Fun With Tight Ends
June 6th, 2014
Expect Bucs OC Jeff Tedford to use tight ends like Tim Wright in creative ways.
With the possible exception of running back, the Bucs’ deepest position may be tight end. Shoot, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that the best tight end last year, who as a rookie never playing the position before finished in the top half of receiving yards for tight ends, could be the No. 3 tight end this year.
That’s not because the Bucs don’t like Tim Wright — they very much do. It’s just that the team is well stocked. Hearing Bucs offensive coordinator Jeff Tedford talk this week to the Tampa Bay pen and mic club, he spoke of using two-tight end sets.
“It is a personnel group that allows you to do a lot of things, lot of flexibility,” Tedford said. “When you have tight ends who can do those type of things, who can block at the line of scrimmage and get into space and athletic enough to stretch the field, you can put them in a lot of places and create match-ups and things like that. I think right now, our tight ends are doing a fantastic job of provided some of those things. A tight end is weapon in both the pass game and the run game.”
Just reading that gets Joe excited. Sending Austin Seferian-Jenkins and Wright deep. Send ASJ long while throwing to Charles Sims in the flat with Brandon Myers throwing crushing blocks.
Again, no one has seen the full Jeff Tedford offense short of the players and coaches. But adding up all the nuggets we are getting drip by drip, it seems like this offense can be, in a word, unpredictable.
Or maybe, a better word is “fun?”
June 6th, 2014 at 1:26 pm
I hope they are methodical and thrifty. and can score at will!! …and also
FUN!!!!
June 6th, 2014 at 1:45 pm
Nice, can’t wait to see this offense!
June 6th, 2014 at 2:00 pm
This offense is going to look ALOT like the Patriots offense of 2012. Hurry up offense with 2 TE sets with Gronk and Hernandez, and a deep, versatile backfield with Ridley as the main rb and Vereen as the pass catcher. We have some of those same exact pieces outside of Brady at qb obviously. Either way that O was #1 in the league that year. Not a bad mold to follow
June 6th, 2014 at 2:14 pm
Wright and ASJ and Myers Is 3 TE set. Hell, why not?
June 6th, 2014 at 2:14 pm
I think a lot of people are [Guessing you meant “counting?” Imagine what can happen by leaving out one vowel. — Joe] 2 much on ASJ.
He looks AWESOME, but have heard of injury and some personal issues. hopefully the production will make it worth the risk.
in the mean time I am not getting my hopes up until I see it on the field. I have seen it from Wright…just hope they let him settle back into last years groove and make ASJ earn his….
June 6th, 2014 at 2:15 pm
counting
June 6th, 2014 at 2:29 pm
Move over New England. We will now be the Masters of the Two TE sets.
June 6th, 2014 at 2:49 pm
This is exactly what New England does. You can’t really defend it with a 4-3 defense. Creates mismatches all over the place. Running and passing out of the same formation. New concept all together for the Bucs. One word of caution, won’t work well if you can’t block. Huge holes on the o-line. Jason and Lovie didn’t “fix” anything there.
June 6th, 2014 at 2:51 pm
I’d rather go into this season not knowing what we have in the O line than knowing the POS O line they trotted out last year. and that was a run heavy O line design, they would not even have worked with this Offense.
So, I may be the only one fairly happy with the O line
June 6th, 2014 at 3:06 pm
lol, guessing the word was part of the female anatomy. Anywho, I usually dont agree much with robert8, but I’m also a little concerned with ASJ’s injury issues. It was a risky pick, hopefully it pays off.
June 6th, 2014 at 3:09 pm
There were holes all over the place. You can’t patch every single one via the start of FA and the draft. Looks like they chose to focus first on skill positions. Last I checked, it’s the start of June. Still plenty of time for picking up offensive linemen who get cut once all the high round rookies sign.
Rome wasn’t built in a day. Especially after the Dominik pox.
June 6th, 2014 at 3:10 pm
Tim Wright is going to be the opening starter Asj and Myers will get theirs also but time Wright is a huge weapon for us and well move him all around the field like h back slot and te. I like Asj but I don’t think it’s his time yet and rookies are hard to depend on.
June 6th, 2014 at 3:32 pm
How does one not get excited over the potential of this group of skilled players? My gosh, I don’t remember the Bucs ever having so much talent at the skill positions. Now, the 1st big question is, can the Oline block? And the second one is can the OC have a scheme that will work on the NFL level?
If the Bucs get a yes to both of these questions, they can go far this year. Very exciting.
June 6th, 2014 at 4:45 pm
I’d feel better with a vet like Ike Nwaneri added to guard. A backup guard who has played a little center wouldn’t be a bad thing, either.
June 6th, 2014 at 5:18 pm
I LOVE fun with tight ends!!
June 6th, 2014 at 5:27 pm
I would have entire schemes in each formation designed with Wright as the hot route, after his performance last season.
He should be the #1 TE except short yardage situations.
June 6th, 2014 at 5:41 pm
Nwaneri would make a nice addition. Still think the Niners are pricing him too high.
Very few OG’ are out there right now.
June 6th, 2014 at 5:47 pm
Anyone think we are going to keep 4 TE’s and maybe use Stocker in a jumbo package?
Having Wright means we don’t need a 6th WR.
June 6th, 2014 at 6:02 pm
Biff,
Help me out here. Are you talking about Uche Nawaneri, formerly of the Jags. Nawaneri is a FA and can be had for a dime! There are 2 OGs with the 49ers that could be traded and that’s Mike Iupati or Alex Boone, but the 49ers have not said who they would trade or what they’re looking for. Or am I just not understanding your post?
June 6th, 2014 at 9:19 pm
Of course, all this passing is predicated on the offensive line giving the QB enough time to let the routes develop. Lets hope the seconds will be there.
June 6th, 2014 at 11:47 pm
What did we have for guards when Martin ran all over people? Meredith played RG then too. I know at one point our Center Zutah played LG. Well we have Meredith now in better condition after a lot of weight work and more starting experience. At RG the Bucs are likely to have the Guard we took off the 49er Practice Squad who almost made their team and lost out on the last cut. We have the starters we need. We don’t have Veteran Backups, but we still have time to get some. Cousins is an exception, but has not distinguished himself when he has played, but that may just be lack of good coaching. Licht would not have signed him if he did not have good measureables and the potential to succeed with good coaching which we have, And we also have Chase Daniel who was under development for a year and looked good last Preseason and he has been trained as our backup Center but can play Guard too. RELAX!!!
June 8th, 2014 at 12:51 pm
Last season was like a dark doldrum for this fan. Some players were flashes of light in the storm. Tim Wright was one of those players IMO.
June 9th, 2014 at 12:20 am
The talent we have at TE, will just multiple the mismatches we have at WR!
We can send 4 guys that are fast, and 6’5″.
Now send Sims out of the backfield.
Our Herron out at the Slot.
Give Martin or James the football.
That will keep up Defensive co-ordinators around the league.
Throw in a good Defense- and we are building something fun to watch, and hard to beat.