Bucs No. 12
June 20th, 2016
High praise from a stat guy.
Interesting bit of insight from a numberscruncher.
Super Bowl-winning coach Jimmy Johnson — how in the hell did Father Dungy get elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame over JJ? — may have crafted the term “triplets” to describe key components of an offense: Quarterback, running back, No. 1 wide receiver.
So Bill Barnwell of Football Outsiders, not typing for BSPN, decided to break down the best set of triplets in the NFL, from Nos. 1-32.
Barnwell has the Bucs ranked at No. 12, but it gets interesting from there.
Winston, who should get better in his second season after improving as a rookie. (Remember that pick-six to start the year against Tennessee?) It was a disappointing season for Evans, who struggled with his concentration and finished with a league-high 11 drops, but it was a remarkable campaign for Martin. I’m skeptical of his contract extension, given that he had been anonymous thanks to injuries in each of the previous two seasons, but Martin was a wildly effective big-play back for the Bucs last year. One of the league’s youngest offensive cores should continue to rise in 2016.
What’s interesting to Joe is twofold: First, Barnwell damn near has the Bucs in the top third of the NFL. Not too shabby. Also, Barnwell believes Mike Evans, not Vincent Jackson, is the team’s best wide receiver. Very interesting.
If Evans can keep his focus and lock in at the task at hand, then he surely should be the best wide receiver on the team. Joe hopes for Evans’ sake that last year was an aberration and not the beginning of a pattern.
June 20th, 2016 at 7:10 am
I think the addition of Monken is huge for the WHOLE receiving core. I think he will keep a tight ship and demand excellence from each and every player! Evans will have a huge year if healthy…
June 20th, 2016 at 7:23 am
Your suprised that he thinks Evans is better than VJAX Joe? Really? I luv me sum Jax, and he’s been nothing but a highly Productive receiver every year he’s been here but at this point in his career he’s not the same guy he was when he came into the league, Evans on the other hand has showed he can be a big time receiver in just his rookie year but lost focus last season. Look for him to bounce back in a big way and become Winston favorite target and get back to those numbers he put up as a rookie. And there’s no doubt in my mind he will. #13 is the man around here now.
June 20th, 2016 at 7:25 am
Having a qualified receivers coach versus a personal assistant should go a long way in helping Mike Evans both physically and mentally.
Joe
Hall of fame is meaningless just like pro bowl. It was once for the best of the best and now it’s for media darlings, choir boys and a popularity contest. Both Tom Flores and Jimmy Johnson belong in hall before an average coach like Dungy who has a career losing playoff record.
June 20th, 2016 at 7:28 am
So much more than triplets to look forward to with Sims, Brate, Bell, Vitale, Speedy Reedy, even if ASJ fails to get his head out of his ass. Triplets doesn’t quite cover it, and then there’s the defense showing signs of life. Imagine a Buccaneer team known for a balance of talent on both sides of the ball. Dig out those shades Gruden was talking about so long ago.
June 20th, 2016 at 7:46 am
Put me in the aberration boat.
June 20th, 2016 at 8:19 am
If we could only get Mike Clayton Evans to stop spiking passes into the dirt like volleyballs and quit crying and complaining over every contested ball thrown his way then maybe this would make sense. Got 2 out of 3.
June 20th, 2016 at 8:24 am
1sparkybuc
I admired your optimism but not one player you listed has proven anything yet . A couple of flashes here and there mean nothing. I’d like to see these guys play consistent good football before they start being talked about with great…. I’ve been a buc fans 40 years and have seen way too many 1 year wonders and inconsistent players with potential never realized.
June 20th, 2016 at 8:35 am
40 year Buc fans, man this team is getting old, not to mention some of the fans.
June 20th, 2016 at 9:20 am
Interesting list… the Cowboys with Ezekkiel Elliot who has not carried a single ball in the NFL ranked ahead of the Bucs. Other teams like the Cards, Pats and Jags are non traditional with a QB and two receivers, based on that I guess the triplets can be traced back before Joe took a shot at Dungy with the well-deserved Jimmy Johnson shout out, but I guess you go back before Jimmy and look to Don Shula (Griese, Csonka and Morris) or (Marino, Duper, Clayton)
June 20th, 2016 at 9:38 am
Doesn’t everybody think Mike Evans is the Bucs best receiver? I can’t imagine anyone thinking otherwise?
June 20th, 2016 at 9:43 am
Rrsrq
Joe never took a shot at Dungy the facts are the facts…. Jimmy Johnson did more to be in the Hall of Fame than Dungy has. Dungy is and most likely will always be the ONLY coach in the hall of fame with a losing post season record. Hall is a joke after letting him in ahead of much more deserving candidates. Maybe you should go re-watch some of the bucs games with the embarrassing offenses that Dungy fielded week in and week out they were almost as embarrassing as Lovie’s defenses. The hall of fame is for the best of the best there are no categories for nice guys, media darlings, hypocrite religious types and guys that turned a franchise around. He put the bucs on the right path but FAILED to get the job done. He left super bowls on the table in both Tampa and Indy… The legend of Dungy has far surpassed his actually accomplishments. The biggest snub of hall of fame is Pablo’s boy Tom Flores though maybe he should have taken a job in the media or kissed more arse….
June 20th, 2016 at 9:49 am
fsuking
‘Doesn’t everybody think Mike Evans is the Bucs best receiver? I can’t imagine anyone thinking otherwise?
Kenny Bell and Adam Humphreys mothers may argue with you but that might be about it.
June 20th, 2016 at 10:23 am
tmaxcon… agree with the miracle Dungy scratch my head Hall of Fame take. I don’t think he makes it not being on TV. He was about as good an overall NFL coach as he was a player for the Steelers. Also agree on 40 year Bucs fan geezers waiting for the big one, no not that one, the multi Super Bowl winning one.
June 20th, 2016 at 10:49 am
Buccfan37
don’t get me wrong. I respect what Dungy did turning the franchise around but I am not willing to give him a lifetime of free passes for it nor does it make all his mistakes go away either. . Yes us geezers want another one. Hopefully the combo of Licht / Koetter will bring a couple to town in the near future..
June 20th, 2016 at 11:26 am
The Hall of Fame is a joke, other coaches deserves it more than Tony Dungy.. And how in the hell did Joe Namath get in the Hall of Fame ?. And Ken Riley is not in the Hall of Fame.
June 20th, 2016 at 1:41 pm
74 rec for 1,206 yards is a really bad season… this kid has bust written all over him SMH
June 20th, 2016 at 2:12 pm
People hate. Dungy deserves the Hall of Fame.
JJ isn’t in because he offended the voters.
June 20th, 2016 at 2:20 pm
BuccaneerBonzai
Thanks for proving my point. It’s more important to kiss the voters ARSES than be qualified.
The hall is for the best of the best Dungy is hardly one of the best coaches to patrol a sideline. do you need video reminders of Dungy’s offenses his ENTIRE time in Tampa. Utter garbage… Dungy cost the bucs at least 1 Superbowl with his conservative game day management also. Sure he turned a franchise around but he could not finish, sure he is a nice guy and religious hypocrite but those are not qualifications for the hall, being the best of the best of what you do is what the hall is about not good stories, media arse kissers and below average coaches. The undisputed fact that should have kept him out of hall is his horrendous playoff record.
June 20th, 2016 at 2:26 pm
bonzi
you should really stop living in the past. your delusional defense of lovie coupled with you blindness to dungy’s faults it’s very clear you are more of a fan of the past than the present bucs.
June 20th, 2016 at 2:55 pm
Tmaxcon,
my point was only that what did TD have to do with the article. Could’ve easily stated that Jimmy should be in the HOF without a Dungy remark, that’s all. I am in agreement that maybe Jimmy should be in there. My point really was about the triplets (what’s that got to do with Dungy)
June 20th, 2016 at 5:29 pm
Jackson has certainly had the better career so far, but He is an old man that many thought would be cut this off season. Evans is clearly our best WR right now. Not to mention Jackson only played 8 games last season. The best ability is availablity.
June 20th, 2016 at 6:01 pm
I hate how so many of you guys just dismiss all of the great things Evans did last year….even with the drops. Pull his stats before you embarrass yourselves!
June 20th, 2016 at 8:17 pm
TDTB- the only one embarrassing himself is Mike Clayton Evans with his horrible drops and the hissy fits that he throws every time a db contests a pass. People see what they want to see but selective stat regurgitation doesn’t help anyone. If you watch the games you know that whatever his numbers are they should be so much better if he grew a pair of hands, screwed his head on straight and quit crying and complaining. He’s worse than my 5 year old.
Enough with the excuses and expect better from everyone.