Enhancing Vincent Jackson’s Leadership

February 13th, 2014

His coach wants more

So how can star receiver Vincent Jackson improve?

For Joe, that’s an easy answer, Jackson could work with a training guru this offseason to enhance his speed. Get faster. Jackson’s been caught from behind too many times the past couple of seasons.

While it’s not performance-related, Jackson also could be a more vocal leader to the media. His Bucs teammates voted him captain last year, and when the team was imploding and getting media heat from all angles — all over the nation — Jackson didn’t step up to keep a lot of that pressure from his teammate. Jackson simply doesn’t like to talk.

New Bucs wide receivers coach Andrew Hayes-Stoker says he’ll be focusing on leadership with Jackson, trying help him be a greater leader of men, a skill that will help the Bucs and help Jackson’s life after football. You can hear Hayes-Stoker’s full take here on Buccaneers.com.

Joe hopes Hayes-Stoker is a guy who can motivate Jackson. He’s a young coach, in his thirties like V-Jax. Hayes-Stoker was an assistant wide receivers coach under Lovie Smith with the Bears from 2010 to 2012. Last year he coached running backs for Florida International University. Those aren’t impressive credentials. 

It was a hire that intrigued Joe. Is this the best guy Lovie could find on the market? Did Jeff Tedford get to pick his receivers coach?

A seasoned veteran with a strong work ethic, Jackson has shown he’ll respond to coaching. Jackson never played better while being motivated by intense receivers coach P.J. Fleck during Year 1 of the New Schiano Order. Last season, with Fleck gone, Jackson appeared to lose focus, with plenty of early-season drops and showing frustration on the field.

Joe will raise a cold one this morning in hopes of Jackson turning in his finest season in 2014. At 31 years old, he’s in the back end of his prime.

38 Responses to “Enhancing Vincent Jackson’s Leadership”

  1. BigMacAttack Says:

    So how can star receiver Vincent Jackson improve?

    By getting traded to the Patriots.

  2. Mumbles Says:

    I can’t tell if this is props for Jackson or a swipe at Hays-Stoker!

  3. bucsfanfromtexas Says:

    If he had just a bit more speed, he would arguably be the best reciever in football, right now he’s a top 10 reciever

  4. BucNasty!!! Says:

    I mean i font get all the v jax hate yra he is getting alil olfer and hes geting paid like a top teciever but hes producing like 1 also. I mran its not like we have 1000 yrd recievers laying atound y get rid of the 2 we have? You couch gm’s kill me aleays worried about what somebodies making money wise like its coming out of ur pocket hes producing so pay the man and while ur at it get him some help and he might get even bbetter. Vjax is unstoppable 1 on 1 an he can still produce 1000 yrfs n a season while being double teamed and no threatening help on the other side. Lmao what do u guys suggrst yrade him tothe pats let bellicheck fleece us AGAIN!!!! then spend that pick on a younger wr who may otmay notproduce an may or may not be as good ot better. Did letting go bennet and banking on a maybe with bowers not teach u guys anything? A wise man once said 1 n the hand is worth more than 2 n the bush

  5. Jeagan1999 Says:

    V-Jax is a wonderful WR, but like all of us, Father Time eventually starts to creep in and slow us down a bit. I don’t think we can expect Jackson to suddenly be able to pull away from all those “caught from behind” tackles Joe refers to…unless there was some medical condition (that he is now recovered from) that slowed him down last year (or if he was out of shape to begin with…which he wasn’t). I think we can expect Jackson to come to camp in great shape, to work heavily with MG8 (as our starting QB!) on timing and route running, and to work his tail off to help this team win games! He will not suddenly turn into an “elite speed” guy like Percy Harvin, Desean Jackson or Mike Wallace…not at 31! But I think he will have another great year and play very well. Like all the great WR’s (Rice, Brown, Carter, Swann, Harrison, etc…) he will stay productive in his later years even without “elite” speed and transition his game to take advantage of his great hands, strength and height advantage. As for being more “vocal” with the media…I would think it matters more how he acts in the locker room and on the field with his team mates than in front of the pen and mic club.

  6. lightningbuc Says:

    Can someone translate BucNasty’s gibberish for me?

  7. BucsfaninChina Says:

    We have seen this man’s ceiling. I love VJax and sure, he may have been worth that money last year and the year before based on production, but at 31 he is being paid over $12 for the next 3 years. And now you have all these young guys on defense that will be looking for contract #2 in the next couple years. Who will Lovie pay – the young core of his defense, or the aging downfield threat?

  8. ROBERT6 Says:

    blah, blah, blah…

  9. BuccaneerBonzai Says:

    The only thing wrong with Vincent Jackson is the person throwing to him and the person that was calling plays (Sullivan).

  10. BucNasty!!! Says:

    Sorry new phone with typo of spellchecks come on bro leys not b anal im sure u get what i meant. Dont b such a bellicheck aka a-hole. Regardless of me not feeling the need to go back and correct every error like my teacher eill take off points for accura, my points ate valif and the numbers suggrst ya boy glennon can stanf for a upgrade. Weather itsn coaching or n the wb position itself by adding more talent. But something like 40 completed second half passrs fot a season is abismall no mattet hoe u slice it or spin it ptoffesso lightning buc

  11. BucNasty!!! Says:

    Professor lightning buc

  12. BigMacAttack Says:

    Does anyone on this page have a sense of humor anymore?

    Got Snickers?

  13. Harry Says:

    I don’t love some of the coaching hires on the O side of the ball. Tedford has zero NFL experience, which is fine bc from what I have read Lovie really did his homework on the guy. But then to have two more assistants, Arroyo and Hayes-Stoker, with no NFL experience really bothers me.

  14. Harry Says:

    @BuccaneerBonzai Says:
    “…The only thing wrong with Vincent Jackson is the person throwing to him and the person that was calling plays (Sullivan).”

    Amen

  15. Patrick in VA Says:

    @Joe – I don’t know if putting the ad that looks like a guy going through some serious food poisoning is a good one to put below the hooters ad. At a glance it doesn’t show well for hooters. Just a heads up from the consumer’s side

  16. Patrick in VA Says:

    @Joe – disregard that. evidently it moves around and I just happened to catch it in an unfortunate spot.

  17. ROBERT6 Says:

    let the man do what he do.

    throw it to a spot he go up and get it.

    no need to pull a hammy trying to make him faster. I never saw rhonde get any faster.

    slide him in the slot once in a while. maybe line him AND wright up @ TE. that’ll blow their minds!

  18. Harry Says:

    I don’t get all the hate on VJ either. He had no help last year to take away some of the D’s focus on him. Yeah, he is slow and training can only improve on that just a little. But the guy runs great routes, usually catches the ball like no one I’ve ever seen (except of course in the beginning of this past season).

    He gets paid like one of the best in the game bc he is. As he gets older and his game deteriorates, the Bucs will cut him then. For now, he is our best receiver.

  19. Harry Says:

    Funny how u guys will throw all this hate on VJ, but offer every excuse in the book for MG8

  20. Blake Bortles Mob Says:

    If this scrub would stop getting get caught from behind we would have been in the playoffs the past 2 years

  21. Sammy Watkins Mob Says:

    The correct anwser is: Sammy Watkins

  22. Buc1987 Says:

    @BuccaneerBonzai Says:

    “…The only thing wrong with Vincent Jackson is the person throwing to him and the person that was calling plays (Sullivan).”

    ahhh Bonzai…so it was Freeman, Glennon and Sully that made him drop all those easy short passes.

  23. Clowney Says:

    It think VJ would improve his game if he under went a comprehensive eye exam. When we get older our eyes change. He too often tries to catch the ball with his chest.

    A great receiver has great eyes. As for getting caught from behind, he should ask Doug Martin how he does it.

  24. Buc1987 Says:

    I scrolled up and re-read the comments. I see no Vjax hate.

  25. Getaclue Says:

    Jackson can play well into his thirties because if the fact he doesn’t need to rely on speed.

  26. Harry Says:

    @lightningbuc Says:
    “Can someone translate BucNasty’s gibberish for me?”

    Nasty, lightning has a point. Did you complete your primary education here in Florida public schools? No, we do not take off “points for accura” (like the car?) And, I do agree, your “…points ate valif”. And your most valid point was “…ya boy glennon can stanf for a upgrade” – you got that right.

  27. Bucfan66 Says:

    Can’t teach speed…

  28. Harry Says:

    Leadership. Anytime I see this subject come up in connection with the Bucs, I think of Rock Star. I clearly recall that being a big item on his check list when drafting players. If they were a captain on their college team, they got a lot of points for that. Why then are we not getting more leadership out of this roster?

  29. Aubpierce Says:

    Vincent Jackson is a class act and I don’t care if he is getting slower.I watched every game and regardless how the NFL interprets dropped passes Jackson dropped the ball on average two to three times a game.He didn’t do that the previous year.Jackson will be a great asset if he can return to his old form,especially around the end zone regardless of speed.Cut over paid problem Mike,draft Watkins,find a receiver in free agency,and let Demps play slot.

  30. Biff Barker Says:

    How are we going to stretch the field without speed?

    This offense needs a burner in the worst way.

  31. Hesson0208 Says:

    The only thing that was really wrong in Vjack’s game last year were the multiple drops of perfectly thrown balls in KEY situations (mainly 3rd downs when the games were still close). Those absolutely cannot be blamed on the playcaller or QB. Anyone who says otherwise is delusional.

  32. BigMacAttack Says:

    Why all the BucNasty hate? He’s a fan WTF? Is anyone here perfect in their spelling or writing? If you can’t read it or want to take the time, skip it. Some of you professors just kill me. I haven’t written a clean comment since Joe started this thing, well maybe 1 or 2 if I keep it too 3 or 4 words.

  33. BigMacAttack Says:

    See, I blew it again, rest my case.

  34. Brandon Says:

    BigMacAttack,

    For the record, I am an English teacher. I am by no means perfect in grammar and punctuation but it is not unreasonable to expect one to attempt it if one’s expectation is to be understood. Personally, I don’t care either way. If I can’t read a post on the first try, I won’t waste time giving it a second try.

  35. Harry Says:

    @BMA
    Just teasing Nasty a little. He is obviously having problems with a new phone. Its a diversion from the MGM vs everyone else debates thats grown so tiresome.

  36. phil Says:

    Vincent Jackson is the best free agent signing in the history of the Buccaneers. EVER.

  37. pick6 Says:

    @ phil: he was a very good signing but not the best. that honor belongs to simeon rice IMO. i would say that nickerson was more valuable to the team as well. we haven’t seen as much elite WR play as we have elite DL or LB play, so it probably stands out a little more, but his impact is not worlds ahead of what the team got out of joey galloway and keyshawn johnson over a short span (i know they weren’t FAs, just comparing legacies)

  38. JoeBucsFan.com » Blog Archive » Showtime For Vincent Jackson - Tampa Bay Bucs Blog Says:

    […] will be looking to is Vincent Jackson, the Bucs’ $10 million man for 2014. Back in February, Joe recalls listening to new Bucs receivers coach Andrew Hayes-Stoker and hearing that the Bucs want more leadership out of […]