Where’s Mo?
October 14th, 2010
Unless you’ve got star talent or a massive contract, it’s easy to lose your role on an NFL team when you get hurt.
Essentially, that’s what happened to Maurice Stovall. He went from depth-chart starter early in the preseason to a guy who missed a ton of time with a bad ankle.
Stovall caught more balls from Josh Freeman than any other Bucs wide receiver last year, but now he’s fighting to get a helmet on.
That’s football.
Tom Balog, Sarasota Herald-Tribune beat writer, takes Stovall’s plight a giant step further. In a long feature story, Balog writes the Bucs have all but given up on him.
He’s been healthy for three weeks now, but inactive for Tampa Bay’s last two games and three of the four this season. He had no catches in his only appearance in the road win at Carolina.
You see, the Buccaneers have already moved on without Stovall, who was third-round draft pick in 2006 that has underachieved his entire career. He has 44 career receptions and two touchdowns in 45 games, only 10 starts.
The depth chart at wide receiver, where everybody is getting playing time except Stovall, tells you as much.
Joe really can’t go there yet with Stovall. It’s only four games into the season. Way to early.
But it’s pretty obvious that Stovall is not going to be ahead of Sammie Strougther, “ascending” Arrelious Benn and Mike Williams anytime soon. And Micheal Spurlock is making big plays.
Stovall’s the odd man out — for now. Remember, the Bucs love his work ethic.
October 14th, 2010 at 6:48 pm
We should just cut him and bring up Briscoe.
October 14th, 2010 at 6:53 pm
Stovall has been injured waaay to much during his career to be dependable. Plus Bucs are looking(gulp) stocked at WR! Wow! I’ve never thought that about the Bucs before! And still more talent we haven’t even seen yet in Parker and Briscoe! Looking good for next year
October 14th, 2010 at 7:48 pm
Saw an interesting report that the Bucs are 2nd in the NFL in fewest dropped passes. When did anyone ever think they’d hear that? Wow, what a difference a year makes (and cutting Clayton)….
October 14th, 2010 at 8:42 pm
Welcome to Moe’s…..
Sorry Stovall looks like your cooked – oh thats Stoufers
October 14th, 2010 at 8:57 pm
Its kind of puzzling to me that this guy has been dropped so far down the depth chart. He is the biggest strongest receiver on the team and showed progress last year with abysmal QB play. I kind of feel like the Bucs are giving up on him too soon. He has made some splash plays at receiver in limited snaps. No one has seized that 2nd receiver spot yet and I don’t see why Moe shouldn’t get a shot at it at some point. It seems heaving jump balls way down field is one of Freeman’s biggest strengths and Mo is the perfect size receiver to do that with. Im scared the Bucs will let this guy go at some point and we will see him flourish elsewhere. With his physical attributes and work ethic, what is it that the coaches don’t like about him? Is he a bad route runner or something?
October 14th, 2010 at 9:25 pm
No offense, gitarlvr, but it is talk like this that has been so frustrating to me over the last few years. I have been wanting Stoval gone for 3 seasons now.
The man plays okay on special teams (doesn’t even excel at that anymore), he cannot catch…except 2-3 great plays per season…usually near the end of the season so that people remember him and he ends up being labeled as a “improving” WR…but he does not improve. In fact, he outright sucks.
Let’s make no mistake here…last year all of the WRs on the Bucs did not even combine for an average of 50 yards per game receiving. Not one of them, except maybe Stroughter, who was a rookie, should still be here.
Of them all, Stovall and Clayton were the most deserving of bring cut. Why? Track record.
And as far as his special teams play, in the last two years, we have gotten better ST players than Stoval. Simply put, he is useless…and frankly he should have been cut long ago.
October 14th, 2010 at 9:46 pm
I dunno, it just seems to me with the red zone struggles it would be nice to see this guy in on some red zone plays where he presents another option for Freeman to throw the ball up to. I don’t think Sammy Stroughter is capable of going up and getting the ball over other teams starting corners from the flanker spot. Im just curious what it is Stovall is apparently lacking. Its certainly not the physical ability. What aspect of his game as receiver sucks? Balog’s article makes it seem like the only reason guys have leapfrogged him on the depth chart was injury.
October 14th, 2010 at 10:03 pm
If Benn can’t show that he is ready to be a full time starter at the #2 spot, then I think Stovall is probably the best option. Spurlock has been making a case though. He has done more in four games than Stovall has in four years.
October 14th, 2010 at 11:39 pm
@Pete Dutcher, Stovall has been here since 06 and you wanted him gone for the last 3 seasons? Don’t you think it is a bit unfair?
As far as injury issues of his, Stovall was injured a few times, yes. But more than that he was dwelling in the Gruden’s doghouse because of which he never saw any significant playing time during Gruden era.
Last season was the first time we had a chance to see what the guy really had and I think he did a darn good job as no.2 receiver. I see Stovall as a Michael Jenkins 2.0 of Atlanta Falcons, adequate at his position. I think bucs could be giving up too soon on him as well. What, he misses ONE regular season game because of an injury and he gets totally demoted?
At least until Benn proves he is the real deal, I wont understand any sort of justification behind inactivating Stovall every week.
October 15th, 2010 at 12:38 am
I think we should offer up Stovall to Belichick as a partial trade for Logan Mankins. I also think that having Stovall in the Bullpen in case of injury is also a good thing. Knock on wood.
October 15th, 2010 at 9:36 am
Special teams play will cause a lot of players to be injuried frequently, which sometimes is misstaken for injury prone.