The Buccaneers appear to have holes all over the defensive side of the ball. Safety, corner, pass rusher, depth at tackle, and depth at linebacker are certainly areas that will need addressed. But don’t let a record setting offense in 2012 fool you, the Buccaneers will need to add some key players on offense for next season, as well. A main target will be a starting tight end, as Dallas Clark is unlikely to return, and even if he does he is not the future of the position for Tampa Bay. Once tight end is taken care of, the Buccaneers will need to ensure every position has proper depth, and wide receiver will be a position that will need additional talent to fill a 53 man roster this fall. Mike Williams and Vincent Jackson are extremely talented, and probably the best duo of receivers in Tampa Bay Buccaneers history. But the Buccaneers are an injury or suspension away from the reality of Tiquan Underwood and Chris Owusu seeing numerous snaps on offense. Furthermore, while Underwood is a respectable player, he’s not the best option for a slot receiver/third receiver. His route running isn’t amazing, nor is his chemistry with Josh Freeman. So today, we’ll take a look at some of the wideouts that will be available this offseason for the Buccaneers to bolster the receiving corps.
We’ll start with a much less likely candidate, but one that fits exactly what the Buccaneers need. The diminutive Welker has been a fixture in the potent New England offense for what seems like forever, but it wasn’t long ago that he was fighting for playing time as a special teams player in Miami. The former Texas Tech Red Raider is an elite route runner, very quick and agile, and shows consistent effort, whether blocking, running, or catching. He’s also extremely capable as a punt returner, which is something the Buccaneers will need to consider when pursuing players this offseason. The price is likely far too high for Welker, if he even hits the open market. However, the Buccaneers would easily have the best group of receivers and running backs in the NFL were Welker to come to Tampa Bay.
Edelman is the more likely Patriot wideout to come to Tampa. The former quarterback at Kent State has converted into a reliable target in the Patriots’ passing game, and he has also proven to be a very hard worker on special teams, making impact plays in that phase of the game. He is a good route runner, can make plays once he receives the ball, and has solid athleticism. Edelman caught 21 passes for the Patriots this season, but there is certainly the potential that he is a Wes Welker clone waiting for the right opportunity.
My personal favorite from this list, Amendola is probably more well known for his injury history and accidental assault of an usher than for his ability as a football player, but he’s a hard worker who fits the same mold as Welker. However, Amendola is younger, and has a bit more pure speed which allows him to run more vertical routes, which is valuable considering he usually draws a more favorable defensive matchup. Like the others, Amendola is a punt returner, and while he’d likely not feature there regularly due to his injury prone nature, he could provide a spark when needed. Amendola is also unlikely to hit the open market, but if he does, he would be my choice to join the Buccaneers.
If you like the thought of Avery, you’ll love the thought of Cribbs. Cribbs is an ultra-dynamic athlete who has the speed, agility, and vision in the open field of a Madden player with boosted stats. His route running is superior to Avery, and his special teams impact is elite, rivaling Devin Hester and Leon Washington in terms of return ability. Cribbs is also an option as a wildcat quarterback, which could be an interesting wrinkle for the Buccaneers offense with Doug Martin alongside Cribbs. I would be a huge fan of Cribbs in Tampa, the issues will be his price and availability.
Yes, Cook is technically a tight end. And the Buccaneers could sign him to be a tight end. But his incredible athleticism for the tight end position would make him a viable option to line up as a third receiver option. Cook is tall, athletic, and capable of making the big play. He’s not the most technical player at the moment, but with some work, he could develop into a franchise tight end.
The Chicago Bulls put on perhaps the best interior passing display you'll see by any team all season long. It felt like half the Bulls shot attempts were dunks and layups after four quick passes and poor rotations by the Cavaliers.
The Cavs started off strong, building a 10 point lead through the first quarter largely off the back of C.J. Miles three point shooting. The Bulls looked like they were playing better than the results though as they were flubbing easy opportunities and Cleveland made some tough shots.
After the first quarter, the Bulls generated even easier looks and Cleveland stopped seeing their shots drop, and what started as a big Cleveland lead turned into a near even game at the half and a complete blow out by the end.
Not a bad run for Carlos Boozer who may even be converting a few haters into neutrals. As the crispness of the Bulls passing increases, the value of Carlos Boozer on offense increases. When Boozer is on the move and playing with a little bit of room he can show off his excellent finishing with both hands and variety of moves to score.
When Carlos Boozer gets the ball in isolation and is forced to create space for himself, frequently against more athletic and lengthier defenders, he struggles mightily. Chicago has given Carlos enough room to work with that we see the quick dives through the paint giving him easy shots at the rim, and he's knocking down the open jumper when given space out at the free throw line.
I don't see Carlos Boozer continuing to average 20/10+ for the season, but if the Bulls can keep their ball movement up then we will see a much more dangerous and effective Carlos Boozer.
Taj Gibson also looked strong in the post scoring most of his shots of dunks and layups. He had at least three baskets where he established deep post position and displayed excellent footwork to fight up a shot through the defense and score as well as several straight up open dunks/putbacks.
The Milwaukee Bucks are sitting at .500, and looking at their talent, I'm impressed they've done so well. That said Scott Skiles has apparently reached his shelf life with the team and quit/was fired last night. Jim Boylan will take over as interim coach.
We can now forget about the Bucks making a run at the division.
I'm sure there are a bunch of Bucks fans out there happy that Skiles is gone, and let me say this, it probably was time for Skiles to leave. Once he hit the point where they mutually agreed it was time, then it's probably time. However, your odds of getting a better coach are awfully small, and your interim coach is a train wreck waiting to happen.
Bulls fans around the world feel for you, but we'll likely enjoy playing the Boylan led Bucks on Wednesday.
I don't know how long it will be before Skiles recharges his batteries and looks for another gig, but I hope he doesn't land in Charlotte where he'll find some way to take their players and mold them into at least a .500 team and ruin our slim odds of top draft pick in 2016.
I've long advocated doing whatever it would have taken to get Dwight Howard last season even without a commitment. Well, Howard's out indefinitely with a shoulder injury after playing fairly beneath his standards for most of the year while recovering from a back injury.
Any thoughts of getting much out of Howard this year seem fairly hopeful, and if he left the Bulls after one injury plagued season then they sure would have come out on the losing end of that deal. Of course if he would have stayed, then I'd still take him and hope for the best with the injuries going forward.
Either way, tough break for the Lakers who also lost Pau Gasol and Jordan Hill to injuries. All three players will be out indefinitely, and it looks like the Lakers may have a rough time even making the playoffs. Interesting twist of fate for a team many thought was title worth this season.
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