Wide Receiver Debate
June 19th, 2016
Can Louis Murphy bounce back?
When healthy, when a certain someone has his head tuned into the game, the Bucs have one helluva one-two punch in Vincent Jackson and Mike Evans.
The bad thing last year was Jackson missed eight games due to injuries and Evans missed too many games due to his head. Still, those guys can light up secondaries.
After them? The Bucs are a bunch of question marks and a whole lot of meh. Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com seems to disagree. He believes waving goodbye to wide receivers come September will mean difficult choices.
What complicates matters is that there isn’t an obvious pecking order among the competitors. As Koetter mentioned on each of the last two days of mini-camp, if you watch enough practices you’ll eventually see every player on that list have his own standout day.
Oh, sure, if you watch the order in which the receivers take their reps, you might divine that Adam Humphries is at least near the top of the battle for the slot-receiver job. On the other hand, we learned from Koetter that Reedy is specifically suited to the slot role, too.
Who knows if Louis Murphy can bounce back from an ugly knee injury? If he can, great.
Still, there is a dropoff. Yes, Joe knows the team is very high on Adam Humphries. After that, it gets barren.
Sure, everyone likes Kenny Bell and his hair. Joe roots for him. But again, please name a play he made once the pads went on last year, and when he wasn’t going against landscapers and Home Depot assistant managers.
Don’t get Joe started on misplaced Calgary Stampeder Donteea Dye.
Dirk Koetter has mentioned the team eagerly will sift through players out of work in the coming months. Joe has to believe the Bucs will eye available wide receivers from that pool.
June 19th, 2016 at 9:47 am
Spots held in that group are kind of iffy. Evans, he will get his catches, fans like him with some concerns. VJax, creaky knees and aging, will contribute and a fan favorite. Murphy, well Murphy’s law, fans are so so. Humphries, he snags most catches, fans like him. Reedy and Dye, not too familar with. Bell, he needs to start ringing it, fans love his potential and wait for it to show up. All considered the group does seem thin. I might have left some out. Possible additional help coming, I ain’t worried, Jameis will find the open man.
June 19th, 2016 at 9:51 am
What I hate about these posts are the way you (Joe) completely ignores that both Dye and Humpries were rookies. They can get better and you act like a player getting better is impossible. The best teams develop players and show patience. Getting rid of players after a rough start is how you lose players that develop into quality depth and sometimes starters. Wes Welker, Earnest Graham, and Michael Bennett are examples of guys you would have tossed aside after one year and that would have been foolish.
June 19th, 2016 at 10:22 am
Glad Joe is spreading things around…….”Landscapers, Home Depot Assistant Managers, Claims Adjusters, UPS Drivers, Busch Garden Tour Guides, Publix Bag Boys, Bouncers, Construction Workers……Actually wasn’t Kurt Warner a Bag Boy at one time?
,
June 19th, 2016 at 10:26 am
Ndog Says:
Wes Welker, possibly one of the most impactful WR’s in his day, nearly impossible to cover, did not tear up the NFL as a Rookie.
In fact, Adam Humpries rookie season compares favorably to Welker’s second season as a WR.
Additionally, Humphries rook season is not that different from Julian Edelman’s rook season especially considering Edelman had Brady throwing to him.
Koetter has been complimentary of Bernard Reedy’s explosion & quickness out of breaks in the slot.
From what I hear, Bell has been balling (in underwear football.) If you don’t ball in underwear football, chances are you won’t ball in pads.
For the first time in my memory, the Bucs have a credible threat in the slot. Three giants (Jackson, Evans & ASJ) a jitterbug in the slot & Sims in the backfield makes for some interesting matchups.
IMO, the Bucs are not as thin at WR as many think. The wild card is Louis Murphy recovery from the ACL. If he comes back solid there will be some difficult decisions to make.
(I want to give props for Hargreaves comment: “If you can ball, you can ball.”)
June 19th, 2016 at 12:07 pm
Didn’t we just have this conversation the other day? Pretty sure we did. If they scooped up any cuts, it might be for the 5th/6th WR spots. Joe is not technically wrong, as far as proven production behind Evans and VJax… but you’re wrong about planning to boot young emerging talent to the curb, in favor of who knows what off the waiver wire. Humphries and Bell are locks to stay with the team unless they have epic meltdowns or injuries. Would I rather have an aging vet or journeyman over Kenny Bell? H3LL no! Joe’s been dragging out this WR moaning longer than he did his Johnny Speedball worship.
June 19th, 2016 at 1:09 pm
I think the wild card is the quality and versatility of pass catchers — Koetter seems to have a different perspective on the position(s).
For example, if you take a standard I-formation and put Sims in motion, do you go into a 3-wide? Or if Vitale is offset, do you have a pro set or a 2-tight end?
The emphasis on versatility and multiple positions may impact the kind of team and personnel we keep.
June 19th, 2016 at 1:14 pm
Lou. Says:
Exactly.
Between the vibes the players are giving out, the feeling of “team” for the first time in years, and coaches who seem to “get it” about today’s players and putting each of them in a position to utilize their personal strengths, this is shaping to be a very, very intriguing team in all three areas.
I doubt “predicable” will be in any scouting report…
June 19th, 2016 at 1:25 pm
what Lou and Cobra just said. We may not be deep at any single spot…but we are deep across the board with a variety of weapons that Koetter knows how to use effectively.
Past our big two we have a great mix that is going to present some real matchup problems for opposing DC’s.
June 19th, 2016 at 1:44 pm
Anquan Boldin is the perfect fit.
June 19th, 2016 at 1:58 pm
Johnny G Says:
Like Roddy White, he may not be signed anywhere until after the first NFL game, because his entire contract would be guaranteed otherwise per the CBA…
June 19th, 2016 at 2:53 pm
@Ndog
I see your point, and for the most part I nearly completely agree. There has to be development.
Too many fans/media want to see instant results. That’s great when it happens, but developed talent can be just as good.
That said…Humphries and Dye have to earn their props. At this point, they may or may not be great in the future. We just don’t know. Until we do, opinions are bound to vary.
June 19th, 2016 at 2:54 pm
I want Roddy White here, but at a least expensive price…and for only a year, two tops. Long enough to get a good replacement.
June 19th, 2016 at 3:20 pm
Both Humphries and Bell have upside that you don’t sacrifice for a one-year player with only downside left. They are both part of the future of this team. If Joe were the GM, impatience would determine 80% of the personnel moves, and this team would be 2-12 every year, churning through aging vets every year trying to squeeze a few more bits of production out of them, and neglecting the development of young players. Dumb.
June 19th, 2016 at 4:24 pm
salish_seamonster Says:
Granted that the Glazers gave up a mega King’s Ransom to get Gruden from the Raiders, but at the end of the day, wasn’t that the ultimate demise of Gruden/Allen?
June 19th, 2016 at 5:07 pm
So cut dye add a vet receiver who is proven. Keep Humphries and bell. Move reedy to practice squad.
June 19th, 2016 at 5:28 pm
Cobraboy Says:
June 19th, 2016 at 4:24 pm
Indeed it was. I was going to mention that as case in point, but that always starts up a polarized battle between the pro and anti Gruden camps, and I didn’t want to start that crap for the 87millionth time. Safe to say, though, that the failure to develop young talent was their demise. Poor scouting, drafting, and impatience all contributed. If Gruden had someone like Jason Licht in charge of the front office and roster, I do believe he’d still be the coach (or he’d be trying to get Licht fired).
June 19th, 2016 at 6:47 pm
Cant wait for the lingerie practice to be over so everyone can see what kind of crap recievers we have against other Defenses at the preseason games.. Koolaid is rampant here in Tampa
We will all see how Humphries, Dye and Bell are all unskilled practice players who cant consistently beat Nfl corners
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” I wanted to be drafted by the Tampa bay Bucs to play in front of poster Kobe Faker” Sterling Shepard
June 19th, 2016 at 8:18 pm
I’m pretty sure Joe wishes that we had better top-flight talent at WR. This is an accurate request as the 3-6 receivers are young, inexperienced and underwhelming ( save maybe for Humpries).
June 19th, 2016 at 8:24 pm
Joe, like I, wanted a young stud from the draft and our Bucs ignored a real need, a non-move that hopefully doesn’t come back and bite them, given the uncertainty after ME18 & VJAX. However, they didn’t ignore their need for a kicker?!?!
June 19th, 2016 at 9:37 pm
Actually had a couple beers with Riley Cooper Saturday night in Crystal River. He WANTS the Bucs to give him a call. Seriously. He may be a viable option.
June 19th, 2016 at 10:35 pm
Koetter said that every NFL team has positions that could use more depth, and the Bucs are no different.
I give Licht and his guys big props for doing a solid job of building this team. Certainly they can’t please everybody.
I’d like to know the progress that Murphy is making. If he’s “back” 100% then WR may be a solid part of the team.
I do like the different talents each player brings to the position. Once again, seems to make for great flexibility in play calling.
June 19th, 2016 at 10:50 pm
There is no debate. We need help at WR. Or a Miracle.
Yes, second yr players will get better with experience. But to expect 3 of your well below average WRs to become the next Wes walkers is pretty optimistic, even for a crazy person.
If we are lucky humpheries becomes half of a Wes Welker. No one knows what Bell can bring on Sundays. And Dye should not even be on this team. If he has any talent, he has yet to show it. I like the idea of developing our own young future stars. But I just don’t see star potential. nothing, and I mean nothing, can replace veteran experience. We should have added at least 1 veteran wr to at least compete with the young guys we have. And I’m not talking about roddy white. Some mid level 4yr wr that hasn’t lived up to his potential. Idk who or if that person even exists, but something along those lines. At the very least to compete.
It is why I liked the CB Robinson signing. No, he is not some stud CB, but he can come in and compete with the 4 or 5 CB and make the depth at CB better. By signing no WRs, it tells me the Gm or HC think we could not do any better at WR, which seem delusional to me. You can not tell me that Dye is the best WR that was available this off season.
June 20th, 2016 at 8:12 am
Ppl are sleeping on speedy Reedy, I really hope he makes the 53. This guy has the speed to take the yop off of defenses(wich we sorely lack) and he is a great return man. Wich we also lack. Back in Koetter’s last in ATL Reedy was killing it in preason and was getting Raving reviews from his coaches. But in the end had to be cut because of a loaded group at WR like Julio, Roddy and douglas. He’s a 4.2 guy, plus he’s from here. Another reason to root for him. Look for him to light it up come august.
June 20th, 2016 at 8:52 am
Trubucfan22 Says:
You seem to be saying your talent analysis is superior to Jason Licht & Dirk Koetter.
Is there a chance they know something—after all, it’s their job 24/7 and they have immense collective experience in player evaluations—that the average Joe Sixpack doesn’t know?
June 20th, 2016 at 5:37 pm
Just because im not a GM, doesn’t mean i couldn’t be a better one than some of the GMs in the league. I know it is hard to believe, but sometimes the fans do have a clue.
June 20th, 2016 at 6:07 pm
bringing in fresh blood and creating more competition is never a bad idea. And with where we are at WR with 3 rookies from last yr taking up spots ar WR. I refuse to believe those are our best options. Call me an arm chair GM all you want, but i know football. And i know competition brings out the best in everyone.
June 21st, 2016 at 8:27 pm
The Bucs have another option besides Louis Murphy, Adam Humphries and Kenny Bell. Former Ohio State WR Evan Spencer. Ohio State offensive coordinator Tom Herman called Evan Spencer the most consistent, versatile wide receiver on the Buckeyes’ roster. Spencer through a TD pass to Michael Thomas in the Sugar Bowl and played in the National Championship game against Oregon. He excels at run blocking and has good hands. He could be the wild card for the number three position.