For The Love Of Freeman, Get Him Some Help

April 20th, 2010

A breakdown of the Bucs needs in the draft on FoxSports.com isn't particularly kind to blocking icon Michael Clayton.

Bucs officials said often through the offseason that getting help for Josh Freeman was a priority.

But those words rang hollow when Antonio Bryant was allowed to walk and the team passed on giving up a throwaway fifth round pick for one of the game’s best players. And trading for Reggie Brown seems to be more a prayer than a standard Hail Mary.

While the gang at FoxSports.com breaks down the Bucs needs at each position and rates the defensive tackles the position needing most help, the review was positively harsh on the Bucs wide receivers.

If Josh Freeman is going to continue developing, he will need weapons around him. Wide receiver Antonio Bryant, the team’s franchise player in 2009, left in free agency. For reasons that still remain a mystery, the team re-signed Michael Clayton to a big contract after the 2008 season. Clayton has yet to live up to the promise he showed as a rookie and registered career-lows with 16 catches for 230 yards. Sammie Stroughter was a nice find in the seventh-round last April, but the Bucs are going to need a lot more talent around Freeman. Two receivers known to have visited Tampa Bay are Oklahoma State’s Dez Bryant and Syracuse’s Mike Williams.

Joe doesn’t know whether the Bucs will draft a wide receiver with one of their two second round picks, but Joe wouldn’t lose sleep if the Bucs drafted two receivers with both second round picks.

15 Responses to “For The Love Of Freeman, Get Him Some Help”

  1. justin F Says:

    heck i would not be mad if we drafted 2 wr in the 2nd and one more in the 3rd -thru 5th round

  2. Louie Says:

    Freeman was a priority just like “money is no object”. These morons think they are going to draft a #1 receiver. For Freeman’s sake and my sanity during the season, I hope they pull it off, but the odd are against it.

    In this draft who is a legitimate #1 from day one? Dez? Tate? Maybe, but they won’t draft Dez and Tate may be gone by the 2nd round. The rest of the guys aren’t any better than what we’ve got.

  3. mlloye Says:

    We all know that DT and WR are our biggest needs. Its “almost” a sure thing that we will take Suh or McCoy at #3 addressing the DT posisition. Dont you think that we “HAVE” to take a WR with both of our #2s and another WR in the later rounds. If we dont walk away with 2 of the best WR in the draft we will surely be a complete bomb this year on offense. It wont matter how much better our D-fense is if we cant keep them off the field, our new name will be 3 & out or THe Tampa Bay No-catch-aneers.

  4. gruss222 Says:

    @Louie
    Dem Thomas may be the #1 WR in the entire draft. I too would lose no sleep if both 2nds were used to somehow get Demaryous Thomas and Arrelious Benn.

  5. bucfanjeff Says:

    We have to address WR with our 2nd round pick(s).
    Can’t wait for the draft…

  6. gruss222 Says:

    Suh/McCoy
    D.Thomas
    A.Benn
    McCluster/Gerhardt
    defense for the remaining draft pics

    only my wish list gentlemen. Not meant as a projection.

  7. mlloye Says:

    If we can manage to pick up any 2 WR’s out this group (Bryant, Ben, Thomas, Tate, Williams) even I would be optomistic.

  8. acharlot5 Says:

    we need weapons like bey bey/bryant/spiller/mccluster/best/tate we need to get atleast one of these players on offense to give freeman another weapon to work with.

  9. Phil a '76 Buc Says:

    This just in ……Mark Dumbonick has just signed ex Buc wide receiver to a 6 year contract this a 12 million guarantee. Commenting on the signing, Dumbonick said” he was too good to pass up, after all he was a second round pick just a few years ago” He is young and fast and could be the most significant signing by this team in a decade.

  10. Eric Says:

    Green, Anthony, Clayton, Jackson.

    With such outstanding recent success drafting a wideout i can understand the supreme confidence.

    yea i know Sammie had 300 yards last year……………

  11. TJ Tillman Says:

    I agree with Eric . Not Confident with Recivers in this draft after Bryant and Tate. I like Guys who dominate on the field the hell with the combine. Thomas from Gt I ? his route running and his abilty to understand NFL offenses he played the triple option. Benn had 29 catches last year and he has only 5 Carrer Td and one of them was a punt return. Shipley is a slot reciver we have that in stroughter. Decker from Minnesttoa can catch but he is not fast. Willimas from Syracuse will fit in with Talib

  12. bucfanjeff Says:

    Wilkerson to the Saints…

  13. Radio Mushmouth Says:

    We have Reggie Brown

  14. john dolci Says:

    im looking for a place thats having a draft party. one thats open past 9pm anybody help

  15. Joe Says:

    john dolci:

    One of Joe’s proud sponsors can help you out.

    Abe’s Mugs.