Embree Feels Bad For ASJ
May 22nd, 2016
Key year for ASJ.
Joe understands Bucs fans are frustrated with talented tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins because he is too often on the sidelines injured rather than playing.
Sure, ASJ got hung out to dry by Coach My Scheme. Seemingly weekly last year, Lovie Smith teased fans claiming ASJ was practicing and he hoped to have him ready for gameday, only to see ASJ deactivated for that very game.
ASJ should have been placed on injured reserve.
Partially because of Lovie’s teasing, partially because ASJ has been hurt often, partially because ASJ is known more for boneheaded stunts than production, fans have turned on ASJ.
Even folks with the Bucs seem frustrated. Joe has heard ASJ is not the No. 1 tight end entering training camp. Basically, the team has ASJ in a “prove-it” mode.
Last week, tight ends coach Jon Embree noted he feels bad for ASJ.
“Hopefully, he can stay healthy and show everyone what he’s capable of. I feel bad for him ‘cuz it means a lot to him,” Embree told the Tampa Bay pen and mic club.
“It’s important to him. He works. He’s done a lot this offseason to continue to improve. I’d like for him to stay healthy not just for the benefit of the team but for him also.”
Embree acknowledged the team’s frustration over ASJ’s availability because they knew he could help the team if healthy.
“He was in a situation where he really was getting close and really working hard to come back and just wasn’t able to quite get cleared,” Embree said. “When you start talking about some of the issues with the shoulder and with range of motion and really being able to go out there and protect yourself, it’s just hard to have someone go out there and take a chance of maybe ending their career.”
This is why it was borderline irresponsible for Lovie not to have placed ASJ on injured reserve.
Joe sort of understands Lovie’s logic: The Bucs still had hopes of a wild card berth and Lovie clearly wanted ASJ available in January. But once the Bucs lost to the sad Saints at home, basically ending any realistic playoff dream, that’s when ASJ should have been put on IR.
Of course, ASJ doesn’t help himself when he does get on the field. Juvenile moves like drawing a critical flag for his preening Captain Morgan pose, and fastballing a football out of the end zone when he’s tackled at the goal line are two examples.
The first goal for ASJ — who only missed one college game, and that was for a suspension, not an injury — is to get on the field. The next step is getting his head in the game.
ASJ has played in 16 games through his first two NFL seasons, missing half his career with various injuries. That’s just not going to cut it for a second-round pick.
The most important ability for any NFL player is availability.
May 22nd, 2016 at 9:28 am
Wasted pic. This was a deep wideout draft and there were soooo many good ones left when we had this pick wow
Jason’s first draft really left a lot of meat on the bone
If you spent 5 minutes with this guy you should have known not to draft him
May 22nd, 2016 at 9:39 am
I still remain hopeful that ASJ will produce big numbers for us……what legitimate Buc fan wouldn’t root for him to succeed…..he has huge talent and he’s ours for the next two years.
There is no question that Lovie plaed around with words regarding injuries and acted coy in pressers (not just about ASJ) regarding injury status of players.
It makes it looks like a play doesn’t want to play……these guys have been playing most of their lives and have finally reached their dream of the NFL…..they want to play.
May 22nd, 2016 at 9:40 am
Bust …..guy is to soft in the nfl… maybe I’m wrong..
May 22nd, 2016 at 9:41 am
Johnny, have u spent 5 min with ASJ?
Regardless, there is a disturbing trend of disturbed TE from Washington playing here…
May 22nd, 2016 at 9:50 am
Winston saw at the ProBowl what it’s like to have a weapon at TE. Winston’s gonna be in his ear, for sure.
May 22nd, 2016 at 10:05 am
There’s some hope that ASJ will eventually be all that was expected when he was drafted, I’m not going to hold my breath waiting for the magnificent version to magically appear. That carrot hanging by a string on a stick is still tempting the silly wabbits as it is continually jerked out of reach.
May 22nd, 2016 at 10:08 am
Efforts without results are meaningless. Produce or go away.
May 22nd, 2016 at 10:09 am
If this guy could stay healthy and play anywhere near his potential, it’s all upside. Meanwhile, we trust in Brate and maybe some snaps for Vitale.
Let’s not forget that we have Stocker who’s played nicely the last couple of seasons. He was hurt his first couple of years too.
May 22nd, 2016 at 10:14 am
Until he got hurt last year, we saw what #3 to #87 liked like…it was insane. Couple tds, over two hundred yds. If I’m wrong, shut up!
My point is if he stays healthy then this offense will TRULY click on all cylinders
YO JOE!
GO BUCS!!!
May 22nd, 2016 at 10:39 am
I am going to withhold judgement of any player not he roster until this season plays out. I want to see what every player does with real coaching and real motivation.
May 22nd, 2016 at 10:49 am
Basically similar to McCoys first 2 years.
I get being upset over injury but you’re blind if you can’t see how talented and big a presence he can be in the pass game when he actually is healthy
May 22nd, 2016 at 10:55 am
How would any of you guys know if ASJ is ‘Soft’ or not? I can see questioning the guy’s maturity but not his toughness. Is it that you just don’t understand or care how the protocol works to get on the field? A Dr. has to clear you before you get in the field of play. ASJ didn’t decide that he didn’t want to play the Dr. did. Gone are the days where you just cut off your finger and get back in the game.
May 22nd, 2016 at 11:38 am
Imagine ME cures his drops and has a career year. Then imagine VJAX on the other side playing well. Now toss in ASJ playing just up to his capabilities…nothing spectacular…just solid..and then add in Sims speed in space after he catches the ball.
It’s not really that hard to imagine #3 with a lot of different weapons and I haven’t even mentioned the running game.
Again we don’t need ME..or ASJ…VJAX…Sims…and the rest to have career years…just decent.
May 22nd, 2016 at 11:44 am
It’s not even about the injury for me. Jenkins is only here to be a weapon in the receiving game. Yet, when’s he’s been on the field and the team has needed playmakers to get us a W….Jenkins has choked. He’s been brutal. The injuries I can live with. But if the dude is incapable of being an impact player for us I see no value in his game.
May 22nd, 2016 at 11:58 am
Nobody feels bad for ASJ. A lot of uas believe he could have played thru his injury. Or at least tried. He has to prove to us he can be that player we thought he could be. Because if he get injured and does not play this season. A pattern is starting to develop….. Meaning his durability and heart are in question. Ball or leave ASJ. Simple as that.
May 22nd, 2016 at 12:08 pm
Played in only 7 games 2015, but 3 somewhat healthy.
Austin Seferian-Jenkins: 21 catches (40 targets) 338 yards (16.1 avg.) 4 TDs
Week 1 he looked pretty good with over 100 yards and 2 TDs, week 2 he got injured early in the game. He played wk 13-15 the guy played with one arm and the last 2 games he had over 100 yards and had a 43 yard TD. The guy is a beast when healthy. If you see no value in ASJ when healthy then you’re watching the wrong sport.
May 22nd, 2016 at 12:09 pm
I wanted Aaron Donald and Allen Robinson in round 1 and 2 during the 2014 draft.But you can’t always get what you hope for, this season should be a breakout season ASJ and ME should make the pro bowl this season.
May 22nd, 2016 at 12:14 pm
MJ-
If your not going to read the commits you can at least read the article. The coach is quoted saying he wasn’t cleared to play. How is it so hard for people to understand. It wasn’t his choice. He had to pass the medical test in order to play. If the Dr. doesn’t clear him he doesn’t play.
May 22nd, 2016 at 12:24 pm
If asj shows up man we are loaded in all honesty we will be a DC nightmare not if asj shows up they not only gotta cover him but they have to cover cam brate and with war machine Danny vitale in the back filed with c sims omg guys were set dirk is looking at the news paper like the joker saying ” Carolina ha, wait till they get a load of me” look out people Bucs on the rise jump on the ship while u can it’s getting full lol
May 22nd, 2016 at 12:37 pm
Projecting Stranglassman’s stats to 16 games…
ASJ…….48 receptions…..768 yards
May 22nd, 2016 at 12:37 pm
Oh, man. You have no idea how close you are.
May 22nd, 2016 at 12:38 pm
St. Pete, that’s the point. Solid play, with Koetter spreading the ball around is the real ticket. Play the matchups until they can defend it.
Besides, getting everyone involved means player stats aren’t going to be sky high anyway. Move the chains, punch it in, score TD’s.
May 22nd, 2016 at 12:39 pm
Projects to 9 TDs
Has ASJ been injured……yes
Has he been productive when healthy…..yes
Do you want him to play well or are you rooting for him to fail….just so you can be right?
May 22nd, 2016 at 12:43 pm
TBF, only a moron would want ASJ to tank. Most of the fan frustration is that he’s a mad skills talent not helping a losing team win.
May 22nd, 2016 at 12:47 pm
As long as he does not repeat what transpired in Seattle:
It was the 1st drive in OT, where MG8 pass cleanly caught in the flat by ASJ was inexplicably returned for TD by opposing team due to fumble. Cannot erase that just like when Mark Barron was called for PI in the waning seconds that set up a miracle comeback for da J E T S.
Then I may be able to brush this off. Maybe.
May 22nd, 2016 at 12:58 pm
I remember JBF writing glowing articles about ASJ when he 1st arrived after the draft. Now he commits that the coaching staff should have known not to draft him? Did I understand that commit correctly? Clarification would be nice.
May 22nd, 2016 at 1:06 pm
It looks like there might have been some merit to the Saints wanting to draft Aguayo. They just signed Conner Barth.
May 22nd, 2016 at 1:12 pm
You may be confusing “commit” with “comment.”
May 22nd, 2016 at 1:43 pm
I expect a shorter leash on Jenkins this year. He’s here to provide offense. He can’t be dropping balls in the endzone only to come back the following week and create negative yards. Can’t trot garbage like that out week after week.
I envision much improvement from Jenkins this season(and hopefully he can give us 14+). But if he takes over from where he left off Brate has shown he can handle TE duties in the receiving game. Brates not ideal but we KNOW he won’t hurt the team. Sadly, we can’t same the same about Jenkins.
May 22nd, 2016 at 1:54 pm
I believe in ASJ.
I believe he breaks out this season.
May 22nd, 2016 at 2:11 pm
Not to be confused with comet or in your case no comment.
May 22nd, 2016 at 2:50 pm
Remember McCoy missed a lot of games his first 2 seasons also. I remember bust being thrown around about him to.
May 22nd, 2016 at 4:29 pm
Destinjohnny – Bucs drafted Mike Evans in that draft… ASJ is only half way through rookie deal. Still too early to call a bust.
May 22nd, 2016 at 5:23 pm
The things i don’t like about ASJ aside from the fact that he’s injury prone, are that he’s only really ever produced yards and points in garbage time, and he’s shown me that he’s not a very serious competitor. On multiple occasions he’s celebrated his own plays in games where we were being blown out. And who could forget his infamous temper tantrum in chicago. Dude needs to grow up.
May 22nd, 2016 at 7:00 pm
Wow, bashing Lovie while pretending Licht had zero control over the team (well unless it’s the draft, then he was the sole person in charge). Way to go Joe!
May 23rd, 2016 at 12:58 am
So you condone how Lovie handled ASJ’s injury situation last year?
So Joe is “bashing” Lovie? OK then, why should Joe heap praise on a coach that did so much wrong? Why should Joe service a guy who had the third-worst winning percentage in the sorry history of this franchise, barely better than Richard Williamson?
If honest critique disturbs you, please bookmark Buccaneers.com where by their writing, the Bucs were in the Super Bowl last year and Lovie is polishing his Canton bust.
How many times do people (not just Joe) who talk to movers and shakers at One Buc Palace have to tell you Lovie had full and total control over the roster? If he didn’t want someone, they would not be on the roster. Period. Doesn’t matter if it was Jameis or Garrett Gikey.
Go ahead, then. Believe what you wish: Lovie is a persecuted Bill Walsh. He was a figurehead here who was forced to draft and sign and cut players he didn’t want by that offensive from Nebraska who jumps in pools with his clothes on.
If that’s what you want to believe, hey, guess everyone has to have a fantasy.
May 23rd, 2016 at 8:37 am
Get me Joe
May 23rd, 2016 at 11:32 am
Geraldini missed most of his first 2 seasons do to injury. Has made the pro bowl almost every season since.