Dire Forecast For Jameis
June 22nd, 2015
Ugly prediction for “America’s Quarterback.”
A lot of folks are bragging about how the Bucs have weapons for “America’s Quarterback,” Bucs signal-caller Jameis Winston.
Sure, he has Vincent Jackson and Randy Moss-tutored Mike Evans as his one-two punch at wide receiver, perhaps the best duo in the NFL.
But with no running game to speak of, and a rebuild in progress of a rebuilt offensive line, Cian Fahey of Bleacher Report predicts a brutal rookie season for Jameis. In fact, in ranking the supporting cast for each NFL quarterback, Fahey ranks Jameis’ offensive teammates as the worst in the NFL.
The Buccaneers look set to have the kind of offensive line that will consistently give up quick pressure to four-man rushes. This is the worst possible thing for an NFL quarterback, because it means he has to make pressure throws into tighter windows. Pressure makes every quarterback worse, and tighter windows exacerbate that problem.
Bucs fans need only look up the road at Jacksonville to study a suspect offensive line and a rookie quarterback. With Blake Bortles starting at QB, the sieve of an offensive line the Jags trotted out gave up a criminal 72 sacks!
Those turnstiles shouldn’t just be unemployed, they should be jailed for being accomplices to assault and battery. The question is, why did so-called learned football men who run the Jags fail to beef up the line to protect their prized investment? A drunk in a bar knew better. So why didn’t some suit making six- or seven-figures?
There will be talented linemen — who aren’t old and broken down — ripe for the picking during preseason to bolster the Bucs front line. The Bucs have the first claim in waivers until the third week of the season, just in case rookies Donovan Smith and Ali Marpet prove to be over their heads early.
June 22nd, 2015 at 7:14 am
What had happened to a great QB makes a offensive line better?
June 22nd, 2015 at 7:22 am
There should be absolutely no reason why we wouldn’t sign one or two Olinemen off of waivers. Sure, we want our younger linemen to develop….but we also need to assure protection….I expect this to happen.
June 22nd, 2015 at 7:24 am
I know I am in the minority (ahem ahem JOE), but as a HUGE Jameis fan, I really wouldn’t mind seeing him ride the pine a bit. Give the Oline time to gel, and let him have a bit of in season time to watch and develop. His redshirt season at FSU was instrumental in his success as a first year starter. Sometimes the future is just that–the future.
For those non-Noles, you should be prepared for the Winston scrutiny. He won’t be treated like a rookie, this is a player that gets websites clicks from negative articles (ahem ahem BSPN and Florio). he’s most likely going to have a rough rookie season, with this crap-fest of an OL, and the piranhas will declare him a bust after one bad game. It doesn’t matter that greats like Aikman threw 9 td’s/18 int’s in their rookie season–if he has one rough outing sites and talking heads will name him the biggest bust in the history of sports.
The good news is, Jameis has the ability to tune out all of the noise.
June 22nd, 2015 at 7:26 am
If the line give any of our QB’s less time or can’t get a run game going it is time to send L&L packing. The fans have had enough and enough money has been wasted.
June 22nd, 2015 at 7:27 am
I am with you jimmy. I am glad winston is here but I want to see what glennon can do with these weapons and dirk koetter.
If it doesnt work out and he doesnt win games I will be the first one on here to say put Winston in….but starting glennon week 1 seems to be the smartest move. Hes a three year vet with his first OC.
June 22nd, 2015 at 7:29 am
I think that it works both ways though: a mediocre QB can make a above-average OLine look average, but a above-average QB can get a mediocre OLine to play and look much better than they really are. The Colts’ Andrew Luck comes to mind for one.
Bleacher Report’s article was very good, and probably not too far off. But if Dirk Koetter proves to be better than middle of the pack (they predicted a 5?), and if Winston proves to be the real deal (like Joe predicted?) then the Bucs will do OK.
June 22nd, 2015 at 7:42 am
Before everyone starts to drool from all of the “Talent” o-line to made available before the season. Remember that the wavier wire only applies to players that have been on teams for 3 years and less. if they played for a team for 4 years, that means they will be a free-agent and stay away from the last place team in the league!
June 22nd, 2015 at 7:46 am
Like you said, it must be slow season time. Every Tom, Dick and Harry has to release their ranking on this or that. We all know where the Bucs are presently sitting relative to their opponents. Some of these rank rankers I’d like to give the middle finger that I see on other non sports sites. I’m sure you have seen it.
June 22nd, 2015 at 8:08 am
The Buc Realist Says:
“if they played for a team for 4 years, that means they will be a free-agent and stay away from the last place team in the league!”
That is not true. Players agents will be having cage match fights for the rights to negotiate with the Bucs so their clients can have the opportunity and honor to play with Winston!
June 22nd, 2015 at 8:23 am
I wonder if this “expert” can name another team that had TWO 1000 yard WRs last yr. Didn’t think so
June 22nd, 2015 at 8:36 am
Idiot….with an oft-injured QB.
June 22nd, 2015 at 8:40 am
Somebody explain how the niners Panthers Rams and dolphins have better supporting casts. Or the jets. That’s just naming a few
June 22nd, 2015 at 8:56 am
Our Superbowl was won with Roman Oben, Kerry Jenkins, Jeff Christy, Cosey Coleman, and Kenyatta Walker. Do those names immediately equate in your mind to a Superbowl calibre line?
June 22nd, 2015 at 9:31 am
One of FSU’s biggest problems last year was center play until they finally were able to move the LT to center. The constant pressure up the middle and the rest under performing most of the time , led to some ugly play by Jameis. Poor Oline play is the snowball at the top of the hill. Let’s hope they can pull it together.
June 22nd, 2015 at 9:46 am
Pressure makes every quarterback worse, and tighter windows exacerbate that problem.
************
The messiah thrives under pressure and loves tight windows. The tighter the better if you know what I mean. In the words of a wise wise man “every-ting gonna be alright”. The messiah gets his powers from the sun, the ground shakes beneath him and mountains pull right to protect him. Surely goodness and love will follow him all the days of his life and he will dwell in the house that Derrick built forever.
June 22nd, 2015 at 9:56 am
OK, seems a great QB doesn’t make an OL better as we’ve been told.
It all gets so confusing…
June 22nd, 2015 at 10:16 am
Fahey places huge weight on Oline play, which would obviously work against the Bucs. In comparison to how he judged the Bucs to other teams, Arabs, WRs, TEs, I thought he was pretty fair with one big exception – Fahey doesn’t seem to care much for Koetter, giving him a “5” which I believe was his lowest score for all OCs. By contrast, he apparently loves Kyle Shannahan, whom he gave a 10. Heck, he even had Mike Shula (6) and Chan Gailey (8) ahead of Koetter! And how on earth does Joe Philbin get a “9”?? By having Mike Wallace average only about 12 yards/catch while with the Phins – nearly half his average during his first two years with the Steelers?!
June 22nd, 2015 at 10:18 am
Preseason hasn’t even started and there’s already excuses for the #1 “savior” pick possibly not making everyone around him better? Plus using Blake Bortles as a comparison is scary…that dude was every bit the turnover machine Josh McCown was. I’m thankful for the Jaguars, they usually take the focus off the Bucs for being the most hopeless NFL team in Florida.
June 22nd, 2015 at 10:24 am
The O-line can’t be worse than last year. Regardless, this dude’s a rookie and is going to make mistakes whether he’s got an o-line or not, weapons or not. Glennon too if he starts. Hopefully Koetter will offset this with good play-calling (ie. screens, quick throws, slants, draws, etc…).
Collecting players off the waiver wires is not a recipe for success. There’s a reason for their departures. Yeah, once in a while you get a Jacquis Smith but don’t expect starter-caliber lineman to end up here.
June 22nd, 2015 at 10:26 am
@Toes,
Well said! Bottles has never been considered to have the ability Jameis has. The word on Bortles was always about “potential”, and I wish him well. But he is not in Winston’s class.
Another interesting thing about this list is 3 NFC South teams, ATL, CAR and the Bucs are ranked in the bottom 3 of the NFL. Just shows we have a chance to win our division
June 22nd, 2015 at 10:48 am
Nobody knows for certain how our OL will play. 40% almost half, will be brand new. That’s like an entirely new OL when it comes to chemistry, teamwork and performance.
The pieces do not look all that horrible. The question is can they coalesce as a unit in time to be at least competent before the season starts.
June 22nd, 2015 at 11:16 am
SPBF
FOUL – coalesce – using words that are to fancy for a sports blog. Please keep your SAT words to 4 letters. Thank you.
June 22nd, 2015 at 11:24 am
I am really see that Evans and VJ numbers to be way down. Last year the stats were very skewed! Mostly due to injuries in TE, and being down by 2 touchdowns before the end of the 1st quarter. Most of the time the run game day plan was thrown out the window by halftime. 531 passes compared to 353 run attempts.
And the 2 huge lineman they drafted really point to trying to get a running game going this year!
June 22nd, 2015 at 12:10 pm
Wassup! I agree w Jimmy53 as well… We have to see what this line is about. I think if their going to allow jailbreaks in pre season we start glennon. Jameis is too talented and too inexperienced to become gun shy because our line sux… Put the rookies on the bench for the year(Smith, Marpet, Winston) next summer let’s “officially” address it by picking up quality, sorry PROVEN offensive line help both in the next draft and *gulp* free agency.
Putting jameis behind a shoddy line would be disaster.
June 22nd, 2015 at 12:12 pm
And also hire a new coach for the line!!!
June 22nd, 2015 at 12:12 pm
BucFan20 Says
If the line give any of our QB’s less time or can’t get a run game going it is time to send L&L packing.
That’s always what impatient fans say. ONLY 2 spots on the line were addressed. They had limited picks, and they got a QB too.
Evans still sucks. Marpet will replace him at center at some point. Mankins is aging and our “vet” tackle has done nothing.
The offensive line is another 1.5 years away from being fixed. Get over it.
June 22nd, 2015 at 12:46 pm
Bucs Realist says: I am really see that Evans and VJ numbers to be way down. Last year the stats were very skewed! Mostly due to injuries in TE, and being down by 2 touchdowns before the end of the 1st quarter.
@realist
You mean 4 touchdowns at the end of the 1st quarter right?
June 22nd, 2015 at 2:10 pm
@Bonzai says,
“…That’s always what impatient fans say. ONLY 2 spots on the line were addressed. They had limited picks, and they got a QB too. Evans still sucks. Marpet will replace him at center at some point. Mankins is aging and our “vet” tackle has done nothing.”
In many situations when it comes to fans being impatient, you are correct. BUT, with the exception of only one player on the Oline, THIS IS the Oline Lovie built. Penn, Larson and Zuttah are ALL starting and did well last year. Instead, the Bucs are paying millions to Collins to stay away, gave up a 4th rd pick for a broken down has-been and a center whom you said “sucks”. So Lovie can put his mame on our Oline, and own it.
June 22nd, 2015 at 2:48 pm
Ding!
And don’t forget about the Milk Cartons (though it is very easy to do).
June 22nd, 2015 at 4:33 pm
I did forget. Sorry Joe.
And let’s not forget that Lovie chose a friggin RB in the 3rd rd, a position we were deep at, when we needed Olinemen desperately. So what problems did that cause? We had to give up a 4th for “wheels falling off” Mankins.
There were 5 other OGs drafted in the 3rd rd after the Bucs took Sims, including Trai Turner who had a pretty good year for the stinking Panthers. The problem is that one can go on and on with these bone head decisions…
June 22nd, 2015 at 5:01 pm
These so called experts have not seem a snap and Jacksonville has a better supporting cast please someone pull this guy’s football card and put it up for somebody with knowledge! !?
June 22nd, 2015 at 5:06 pm
The Jags oline is a prime example of how the NFL draft is a crap shoot. They have spent numerous picks over the past few years on highly rated prospects, only to see them not turn out well for them. Luke Joeckel, Eugene Monroe, Eben Britton and some OGs (Will Rackley being one of them) in the past 5 years, and thus far, none have turned out…none of their free agents have played well either. Just because a team drafts the highest rated player at a certain position, doesn’t mean he will turn out.
June 22nd, 2015 at 6:21 pm
Rookie of the year
June 24th, 2015 at 2:22 am
A QB makes the O-line better in 1979, Doug Williams led the worst team in football to a 10-6 record. The Bucs also had the number one ranked defense in the league.But the most amazing feat that season was that Doug was sacked 7 times in 16 games that season, he had 397 pass attempts, Mike Rae his backup had 36 pass attempts in mop up duty and was sacked 5 times. So the QB can improve the O-Line, just go back and look at the 1979 season.