Bucky Irving Was Robbed
January 27th, 2025
Robbed.
Joe can’t fully remember the last time a Bucs rookie made such a splash and such an impact as Bucky Irving did.
However, when the five finalists were named for the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, Bucky wasn’t among them. What the hell? Who were the final finalists?
Tight end Brock Bowers of the Raiders, quarterback Jayden Daniels of the Commandos, quarterback Bo Nix of the Broncos receiver Brian Thomas of the Jags and receiver Malik Nabers of the Giants.
Bowers, Daniels and Nix are no-brainers in Joe’s mind. Thomas is a strong if not gifted wide receiver. Then Joe comes to Nabers.
Is Nabers good? Yeah. But what kind of impact did he have? The Giants lost 14 friggin’ games for crying out loud.
How can Nabers be in that final five and not Bucky? Even Tyler Brooke of The 33rd Team seemed miffed by this shunning of Bucky.
Contact balance was Irving’s best trait coming out of college, and that continued in the NFL. In fact, Irving led all ball carriers with 4.03 yards after contact per rush attempt, a full 0.12 yards ahead of second place.
Other rookies had great years, and it’s tough to only pick five for OROY. However, it’s a shame that a running back who showed such promise as a Day 3 pick didn’t get named a finalist.
Do the Bucs even make the playoffs without Bucky? Possibly not. Is Liam Coen still the Bucs’ offensive coordinator without Bucky? Joe thinks that’s a safe bet.
Bucky had a major impact. The team was horrible with the run, 32nd last year. With Bucky the Bucs rose to fourth! That is a monumental improvement.
How could the catalyst for that not be a finalist for Offensive Rookie of the Year? Shameful.
January 27th, 2025 at 12:03 am
He’s the Bucs OROTY in my book.
January 27th, 2025 at 12:06 am
Was waiting for this article. Honestly both of those wide receivers don’t even hold Bucky’s jock when it comes to oroy. He got robbed baaaaaad.
January 27th, 2025 at 12:24 am
He might as well get used to it, LVD has.
It seems, as far as the NFL is concerned, that the Bucs represent “The other side of the tracks”, so to speak.
LVD has produced on a Hall of Fame level throughout his career with the Bucs. But precious few outside of Bucs fandom would admit it, let alone connect him to the Hall discussion.
I wouldn’t even be surprised if M1k3 Evans has to wait through a cycle or two even though he’s a shoo in because……. he’s a Buccaneer.
January 27th, 2025 at 12:41 am
The more disrespect the Bucs get the better. It’s hilarious how we think the El Serpiente drama is massive news. Can’t find squat about it on the league’s official website. Bucky was amazing, so fun. So great. Lucky for him, Coach held him back in favor of Rachaad White even when it was obvious to the world Bucky was at least as good as Rachaad in the pass game but way better in the run game. Yep. Glad we kept him on the bench behind White during the 4 game losing streak.
Genius.
January 27th, 2025 at 1:19 am
Bowers and Daniel’s are in the top tier, Bucky was deserving but shouldn’t have won.
January 27th, 2025 at 1:52 am
Irving loses to 2 rookie wide receivers that both played on losing teams? NFL should be embarrassed!
January 27th, 2025 at 4:16 am
Not a chance he would have won, clean house, but to not be nominated? That’s a travesty.
January 27th, 2025 at 4:30 am
Bucky should have been right there too as a finalist. Shame on the NFL. Disappointed again.
Also, from the article, Kliff Kingsbury being snubbed. He should have been named too.
January 27th, 2025 at 5:32 am
Cadillac Williams Joe. What might have been still frustrates the heck out of me. Being an SEC fan, I watched alot of his games in college. He was the real deal as a rookie. Almost as amazing was that he came back from the first Knee injury at all not to mention the second one. Hope Bucky fares better.
Not a finalist? What the heck were people watching? Same old Tampa disrespect Joe. I should be used to it by now but it still ticks me off! Can you say corrupt media?
Go Bucs!
January 27th, 2025 at 6:02 am
Welcome to Tampa Bucky where the nfl sleeps on the players that are here smh
January 27th, 2025 at 6:17 am
I feel this diss.🤨
January 27th, 2025 at 6:25 am
Been having this argument daily with fellow nfl fans it’s sickening no one wants to admit he’s good…definitely can’t wait for year 2 of bucky
January 27th, 2025 at 6:44 am
Nabors got on because he’s in the NY market. He was the only bright spot on a piss poor team. Bucky had our O line, receivers, and Baker. Nabors had to make Tommy Cutlet look good.
January 27th, 2025 at 6:44 am
Yawn
January 27th, 2025 at 7:00 am
If you take a turd put a shine on it and slap a NY Giants logo on it, the writers will make it automatically the next All Pro.
January 27th, 2025 at 7:28 am
The proof is in the pudding. The NFL is fixed. It’s not a sport anymore. It’s entertainment just like the WWE.
January 27th, 2025 at 8:20 am
We complain that LVD did not get enough credit all those years he was on a losing Bucs team.
Now we complain about rookie wide receivers getting noticed even though they were on losing teams.
ME was 3rd in rookie of the year voting in 2014 despite being on a 2-14 Bucs team.
Mike Evans Rookie Year. 68 rec, 1051 yds, 12 TDs. 46 1D.
Brian Thomas. 87 rec. 1282 yds. 10 TDs. 53 1D.
Malik Nabers. 107 rec. 1204. 7 TDs. 56 11D.
That being said, I clearly would have given it to Bucky Irving over Nabors. It seems like it was just the 1st round bias by the 33rd team.
January 27th, 2025 at 8:24 am
The NFL is scripted. Just look at the Chiefs getting every call go their way.
T-Swift was not going to be left out of the Superbowl.
Viewership is down again and the NFL wants to replace those eyeballs.
Swifties are going to add millions of views just to see her in the booth.
Just a soap opera for fat guys.
January 27th, 2025 at 8:50 am
Why am I not surprised? I’m amazed Bucs ACTUALLY have great D players in Canton! Both LVD and ME13 belong in there on the first ballot. Most likely won’t happen. When you have a corporate sports talking head/azz like Cris Collinsworth looking like he’s gonna puke cos the Bucs won a SB, what’s that tell ya? Man, the NFC Championship game was a very bad joke. Did Washington even show up? I’m way over the Kansas City Chiefs. NFL politics and corruption.
January 27th, 2025 at 9:01 am
The Bucs players will continue getting overlooked for team under performance. When you lay eggs on national telecast then talent is questioned for not being all that great. Just the way it is.
January 27th, 2025 at 9:05 am
Joe, any news about Bucky’s planned foot surgery?
January 27th, 2025 at 9:34 am
BUCKY WAS A FUN ROOKIE…
BUT WE STILL SHOULD HAVE SIGNED SAQUON BARKLEY IN FREE AGENCY LOOK WHAT IT DID FOR THE EAGLES
January 27th, 2025 at 10:42 am
The black helicopters are circling, and the aliens are about to beam up the ones who have it all figured out!
I’ll bet they’ll also ask why Bowles leaves the middle of the field wide open so much, and why he plays soft shell cover who?
January 27th, 2025 at 11:50 am
QB always bests RB. That’s how this works.
January 27th, 2025 at 12:19 pm
No love for Barton either. Dude started every game but one as a rookie center.
January 27th, 2025 at 12:31 pm
Yeah, that’s a tough one, but unless Nabers & Thomas had had ‘historic type’ seasons themselves, you HAVE TO factor in Team Success, & Impact on that success.
January 27th, 2025 at 1:59 pm
Ironically of the 5 OROY listed, only 2 were offensive player of the week for their respective conference, Nix and Daniel’s. Meanwhile, the bucs had 2 rookies make OPOW, BUCKY and Tucker
January 27th, 2025 at 2:10 pm
Bucky should have been a finalist for ROY and a pro bowl alternate. But the media and sports talks shows don’t care for the Bucs. We are the Rodney Dangerfield of the NFL.
January 27th, 2025 at 2:27 pm
Agree he should have been in over Nabers.
January 27th, 2025 at 3:15 pm
why don’t the bucs give him nfc offensive player of year shun the system of higher ups they don’t know sh!t that guy has to tak÷ some serious beatings to get them yards u like receivers running little routes a ting like queens on a regular day the real deal takes serious abuse go bucky
January 27th, 2025 at 7:55 pm
Tucker wasn’t a rookie. Year 2 for Tuck.
January 27th, 2025 at 7:59 pm
Only more fuel for next year!! Buuuucky!!
January 28th, 2025 at 7:01 am
OC didn’t even start Bucky until the end of the season. I put this one on coen.
1) identify your best position players.
2) start those players.
January 28th, 2025 at 11:14 am
The other guys are starters. White was still shoved down our throat 14 games