Bucs Release Jaydon Mickens
October 18th, 2021
Changing of the guard?
This doesn’t sound good.
So the Bucs released their top return man who has done a decent job, Jaydon Mickens, the team announced this afternoon.
The Bucs did this to make room for guard John Molchon, who was promoted from the practice squad.
Generally, guys do not get promoted unless there is an injury or, given current events, someone has The Sickness. Of course, this is just Joe’s educated speculation.
For those practice squad junkies out there, all three of you, the Bucs signed former Dixie Chicks and Raiders corner Blidi Wreh-Wilson to the practice squad. The eight-year NFL vet played three years for Tennessee and five seasons in Atlanta, including 15 games last season.
Rookie Jaelon Darden, you best be ready, assuming the Bucs don’t sign Mickens back off the street. This Bucs team has no time to develop guys. They need production from you now as the playoffs are in focus.
October 18th, 2021 at 4:10 pm
I worry about mickens. He fumbled again when he got hit last Thursday. Not a good look. Has shown me nothing in the return game. Other than a 40 yard horizontal sprint to out of bounds. A glaring weakness that needs corrected.
October 18th, 2021 at 4:15 pm
Should be fun, dude has legit start stop cutting abilities. Looks a lot like Kadarius Toney
October 18th, 2021 at 4:16 pm
I’ve been calling for Cordarelle Patterson for years. Hes the ideal kickoff return man. Long Stride. Power. Vision. Huge.
And Patterson is a great #6 WR/ #4 RB.
I’ve always wanted him here in Tampa Bay.
Too bad.
October 18th, 2021 at 4:22 pm
Imagine being the kick returner. Like being a Kamikaze.
Special Teams pay, high impact collisions.
It’s gotta be, the “Low Man on the Totem Pole Job”
I’d run out of bounds too.
October 18th, 2021 at 4:25 pm
Life expectancy of a kick returner, can’t be too high, lol
October 18th, 2021 at 4:26 pm
Bring on Darden! Give him a chance to make an impact.
October 18th, 2021 at 4:30 pm
Well, there goes our ELECTRIFYING return game.
😂😂😂
October 18th, 2021 at 4:35 pm
Doesn’t feel like COVID… you would just put that player on the reserve list and get an exemption… maybe someone was about to try and sign Molchon
October 18th, 2021 at 4:40 pm
meh, he wasn’t special. surprised he made the tea,. He’s been OK.
October 18th, 2021 at 4:43 pm
Did anyone see Mickens’ block on Mike’s last TD grab against the Fish? Positively Claytonian.
He performed well in the SB, no one can take that from him. His fumbles are his undoing. BA probably figures if there’s a fumble risk might as well develop Darden.
October 18th, 2021 at 4:45 pm
And Darden has shown exactly what when they have put him back there?
October 18th, 2021 at 4:49 pm
He seems to always run towards the exits.
October 18th, 2021 at 4:49 pm
Very suprized. He wasnt electrifing but he was trustworthy and productive. And yeah, I saw his fumble last week, doubt that had antyhing to do with it.
Do we need to worry about our OLine now?
October 18th, 2021 at 4:52 pm
“This Bucs team has no time to develop guys.” – A SB team that returned all their starters and don’t need Rookies to carry so much of the production is exactly the type of team that has time to develop players. Like letting a 4th rd pick get grow and work 6 weeks into the season.
October 18th, 2021 at 4:52 pm
A little surprising, but Mickens does not offer a ton to the Bucs roster.
Don’t forget the Bucs have possibly the best punt returner in the NFL on their roster(A.B.)
October 18th, 2021 at 4:53 pm
My favorite kick returners are anyone other than myself.
October 18th, 2021 at 4:53 pm
Feel sad for Mickens.
October 18th, 2021 at 4:59 pm
There’s something the staff doesn’t like about Mickens. They were just waiting for Darden to develop enough to replace Mickens.
October 18th, 2021 at 4:59 pm
You have to run upfield in the nfl ,,, sideways looks great but isn’t effective..
October 18th, 2021 at 4:59 pm
There could be something else we don’t know about. Time will get the info out. But man oh man, this season is just getting uglier.
October 18th, 2021 at 5:08 pm
would hate seeing AB get blown up on a return from a punt or kick! Not acceptable!
October 18th, 2021 at 5:28 pm
It’s about time, he scares me everytime he touches the ball. He has one great game this season and sucked all last season. He goes east & west not north & south. Good riddens.
October 18th, 2021 at 5:38 pm
Stop with the AB as punt returner. Have u lost your Goddam mind. Best receiver on the team and some of u want to play Russian Roulette with him. Sheesh people. Already lost Carlton Davis from playing special teams. That’s enough.
October 18th, 2021 at 5:42 pm
He coughed up the ball in Philly, luckily we recovered it. Darden offers more explosiveness should he need to sub in @ WR for a few snaps.
October 18th, 2021 at 5:45 pm
Mickens may be back later. I wonder if this has to do with his gun charge in L.A. from his early summer run in with law enforcement?
October 18th, 2021 at 5:48 pm
he was playing better through the first 4 games or so then he has ever played as a buc…
reward: “you’re cut holmes”
he slowed down a bit of late and had that low key fumblerooskee the other night…
he was just treading water with darden getting groomed like a pomeranian…
maybe he’ll be back…
remember that big game he had versus the giants last year…7 catches…he was brady’s go to for one night only
October 18th, 2021 at 5:49 pm
What I was wondering @Marine Buc
October 18th, 2021 at 6:10 pm
I volunteer. I’m 6’0 and 335. Good luck bringing me down after a 1 yard gain! Bring it!
October 18th, 2021 at 6:14 pm
Billy “White Shoes” Johnson.
October 18th, 2021 at 6:14 pm
ridden., AB, Evan’s, Godwin, Benard off the table. Darden or Johnson best choices. I like Johnson myself.
October 18th, 2021 at 6:26 pm
Deeyham. I was looking forward to Mickens breaking a return wide open. But I guess this will not happen. Good luck to him. Somebody just might pick him up.
October 18th, 2021 at 6:37 pm
Gut feel is that Mickens will be back first time that Darden fumbles. I remember seeing him drop the ball twice on punts in preseason and might have been more. Fumbles deep in your own territory can lose you the game fast as anything.
Still wondering WHY Molchon’s coming up though. He’s good size, but danged, we’ve already got Marpet, Cappa, Stinnie & Leverett ALL at Guard. Molchon makes FIVE. Add to that Jensen (C), Smith (LT), Wells (T), Wirfs (RT) & Hainsey (OL) and we’re now carrying TEN OLinemen. That’s unprecedented best I can remember.
October 18th, 2021 at 6:40 pm
Time for a change. Alot of guys can catch the ball. Let’s find out if we have someone who can make plays now.
October 18th, 2021 at 6:49 pm
They did this because they know they could release him without risk of him being claimed on waivers and put him on the practice squad and still elevate him on game day as a practice squad player.
October 18th, 2021 at 7:12 pm
So who is injured… Jensen or Marpet or Cappa?
October 18th, 2021 at 7:26 pm
Something went off the rails other than game day performance
My.02
October 18th, 2021 at 8:13 pm
Maybe he complained that he wanted some targets LOL.
October 18th, 2021 at 8:27 pm
GOOD! Mickens always sucked in the return game. Give us some good speed and cuts Jalen.
October 18th, 2021 at 8:35 pm
Fair catch all the way
October 18th, 2021 at 9:00 pm
I have to admit that he does take the long way to get two yards, but it is a surprise, he is the eighth string receiver or something too.
The guard getting promoted is more important. Cappa didn’t look right on Thursday, looked like a leg was lame. That will be tough because he is a very good run blocker, maybe our best.
October 18th, 2021 at 9:07 pm
More concerned about why we needed to promote a guard
October 18th, 2021 at 10:50 pm
Not sure how you think Mickens has done a good job. He showed up in game one, since then he has danced around and not done anything besides bobble some balls. Plus, he has no upside in ever being really used in the offense.
I have been hoping they would give Darden a shot the last few weeks…
Careful what I wish for.
Step one – secure the ball rookie!!
Don’t dance too much -get what you can and go!
October 18th, 2021 at 11:25 pm
Cappa has been Crappa lately hasn’t he?
🤔
October 19th, 2021 at 12:26 am
Wonder if Mickens getting released has anything to do with his getting arrested on weapons violations in California in the off season?
October 19th, 2021 at 12:50 am
Are you suggesting the Bucs just found out about this Monday? 🙂
October 19th, 2021 at 5:21 am
I think this is a move to get more playing time for Darden
He will have to up his ST play for sure.
Mickens has been ok – but Darden has the speed
October 19th, 2021 at 9:14 am
Wow, this move makes me a little nervous. Hopefully Darden showed in practice he is now ready to be the full time returner. He didn’t exactly inspire confidence early in the season when he looked like the deer in the headlights Jackson kid out of App State on a kickoff return. Hopefully he can just catch the ball and not put us in bad positions. Someone mentioned Cappa, the only huge pressures given up in the Philly game save one came right through and I mean through Cappa. Hopefully Aaron Stinnie is ready to go. Because if you get Tom Brady hit to many times you will find yourself sitting next to the water boy on the bench.
October 19th, 2021 at 10:05 am
In the Eagles and Pats games, he fumbled after slipping, when the intelligent decision was to simply stay on the ground. He was bailed out both times — by a penalty in NE, and by a Bucs recovery in Philly. It is the sort of decision RoJo struggles with, and one in which we have seen RoJo fumble as well — remember the Giants game last year.
I think the coordinators expect players to control the ball. If they cannot be trusted to do so because they make a dumb decision to gain, at most, 2-3 yards after slipping, then they won’t see much of the field.
October 19th, 2021 at 4:29 pm
don’t rule out legal trouble that hasn’t gone public yet.
October 19th, 2021 at 5:18 pm
Well, considering Molchon has now been cut and Mickens was signed back to the practice squad, all this speculation was for naught.
October 19th, 2021 at 9:06 pm
I have been a true Bucs fan from the late 70s and that was a great move we dont have time for maybes we want the playoffs no time for maybes