, Fingers are crossed!
BTW Boldin would have been my choice, also.
July 9th, 2010 at 3:48 pm
BTW It would seem the original signing of Byrant was possibly, because he was familiar with our two QBs at the time.
July 9th, 2010 at 3:55 pm
For the Boldin fan club — problem is there was no way this team would take Boldin or Brandon Marshall this year due to the cost in picks. Everyone leaves that issue out of the equation. Boldin cost a third and fourth round pick. No way a team trying to build a core gives up those picks for, of all things, a 30 year old receiver. That is what got the Bucs into the mess they are in.
So, saying the Bucs should have gotten Boldin is likesaying that they should have gotten Peyton Manning. No way it would ever happen, but intersting discussion, I guess.
July 9th, 2010 at 4:08 pm
JimBuc, Settle down dude. Your right, it is a discussion! You sure are fishing for someone to go-round-n-round with today.
July 9th, 2010 at 4:10 pm
BTW did you just use Boldin to Peyton Manning as a comparison????? Why bother even posting?
July 9th, 2010 at 5:43 pm
Hey oar, is OAR as in the band OAR??? Or is throw me an oar. or could it oar as in war? They had OAR on this morning with Best of Bubba. I love a good acoustic sound and they got it.
July 9th, 2010 at 8:22 pm
oar == the Boldin to Manning comparison was a perfect match for the conversation. 🙂
July 9th, 2010 at 9:42 pm
Yes, this COULD be bad…. could be good, could be horrible, could be great, could be of no consequence whatsoever. The rookies could struggle this year, could be great, could be the same as the WRs last year. Donald Penn could sign his tender, he could also hold out. Raheem Morris could be a horrible coach, or he could be a great coach. The Bucs could make the playoffs this year, they could be bad, very bad. The defense could be better against the run, or could be worse, or….
This is ridiculous. It’s obviously July, slowest month in football news.
July 9th, 2010 at 10:01 pm
We are rebuilding. Why have a 30 year old disgruntled reciever that never really seemed to want to be here? We have three young exciting guys to watch now in Benn, Williams, and Stroughter…and they WANT to be in Tampa. Eff Bryant.
July 11th, 2010 at 12:11 pm
JimBuc, I guess I could give you the benefit of a doubt that you meant that as humor, but there’s no way you could get Peyton for a 3rd and a 4th pick. Unless, your in JimBuc land!