Tim Wright Is Too Good To Bury
August 20th, 2014
Lovie Smith’s public flogging of Tim Wright could simply be a motivational tactic for the second-year tight end, perhaps even a bizarre smokescreen for the Panthers.
After all, Wright, as a rookie playing a brand new position, caught 54 balls and five touchdowns last season. He’s a valuable 24-year-old talent.
Joe would be surprised if the Bucs cut Wright, and Lovie’s firm criticism may have torpedoed any trade leverage the Bucs might have had.
Regardless, former Buccaneer tight end Anthony Becht, who now works for the Buccaneers Radio Network, says it’s on Lovie, Jeff Tedford and their staffs to find a way to use Wright’s skills.
“I would be a little disappointed if I didn’t see Tim Wright make the team. You hate to see a 50-catch guy in the NFL, especially young in his career, not be able to fit into the mix,” Becht said on WDAE-AM 620. “I don’t see anybody distancing themselves, like Brandon Myers or Luke Stocker, so I can’t say those guys are worthy of, you know, getting Tim Wright cut. I haven’t seen [Wright] day to day. He’s got to get better. Just off what I saw last year of Tim Wright, I think you have to find a way to fit him into the mix of the offense.”
Joe agrees with Becht, but the roster numbers game might hurt Wright. The Bucs are piling up all kinds of injuries at other positions.
August 20th, 2014 at 9:02 am
if they cut wright i will be off the lovie train
August 20th, 2014 at 9:05 am
That’s why this stocker love is out of hand. He’s slow as hell and can’t break a tackle to save his life who cares if he can block put on 30 pounds and become a guard then. If we cut Wright for that waste of space I’ll be borderline done with lovie. And Brandon Myers? Prfff….please
August 20th, 2014 at 9:11 am
What does a player have to do to be appreciated around here?
August 20th, 2014 at 9:11 am
Wright was arguably our best offensive player last season. If he’s cut, then Lovie is even worse than I thought.
August 20th, 2014 at 9:15 am
I would be extremely pissed if Wright were cut in favor of Stocker or Myers.
August 20th, 2014 at 9:17 am
Joe would be surprised if that happened.
August 20th, 2014 at 9:19 am
Everyone knows if Wright gets cut hell go right to New England and have a huge season and the Bucs will look moronic for ditching him. Especially if it means keeping Stocker.
August 20th, 2014 at 9:48 am
Tim Wright did more in his rookie campaign then Stocker’s done in his career here, I don’t see Lovie/Licht being able to find a justifiable reason to let Wright walk and I could care less for other TEs not name ASJ. Hopefully Wright can get his blocking skills polished up and drown out this silly Luke Stocker talk, who still isn’t worth the two 2011 4th round picks Mark Dominik spent on him.
August 20th, 2014 at 9:50 am
Some vocal fans were livid when Blount and Talib went to the Pats and the Bucs at least got draft picks for both. I can only imagine the PR carnage if Lovie were to let Wright go, have him play better than any of the Bucs TE’s, and get nothing to show in return. Lovie had better win in the next couple years or a lot of the same fans who have been kissing his ass all offseason will instead want to kick it out of Tampa.
August 20th, 2014 at 9:51 am
Wright isn’t going anywhere……you don’t catch everything thrown at you then suddenly not catch well…..unless you wear # 80…I’ll let you put a name to the number!!!
August 20th, 2014 at 9:58 am
At beginning of camp they was saying all good things about him. I wonder what is going on now? And I agree with you also I don’t see him getting cut so they’ll have to find a way to use him.
August 20th, 2014 at 9:59 am
Basically, the point is, unless you are an established star everybody else has to “earn” their spot on the roster.
Tim Wright’s performance last year, doesn’t mean anything this year.
He has to earn that spot.
Kinda like the disclosure on mutual funds:
“Past performance is no guarantee of future results”
Can Stocker “come out from the shadows of the injury-prone” and steal Wright’s spot……
Anything’s possible.
August 20th, 2014 at 10:07 am
They won’t cut Wright because of his upside and his receiving ability, that’s a matchup problem for defenses.
No doubt he’s in a funk but be patient with him Bucs please.
August 20th, 2014 at 10:20 am
When ASJ was drafted I immediately had thoughts of him and Tim Wright in 2TE sets. Mike Evans wide left and VJAX wide right. Add in pre snap motion in a hurry up attack and the Bucs could keep Ds guessing. Lets not forget Martin in the backfield. To me, this is how I see the future of the O. We shall see.
August 20th, 2014 at 10:51 am
Wright isn’t going anywhere. So Lovie called him out. Big deal. Coaches do that to motivate players all the time.
My concerns are elsewhere on the roster and on our backup situations.
August 20th, 2014 at 10:53 am
Tom Edrington Says
“Basically, the point is, unless you are an established star everybody else has to “earn” their spot on the roster.”
Unless your name is Mike Glennon, of course. Then you are considered the “future of the franchise” without earning it.
August 20th, 2014 at 11:28 am
@Bonzai
this whole article just points how MG8 made Wright look like a legit NFL Player! That is all this kid does is make all the other players better. Can’t wait until half way thru the season when old man mcCown is benched and the future begins!
August 20th, 2014 at 11:37 am
1 – Bucs will keep 4 TEs.
2 – Tim Wright will get plenty of opportunities this year.
3 – Bucs will draft a QB in 1st round next year.
Just saying’ …
August 20th, 2014 at 12:06 pm
Wright didn’t even start until 5 or 6 games in last season so his catch total might have been near 70.
It’s just the usual HC grumbling here. He can start to worry when Lovie stops talking about him.
August 20th, 2014 at 12:16 pm
Wright caught 54 balls last year because their weren’t any other options… Unless we just threw it to V.Jax 50 times a game…
Wright has decent hands, average speed and runs average to poor routes…
I’m not saying we should dump him but his contribution will be very limited this year unless the injury bug takes out a few more starters…
August 20th, 2014 at 12:46 pm
“Wright has decent hands, average speed and runs average to poor routes…”
Which still means he’s better than what we’ve seen from Stocker
August 20th, 2014 at 1:00 pm
@ bucrightoff
*If* he were released and went to New England, that would be one of the ‘best’ scenarios for Lovie. The problem is that if he is released, he might end up in Carolina or Atlanta. THAT could easily come back to bite Lovie.
But, IMHO, I just don’t see Lovie letting go of Wright.
August 20th, 2014 at 1:13 pm
It’s all about ASJ as a pass catcher which means the other TE must be able to block. This is why they are trying to make Wright a slot receiver. He has not looked too good in that role.
August 20th, 2014 at 2:07 pm
I think out of all of them, Stocker and Meyers are the most interchangeable, especially if ASJ can improve his blocking. I think Tedford envisions shades of the New England offense, with Wright playing the Aaron Hernandez tweener-type role and ASJ being the in-line guy. That two tight-end, two-wide package will be nasty if we can establish a consistent run game out of it. Once teams start to counter it with their base 4-3/3-4, it opens up opportunities with those two TEs.
Of course, this is all premised on the idea that the O-line will be up to the task. We’re still lacking a starter and, no, I’m not counting Cousins. I’ll gladly eat my crow and enjoy it too if he can play replacement-level ball for a majority of the season, but nothing up to this point has proven that he has that ability.
August 20th, 2014 at 3:36 pm
Like I said joe there will be a mutiny if Wright gets cut. Wright scores tds, nuff said.
August 20th, 2014 at 4:23 pm
I agree with Joe’s feeling that it’s Lovie’s way of motivation. He seems to be harder on the younger players, making sure they realize they have to earn it.
or maybe it’s still the way it seemed when L&L took over. When Licht called Wright a “good receiver”. Maybe that’s how they see him and are focused on developing a more true tight end, like ASJ.
August 20th, 2014 at 4:42 pm
I thought the plan was to keep 4 TE’s.
But he was not much of a blocker last season, and that’s the criticism this year under new staff.
Besides, can’t he also play some slot WR? Seems he’s a TE/WR hybrid anyway, and not a true TE as the other 3 are…
I’d be shocked of Wright got cut…(not shocked at a trade, not that such would happen…)
August 20th, 2014 at 4:45 pm
VJax wide, Evans off the line, Wright in the slot, AJS at TE…how do you cover that with normal height humans?
August 20th, 2014 at 8:34 pm
@ Mac
Correction sir, exceptional hands.
August 21st, 2014 at 7:51 am
Cobraboy Says:
“VJax wide, Evans off the line, Wright in the slot, AJS at TE…how do you cover that with normal height humans?”
Sack/chase the QB seems to be the way that Jacksonville and Miami do it. 🙂
August 21st, 2014 at 12:35 pm
I agree with Realist. Gaaaaaaaaaa.
August 26th, 2014 at 2:12 pm
We have him now Goooooo Pats.