Thin Wide Receivers Unit
July 31st, 2015
Door now open for rookie WR Kenny Bell to shine?
With training camp beginning tomorrow, maybe Joe can stop banging the keyboard with what any semi-sober Bucs fan already knows: Vincent Jackson and Mike Evans are freaking studs.
After that… gulp.
Joe has nothing against Louis Murphy. He’s a good guy but the NFL doesn’t give out gold stars for nice guys. The guy that mows Joe’s lawn is a nice guy, but Joe sure as hell wouldn’t want him as a Bucs wide receiver.
Joe is a results guy. And Murphy is about as ho-hum as you get. Look, the rotten Raiders let him go and the Bucs even cut him last year at the end of preseason before bringing him back. So it is difficult for Joe to get excited about a No. 3 receiver who would be lucky to make the roster on a decent team.
Now we find out Murphy is on the Active/Non-Football Injury list with a freak non-football ankle injury to begin training camp. Uh, oh.
Right now, if Joe had to guess, your current No. 3 receiver as camp begins is rookie fifth-round pick Kenny Bell. He, too, seems to be a bit injury-prone. Joe loves the upside Bell brings, but getting injured in underwear football has Joe’s antennae up.
Yes, Joe believes Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht will pluck a couple of offensive linemen off waivers before the start of the season, and don’t be shocked if Licht uses his trigger finger to get a wide receiver, as well. Right now, the Bucs are way thin there.
And speaking of wide receivers, TBO.com’s Olivia Stacey is back on video talking Bucs and, specifically, Bucs wide receivers. If Olivia is on video, Joe is watching as you should be.
Oh, yeah. Woody Cummings of the Tampa Tribune also is in the video.
July 31st, 2015 at 4:18 pm
I been saying this since last year. Murphy is not a good #3. Yes he had a couple good catches last year but that doesnt make him a good receiver. We needed to upgrade the position. Hopefully Bell does that for us.
July 31st, 2015 at 4:19 pm
Where’s Tiquan Underwood when you need him
July 31st, 2015 at 4:47 pm
You read this rticle and think every NFL team has 3 stud WRs and Kenny Bell is often injured. Kenny Bell was never injured in college so I’m not sure where you get that he seems injury prone. This is one of the best if not the best WR group from top to bottom the Bucs have ever taken to camp.
July 31st, 2015 at 5:11 pm
There will be at least 4,752 WRs on the waiver wire….surely one of them is better than our worst…..not worried about this position.
July 31st, 2015 at 5:30 pm
Throw to the Fro – and watch him GO
Cummings disagrees with you Joe. He said we are “deep” at WR in this very video. Of course he cites Robert Herron – the “4th round pick” as being in contention also – so that kind of destroys his credibility on the subject…
July 31st, 2015 at 5:45 pm
Ranell Hall Baby
July 31st, 2015 at 6:08 pm
Joe,
Don’t get your concern regarding this position. It’s way down the list as a priority. We have two of the best and I am sure at least one other receiver will emerge. ASJ hopefully shows up giving Jameis several good targets. The OLine and RBs are a much bigger concern. On paper we are weakest in the trenches which is never good.
July 31st, 2015 at 6:13 pm
Probably can add another vet reciever off waivers. Licht has drafted 3 receivers in the last 2 years. Bell, heron, and clay can’t he find 1 decent backup?
July 31st, 2015 at 6:48 pm
Joe the more you complain about lack of talent on this roster is just proof that Dom /Raheem/ schiano were the worst moves over the past 10 years. Off the top of my head I can come up with at least 5 Wr/Te drafted by Dom not on this team. Barron still worse draft pick past 10 years.
July 31st, 2015 at 7:08 pm
LOL at the made up worry. C’mon Joe it is almost Toe to Leather. How many other teams have the One Two punch we have AND have a stud 3????
Jeesh man. Having Two STUDS makes the 3spot’s job a piece of cake. Nothing to see here. Move on.
Don’t even want to get started on what we may have in Bell, Clay, or Sheperd as you wrote earlier.
July 31st, 2015 at 7:30 pm
I don’t get it Joe….she’s not all that bro….I like em petite with curves…JMHO.
July 31st, 2015 at 8:11 pm
One of the WR’s we have after Vjax and Evans WILL step up. Someone wil rise out of the group we have. No worries here. Just keep worrying about that damn o-line rather than anything else. Because if that’s not fixed nothing else matters.
July 31st, 2015 at 8:12 pm
Yeah Joe you’re wrong about this one
August 1st, 2015 at 12:14 am
Reggie Wayne anyone.
August 1st, 2015 at 12:08 pm
Torry Smith would have great. Speed and experience to compliment our size. A receiver I really wanted us to draft was Tre Mcbride of willnmary. Amazing hands and good speed. Poor route running dropped his value. But thats why you have coaches. Ultimately Tennessee got him in the sixth.
I hope Bell holds up. Evans is a bit injury prone as well. We really going all or nothing on Evans and VJ staying healthy and productive for sixteen games.
August 1st, 2015 at 2:05 pm
Every season, only at one game the “3rd” wide reciever always appear. Tiquan vs Detroit and Murphy vs Steelers. Bell should be more consistant and appear in more than one game. Tim wrigth for sure will be a better pass weapon than murphy and shepard.