Comments on: The Battle For The No. 2 Receiver

By: FuNkYxMuNkEy

FuNkYxMuNkEy — Tue, 19 Jun 2012 23:23:04 +0000

I think this is a great problem to have. We have 3 awesome WRs and another couple good WRs. Running sets with Jackson and Williams on the outside and Benn in the slot is scary dangerous. And with 4 and 5 WR sets we can throw in Parker, Underwood, Shoemaker, or Briscoe if he makes the cut. If Josh can’t get it done with those WRs, OL, and stud RBs we have. He is done. But I expect a great season.

If we rush the ball like coach wants too, WRs will be open on play action or normal pass plays. Its up to Josh to make the right read and complete the throw. I’m so ready for the season to start!!

By: Bobby

Bobby — Tue, 19 Jun 2012 16:57:00 +0000

I’ve said before and I’ll say it again…..there are far more coaches who are good teachers and good coaches and never really excelled as a player than there are great players who became great coaches. PJ Fleck apparently is a very good teacher. That should translate well into good performance by our WR’s.

By: 941-Bucs

941-Bucs — Mon, 18 Jun 2012 22:49:57 +0000

I don’t see Briscoe beating out Ed this year!

By: Mr Lucky

Mr Lucky — Mon, 18 Jun 2012 22:18:11 +0000

Benn is a bust – should’ve traded him before the draft but I doubt we’d get anything but a 7th round pick.

By: thegregwitul

thegregwitul — Mon, 18 Jun 2012 21:31:45 +0000

I think the only thing we really know for certain at the moment, outside of Vincent Jackson being the number one wideout for the Bucs, is the other five guys listed in the article (Williams, Benn, Briscoe, Parker and Underwood) will make up the rest of the receiving corp. So, this means farewell Sammie and Ed.

By: Drew

Drew — Mon, 18 Jun 2012 19:26:19 +0000

V-Jax will help the other receivers develop and shine. Williams will excel this year as will Benn and Parker. Gant will likely be the 5th receiver. Briscoe, Stroughter and Tiquan won’t make the cut.

By: Que589

Que589 — Mon, 18 Jun 2012 17:58:59 +0000

T in Orlando

I was just using Clayton as a reference not saying that Williams will end up w/ a Clayton-like career. I hope he doesn’t. They are all young receivers in development, vying for the #2 spot. Just because Williams had a great rookie campaign in 2010 and was the #1 receiver (option) in 2011 doesn’t mean he’s the best out of the group in 2012. That shouldn’t be the assumption, players can be surpassed in development. They all possess a different skill set. I just hope it’s a real competition and may the best man win

By: Macabee

Macabee — Mon, 18 Jun 2012 17:41:46 +0000

OB,

I think the media’s focus on PJ Fleck has been his upbeat style and animated interaction with the WRs. That may indeed translate to success on the field but has not been proven yet.

As for last year’s WR coach, Eric Yarber, he came to the Bucs with a much more impressive resume than Fleck. While at Oregon State, he is credited with developing both Chad Johnson (Ochocinco) and TJ Houshmandzadeh. As I recall both pretty good WRs that could run routes and catch the ball when they were with the Bengals.

Anyway, your question is a valid one and may be answered in training camp. Yarber is now WR coach at UCLA with HC Jim Mora Jr.

By: T in Orlando

T in Orlando — Mon, 18 Jun 2012 17:14:05 +0000

Que589

Almost forgot, you are right in that the best players should play, nothing handed to anyone. I just don’t see how any of the WRs not named Vincent Jackson, who were all on the roster last year as well, are going to all of a sudden be better than Williams. Don’t get me wrong, I like Parker, Benn, Stroughter and Briscoe (when his head is on straight), but I don’t think any have shown consistently shown more ability than Williams.

By: T in Orlando

T in Orlando — Mon, 18 Jun 2012 17:09:26 +0000

Que589

I’m not saying the critiques are off, in fact I even acknowledge that there maybe validity to what people view as Williams weakness. What I am saying is that even with with those weaknesses, his numbers were not all that bad. His numbers do reflect that he’s not ready to be a number 1 target, which is why VJ was the top priority in Free Agency.

You bring up a great example of why I think people want to come down so hard on Williams, and that is Clayton. Most of the fans that are down on Williams will bring up Clayton as the example for their line of reasoning. However what those fans fail to recognize is that in his second, slightly regressed, sophomore campaign, Williams had to overcome no-offseason, poor coaching, and a team as a whole that just plain gave up, and he still managed to put up respectable numbers (not top WR numbers, but not as poor Clayton’s 2nd year numbers either).

If people want to compare Season 1 of Michael Clayton’s career to season 1 of Mike Williams, that’s a fair comparison. But suggesting that Williams is becoming the next Clayton, because he regressed a little in season 2, is a stretch, and unfair to Williams.

By: Eric

Eric — Mon, 18 Jun 2012 17:03:56 +0000

With P.J Fleck I do not see how we can lose.

Plucked him from his new position as Northern Illinois OC.

If anybody should know the ins and outs of developing a pro football receiving corp, it oughta be him.

He almost got in a game at Frisco that time.

By: buxter

buxter — Mon, 18 Jun 2012 16:45:12 +0000

I’d like nothing better than Benn living up to his lofty draft pick. He’s easily the most explosive of any Buc receiver we’ve seen after the catch.

But the fact we’ve heard so little about him so far this year. His work ethic/team guy isn’t of issue. Is the back channel rumble about issues with the playbook true?

This staff will give every player a fair shot IMO. If it’s Benn/Briscoe/Parker on starting day, then they earned it