Jameis’ Weapons
May 20th, 2015
When the Bucs decided to draft “America’s Quarterback,” Jameis Winston, back in 2013 earlier this year, it was reasoned that Jameis would have a chance to succeed due to his weapons.
As Joe has often written, the Bucs, with Mike Evans and Vincent Jackson, have arguably the NFL’s best one-two punch at wide receivers, at worst, top-five.
Well, Gregg Rosenthal is not impressed. The head honcho of NFL.com’s “Around the League” blog, Rosenthal isn’t doing cartwheels over what is perceived to be Jameis’ cache of weapons.
There’s a sense Jameis Winston has decent support in Tampa but his third best skill player teammate is … Sefarian-Jenkins? Louis Murphy?
— Gregg Rosenthal (@greggrosenthal) May 19, 2015
People like @askmetostay323 throwing out Kenny Bell. I mean that’s pretty rough depth https://t.co/eplH5yPMtg
— Gregg Rosenthal (@greggrosenthal) May 19, 2015
Rosenthal has a point. After the dynamic duo, it drops off. Sure, Seferian-Jenkins should be better this year. He has had a healthy offseason (thus far), and with a season under his belt should be more comfortable, therefore, more productive.
Joe really likes the potential of Kenny Bell, sure, but he’s a fifth-round rookie.
Still, Evans and Jackson accounted for over 2,000 yards receiving last year with a turnover-prone, frightened Labrador puppy as a quarterback. That is very impressive.
May 20th, 2015 at 2:06 pm
His receivers are the least of my worries. I think that if the OL can protect him, his WR group should have a couple of Probowls between them.
Next may actually be a huge year for him.
May 20th, 2015 at 2:13 pm
lol name me the NFL teams that have stud 3rd receivers on top of a 1-2 combo like Vjax/Evans?
We are fine.
May 20th, 2015 at 2:15 pm
How many other teams have Two 1,000 yard WRs? Imagine how good they could have been with a better team around them.
May 20th, 2015 at 2:16 pm
Im sure there will be some blind MF on this site who will criticize Gregg for saying Mr. Charmin isn’t anything to be happy about. The MF has stone hands like Dudley and he’s softer than flour. Yet some MF still argue that he is going to be JDubbs safety valve. WTF!
May 20th, 2015 at 2:19 pm
Its a pass happy league there are many teams with this kind of WR talent in the NFL, and there are winning teams with that talent, the Atlanta Falcons have pretty good depth for those of you who forgot that embarassment on national tv
May 20th, 2015 at 2:22 pm
OK Gregg Rosenthal is he being the voice of reason or a hater…it’s hard to believe but if you look around the league i’d take our weapons over 90% of the other nfl teams right especially if you didn’t count rookies drafted this year
May 20th, 2015 at 2:22 pm
yeah, depth an issue everywhere on this team…evans or jackson go down and it’s trouble! ASJ should be fine, if healthy of course
May 20th, 2015 at 2:23 pm
The team went 2-14, and 30-70, it’s not an all-star team. There’s some talent, and hopefully the young guys grow together. If ASJ can stay healthy (big if), I can see him turning into something special.
Same with the line, they need to grow together.
May 20th, 2015 at 2:30 pm
Ray rice
Green Bay, New England and Baltimore would have cut him or at the very least sat him after the Minnesota game. You ask me and I’d put Brate out there before ASJ.
The guy is right we have no depth. Louis Murphy? Child please! Better off with Sheppard and Bell.
May 20th, 2015 at 2:30 pm
When you acknowledge that ASJ is just a projection at this point, it is a worryingly short list of proven weapons. I hope he pans out but there has been an awful lot of talk and presumption in the media of him as an impact player. I also think of TEs like Marcedes Lewis and Brandon Pettigrew who are big and athletic but became inconsistent and forgettable pros. I hope we’ve got ourselves a Gronk but so far we’ve seen more injuries than big plays
May 20th, 2015 at 2:34 pm
@Pick6…but Joe raved about ASJ last August…It’s a given, superstar in waiting 🙂
May 20th, 2015 at 2:37 pm
Ya ASJ is a huge ZERO so far in any book and as stated not sure who a legit #3 would be….look all over the league there are teams with legit 3-4 WR units from green bay to detroit, denver had it, houston had it, falcons, dolphins, giants, cowboys, eagles had, etc pass happy league….we have 2 great WRs and then not much else….VERY Questionable OL, jameis WILL be good in a few years but, not 2015 with this crappy line…i think evans will be good for 1200 yards maybe 15tds, because he just seems like an all-pro and should have won rookie of the year except for beckhams crazy catches…not sure lovie will be here but interesting to see what dirk brings to the team
May 20th, 2015 at 2:38 pm
I disagree that McCown was a beaten down Labrador puppy. He was worse – a well-coiffed but abused, disoriented, senile old dog. You can’t say a 35 year old QB is a puppy. That dog don’t hunt. (see what I did there?)
May 20th, 2015 at 2:39 pm
@WS99
what? New England and Baltimore? Who’s on Green Bay on roster after jordy and cobb? patriots have one single weapon and that’s gronk and Baltimore has one guy that old receiver named steve smith. if this was a quarterback discussion maybe but we’re talking about receivers. even the packers tight end is nobody
May 20th, 2015 at 2:45 pm
@bucs4lyfe…our 3rd guy is not as good as most teams..Murphy’s been cut plenty, including the Bucs…Sheppard’s there for special teams…like the other rookies, counting on Bell to come through…
May 20th, 2015 at 2:54 pm
Buc4lyfe
I can tell you who’s not on GB roster. The TE that dropped the onside kick in the playoffs. Cut – goodbye- see you later.
May 20th, 2015 at 3:03 pm
@WS99
yep lol but they did that for his own protection
@bucco brice
you obviously haven’t looked around the league. I did say i’d take us over 90% that’s not all, our 3rd guy isn’t as good as most teams? there are plenty of teams that don’t even have a 3rd, 2nd or 1st guy. in this division alone theres Benjamin and Julio jones we have receivers in that their class but who else do the saints panthers and falcons have, roddy white is in the vjack category at his age and I don’t even play fantasy football
May 20th, 2015 at 3:14 pm
If Lovie wants to be a run centered offense, we don’t need much more than we have.
I look for Jameis to make the third and fourth option guys pretty good players if they turn him loose and let him run and shoot throw it.
May 20th, 2015 at 3:18 pm
Carolina just drafted funchess and i think those two will give our two a run for their money.
May 20th, 2015 at 3:36 pm
@DB55
Dam right they would have benched his a$$! LOL! But what can you expect from the organization who kept paying Bowers, and waiting for his “upside” to finally shine through. I’m not surprised.
You’re right. Benjamin is no slouch. Funchess seems like a gamer too.
May 20th, 2015 at 4:04 pm
Weapons? Lmao what does Jameis need weapons for? If you go off what you see on this site he is the second coming of Jesus, he doesn’t need weapons.
May 20th, 2015 at 4:18 pm
You people are stuck in the past. It’s a pass happy league. Teams have multiple good WRs these days…successful teams do.
Still, even though I think Seferian-Jenkins will start to really click this year (depending on oline), he has earned no props…yet.
Murphy, I believe, is acceptable, and might become an Ike Hilliard type of WR.
I have a lot of hope for Bell, who was on my wishlist this year. Not only do I think he’ll earn the slot starting role, but I believe he will eventually replace Jackson in a year or two or three. But again…props have to be earned.
I think our new FB has the potential to become Doug Martin’s best friend as a lead blocker in a Lorenzo Neal type of role, and I can see him in 3rd and short situations, if he makes the final roster.
I do NOT think our 6th rounder will make it past game 2 of the reg season, if he makes it past TC.
May 20th, 2015 at 5:03 pm
i think the QB makes the receiver o a certain extent. at least with the slot and TE they can make those guys hero’s
May 20th, 2015 at 5:34 pm
What happen to evaluating rookies in there 3rd year? ASJ wasn’t even here this time last year because he had to finish college. Than he got hurt. than the OC got ill. You guys have no idea that ASJ will suck. Man some of you think you know everything. give the freakn kid a chance to learn and grow. There’s tons of Great NFL players that weren’t great there first season but some of you know it all already. SMFH
May 20th, 2015 at 5:42 pm
I think the Kaeylin Clay, the 6th round pick has great chance of making the team. He was drafted to be the P/KR guy, he was the best in college football last season for Utah. It’s a position this need needs in a bad way. I really like Bell too he has kick return skills also he led the big ten in kick return 2012 and he is a smart player. I’m not sure about this season but he should be the starting slot guy next year. It’s not unrealistic that all 7 draft choices make this team.
May 20th, 2015 at 6:08 pm
@Yeah
I think ASJ did suffer more than expected by the late start and the foot injury. I think some Buc fans had high expectations because he was hyped up so much. Fans were also rubbed the wrong way by some of the bone head play especially him getting that flag early in the ATL game clowning in the end zone like Capt Morgan. Remember he went on to post it on instagram after a 1-8 start and the drumming they took by ATL.
May 20th, 2015 at 6:53 pm
This is to be expected for two reasons. #1 We are not in New York or even a top ten market. We get no recognition until we slam the door down.
Case in point is the Tampa Bay Lightning. They’ve been really good for two years now. They are just now going to begin getting their props because of the way they are playing in the post season and especially in the Big Apple. Ben Bishop, Tyler Johnson, Victor Hedman will all be recognized super stars next year.
#2 Nobody gets credit until AFTER they’ve proven it. This is why the Lightning never got their due as well…first it’s show us the success!
We’re going to begin to show them next year. But even though I’m the blog optimist and believe we’ll win 10 next year and then be one and done in the playoffs our guys will still not get their props. It will take at least one more year and some success in the playoffs…not just making them….to get any kind of national attention from the 13th largest market.
May 20th, 2015 at 7:03 pm
Don’t sleep on the back up TE- in a real offense he caught 80 balls a few years ago…
May 20th, 2015 at 7:22 pm
Should. Have drafted jarvis laundry over asj
May 20th, 2015 at 7:46 pm
The Bucs should have drafted Tom Brady over David Gibson. It’s easy to draft after the fact.
May 20th, 2015 at 8:03 pm
Tom Brady wiNs with scrubs and not the best talent. ME and Vjax are amazing either one on the patriots colts broncos packers they pretty much get that team to Super Bowl.
May 20th, 2015 at 8:10 pm
Tom Brady is a cheater. Tom Brady has the luck of the Irish. Carroll GAVE him his last SB ring. Yes I concede he’s a great QB but he can bite me.
Speaking of the difference between jerks like Brady and Belicheat and class acts.
Saw the doc on Don Shula’s life. What man! Not only the winningest coach in NFL history but he didn’t have to resort to Belicheating.
Csonka tells a story about a game in Oakland. Somebody for the Raiders screwed up after their practice and left the game plan in Csonka’s locker. He immediately gives it to an assistant coach to pass to Shula. When the Raiders beat the Dolphins Csonka goes back to the coach and says WTF didn’t you give the game plan to Coach Shula. Assistant replies yes and Shula told him to throw it away!!! The freaking winningest coach in NFL history wanted to earn everything.
Meanwhile loser Belicheat has NEVER been a winning coach without Brady.
Shula won with great QB’s and no running game…he won with a great running game and a mediocre QB…he was adaptable. Belicheat has never won without Brady!
May 20th, 2015 at 8:26 pm
So if I have this correct, rookie qbs get a pass (if you aren’t Mg8) but rookie TEs are supposed to play like Jimmy Graham? Yeah, he had some injuries that were disappointing but you have to think he has great potential.
May 20th, 2015 at 10:03 pm
Remember that ASJ was behind the curve as a rookie because of the ruled that held him out of OTAs.
May 20th, 2015 at 11:27 pm
Jamies has a great supporting cast. As long as we can get that line to gel, we will be fine. The running backs if have holes will break a few and keep the defense honest. ASJ for sure is our 3rd receiver. Just needs to be healthy. Tony Gonzalez had a few great years under Koetter, so should ASJ. Then we got a few supporting cast members in Murphy, Bell, and C. Sims. There’s a storm coming. Go Bucs!
May 21st, 2015 at 12:01 am
#16 Ranell Hall should be our 3rd WR… He’s a slower version of Perriman, but with better hands
May 21st, 2015 at 9:12 am
For everyone that is still crying over MG8, while he is good enough to be in the league. He has shown nothing but inconsistency, just like another QB everyone was singing the praises of (Josh “Stinkin” Freeman). Get over it, yes it would have been great to see him come out and blow the socks off and hell he still might. But I just don’t see it happening with the Bucs. The Bucs have a record of not being able to tap into to a players abilities for a long time. However, so far he has not shown that he deserves to be the #1 (other than last year when his competition was McClown) so let it go and realize they are trying to find someone to lead the team to more than mediocrity.