Tight End Invisibility Stands Out
December 15th, 2014
Tight end Brandon Myers (left) has been very quiet
Tight end is not a big part of the Tampa Bay offense this season. The days of Tim Wright making sick catches over the middle are long gone.
Heck, Dallas Clark catching 47 balls and four touchdowns a couple years ago almost feels like the glory days.
Collectively, the Bucs’ four tight ends have 45 catches this season. Half the teams in the NFL have just one tight end with as many receptions.
Joe’s not sure what’s happened. Consider the poor output from the tight end position just another failure of the Bucs offense.
Lovie Smith and Jason Licht jumped on TE Brandon Myers immediately in free agency. He had caught 126 balls over the past two seasons for the Raiders and Giants. That’s pretty darn good. Myers can catch, but the Bucs haven’t really made him part of the offense.
Why?
Myers has 18 receptions for 169 yards and zero touchdowns. Due more than $2 million of non-guaranteed cash next season, Joe suspects Myers will be gone and joining his fourth team in as many years next season. (Hey, more free agency money!)
Luke Stocker (five catches) can block and play special teams. He’s still just 26 years old, and he managed to stay healthy. Joe suspects the Bucs will look to re-sign him when his rookie contract expires soon. Stocker’s an excellent third tight end.
Of course, the Bucs have their eggs in the basket of rookie Austin Seferian-Jenkins, a big body with big-time talent. But he landed on injured reserve today with a back injury. He had numerous ailments through the season.
Seferian-Jenkins was the 2014 second-round pick and will get every chance to prove himself under the new offensive coordinator, assuming he can get out of the trainer’s room.
December 15th, 2014 at 4:40 pm
ASJ will be fine next year.
December 15th, 2014 at 4:43 pm
Asj ain’t that good Joe. U hyped him up all training camp but he’s underwhelmed to say the least. hes fat runs sloppy routes inconsistent hands and his blocking prowess is highly overrated. Tim Wright was two times the te asj is.
Should have drafted oline instead of fatass sefarian Jenkins. hes slow and can’t seperate.
December 15th, 2014 at 4:52 pm
ASJ has not had a great rookie year and has had a # of injuries. I sure don’t understand all the negative comments about him on this site though. The eye ball test says the kid had talent. If he can stay healthy – I imagine ASJ will be a very good offensive player for the Bucs in years to come.
December 15th, 2014 at 5:15 pm
He looks to be a receiving mismatch. I can’t wait until we have a real qb who can exploit it. My question though, can he block? It would be nice to have an every down tight end who can do it all.
December 15th, 2014 at 5:17 pm
We are seriously crippling ourselves by using linemen as tight ends. Play calling becomes more predictable than it already is. Play action doesn’t even work because they don’t have to cover as many people.
December 15th, 2014 at 5:59 pm
If we had a yada yada yada, We all know what we need, we just ahve to get it.
December 15th, 2014 at 6:13 pm
When you hand deliver your most productive TE to New England and draft a dope in the high 2nd…you begin to realize why your team is eyeballing 2-14.
December 15th, 2014 at 6:40 pm
ASJ will be fine……Fans who trash him will eat their words.
As for the TEs….I suspect they have had to stay on the line to block to help our weak Oline….and we have actually sent extra linemen to help (unsuccessfully)
Can’t catch a pass when you have an opponent knocking you to the ground at the line of scrimmage!!!
December 15th, 2014 at 6:58 pm
I was surprised at hoe effective Stocker was yesterday in run support. Lining him and ASJ in some two TE sets next year could be a dynamic mix. Big question is can either one stay healthy?
December 15th, 2014 at 7:05 pm
But Wright was a Schiano/Rutgers guy! He had to go…right Lovie? What a moron
December 15th, 2014 at 7:42 pm
I would like to remind Bucs fans that Mark Dominik TRADED UP for Luke Stocker…. He traded up to get a THRD TIGHT END.
NOW HIS FAILURE IS COMPLETE.
December 15th, 2014 at 7:51 pm
“Joe’s not sure what’s happened.”
Say it ain’t so Joe. You know exactly what happened! ASJ had a rookie season ruined by injury. The little bit he did play with even a modicum of health he looked just as good as you claimed he was in training camp.
I’m fine with our TE’s. Like you in training camp I’ve seen enough of ASJ to believe he gives us the passing threat, and Stocker has proven to be a very versatile and talented guy who can block from the FB position as well. Don’t know about Cameron Brate yet but I think he deserves a look next at camp.
I thought Myers was more of a “blocking” TE than receiver anyway. I’d consider him at camp again next year unless Brate can beat him out.
December 15th, 2014 at 10:36 pm
People who judge a players future career on his rookie season are complete idiots. Peyton manning had one of the worst rookie seasons of all time. I’m sure you idiots would have cut him, too.
One reason for their non production is they are staying on the line to block.
The other is our high school OC doesn’t know how to use them since we rarely attack the middle of the field.
Maybe ASJ hurt his back standing on the ball.
December 15th, 2014 at 11:56 pm
we blew this pick by not taking jarvis landry
December 16th, 2014 at 1:12 am
A real offensive coordinator would know how to utilize the TE position in the running,passing,and end zone,but We got Arroyo!
December 16th, 2014 at 9:18 am
Right now the ASJ pick looks like a wasted effort but perhaps he can still be an asset under a new OC next season. For that matter the 3rd round choice for Sims did not turn oput so well either, wasn’t that guy supposed to be a Matt Forte clone???? Again, lets see what happens under a new OC; hopefully Lovie does not bring in one of his old buddies like Mike Tice or Martz to run it after the way this season went I suspect that L&L will be on a very short leash concerning coaching and personnel decisions ….
December 16th, 2014 at 1:18 pm
How many drops and bone head plays for ASJ this year?