Cheap Shot At ASJ
September 2nd, 2014
One of the many impressive new Buccaneers is rookie tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins. Yes, Joe is impressed with he can do on a football field, but more so, Joe is overly impressed by ASJ the person.
Joe will never forget when after a practice in training camp, Joe remarked that ASJ sure seemed like he had a good practice, ASJ looked Joe straight in the eye as if Joe spit on him and said, bluntly, “I didn’t come here just to be good.”
Whoa. Love that drive.
No, Joe doesn’t pretend to know ASJ. He comes across as really intelligent, really good in the locker room, and totally driven.
So yesterday, it seemed odd that pedestrian-bumping, olive oil-lapping, popcorn-munching, coffee-slurping, fried-chicken-eating, oatmeal-loving, circle-jerking, beer-chugging, cricket-watching, scone-loathing, college football-naïve, baseball box score-reading, NPR-listening, filthy-hotel-staying, fight-instigating, barista-training Peter King, of Sports Illustrated and NBC Sports fame, seemed to have a slap at ASJ when discussing the Logan Mankins trade, suggesting the key to the trade is not what Mankins will do for the Bucs, or what former Bucs tight end Tim Wright, swapped in the trade, will do, but what the Bucs rookie tight end ASJ will do.
If Austin Seferian-Jenkins matures into a great player and keeps his head on straight, Tampa Bay should have a tight end of the future. Otherwise, they could regret giving up on a bright prospect like Wright.
Again, Joe isn’t suggesting or trying to pull the wool over someone’s eyes claiming he knows ASJ. He doesn’t. But just from dealing with him at One Buc Palace, what King suggests is not the case whatsoever.
Granted, it is very early in ASJ’s career. Thus far, Joe has been wowed with his play and his ability to be a dangerous mismatch on linebackers and cornerbacks. Joe just doesn’t see what King believes ASJ to possibly be.
September 2nd, 2014 at 6:02 am
I don’t know why so many people want to say Wright was a great TE for us. He’s really a receiver, and didn’t block well as a TE. While he did catch 50+ passes for us, don’t forget most of our games last year we were trailing early and often which forces us to throw more. So of course Tim was going to be productive. I thought he was a good player for us, but easily replaceable.
September 2nd, 2014 at 6:02 am
What a D!*k.
September 2nd, 2014 at 6:23 am
LOL as usual, nothing to see here.
WOW, King really took a cheap shot there, saying that a rookie needed to mature and keep his head on straight.
I mean, it’s not like he ever got a DUI in college and was suspended from the team or anyth…..oh wait…..
September 2nd, 2014 at 6:26 am
It’s funny because I thought the story would be around the Pats letting go the soul of their OL. ASJ and Logan aren’t linked.. If any pick should be looked at it’s the 3rd round pick where I still think it was a luxury to select a RB instead of OL
September 2nd, 2014 at 6:36 am
He had that DUI a few years ago. That’s probably why he’s perceived to be a “risk”. But I’ve known people to make dumb decisions in college and none of them are delinquents. I thought ASJ was well spoken in his interviews and I hear nothing but things that describe him as very intelligent.
King needs to do better research.
September 2nd, 2014 at 7:04 am
@ SausageKingOfChicago
I don’t know how many Bucs games you watched, but the majority of our losses we had leads in. I think it was about 5 or 6 games we had leads until late in the 4th quarters, where bad coaching and play cost us games. And we weren’t forced into passing. Our OC choose to pass (it felt like) every 1st down we converted. Thus getting us behind the chains 2 & 10 all the time.
September 2nd, 2014 at 7:05 am
I don’t see anything wrong with King’s statement….don’t think it is a cheap shot…but think it is right on point. ASJ is young and already pretty mature but will mature and develop more. He has yet to prove himself.
September 2nd, 2014 at 7:12 am
Wright exceeded expectations, ASJ has to live up to them. It’s all a matter of perspective.
September 2nd, 2014 at 7:20 am
Wright should develop into a solid player for the Pats. They pass to run. We run to pass. A non blocking TE will work better in their scheme. He’s a liability in ours. K2 Anybody? Anybody notice Jimmy Grahm getting used & abused in the playoffs? ASJ has potential. That can be a dirty word in Tampa. Luckily the season starts in under a week. We shall all get to see soon, who ASJ is. “Bunch of Nonsense” Peter King will too.
September 2nd, 2014 at 7:30 am
Idiotic statements about players they know nothing about is how big name make their money. Should have known one of these clowns was gonna make this comment all because we traded a tight end for a lineman so of course he’s the next target. Local news gives the scoop national media always says something idiotic even herm Edwards picking us and steelers for super bowl with nothing to back it up
September 2nd, 2014 at 7:34 am
“If any pick should be looked at it’s the 3rd round pick”
It was off the wall, and a what were they thinking moment. Kinda sticks out like a sore thumb with Sims injured now also.
Water under the bridge, and a wait til next year scenario now.
There is some smoke there.
September 2nd, 2014 at 7:54 am
When did we get so sensitive. I read it twice am I missing something?
The kid is 21, all 21 year Olds need to mature.
September 2nd, 2014 at 8:03 am
He’s got a point… ASJ is a rookie still. If we can help with his development then that’s great. I’m not so quick to pull the trigger on Tim Wright though.
I think both have promise. I also think that ASJ needs to prove he’s responsible. I don’t know the situation of his dui, but I hope he’s learned.
September 2nd, 2014 at 8:05 am
maybe referencing the Dui in college
September 2nd, 2014 at 8:08 am
He got in trouble in College …makes sense to me.
September 2nd, 2014 at 8:24 am
Remember, in King’s eyes Bill can do no wrong, so if he traded for Tim Wright, well, Wright must be the next great TE headed to the HOF. King’s an ass always was, always will be, he’s also a bigot, he tries to hide it, but it creeps into his writing every so often, just read through his archives and you’ll see the subtle race jabs….
September 2nd, 2014 at 8:25 am
I think your’re reading to much into a statement that could be said to any rookie. This site is known to overreact and this is another example. Did you also see King’s publication predicts the Bucs going 11-5? Can’t have to many things going bad if this is how they feel about our future.
September 2nd, 2014 at 8:51 am
The third round pick of Sims expresses this staff’s view of the passing game. You always want great talent, and you want your best talent in the most critical positions. Let’s see how this applies to the Sims pick.
Most important passing position (quarterback): check. (McCown may not be a great talent, but he was viewed as the best available). Next spot (wide receiver): check. Jackson and Evans are fine, though depth is an issue. Tight end: check. This coaching staff may never have felt comfortable with Wright, and ASJ certainly fits the bill in terms of talent and potential.
At Round Three, there was a disconnect between position and talent. Guard was and is a need, and would have justified a need pick. But isn’t a pass catching back who can perform in the slot a rare talent? And which combo is better: an above-average guard with a pedestrian back ? Or an average guard with a talented pass-catching specialist out of the backfield.
The Bucs may have chosen unwisely because the guard need was so great. Or because Sims is not special. But the pick sure does make sense –and tells a lot about how Tedford and Lovie look at their passing game personnel.
September 2nd, 2014 at 8:59 am
If you look hard enough you can probably find some dirt under every rug, even the great “king’s”
Slingin dirt around is hardly great sports reporting
September 2nd, 2014 at 8:59 am
TAC, Sims was not a wasted pick, he’ll contribute at some point.
From the very little I saw the guy can explode after the catch. Frankly, I thought the pick did give us another dimension to the offense. A resurgent Martin and a healthy Sims could be a handful for a defense dealing with three 6′ 5″ targets.
September 2nd, 2014 at 9:37 am
I liked Tim Wright and thought he did some really good things last year but he also dropped quite a few passes too. I remember when we were playing NE last year, Freeman’s last game incidentally, where Wright had a perfect pass laid in his hands over the shoulder and in the endzone and he flat out dropped it. Then everyone, including me, said…. “Tim Who? Who the hell is this guy that Schiano is trotting out there to drop TD passes?”
I like ASJ and am fine with Mankins for Wright considering the new regime loused up the oline situation so bad in the offseason.
September 2nd, 2014 at 10:37 am
I don’t see the cheap shot. Looks more like a statement of truth. If Jenkins does not work out, we WILL regret losing Wright.
What if Jenkins gets injured in game one? What if he hits a rookie wall or slump?
I personally think Jenkins will be among the best in the league, but that doesn’t change the thought that if he somehow isn’t, the Bucs will not have regrets.
September 2nd, 2014 at 10:38 am
Oh, and I really liked Wright as well. He wasn’t there yet, but he had the potential.
The truth is, Jenkins has more potential.
September 2nd, 2014 at 10:42 am
I more regret the Sims pick. It makes zero sense to me. All of our RBs can catch already. Depth? He was the first one injured.
It would have made more sense to go with OL, QB or DL (for depth) with the pick.
Unless Sims turns out to be a starter in a few years, I will always think he is a wasted pick. We had depth at the position.
If you were not drafting for starters, then you should draft for 2nd string backups. Not 4th string backups…which is what Sims is.
No sense at all.
September 2nd, 2014 at 1:03 pm
I believe that once Sims gets on the field, all the moaning and complaining about not drafting a guard will disappear, except for those too inflexible to change their opinions. I think it’s very clear that L&L did not like any guards as well as they liked Sims. In fact they may not have liked the value at guard in round 3 at all. I’ll take their evaluations over the need-obsessed whiner crowd every day.
September 2nd, 2014 at 1:36 pm
@ Kurius Boy. I watched every Bucs game last season just as I have for the last 30+ years. No, we did not lose leads at the end of the game that many times; your memory has failed you. Yes, we had leads in the first two games against the Jets and the Saints, but guess how many catches Tim Wright had combined in both of those games? ZERO. In the last three games of the year (all losses in which we were behind most of the time), wright had 16 of his 54 catches. His stats were inflated due to this.
September 2nd, 2014 at 2:57 pm
I think a look at what is going on here is appropriate. King certainly has a relationship with Lovie after all these years but does it compare to King’s relationship with Bill Belicheat?
I don’t honestly know but I suspect like many in the media King is perhaps afraid of offending Belicheat and is just another fawning sycophant when it comes to the Patriot’s coach.
Hey he’s good, he DID win those Super Bowls…WITH Tom Brady. What else has he won? Not to denigrate a highly successful and obviously talented coach but simply to bring some perspective. Belicheat cannot walk across Tampa Bay!