“We Can’t Have Too Many Good Football Players”
May 12th, 2017
Confidence.
Bring it on.
It’s a potential problem Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht welcomes.
There is only one ball and potentially four star targets in the passing game for the Bucs. Four guys either have been in a Pro Bowl, have the resumé to be in the Pro Bowl or have the talent to someday play in a Pro Bowl. And everyone wants the ball — and there is only one.
How are the Bucs going to keep Mike Evans, DeSean Jackson, Cam Brate and O.J. Howard happy when only one receiver can be a target on each pass play?
You just know at some point, dudes are going to come back to the huddle and demand that America’s Quarterback, Pro Bowler Jameis Winston, give him the damn ball.
Licht embraces such potential friction.
This week on “Pro Football Talk Live” with the curator, curator and overall guru of ProFootballTalk.com, the great Mike Florio, Licht said he almost looks forward to such problems.
“We are of the mindset that we can’t have too many good football players,” Licht said, when Florio asked him how the Bucs plan to keep everyone happy.
“We will find a way [to get guys touches]. We’ve got some great coaches here on both sides of the ball. Dirk and his staff, they are very creative and I’m not worried about that. I’m especially excited that we’ve got some weapons and that they are young. It’s exciting.”
In other words, Koetter will make guys happy. All of them.
It is an interesting thought. You just know receivers are sort of diva-ish; they want the rock. They crave the football. Sooner or later if a guy isn’t targeted, he will bark at Jameis for the football.
Joe has a hunch Jameis is now fully confident in his job to flex his strong enough personality and tell any whining receiver to shut the hell up and play football. And Jameis will remind him that if he is open, then he will get the ball.
May 12th, 2017 at 9:18 am
Youngest QB to ever pass for 5,000 yards in 2017
May 12th, 2017 at 9:25 am
His 2013 national championship team had plenty weapons as well, one of the things that impressed me that season was the way he spoon fed everyone on that offense. All these guys will eat real good next season,Fameis excellent when it comes to making sure everyone gets there shine on. Think back to that game in philly.
May 12th, 2017 at 9:29 am
If the line does its best impression of a one way street away from Fameis everyone will feast. Lets eat some alphabet soup…………lets eat us some Ws baby!
May 12th, 2017 at 9:35 am
Lets hope the bucs qb is much improved on his accuracy.I feel that is an issue that could show its ugly head.
May 12th, 2017 at 9:36 am
I don’t see it as an issue. In my mind D Jackson takes the place of V Jackson, and Howard isn’t used to getting that many touches at Alabama.
May 12th, 2017 at 9:38 am
Yes the oline needs to get better it all begins in the trenches
May 12th, 2017 at 9:39 am
Got 99 problems
but QB ain’t one…
May 12th, 2017 at 9:40 am
We covered this!!! Julio Jones said it last year, how easy playing offense was with help!!! We don’t want ME13 Setting Franchise and league records because he is our only weapon, while taking a beating and is ready to retire by year 7 because he is worn out!!!!!
Flash back Friday!!!!!!!!!
The Buc Realist Says:
December 1st, 2016 at 10:21 am
While some of you are cheering and counting the days until ME13 makes the pro-bowl!!! The Buc Realist is watching with a worried eye!!!!! Get this man some help!!!! He is the most targeted WR in the League!!!!! Which means he gets tackled the most in the league!!!! We cannot have ME13 be like Calvin Johnson and be a 1 man offense, putting up franchise numbers only to retire early due to injuries!!!!!!! I know that NFL GM Licht top priority is taking the pressure of ME13 by finding other weapons!!!!!
NFL 2017 draft WR, TE, Safety!!!!!
May 12th, 2017 at 9:51 am
^^….sooo, tell us something we don’t already know smart guy!!!!…GO BUCS!!!!
May 12th, 2017 at 9:55 am
if the oline plays up to their potential, the skies the limit….I think d.smith will continue to improve right along with marpet….pamphile should be better….the big question marks are RT and the healthy of Sweezy….time will tell….GO BUCS!!!!
May 12th, 2017 at 10:03 am
This is a GREAT “problem” to have. If we can stay healthy, this offense is going to hum.
May 12th, 2017 at 10:07 am
For awhile I was a bit worried about this. As a BSPN anchor put it…Jameis now has a lot of mouths to feed.
Then it hit me! There is really only ONE thing that will totally take care of this.
JUST WIN BABY!!! If the Bucs win double digits and go to the playoffs guys will be happy to be winners and their individual stats are not as important.
May 12th, 2017 at 10:11 am
KOBE FAKER “STATE OF THE UNION (BUCS)”
Today at 3pm
Will disclose the reason why we will not make the 2017 playoffs and reach our potential
“Every team has them, but we are the only team that doesnt”
Kobe “No Fake News” Faker
May 12th, 2017 at 10:22 am
This is a non issue. Jameis has had many games as a pro where he has hit 8 or more different targets. He passes where the reads take him.
May 12th, 2017 at 10:24 am
^^…cant wait….this should be fun…LOLOLOL…..GO BUCS!!!!
May 12th, 2017 at 10:34 am
There is soooo much that could be talked about here in terms of keeping everyone happy, but …
1 – Realist covered it by digging back in the JBF archives. (???)
2 – StPete gave the only answer that really counts: ‘JUST WIN BABY!!! ‘
3 – And Kobe promises to enlighten us all at his 3PM news conference.
And NosBos, we MAY NOT share a similar concern. Jameis has shown a tendency to look towards ‘favorites’ in college and in the pro’s. A number of times guys have been wide open but he was laser-focused on one of those favorites & never did see the open guy. I suspect that this’ll be the year he moves past that … guys like DJax will let him know that we can’t afford to pass up those opportunities to hit it big.
May 12th, 2017 at 10:55 am
jameis is about to explode he’s made history with scrubs so far with a cast of all start i expect a very very very good season. elite status coming soon and depending on our record mvp is possible he has all the talent to do it
May 12th, 2017 at 10:57 am
I feel you Defense and I think some of that came down to trust. 3rd and 7 if me and my option is ME or Freddy Martino in throwing to ME everytime.
May 12th, 2017 at 11:01 am
I agree Nation by mid-way of the season he will be in the MVP conversation..
May 12th, 2017 at 11:02 am
I’m pretty sure Mike Evans would be very happy to get 900 yards and 7 TDs this year if that “lack” of productivity meant that all The Bucs’ offensive weapons were succeeding and that formula gets us to the Super Bowl.
May 12th, 2017 at 11:04 am
In 2013 the ball went to Greene Benjamin O’leary Shaw and Freeman out the backfield. It was in 2014 that after guys left an entered the league that his focus was mainly Greene and O’leary. My belief he was trying to help they’re draft stock that season.
May 12th, 2017 at 11:19 am
Anyone who says jameis was only focused on favorites is lying ti themselves. Freddy martinos and bernard reedys were not getting open just like no other tightend was getting open other than brate. Why do you think the bucs invested heavily in weapons on the outside? If people were open as you say, then the improvement would have been to help jameis read the field and not to add weapons if guys were open. Licht and koetter knew they had to upgrade winstons options and they did. Stop trying to create a narrative that is not there.
May 12th, 2017 at 11:36 am
What excites me most is looking back on the game last year at Atl. That is the exact offense Dirk wants to run as he had a decent ASJ and Cam Brate together. Now replace ASJ with OJ and replace V-Jax with D-Jax and replace Hump (sometimes) with Godwin. Look at what that offense did in that game last year with two decent/good tight ends and we are better at each spot across the board at each spot other than the incumbents. Man this could be something special cause Jameis certainly knows how to spread the ball around.
May 12th, 2017 at 12:13 pm
People keep talking about Jameis and passing records….Regular season records with ZERO playoff appearances mean nothing. Stats must produce wins…or they are meaningless. Elite QBs get to the playoffs, it’s that simple.
May 12th, 2017 at 12:17 pm
WhatDaBucisthis………E X A C T L Y!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Not our problem now but yet some cherry pickin nitpickers want to complain about him like his accuracy and turnovers are the reason why we have a problem with that position. Puhhlease! We all knew with him coming in and his style of play these things were going to happen. So people need to Stay Calm and Chive on. Fameis has the ability to overcome his mistakes. Plus looking back a number of those ints and fumbles weren’t on him because others failed in their job. It’s just like with ME13, as a rookie he tore it up then in his 2nd year he had a little issue and had an earth ending 11 drops and people dogged him like he sucked forgetting what he did as a rook and even the #s he put up as he struggled all they cared about was their opinion. Me and a few others said it was simply a concentration problem just doing too much but to no avail. Even one thinks he told us something we all didn’t know but if course he’s of no consequence. He’s a non mother lovin factor.
Coaching is no longer a problem.
QB is no longer a problem
Offense and Defense should no longer be a problem
The problem with the Bucs are it’s fans.
May 12th, 2017 at 12:20 pm
Realist
What took you so long? Most of us have been saying that for years. Too bad licht was focused on a kicker last year, cost 2 weapons. Better late than never n it happens for a reason. These guys are good ones. Go bucs and realist try not to brag when you should be embarrassed.
May 12th, 2017 at 12:23 pm
Coach needs to make it clear to his players you want the ball then keep the chains moving. You can not get touches if the other team has the football. It is that simple.
May 12th, 2017 at 12:31 pm
Bobby please stats do mean something it shows where he’s at and where he’s going. It shows improvement or lack there of. His stats last year were better than the year before showing improvement. Some of the greatest qbs never won a ring and no matter how great the qb they don’t take the team there by themselves. Fameis came into a losing culture and coaching staff. He’s had to overcome his own mistakes as well as others. He’s had to put up with character assassination by people and the press, the very same people who talk dog about him anonymously behind a screen name then smile in his face and shake his hand. For those who say he plays favorites then he’d only throw to Evans, Dougie and a few other players yet Cam Brate and Hump11 are his favorite players. He throws where he throws out of necessity because the backups don’t fully step up.
May 12th, 2017 at 12:40 pm
@ bobby m
Teams get to the playoffs not elite qbs. If that were the case, bress would have been in the playoffs the past three years but he wasnt. Its more than just elite qbs. Try to keep up.
May 12th, 2017 at 12:53 pm
Its incredible, The impact That Jameis Winston has had on this long suffering Franchise!
On really talented, dedicated young QB- and no amount of optimism seems out of line!!
And without a QB- no draft brings those teams any hope.
So glad We finally found our QB.
Its the one good thing Lovie accomplished!
Tanking for Jameis!
May 12th, 2017 at 1:02 pm
David I said it numerous times a year ago and I will say it again. ME had one really bad game which skewed his numbers. I think too many read Joe’s headlines and his name calling (KY Hands) and failed to see just how well he was performing. Outside of that one game ME did not have an extraordinary number of drops that season. That combined with the fact that his numbers have been outstanding all 3 years he has been in the league tells me that all of the namecalling was unwarranted. Joe does have a tendency to zero in on players he both loves (D Smith) and dislikes (ME). I am sorry Joe but when you spend an entire year name calling our best reciever names and exaggerating a perceived problem it does seem like biased reporting.
May 12th, 2017 at 1:03 pm
Having too many good football players has never been a problem the Bucs have had. I am hoping that is the problem we have this year.
May 12th, 2017 at 2:54 pm
@Capt. Tim- The QB position has been the proverbial fly in the ointment for this franchise for so long. It’s amazing to see just how important having that foundation really is.
If we continue to draft well and develop, this could be a dynastic team. This is what the good franchises do and the “problems” they face.
May 12th, 2017 at 3:06 pm
“Kobe Faker 2017 STATE OF THE UNION (BUCS) is at the “this is the perfect team” thread”
Sean Spicer
May 12th, 2017 at 3:24 pm
It’s a huge blessing that Mike Evans, OJ Howard, Cameron Brate, Chris Godwin and Adam Humphries are NOT divas … Desean may be a little bit but a team can handle ONE … however if Evans was Terrell Owens and OJ was Jimmy Graham I’d be worried … we’ve got solid character, team-first dudes as receivers and that’s awesome for Jameis and the entire team!
May 12th, 2017 at 5:59 pm
Yeah, yeah, yeah now go out and get us some good CBs.
May 12th, 2017 at 11:56 pm
RB and WR have good depth now. Healthy Jameis = Good Games.