“Straight Dogs”
March 23rd, 2023
The strength of the Buccaneers remains its receiving corps.
One could argue cornerback, but there are no Pro Bowlers or future Ring of Honor members over there. Inside linebackers? Maybe, but the Bucs’ run defense hasn’t been special in a couple of years.
At receiver? Well, Joe is confident few teams, if any, have a better trio than Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and Russell Gage.
The Gage bashers are out there, but they sort of speak to the guy’s talent. He had 51 catches and 5 touchdowns last season and he’s being labeled a massive underachiever. Think about that for a moment.
Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield is all jacked up to work with his new receivers, so he told the Salty Dogs podcast.
“Dogs. I mean, I respect their game. They’re just straight dogs,” Mayfield replied when asked for his initial reaction to his new receivers corps. “I mean, just how they play the game. They play physical. They’re very, very smart, have a lot of experience. So I’m very excited to work with them.”
Joe can only imagine how fired up Mayfield is to have that trio lining up in front of him. He should be incredibly appreciative.
And if the Bucs can really run the ball (for a change), they should have a heck of a play-action game with Mayfield — assuming he beats out Kyle Trask for the starting job.
March 23rd, 2023 at 10:40 am
The Gage bashers are out there, but they sort of speak to the guy’s talent. He had 51 catches and 5 touchdowns last season he’s being labeled a massive underachiever. Think about that for a moment.
It seems to me that one of the Joes has been a Gage basher……..
I like Gage……he played injured and usually contributed making some tough catches and taking a beating in the process.
I look forward to him playing healthy and being a strong third WR for us.
March 23rd, 2023 at 10:46 am
I like gage we need a explosive WR
March 23rd, 2023 at 10:47 am
Its a shame we don’t have anyone to throw to them.
March 23rd, 2023 at 10:54 am
Who is Kyle Trask?
March 23rd, 2023 at 10:55 am
JBF wrote:
“And if the Bucs can really run the ball (for a change), they should have a heck of a play-action game with Mayfield — assuming he beats out Kyle Trask for the starting job.”
Also,
And if the Bucs can really run the ball (for a change) they should have a heck of a play-action game with Trask – assuming he beats out Baker Mayfield for the starting job.
March 23rd, 2023 at 11:11 am
Gage was hurt last year. Still had respectable numbers considering Godwin and Evans.
Mayfield is mobile enough. He’s got a great arm. He can dink and dunk, if needed. He can run for 5-10 yards in the red zone.
The team was snake bitten last year. Injuries to LT. Fournette. Gage. DBs. Hicks. Who am I missing? Brady is the greatest, but last year had to be hard for him. Bowles took over and obviously was no fan of Leftwich. Of course, Bowles did not do much to get them ready for demonstrably lesser opponents on the road.
If I was GM, I’d have let Bowles go. But I’m a keyboard GM. So it’s not what it ain’t. Bowles gets another shot. Don’t F it up.
March 23rd, 2023 at 11:20 am
Gage was very explosive in atlanta…atleast he was against the bucs. Guy played with a bum hamstring all year. The bucs are gonna surprise alot of folks this year. Not winning a super bowl but I see this team making the playoffs.
March 23rd, 2023 at 11:30 am
We’ll see on Gage, but the guy was constantly hurt last year – after being mostly healthy for the rest of his career. Hopefully he’s healthy this season because you need at least three legit NFL WRs, and the Bucs have two superstars already, and if Gage is more than good enough to be in that #3 role. What you don’t want is something like the Packers game where you’re starting Scotty Miller.
March 23rd, 2023 at 11:38 am
We need speed !!
March 23rd, 2023 at 11:40 am
Scotty Miller has speed but lousy hands. We need Cheetah like speed and hands. Joe is there anyone in the draft or free agency you like ?
March 23rd, 2023 at 11:45 am
I’m old enough to remember when being a “dog” was a bad thing.
In any case, we should have a decent play action game with either quarterback.
March 23rd, 2023 at 11:55 am
Parrishbucsfan Says:
March 23rd, 2023 at 11:40 am
Scotty Miller has speed but lousy hands.
———
Scotty Miller’s issue is that he’s a one trick pony, he has STRAIGHT line speed, but that’s it. He’s not agile and he’s not quick. His hands I’d say are OK, certainly on those downfield passes, his problem has been catching shorter passes. Also his problem was Leftwich was too stupid to know the difference between speed and quickness and kept, over and over, trying to use him with screens and end arounds/reverses where you need someone with quickness.
With Scotty, it’s pretty easy, when he’s in the game, just have him run downfield as fast as he can, and have the throw it as deep as he can. If you do that, he’s valuable since he’s stretching the field and should be opening up things underneath. What Scotty shouldn’t be doing is trying to catch a screen pass on 3rd and 5 and needing to break 3 tackles to get a first down, that’s not what he does.
March 23rd, 2023 at 12:01 pm
Parrishbucsfan Says:
March 23rd, 2023 at 11:38 am
We need speed !!
——-
Godwin ran a 4.42.
Gage ran a 4.42.
Scotty ran a 4.39 at his pro-day, but allegedly ran in the 4.2s before that.
Perriman ran a 4.25.
Thompkins ran a 4.35.
Bucs had plenty speed. They needed an OC that actually uses that speed and is smart enough to know the difference between speed and quickness – and Leftwich was much too dumb to know that difference.
March 23rd, 2023 at 12:41 pm
8.5 million dollars for a starting QB?
8.5 million dollars for a former #1 draft pick?
8.5 million dollars for the 1st QB to take the Browns to the playoffs?
Great deal!!!
Go Bucs!
March 23rd, 2023 at 12:45 pm
I don’t have an issue with Gage.
I have an issue with the decision to let Whitehead go so the Bucs could sign Gage.
March 23rd, 2023 at 1:06 pm
WHAT WE NEED
We have capable WRs. We have an aspiring RB. What we need is a pass catching TE. Either, Cade Otton and Ko Keift needs to step up. If we don’t believe they have the talent, we should draft another TE. Darnell Washington in R2 would be great, if he lasts that long.
March 23rd, 2023 at 1:23 pm
Not saying they’re as good. But he had OBJ and Landry. They’re not slouches. He didn’t do much with them.
March 23rd, 2023 at 2:57 pm
Aren’t you guys the ones labeling Gage a massive underachiever?
March 23rd, 2023 at 3:49 pm
No excuses Baker. You got some of the top NFL receivers at your disposal. We get an OT with that 1st pick and you must deliver or be dumped in the Bay.
March 23rd, 2023 at 4:30 pm
Baker is a straight “POSER”. These guys are not dogs, he fails miserably in his attempt to be “DOWN” with his “DOGS”.
There is a saying for people like Baker in addition to POSER. Kudos to Baker for making a career outta Dogging it.
“Dog it” (Actual Definition) – To be lazy; to loaf or shirk duty; to fail to put forth the effort necessary to achieve or accomplish something.
Maybe he was projecting a bit?
NO BAKER, these guys are WORLD CLASS ATHELETES and MEN.
It’s cool that you want to be cool but that makes you a nut hugger and thus a
“POSER”.
That said, I hope you do well in the unfortunate event that Kyle fails. 8.5 mill is a nice insurance policy for the Bucs. Assuming you stop being a Poser and Dogging it.
Sorry Baker, just not a fan of your’s for obvious reasons. PROVE ME WRONG DOG. (Byron would have been your BFF).
March 23rd, 2023 at 9:03 pm
They need to improve their O-Line, if Brady couldn’t do it behind line, Mayfield sure as heck won’t do it. I feel like Brady retired because he got his butt kicked in the backfield consistently on drop backs. They could see it was happening earlier in the season and never even tried to run the ball more. That’s Leftwich all around, no run game and the line couldn’t protect in the pass game. Like I said, if they don’t improve that line it wouldn’t matter if Mahommes was under center. They ain’t doing nothing, absolutely not with Mayfield.
March 24th, 2023 at 3:38 pm
Pretty sure one of the main Gage bashers out there actually works in your office, Joe…