Drafting Two Receivers
April 20th, 2014
Could Oregon State WR Brandin Cooks be on the Bucs’ radar?
There is no question the Bucs need a receiver after trading mattress-in-the-yard, stripper-pole-owning (allegedly), blade-in-the-thigh Mike Williams to Buffalo. Shoot, Joe was thinking the Bucs would draft a receiver, even if Williams was still on the roster.
With the draft lousy with receivers, starters, shoot, even Bucs multimedia guru Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com doesn’t discount the Bucs picking up two receivers next month.
My point is, there’s no reason to dismiss the idea of doubling up on a position at the top of the draft if the need is great enough and the opportunity is there. And, yes, that looks like it could be the case for the Bucs at receiver this year. For the sake of this argument, let’s say the Buccaneers do take a receiver in the first round. At that point, I don’t think it would necessarily be the plan to target a receiver at pick #38, but it might prove to be the best value when that selection comes around. The team’s shopping spree in free agency took care of a lot of needs that would have driven them in certain directions in the draft; now, it seems like the Buccaneers can swing the pendulum farther towards “best available player” with their early picks. If a receiver is easily the highest-rated player left on the Bucs’ board when pick #38 arrives, then why not?
Also, Jonathan, consider that the Bucs are really looking to fill two receiver spots – flanker and slot. Vincent Jackson is obviously set at split end but there’s no obvious incumbent at either of the other spots after the Williams trade. Now, at least one of those solutions could already be on the roster; I don’t want to discount the possibility that a holdover like Chris Owusu or a free agent like Louis Murphy or Lavelle Hawkins could take control of one or both of those spots. But I don’t think the presence of any of those players would stop the team from drafting another option at flanker or slot.
So, let’s say a lot of the latest mock drafts are right and the pick at #7 is Mike Evans. I imagine he would quickly take his place at the top of the depth chart opposite Jackson, giving the Bucs two really big and athletic receivers on the outside. Perhaps they might then want to find a smaller, quicker receiver to man the slot, like a Brandin Cooks or a Bruce Ellington, in a later round. Yes, Cooks is projected as a first-round pick by a lot of analysts, but what if he slipped, simply because this is such a loaded draft? Could you see the Bucs doubling up with Evans and Cooks? I sure could.
Joe could see this happening, even if the Bucs someone other than Evans at No. 7 (Hhheeerrreee’sss Johnny!). If the draft is as deep as just about every NFL insider and front office type says it is, a team failing to draft a receiver in the first round shouldn’t prevent them from drafting two good ones.
As Joe has typed several times, he would be very happy with Penn State receiver Allen Robinson. But Cooks seems to a fine prospect.
April 20th, 2014 at 8:13 am
Wondering if TE, a non elite QBs best friend with the name of Ebron might be in the mix somehow?
April 20th, 2014 at 8:21 am
Almost made it all the way through without mentioning He Who Shall Not Be Named.
April 20th, 2014 at 8:22 am
Not out of the question! The Panthers doubled up on DTs last year and it seemed to work very well. If the need is there and the player is there, then do it!
Mike Evans and Brandin Cooks back to back would be wicked, but so would Evans in the 1st and Paul Richardson in the 3rd with a big OG stuck in between wouldn’t be bad either!
April 20th, 2014 at 8:23 am
Wow, Joe is down to one mattress and supposedly a pole in the house, LOL. By the time Mike ( House-Party) Williams has 1 good game in Buffalo. It will be down to a pillow in the front yard only. Keep trying to rewrite history Joe. Just like when you kept saying the Bucs were 1 bad officals call from playoffs, Even though Winslow could have had 15 push off penaties that game and the Bucs still had 2 more games to play.
April 20th, 2014 at 8:27 am
Don’t you believe for one minute that Lovie Smith is going to sit through a whole draft and not come away with some defensive goodie!
Remember, a leopard got spots!
April 20th, 2014 at 8:33 am
I still have my hopes up….but only hopes….for Sammy @ 7…..it there are 3 qbs chosen and 3 position players…..like Clowney, Mack & Matthews or Robinson….we will have a shot.
If not…..Evans will be there….or we could trade down and get Ebron.
The good thing is many of our skill offensive players of the future would be inexpensive…..
Like Tim Wright, Doug Martin, 2 WRs….and pehaps even Glennon.
April 20th, 2014 at 8:33 am
The only way L & L should double down on a WR in the first 2 rounds is if those players are the best players on the board, regardless of position, at the time of their pick. You wouldn’t want to select the 12th best WR over 6th best OLB, or 7th best guard, etc…. This is where GM’s make there mistakes. They try to fill for need early in the draft and miss out on best player available, regardless of position. If you pigeon-hole yourself, history will show it. Just like 2009 when Dominik selected JF5, when there were higher ranked players still on the board according to there position….i.e. Percy Harvin, Vontae Davis, etc…
April 20th, 2014 at 8:43 am
He`s not getting out of the first round.
April 20th, 2014 at 8:50 am
Joe, FYI…the ad redirects have rendered your site unusable on mobile. I get flipped into iTunes every 20 seconds. Used to be once a visit which I could deal with, but as I type this it’s happened 4 times already. It’s a shame, I enjoy educating your readers, and poking fun at your antiquated radio partner.
April 20th, 2014 at 8:52 am
Matthews, Richardson, Huff, …….I’d take all three.
April 20th, 2014 at 8:54 am
This is what should happen:
7- mike Evans
38- Jimmy garoppolo
68- Bruce Ellington.
That right there folks fixes your lack of weapons issue
April 20th, 2014 at 9:01 am
Sign me up, this kid can ball. Plus he can actually run the sweep! Don’t know if he’ll make it out the first round.
April 20th, 2014 at 9:04 am
I have never been redirected and i only have a mobile.(android)
April 20th, 2014 at 9:09 am
@chris I like those picks!maybe o line at 3?
April 20th, 2014 at 9:11 am
You can find a RG in the fifth. Andrew norwell G Ohio state is going to be a steal.
April 20th, 2014 at 9:12 am
No problem with my Iphone 5 either……
April 20th, 2014 at 9:31 am
Most of the oline players in this draft are LTs. We won’t see a guard worthy of being picked until round 3 and there are not many.
Doubling up?
We can’t do it. First, we NEED to take a QB in one of the first two rounds. Second, the third round and later is where the guards are. Third, Lovie never takes WRs in the first round…and he is calling the shots in this first draft.
Seeing as there is not a guard worth a first rounder, OT and WR are throughout the draft, the pick has to be either QB or DE in round one. And DE only if Clowney slips.
Don’t buy the hype that Clowney will be lazy. That was put out there to get him to fall. I know 100% that the pick will not be WR.
Aside from Clowney, it has to be QB.
April 20th, 2014 at 9:34 am
I’m assuming we’re set on defense for this year at least.
In the draft we need: QB,WR2,WR3,LG,RG,TE. It is not happening in one draft. This offense will need another year after this one to fully judge. If you go in knowing that, then there’s less pressure to fill all the holes in one draft.
Take BPA from that large list of offensive positions. Don’t go in trying to pick defense, but don’t be afraid to pick defense if its a steal of a BPA. Then do the best with what you have this year.
April 20th, 2014 at 9:37 am
Somehow someway we use 2015 2nd rounder to trade up. I believe we will take 3 players n the first 2 rounds I just don’t kno which way. Like a Sammy Watkins or Evans at 7 wit a transaction n to the mid to bottom first to get a,sliding qb weather it b manziel (that’s 4 u Joe) or a Carr or a Bridgewater. Then fill up on that second round wr like a cooks that drops to our high 2nd round pic. I think movie and licht are smart men and if they havnt learned anything from the rock star it’s that u need quality over quantity when it’s comes to the draft. Good drafting teams hit on late rounders so that’s a 50/50 shot but u gotta hit homers on those first 3 picks and what’s not better the putting 3 sluggers n the line up?? God I can’t wait till draft day!!!
April 20th, 2014 at 9:43 am
Don’t write off beckAm at 7.’i think he will be almost as good as Watkins
April 20th, 2014 at 9:50 am
Wrong Bonzai, we do not NEED To take anything but a Receiver or Guard. Everything else is Icing on the cake.
April 20th, 2014 at 9:50 am
@ Meh
I think you gotta take Clowney or Mack if they are there at 7……not likely…but possible….I sitll like Watkins if he’s there.
April 20th, 2014 at 9:56 am
Teddy Bridgewater sure does have some great tape from a pro style offense.
If JF gets snagged before us and Teddy falls like they say, might be a great pick.
He was consensus number one not too long ago.
April 20th, 2014 at 10:03 am
I watched this Paul Richardson guy out of Colorado n his style is that of a Desean Jackson. He’s very aggressive n has a nose for making big plays. He has the speed that is much needed. His downfall is his weight but Desean Jackson is also lightweight.
April 20th, 2014 at 10:06 am
Macabee, I think that could be a good idea or if we are looking to get a QB in the draft we could get Evans then get garoppolo in the second then in the third we can get simply the best receiver available but in the third we can also get a good OG and get the penn state receiver later
April 20th, 2014 at 10:08 am
Yes to Cooks.
April 20th, 2014 at 10:12 am
There is not one QB in the 1st round that will make a difference this year. Nothing more than what McCown or Glennon couldn’t provide. There are no Andrew Lucks. There are “NO” QBs worthy of a top ten pick that can make an immediate impact on wins and losses, all by themselves. So why is it imperative to take one with our first pick? If we are in win now mode like Lovie has said, wouldn’t it be in our best interest to select players who can make that impact. We need OL … we need WRs …we could use LB and DBs. We are already set with a starting QB, who is NFL ready.
If the Bucs are so inclined to draft a new toy QB, just to appease the crybaby fans, then do it in the later rounds, where there is better value.
It would be a shame to waste our first pick on a QB, then have him benched all year because he’s been to slow to adapt, while players we skipped over are fast becoming all stars and helping their respective teams win.
April 20th, 2014 at 10:19 am
Lovie put together the receiving duo in Chicago….you can bet your ass he’ll do the same here. Evans at 7 and a speedy slot guy in the fifth. Aaron Murray in the 2nd. OL 3rd, pass rusher 4th.
April 20th, 2014 at 10:24 am
Mike Evans in the 1st, best QB available in the 2nd and Bruce Ellington in the 3rd. Ellington would be a great slot receiver and a great option at KR. with all the QBs the Bucs have recently worked out I honestly think they are serious about only one or two of them. Quite possible they are interested in one they haven’t worked out yet. Only a couple more weeks and we will no longer need to guess. Can’t wait GO BUCS!!!!
April 20th, 2014 at 11:13 am
I don’t know much about any of these potential draft picks, or how their talent will pan out in the NFL. Of course, with the exception of what I’ve read here from fans whose opinions are all over the place. Big mystery to me.
April 20th, 2014 at 11:16 am
@eric Teddy may have decent tape, but when your pro day is tailored to your skillset and you still completely screw it up. Thats why you drop in the draft. The kid can not throw without a glove. His hands are way too small. That translates to more fumbles and less zip on the ball in the NFL. Also, a 20 on the wonderlic. I could care less whether you are white, black, purple, or yellow. A low score on that really scares me.
And how can you @bucbonzai say you know a 100% that we will not draft a WR. No one, even L&L don’t know 100% for sure who they will draft. Come on bro.
April 20th, 2014 at 12:32 pm
Another slot guy I like who we could snag a little later in the draft is Josh Huff from Oregon.
April 20th, 2014 at 3:41 pm
Definitely down with taking 2 WR’s in this draft, and the earlier the better…
Sammy Watkins would be a dream come true for me personally but assuming he’s of the board i’d take Mike Evans at 7 without blinking…and then take the best available receiver in the 2nd rd too (take the “projected 1st rdr” that slides into the 2nd rd)..
Fill in the blank…
1stR. WR
2ndR. WR
3rdR. G
5rdR. QB
6thR. G
7thR. LB
April 20th, 2014 at 5:32 pm
Interesting note, JMac had his first throwing session with VJax and raved about it. If Loveboat were watching, they have to be thinking if we can get another VJax type on the other side.
April 20th, 2014 at 10:18 pm
The 7th pick WILL be Lovie’s first WR taken in the 1st round and Bonzai will be 100% wrong.
April 21st, 2014 at 7:16 am
The only player the Bucs should consider drafting in the first round is Johnny Football. If we don’t get a quarterback I don’t see us making the playoffs.
April 21st, 2014 at 11:03 am
Captain Stagger I used to have a bunch of redirects on my android and thought it was Joe’s fault too. Then I tried a different browser and now have no redirects. Just a tip, Captain. If the Bucs move Wright back to WR he can match Willliams’ production. Then use your Giant’s TE we got who has great hands and NFL experience, and we would ‘t have to get any WRs in the draft. Out of our five burners on the roster I am sure these coaches can develop at least one as a slot receiver. Trust your great coaching. Tedford can take any of the four top QBs in this draft and develop our first Franchise QB in Bucs history and that is an opportunity we better not blow just to stockpile two more receivers we don’t need. For those holding out for a can’t miss QB, they come once in a decade and go to the first pick in the draft and you are just fooling yourself if you think we can get one of them. The other advantage of taking a first round QB and the Vikings picking after us have no QB to pick, then we can pawn Glennon off to them for a second round pick based on his NFL experience.