“Very Fiery”
April 13th, 2016
Change agrees with Mike Evans
There is change in the offensive air at One Buc Palace.
Just because Dirk Koetter remains the playcaller doesn’t mean things are status quo.
The biggest change is the addition of offensive coordinator/wide receivers coach Todd Monken.
Monken was receivers coach under Koetter with the Jaguars, and he’s cut from the same mold: blunt and intense. Right after being hired, Monken told Joe and other media that he would take Mike Evans’ drops personally.
He’s very different from what Evans had under the former Bucs wide receivers coach Andrew Hayes-Stoker. Interestingly, after getting relieved of duties in Tampa, Hayes-Stoker took a secretarial job in Indianapolis. Yes, a non-football gig — before Lovie Smith hired him away to join his staff at the University of Illinois.
A smiling Evans told Casey Phillips of Buccaneers.com this week that Monken is “very fiery” and a guy he can work with.
The new receivers coach might be the most important change on the Bucs in 2016, if Monken can take Evans from a K-Y hands super talent to a consistent and elite threat.
April 13th, 2016 at 7:49 am
With your offensive coach now being the Head Coach, the offense can be what he wants it to be. He will have no-one over his shopulder second guessing his movements. The Greatest Show on Turf 2.0???
April 13th, 2016 at 8:04 am
How you blame a coach for some one dropping the football. T.O. one of the greatest receivers too play this game had drop problems for every team he played for so are guys going to blame every coach who coached him. You’re being paid millions of dollars work on your craft.
April 13th, 2016 at 8:17 am
I think that Evans relaxed a little after a phenomenal rookie season and thought it was gonna be easy to replicate that every season. Last season was a reality check for him and realized that might of took for granted sum of the things in this league.
After having a down year IMO I think he will bounce back by developing a bond with Winston and become one of the better tandems in the league. Let’s not forget how talented Evans is. There’s a reason the Bucs took him @ 7. The guy put up 12 TD’s with McClown and Glennon throwing to him his rookie year. That should say alot.
He was uncoverable that year it seemed. Defenses knew that he was there only weapon on offense and they still couldn’t stop him.
The sky is the limit for both Evans and Jameis. Evans just has to work to get there and I think he realized that last season. We all know #3 is working his tail off to get there, now it’s up to Evans to do so as well.
April 13th, 2016 at 8:22 am
I think I am starting to get a little excited about this season. Every time I let myself get excited we choke knobs but this time I swear it’s different!
April 13th, 2016 at 8:24 am
Not having LobotomyLovie there has to be worth an extra couple games at least.
April 13th, 2016 at 8:25 am
…games, wins..
April 13th, 2016 at 8:28 am
I am cautiously optimistic about this year…..but, I think it will take two years to really fix our defense.
April 13th, 2016 at 8:35 am
I like the intensity! Hopefully Moniken can help Evans grow into using his competititve fire to help the team win while controling the diva like behavior that constantly hurt us last year.
April 13th, 2016 at 8:44 am
@CrustyCrab: I like the way you said that!
April 13th, 2016 at 9:07 am
Maybe they should ask MG8!!! In the 5 games they played together in 2014 with no offensive coordinator ME13 stats were 499 yards,and 5 touchdowns!!
April 13th, 2016 at 9:10 am
And the fact that I’ve heard he is a great WRs coach gets me even more fired up about him working with ME13
April 13th, 2016 at 9:25 am
@Buc Realist:
You know we love you, but for the record:
ME13 played in only four games in 2014 with Mike Glennon as the starter (he missed the entire New Orleans game due to injury), and had 322 yds and 4 TDs in those four games. BTW, Glennon and the Bucs led N.O. by 11 points in the 4th quarter of that game, without Mike Evans. Also had the lead against the Browns late in the 3rd qtr, and late in the 4th qtr against the Vikings. I think he won the game at Pittsburgh that year.
tickrdr (sole remaining member of the MGM)
April 13th, 2016 at 9:35 am
@ticrdr
You are correct sir!!! I am wrong, I lined up the game logs from pro-football-reference and missed the missing game of 3…..Sry to all!!!
Just like MG8 the MGM are stand up guys and admit faults but always strive to be better!!!!
Go Bucs!!!!
April 13th, 2016 at 9:37 am
C’mon tickrdr, there are plenty of Glennon fans still around. Don’t feel lonesome, the mob still exists, maybe dwindled a bit.
April 13th, 2016 at 9:38 am
@CrustyCrab The coach is responsible only if nothing is changing. If you can fix the issue you can surely improve it and reduce the number of balls dropped.
I’m a Mike evans Believer and I still Believe he is the futur in tampa. he is only 22 yrs old and still has a lot of work to do.
This year, with all the job done between him and Jameis, and especially if we have an healthy Doug Martin, we will all sing “It’s raining TDs, alleluia, it’s raining TDs”
April 13th, 2016 at 9:38 am
@tickrdr
game 5 I mean,,,, I am going to finish my coffee and reboot!!!!!
April 13th, 2016 at 9:45 am
@Realist:
No worries, sir! That’s why I always start the day with three big mugs, before I leave the house.
@BuccFan37:
I guess there are a few of us around, but we’re sort of like an insurgency, fighting a guerilla operation. After all, the so-called “general” of the mob turned out to be a traitor. Who knew?
tickrdr
April 13th, 2016 at 10:02 am
That’s called a passing fancy.
April 13th, 2016 at 10:17 am
If a receiver wants greatness, he has to work on his craft yearly. Coaches teach but its a receiver job to concentrate and hold on to the ball. The NFL is hard work. Evans now realizes this. You can be average like a lot of the pack or you can step out of the pack and be great. Our Bucs have a lot of average players who collect their salaries and do an average job. That won’t get you to the playoffs or a championship. We shall see what we have here shortly.
No amount of coaching can compensate for heart. Players gotta ball..period.
April 13th, 2016 at 10:40 am
Crusty and BigHog Jerry Rice had issues with drops early in career. No one makes any mention of that because he became an HOFr. BigHog I think it was you that said it was issue of immaturity I agree with that to a degree. Look you can’t tell me when you were 20 21 years young if you had a half a$$ boss it wouldnt have made a difference on your work performance. Monken is on record saying half a$$in won’t be tolerated. Young men need to see it in the eyes of they’re administration. If not they will half a$$. Funny thing is this wasn’t a convo after his rookie season. If it were I might be concerned. I’m not.
April 13th, 2016 at 6:10 pm
Holy crap Im so fired up man your a zombie if your not excited about this teams future YEAHH BABY GO BUCS!!!!!
April 13th, 2016 at 10:12 pm
Now that’s real talk Kevin.