Would The Bucs Look To Push Adam Humphries?
March 23rd, 2017
The next Bucs returner?
In many ways, Adam Humphries is the golden son of this Bucs regime.
What a story he is.
The slot receiver/returner was a tryout player from Clemson. And Humphries acknowledged that folks around One Buc Palace thought he was on the training staff when he arrived in Tampa.
But Humphries made the team as an undrafted rookie in 2015. He then muffed his route on the first ball that came to him early in that season opener, and the pass from America’s Quarterback, Jameis Winston, became a pick-6 for the Titans.
Humphries got cut soon after, and the Bucs snatched him back off the street. Twenty-seven catches as a rookie turned into 55 receptions for 622 yards and three touchdowns last season. Plus, Humphries proved to be a legitimate punt returner, though not a dangerous one.
“Hump,” as he’s know by many in the locker room, is a favorite of Jameis. Have a conversation about work ethic with Jameis and he’ll start talking about Humphries and tight end Cameron Brate.
So does 23-year-old Humphries have a Bucs job locked up indefinitely?
This brings Joe to the NFL Draft, just 35 days away. Tampa Bay needs depth in their receiving corps and wants to add explosiveness to their return game.
A guy like 5-8 wide receiver Ryan Switzer out of North Carolina intrigues Joe, even more after hearing his interview on SiriusXM NFL Radio yesterday.
The young man didn’t miss a college game in four years and caught a whopping 243 balls. He also returned seven punts for touchdowns and ran a 4.51 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine last month. (For those scoring at home, Kaelin Clay, who Jason Licht drafted to return kicks in the sixth round in 2015, ran the same 40 time.)
Switzer wowed at the Senior Bowl with standout quickness and route-running, but there’s a solid chance his 5-8 size pushes him down into the sixth or seventh round next month.
Would the Bucs bite there?
Joe’s not so sure unless the team views him as a legitimate NFL returner. Joe, though, would love to see a guy like Switzer battling the likes of Josh Huff, Bernard Reedy and Freddie Martino. Remember, Dirk Koetter said his speed need extends to returner.
March 23rd, 2017 at 11:33 am
Switzer looks solid, i certainly wouldnt protest if we got him in the 4th or 5th round.
March 23rd, 2017 at 11:41 am
I’ve seen people on this site comment recently that the Bucs should draft 2 RBs. I say they draft 2 WRs. One early as D-Jax successor and one late to contribute on special teams as either a returner to replace Hump in that role or a gunner to replace Shep.
Now the guy I’m hoping for is running right next to Switzer in that picture, Mr. Mack Hollins. Hollins isn’t a returner, but he is one of the better guys on special teams in the whole draft.
March 23rd, 2017 at 11:54 am
Only two receivers on this roster are above competition and the names need not be mentioned. Hump isn’t competing for a roster spot but should definitely have to earn the right to start. How else will players get better. He’s no daquan bowers but he needs to earn it since we all know we’re probably going to have at least 2 new rookie receivers on the roster of bucs are serious about upgrading the position
March 23rd, 2017 at 11:56 am
seems jameis has good thing with hump and brate, keep him
March 23rd, 2017 at 12:03 pm
I think Hump could be a solid but not spectacular 3rd receiver for us next year
March 23rd, 2017 at 12:06 pm
Ohio St.’s Curtis Samuel in round 2 would be perfect. The guy is a RB/WR hybrid that also returns kicks… and runs a legit 4.31. He’s 5’11 and nearly 200 lbs and has slot WR written all over him.
March 23rd, 2017 at 12:08 pm
They better make sure they retain this guy and find more ways to utilize him…
March 23rd, 2017 at 12:23 pm
Hump will be much more effective underneath with DJax stretching the field.
You cant overestimate his value given he already has strong bonds with JW.
Upgrade if possible but it’s not exactly a position of need.
March 23rd, 2017 at 12:31 pm
Love Adam “Wes Welker” Humphries!
March 23rd, 2017 at 12:37 pm
Don Beebe 2.0 , this cat can flat out play and is a very natural catcher with great hands. Beebe was a 4.2 guy which Switzer is not but the dude has great body control and is ultra quick and can catch all the throws !!
Sad part is , he’s prob a 10 year starter at New England and yet he doesn’t make 70 percent of NFL rosters.
March 23rd, 2017 at 12:57 pm
The way they utilize Hump on the screens is perfect for him
March 23rd, 2017 at 1:37 pm
Samuel in 2nd Cook in 1st
March 23rd, 2017 at 1:38 pm
T.J Logan in the 5th rd returner / RB
March 23rd, 2017 at 2:33 pm
I think they are satisfied with Mike Evans, Desean Jackson, Adam Humphries and Darrel Walker as their top 4, but I expect them to draft another WR later in the draft for depth, hoping to strike gold. The drafted one might end up on the squad in year one.
I also think people underestimate Humphries. I think he’s end up a top WR in a year or so.
March 23rd, 2017 at 2:42 pm
Hump stays…end of story.
March 23rd, 2017 at 2:48 pm
I like Hump, but we can use another WR like Samuel to train under Jax
March 23rd, 2017 at 2:55 pm
I’d prefer Samuel over Ross, even in the 1st, although I hope we don’t draft a WR or RB in the 1st
March 23rd, 2017 at 3:02 pm
Hump is our 3rd best receiver, but ask yourself honestly, would he even make a team like the Saints Panthers or Falcons roster, the answer is closer to NO, if he did he’d be their 4-6 receiver…just having a discussion that Hump is our 3rd best receiver is troubling, we can’t get better than an UDFA with 4.56 speed and limited height, we need to draft 2 WRs this year, one top 3 rounds, one later,
March 23rd, 2017 at 3:36 pm
Guzzle you are right
March 23rd, 2017 at 3:43 pm
But I think we need Cook in 1st Samuel 2nd and safety in 3rd. TE in 4th T.J Logan 5th Wr in 5th
March 23rd, 2017 at 3:47 pm
I would take Carlos Henderson over Curtis Samuel. That’s just my preference tho.
March 23rd, 2017 at 3:54 pm
Seems to me that the Bucs have serious interest in Godwin. I saw that they have met with him three times now at different points in this process.
March 23rd, 2017 at 4:43 pm
This is the 3rd year Humpty Hump has been here and in Koetters system he’s gotten better every year so to say the least the 3rd is a charm. Watch him put all you doubters to rest he will be our legit 3rd receiver.
March 23rd, 2017 at 5:16 pm
Hump put up incredible numbers for number three receiver, he’s a reliable target that catches everything thrown his way. Why people think this is an area of need baffles me. If anything, we need to draft a number for, as a back up to or wanted to. But not a replacement slot receiver for someone who has been one of the best in the game this past year.
March 23rd, 2017 at 5:31 pm
I love Adam (not in a weird way or anything). I think he has great hands, speed, and route running. I’m really excited to see what he can do this year since we got DJax.
March 23rd, 2017 at 6:52 pm
I like Hump but I still think the Bucs need another guy that can replace Djax in a couple of seasons. This would give us some real quality depth if this Derel Walker guy is solid and we can get anything out of one of the other guys we had last year. Evans, Jackson, Godwin/Jones, Humphries, Walker, and one guy steps up would be really nice.
March 23rd, 2017 at 6:54 pm
Also wouldn’t mind Curtis Samuel or Smith-Schuster
March 23rd, 2017 at 7:29 pm
SOE, I think everyone is going to love him this year!…Thank you Joe for posting this! Big Hump fan!!! doesn’t make sense to replace one of JWs favorite targets
March 23rd, 2017 at 8:30 pm
After RB & TE, we need at least one more WR, if one of the big Huns go down, we’ll be right where we were last year…
March 23rd, 2017 at 9:54 pm
Take McCaffrey in the 1st, Samuels in the 2nd. Boom-done. Both guys can play RB, both guys can line up at WR, and both guys can return punts and kicks.
March 23rd, 2017 at 10:39 pm
Wrong not McCaffrey we need Cook he can catch out the back field and he run after contact
March 23rd, 2017 at 10:59 pm
They’re both good catching out of the backfield. I’d be happy with Cook too. The fumble do concern me though. As for yards after contact, I’d say it’s more beneficial to the long term health of the player to be able to avoid as much contact as possible, which they both are pretty good at. But with the added dimension of return skills and no character concerns that I’m aware of, I think McCaffrey is the safer pick
March 24th, 2017 at 7:48 am
Question: ” Tampa Bay needs depth in their receiving corps and wants to add explosiveness to their return game.”
Answer: “Cordarrelle Patterson” Oh wait….to frigging late!
March 24th, 2017 at 3:09 pm
Curtis Samuel out of OSU in the 2nd round! An electric playmaker with the ball in his hands!