Luke Stocker: “Enigma”
January 13th, 2014
Jiminy Christmas! Bucs tight end Luke Stocker (remember him?) is such a puzzling figure that they don’t know what to make of him over at One Buc Palace.
Scott Smith of the Bucs’ official website calls Stocker an “enigma” in his latest piece on Bucs returning from injured reserve.
The New Schiano had high hopes for Stocker last season. He put on a load of muscle in the offseason and worked through the summer regularly with Josh Freeman, but Stocker pulled a calf muscle while training for Greg Schiano’s renowned conditioning test — 16 100-yard sprints.
Stocker eventually recovered slowly but was lost quickly to injured reserve with a hip injury after playing in two games.
TE Luke Stocker (IR)
Stocker is undoubtedly the biggest enigma on this list. The Buccaneers picked Stocker in the fourth round in 2011, trading away an additional fourth-round pick in order to move up on the third day of the draft and make sure they didn’t miss the former Tennessee standout. Tampa Bay employed Kellen Winslow at the time but envisioned Stocker becoming the sort of two-way blocking/pass-catching tight end who could eventually supplant the veteran. The Bucs let Winslow go during the 2012 offseason, and Stocker has had two seasons to try to establish himself as the starter. Unfortunately, he hasn’t been able to stay healthy, and he missed all but two games this past season with a hip injury. Because that position is so unclear for the Buccaneers heading into 2014 – even if Tim Wright is the real deal, a team needs more than one competent tight end – Stocker can’t be ruled out. However, he’ll obviously have to prove he can stay healthy for an extended period of time.
Stocker, a 2011 fourth-round pick, is a hard-working type who’s smart enough to know this season likely is his last shot in the NFL. The guy seems to be always hurt or banged up, but he’s also one of those big-body dudes coaches often drool over. (He’s listed at 6-6, 253 pounds on Buccaneers.com but he was a chiseled 265 when he got hurt.)
There’s not a heck of a lot of recent film on Stocker, but he was on the field blocking for Doug Martin and catching 16 balls in 2012. Maybe Lovie Smith and friends will see enough promise to consider Stocker in the mix. But how could a new regime possibly count on Stocker?
January 13th, 2014 at 6:18 pm
He needs to stay healthy this year, he has potential but that means nothing when you can’t stay on the field.
January 13th, 2014 at 6:30 pm
he sucks he doesnt get open and average blocker at best cant really catch i honestly would release him and pick up a tight end in the draft because stocker is definetly replaceable.
January 13th, 2014 at 6:36 pm
Luke, who
January 13th, 2014 at 6:50 pm
Luke Stocker news. Man, it’s going to be a looooong offseason.
January 13th, 2014 at 6:57 pm
I remember Dom telling us that was the next Jason Witten. lmao. We need to wash our hands of this guy.
January 13th, 2014 at 6:58 pm
Could be worse. It could be Luke Scott news.
January 13th, 2014 at 6:58 pm
* he was
January 13th, 2014 at 7:00 pm
Which is worse….letting Blount go, or keeping Stocker?
January 13th, 2014 at 7:01 pm
Tampabaybucfan Says:
January 13th, 2014 at 7:00 pm
Which is worse….letting Blount go, or keeping Stocker?
__________________________________________________________________
Yes
January 13th, 2014 at 7:11 pm
ander Says
“he sucks he doesnt get open and average blocker at best cant really catch i honestly would release him and pick up a tight end in the draft because stocker is definetly replaceable.”
See now, this I disagree with.
What good TEs are in the draft? Have you even looked? The TE pool isn’t all that great this year.
And we still need depth. Stocker should not be handed the starting role, but using him as depth in a contract year could work great. And next year might have a better pool.
January 13th, 2014 at 7:12 pm
We should still take a swing a Jimmy Graham and draft a TE.
We need a true #1 TE.
I remember the rock star immediately coming out saying Stocker was”a second round grade”. Well, let’s see what we have. Hopefully Stockercan become the man.
January 13th, 2014 at 7:13 pm
For some reason, many of you think that because they are not great starters, they should go. Newsflash, backups become backups for a reason. And we need depth.
January 13th, 2014 at 7:20 pm
I think he scares me because his last name is the same as the guy the Rays got for trading away Abreu. 🙁
January 13th, 2014 at 7:30 pm
Bring him to camp. First time he’s out with an injury for an extended amount of time, injury settle and cut him.
January 13th, 2014 at 7:31 pm
Stocker sucks how u can even remotely depend on someone who hasnt even played since 2011 is beyond me. 3 years he’s been injured he’s trash nate bynam is better then him another dom mid round gem. Lol
January 13th, 2014 at 7:37 pm
Sorry but I dont think that he is an enigma. I believe that he is another Dominik mistake.
He is a decent blocker and a big receiving target who is injury-prone, he has below average hands and less than desired ability to get open or run crisp routes. He is a very sluggish looking athlete.
Basically, he is the same player that he was in College.
January 13th, 2014 at 7:46 pm
we’ll keep him around for ever, though he’s shown absolutely ZILCH, in 3 years, including ability to play consecutive games,but Glennon,though he outplayed all rooking QB’s and actually played in 13 game, as a rook, well… he’s gotta go. I understand he deserves some criticism, but it’s turned personal, for some reason, IMO. What would you be saying if we drafted Geno Smith in the 1st round or Manuel?
January 13th, 2014 at 7:56 pm
Trade him to the Patriots and Belichick will make him the next Gronk. Watch and see!
January 13th, 2014 at 8:01 pm
yea long offseason, i thought there was enough news to go around to just say luke stocker sucks as a player…maybe he and bowers workout together in the offseason
Can we make up some better news….Hey JOE lets gets some news on Aaron rodgers little brother maybe talk about some dark horse players that could make an impact on the roster next year, some rashaad melvin’s for 2014
hopefully rodgers is gonna help his brother out with learning tedfords offensives scheme, dont know him so who knows if he has talent but then again we can say that about half of the bucs roster
January 13th, 2014 at 8:03 pm
One man’s bust is another man’s enigma, I guess.
January 13th, 2014 at 8:06 pm
Thomas 2.2,
Precisely, Dominick lauded Stocker as having a “second round grade”, thus explaining the future pick being traded…. The Eagles used our pick to trade for Demico Ryans straight up, SMH another guy that would have been good.
Just like the Freeman trade up by Dominick, that late round pick was used on Peyton Hillis
January 13th, 2014 at 8:06 pm
luke scott lol
January 13th, 2014 at 8:11 pm
Luke Stocker??? Really? lol. Another one of Dominick’s hopes of finding a diamond in the rough that hasn’t panned out. The guy can’t stay healthy and when he does he is nonexistent. That’s like saying we should be counting in RB Micheal Smith to be a big time contributor next year… What evidence is there to assume such a thing? Why was that assumed with Crabtree. Dude caught 6 catches in his career before coming to the Bucs. Wright was a pleasant surprise at TE and that was by accident. lol. Man, I hope this new coaching regime puts together a roster full of depth instead of pipe dreams.
January 13th, 2014 at 8:18 pm
@Tampabaybucfan Says:
Which is worse….letting Blount go, or keeping Stocker?
Wow, Tbbf, you read my mind!
When I read that article on here today, it pissed me off. We needed a backup running back at the time. Blount got a 1,000 yards the previous season, and we gave him away bc Schiano doesn’t know how to deal with him. Such bs. I don’t care if you have “rings” or not, it is your job to maximize your personnel. If he is not in jail, punching cab drivers, planting rumors to implode your team, then you are supposed to MANAGE him.
January 13th, 2014 at 8:23 pm
Pass over him
January 13th, 2014 at 8:37 pm
Have we forgot we also have Tom Crabtree. He’s a beast blocker and has jus as good of hands as Stocker imo. Let him go!
January 13th, 2014 at 8:48 pm
Personally, I love the GMs that trade back and stockpile picks… those are usually the marks of good draft GMing. Because of the extra picks, there is an increased chance that one hits it big, as well as teams being able to take greater chances on boom or bust players because there is a large amount of incoming talent. The Pats have always been good at stockpiling picks, the Rams lately… that should be us. Stockpiling picks and loading the roster up with young talent instead of 1-2 premium guys and 1-2 long shots in drafts where many of the picks were traded away to teams that stockpiled the picks.
January 13th, 2014 at 8:49 pm
I thought Nate Byum was our best blocking TE!
January 13th, 2014 at 8:58 pm
The good thing is that we will have an unbiased evaluation of all players…..Dominick picked this guy and would be reluctant to cut him thus admitting a mistake…..
Myron Lewis was another example……
Tandy was chosen by Schiano and may have recieved extra consideration because of it…..players like Means will have to win the job all over again.
If Stocker stays, it will be because Lovie/Tedford agree that he has value.
January 13th, 2014 at 9:09 pm
Wouldn’t be surprised if at least 1/3 of our roster isn’t cut and replaced before the season starts. The bottom half of our roster has got to be one of the worst in the NFL. We’ve had guys starting the last few years that are unrosterable for half of the league.
January 13th, 2014 at 9:17 pm
I think that Wright just needs to bulk up a little and practice his blocking and he will do just great.
January 13th, 2014 at 10:22 pm
Wright should be the slot wr. just saying 🙂
January 13th, 2014 at 10:59 pm
I like Wright. And I wish we could move foster opposite David and get Bobby Boucher to play middle lb.
January 13th, 2014 at 11:15 pm
Stocker is just another one Dominick’s potential players that he kept around way too long. If your TE can’t catch or block what did Dom see in this guy.
January 13th, 2014 at 11:16 pm
Adrian Clayborn DESERVES a Roster Spot. This kid? nah, not so much. He’s had plenty of opportunities to show the organization. That he can stay health, learn the play book(s), and be productive on and off the field.
1.) LACK OF PRODUCTIONS
-Outside of the fact that we traded two 4th round picks to Philadelphia to take him in the 2011 draft. The 3rd year- pro from Tennessee, has just 28 (catches),(257 yards), and (1 Touchdown) for his career.
2.) Can’t stay Healthy (Examples)
-9/24/13 – TE Luke Stocker was placed on injured reserve Monday with a hip injury. Stocker was inactive for Sunday’s loss to the Patriots, and did not catch a pass this season.
-07/25/13 – TE Luke Stocker (calf) was placed on the Physically Unable to Perform list by Tampa Bay.
-12/21/12 – TE Luke Stocker has a head/nose injury and was limited for the second straight day in practice Thursday.
-11/08/12 – TE Luke Stocker had full participation in practice Thursday after he was limited Wednesday with a shoulder injury.
-11/07/12 – TE Luke Stocker (shoulder) did not participate Wednesday.
……etc, etc, etc.
IMHO
(Draft 1 Tight End) (Options)
-TE Austin Seferian-Jenkins Washington 6-6 276
-TE C.J. Fiedorowicz
&
( Sign Two Free Agents) (Options)
-TE Brandon Pettigrew
-TE Brandon Myers
January 13th, 2014 at 11:23 pm
Tomorrow, Joe brings us an in-depth analysis on Chris Owusu and how new OC Jeff Tedford will make Owusu and Glennon an unstoppable combination, like Montana and Rice!! lol
January 13th, 2014 at 11:25 pm
opps “*INTO an unstoppable combination”
January 14th, 2014 at 1:08 am
Anyone else notice the outlook on kicker, Lawrence Tynes?
January 14th, 2014 at 1:24 am
I agree with the article. Luke has been unproductive with limited playing time. I always felt he was cast aside, with Winslow and Dallas Clark being the main guys. It sucks he got hurt last season. It was his first chance to really prove himself. He will be around through the preseason. He’s signed through the year so we might as well see if he can be the guy we drafted him to be. If not cut him after the preseason and move on with Tim wright, Tom Crabtree, and any other TEs that lovie will eventually sign on.
January 14th, 2014 at 1:39 am
Luke Stocker?
Move along, there is nothing to see here.
January 14th, 2014 at 2:43 am
16 100 yard sprints isnt that a bit much!
January 14th, 2014 at 7:16 am
@ Joe – Off topic but I didn’t have anywhere else to post it:
I enjoyed your “Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow” pieces after our games and was thinking it might be fun if you did a sort of higher level recap version for this season, where we stand today, and the road ahead. Just a thought that I figured I’d share. Either way, still loving the site.
January 14th, 2014 at 8:54 am
luke stocker is the perfect example of the pop star and how he kept losers he brought on board in order to not look bad…sooooo glad that fake is gone and all his machiavellian antics…sorry joe and whine dog looks like you have to work for your ” insider information”…good luck with that
January 14th, 2014 at 8:58 am
americans love BIG regardless of how soft they truly are…if its big its shiny and you people cant look away…give me 10 danny woodheads over weak sauce big men any day of the week…NOPE this team needs meN
January 14th, 2014 at 11:28 am
LUVMYBUCS Says:
February 4th, 2013 at 12:56 pm
We could sign Danny Woodhead
or
Draft: Stepfan Taylor,Kenjon Barner, Rex Burkhead, Kerwynn Williams
January 14th, 2014 at 1:12 pm
@sho-nuff
Exactly.
Wes Welker defies physics. He is tiny out there! But his heart is huge.
January 14th, 2014 at 4:35 pm
“Enigma”? Don’t you mean invisible?!
It’s unfortunate that he hasn’t worked out. This happens sometimes in the draft. Nobody is a sure thing.
On the other hand, one man’s misfortune is another man’s opportunity. Good job Tim Wright!
January 14th, 2014 at 5:59 pm
he’s good enough to be one of the 90 who shows up for training camp. it’s up to him after that
May 9th, 2014 at 9:47 pm
YESSSSssSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS