Bucs v Eagles Film Doesn't Help Much

by Douglas O'Connor

follow on Twitter @Ren_Daxt

     The Tampa Bay Buccaneers faced of against Chip Kelly's Philadelphia Eagles on November 22, of last year and walked out of Lincoln Financial Field with a 45-17 win. Jameis Winston threw for 5 touchdowns tying a rookie record and Doug Martin ran for a whopping 235 yards. Initially you'd think that the Bucs could dust off that game tape and use it as a blueprint against the now Kelly led San Francisco 49ers. Sure the offense schemes are the same but just about everything else has changed.

Offense
     Chip Kelly's offensive scheme is the same, but obviously the players have changed. The biggest change is at quarterback. Gone is the turnover machine Mark Sanchez replaced by a more mobile and more dangerous Colin Kaepernick. Sanchez threw 3 interceptions and put his team in a hole almost from the start. Now that Kaepernick is at the helm the read option will be a much bigger part of Kelly's game plan. 

     Dirk Koetter's offense put up 45 points and over 520 yards of offense against the Eagles last year. Giving Chip Kelly an up close and personal look at all of the Bucs offensive weapons. What makes the tape near worthless is that 2 of the 5 offensive touchdowns and 365 of the 520 total yards won't be on the field Sunday. Mostly in the form of Doug Martin, Charles Sims, and Vincent Jackson.

Defense
     Granted the Eagles offense didn't do a lot to help out their defense. 4 turnovers and only 7 points, but the offensive game plan the Bucs conceived for Philly is pointless now. Not only are the players different, but so is the coordinator and scheme. When Chip Kelly "moved" from the Eagles to the 49ers he didn't bring then defensive coordinator Billy Davis instead he hired Jim O'Neil away from the Cleveland Browns. The only thing that is a consistent factor between the 2 defenses is that they both lineup in a 3-4.

     The Buccaneers defensive film against the Eagles will be the most helpful, but with the hiring of new defensive coordinator Mike Smith his plan won't be identical. The addition of 4 new Bucs that will see significant playing time and Kaepernick's mobility changes the defensive approach enough to use the the tape more as a guideline not a blueprint.

     You can follow fellow staffers @realbucstalk
     As always thanks for reading and Go Bucs!

         
     

These Guys Are Going To Try To Fill The Jackson Void

by Douglas O'Connor
follow on Twitter @Ren_Daxt

     The Buccaneers announced that 12 year veteran, Vincent Jackson, has been moved to injured reserve with an ACL injury. Tampa has very little experienced depth at wide receiver but someone has to step up and try to fill Jackson's shoes. Below is a little background on the top 3 candidates that are going to give it a try.

The Vet
     Cecil Shorts III played in Jacksonville during his first 4 years in the league. After spending a year in Houston, Tampa signed Shorts to the 53 man roster on September 6th. Cecil was active for 2 games and had 1 catch before he pulled his hamstring and was inactive for the next 3 weeks. Shorts returned to practice couldn't come at a better time. He returned to practice the same day Jackson was placed on IR. Cecil has 219 rec for 2,839 yds and 14 tds for his career and has the most experience by far of any of the other receivers. See what he said about his progress HERE.

The Specialist
     Russell Shepard has been with the Bucs since 2013. A jack of all trades while at LSU, Shepard lined up at QB, RB, and WR. Unable to find a role thus far in the Buccaneers offense, 10 catches in 4 years. Shepard has made his mark as being a standout special teams player. Wide Receivers Coach Todd Monken told the media that filling Jackson role will be done by committee. Suggesting that Russell will get to see the field more. Watch Monken's press conference HERE.

The Speedster 
     Donteea Dye has bounced between the Buccaneers practice squad and the 53 man roster since the start of last season. Dye did manage to be active for 10 games last year and see enough of the field to record 11 catches. Dye's big contribution may come on kickoff returns. Where he can use his 4.3 speed most effectively.

    Give the staffers a follow @realbucstalk and as always thanks for reading. Go Bucs!

Hot Takes! Ali, Vincent And More...

by Douglas O'Connor

follow on Twitter @Ren_Daxt

     Back before I came aboard here at Real Bucs Talk, I came across a tweet that was asking for Buc fans Hot Takes. If you are not familiar with the term, it's a controversial or even outlandish view on a topic based on no facts what so ever. Hot takes are more of a gut feeling or something that you want to get of your chest and put out into social media for all to see.

     I had 3 such takes right after the Bucs game 1 win against the Falcons. I'm going to take a look back to see if I hit a home run or struck out with the bases loaded.

Ali Marpet will make the Pro Bowl:  Marpet's small town boy to big city success story isn't news for Buc fans, but his high level of play might be. Coming out of Hobart he was mostly seen as a run blocker, but he was a day one starter and his pass blocking has blossomed. It's hard to break into the Pro Bowl as a lineman. Mostly due to the fact that their stats aren't easily tracked. Recently enormously popular Joe Bucs Fan as taken up the torch and started a campaign to get Ali to Orlando (Pro Bowl gamed has moved from Hawaii to O-Town). With Joe's push this Hot Take might come to fruition.

How'd I Do? It's an easy double into the gap, heading to 2nd thinking about trying for 3rd.

Buc fans will want to replace left tackle Donovan Smith at seasons end: Obviously I don't want this to happen but it's getting dicey. Smith is continually being criticized by national "experts". Most think that his best position in the NFL would be guard. A report just came out yesterday, at time of this post, how Donovan is leading the NFL in quarterback pressures. As these opinions are heard more and more, fans will begin to listen and start to pile on.

How'd I Do? It's hit high enough and the right fielder is on the warning track. (Please catch it, please catch it).

Vincent Jackson will lose his starting job? Another one that I hope never materializes. I can't put my finger on it but something is just off between Jameis Winston and Jackson and I think most Buc fans feel it too. The local media has picked up on it also and flat out asked Head Coach Dirk Koetter about it. His response, roughly, was that he agreed and if the results don't change the personnel will. Wow! Mike Glennon isn't going to take over for Winston so Jackson can catch more balls. Soooo ...

How'd I Do? I have 2 strikes but have taken some good cuts and I own this pitcher ...

Update: The Buccaneers announce that Vincent Jackson has been moved to IR with an ACL injury. Essentially ending his season and possibly his career. This is unfortunate news for arguably the best FA signing in Tampa's history. Technically this Hot Take came true but I'm pulling it off the table do to the nature of the outcome.  

   
     You can find all our posts at realbucstalk.blogspot.com Feel free comment below. We respond to everyone. As always thanks for reading and Go Bucs!

Vjax Is Still Playing Well

Vincent Jackson has been getting a bad rap as of late and the hate needs to stop. People are talking as if he's washed up and done. Yes, Jackson is in his 12th year and 33 years old but watching the tape he still is doing his job. He has been targeted 16 times and only has 6 catches for 62 yards. As I stated earlier in the week, a bunch of those targets were way off target by Winston and thats something he needs to fix, but Jackson has shown his worth on many other occasions. He may not be getting all the catches and yards Evans is getting but he is getting open as you can see below.

Great pocket, plenty of time and Winston air mails it. Don't blame Vjax when he's open 15 yards down the field. Winston needs to do better pic.twitter.com/ccL2ggVfTd

— realbucstalk (@realbucstalk) September 21, 2016

Again smart to pick on Brandon Williams the rookie but way off target. Vjax is open just need to deliver. pic.twitter.com/Y1eJJW8wOV

— realbucstalk (@realbucstalk) September 21, 2016

He also shows his ability to block and be used in different ways here as he springs open a big play for Adam Humphries.

1st and 20 on this play. The organization of everyone blocking is beautiful. Vjax with the first initial block. Get to these basics! pic.twitter.com/Jas491985V

— realbucstalk (@realbucstalk) September 22, 2016

Ever since Jackson joined the bucs in 2012 he has been known to drop a ball or two a game so that is no big story. He still has the ability to get open and make big plays down the field. Any way you look at it VJax is still a mismatch in our favor as he's 6'5 230 and can easily box out any corner in front of him. He knows he's still good and he showed it here, per Rick Stroud Tampa Bay Times.

I feel great. I still feel like I’m playing at a very high level. Our coaches have all the confidence in me, obviously, my teammates do as well. So for me, it’s just continue to do my job. I don’t have to try and do too much or press or anything extraordinary. I trust my training, I know I can make plays and when those opportunities come – I hope more come my way – but I’m just going to continue to do my job.''

Jackson has alway been a true professional and he will show up. Given that he is fully healthy, Jackson should be targeted much more and he will produce and make Winston's job so much easier. I'm not concerned at all about his ability and expect him to produce in the coming weeks. Oh and guess what, he has another 5'11 corner covering him this week.

Attack The Rookie

The bucs will be playing a tough Cardinals defense Sunday but every defense has a weakness. By that I mean on one side of the field the Cardinals have Patrick Peterson who may be the best corner in football and on the other side they have Brandon Williams a 3rd round rookie out of Texas A&M. The rookie was targeted early and often against the Patriots on Sunday night football last week and he didn't look all that great.

Williams has only played corner one full year as he began his football career as a running back and is still learning the position not to mention learning the Cardinals aggressive defensive scheme. When there is a player thinking and not reacting you have to take advantage of it. Just as the Bucs took advantage of the smaller Robert Alford last weak in Atlanta I feel they will target Williams as much as they can.

Vjax will most likely be the beneficiary of this as Peterson will most likely be shadowing Evans the entire game. So, the bucs find themselves in a very similar situation as last week, avoid Peterson and attack the other side of the field.

Bounce Back Week Expected For Vincent Jackson

The Bucs offense had a pretty good game last Sunday against the Falcons as the unit put up 31 points and over 350 total yards. The best news is the unit can be even better as one of their top players had an off day. That would be all-pro receiver Vincent Jackson who was targeted seven times and ended up with two catches for 18 yards. Now this could be because of Desmond Trufant who was matched up against Jackson most of the game and is a great corner. The Bucs were smart by going towards the weaker corner in Alford and Mike Evans took advantage for 99 yards and a TD. Now heading into week 2 against the Cardinals, look for Vincent to have a bounce back week as he knows he needs to pick it up and OC Todd Monken believes he will as well.

"He's got to play better, and I got to coach him better. He knows that, and I got to find a way for him to play better, and he is capable, he is a darn good football player. We are counting on him to have a big game this week, and I expect him to bounce back."

This is called being accountable and the coaching staff and the players are doing a great job of that so far. Monken is right as Jackson should bounce back this week as he has a favorable matchup going against the Cardinals secondary which features a rookie corner in Brandon Williams who will likely be targeted again this week by the Bucs offense. Jackson needs to be a big part of this offense because he is still a very good player and can make big plays. Look for the Bucs to move their wideouts around this week to find the favorable matchups and stay away from Patrick Peterson.

Don't Test Trufant

Looking at the Atlanta Falcons defense you can see that their front 7 is really young and unproven so that would most likely be the bucs primary target come Sunday. What they most definitely should not do is test cornerback Desmond Trufant. You have to respect Trufant and understand that he is with out a doubt the best player on this Falcons defense.

Trufant, only a 4th year veteran made the Pro Bowl for the first time last year and that was with only 1 interception which happened to come against your buccaneers. He comes from a family of NFL players as he is the youngest of 3 brothers currently on NFL rosters. He brings a combination of great coverage skills with elite athletic ability evident by his 4.3 forty, 3.85 20 yd shuttle and 37.5 inch vert.

Most likely he will be following Evans the whole game and unless Evans beats him on a first move or its an end zone jump ball I wouldn't test his abilities. Look for Koetter to exploit the front 7 and the other corner Robert Alford as he's only 5'10 and matched up with 6'5 Vincent Jackson.

Prospect Watch: WR Corey Davis

It's never to early to look ahead to the next NFL draft, and for the Bucs they will likely target a receiver or a safety in the early rounds based on the current roster. Back in May we took a look at USC Wr JuJu Smith-Schuster who is probably the top receiving prospect for the 2017 draft and would be a big addition to the Bucs offense. Today let's take a look at a small school receiver who relies on speed and quickness in addition to great hands and that would be Western Michgan's Corey Davis. Davis could be one of the top receivers taken in the 2017 draft as he has been sensational during his college career. Davis has over 3700 receiving yards along with 33 tds in just three seasons and should have another big year as he gets ready for the next level.

Davis at 6'2 215lbs has the size and speed combo that teams look for in a NFL wideout today, and has the right mindset as he puts in the work everyday according to his head coach P.J Fleck who was the Bucs receivers coach back in 2012.

“Corey Davises don’t come along very often,” Fleck says. “If they have one talent, then they really lack something else. Corey's really the complete package.”  “He’s quicker, more explosive,” Fleck says. “He has spent a ton of time just working on his craft, to get him better. He’s our best player but also our hardest worker.”

Davis would be a great partner for Mike Evans as they would compliment each other well and would present matchup nightmares for opposing defenses. Davis can really do it all as he can stretch the field, go over the middle, and can make contested catches as well. Since Davis's coach is PJ Fleck who knows Bucs Wr Vincent Jackson, Fleck put Davis in contact with Jackson so he could learn from one of the best pros in the game. Fleck sees similar traits in Corey Davis when comparing to Vjacks.

“Corey’s got a little more quickness to him, but Vincent’s 6' 5 1/2". He’s got that rare, elite length. Corey’s got length but he doesn’t have that length,” Fleck says. “Vincent was huge and he could run like Corey. Vincent worked on his game to become more of a medium-range to vertical passing game threat. Corey's got even more of the underneath stuff very well.”

Bucs Gm Jason Licht will have his eye on Corey Davis this fall for sure as he fits the mold and type of player Licht looks for in his drafts. Licht has a insider in Vincent Jackson who has been in contact with Davis, so keep a eye out for Corey Davis in next year's draft Bucs fans.

Don't Forget About VJax

Everyone seems to be set on the Winston to Evans connection that they refuse to remember that the bucs also have a 3 time pro bowler and 6 time thousand yard season receiver in Vincent Jackson. Jackson had a long injury riddled season last year where he missed 6 games which is the reason for his drop off, not because of his age(33) as many people had thought.

If you take one look at Jackson you can see he takes his career seriously and may be the most physically fit buccaneer on the roster. Everyone is so enamored and happy about Brent Grimes and he is soon to be 33 as well, but he's not getting the negativity Jackson is. When healthy Jackson can form the twin towers the bucs were hoping for and I'm sure he's primed to show that this season. Also keep in mind early in the season against the great Carolina defense and Josh Norman, VJax had a 10 catch 147 yard day to go along with one score.

Look for Jackson to return to his pro bowl form again in 2016 as it is a contract year and you know last year left a bad taste in his mouth. Remember there are 2, 6'5 monster wide receivers Winston has to throw to, not just one.

Does Licht Have Confidence in His Receivers?

The Bucs had holes all along the roster last year which is why they only came away with 6 wins last year and one of those holes was with WR depth. When Vincent Jackson and Louis Murphy went down last year the only target Winston had was Evans as no one else could get open. Many thought the Bucs would have addressed that position in the draft yet they passed on selecting one, why is that? Does Licht have confidence in the receivers on the roster or were the options in the draft just not that appealing?

Licht and company seem to be exellent eyes for talent and maybe beyond the top guys they didn't view a deep class worthy of WR's worthy of taking in the later rounds. I would agree with that if that was the thinking, as beyond Corey Coleman, Sterling Shepard and Tyler Boyd not many receivers in this class really jumped out at you. But the Bucs are still facing the fact that they haven't improved in a position that was a weakness last year.

The good news is that Murphy will be coming back healthy and they also will be getting back last years 5th round pick Kenny Bell back who seemed to have a nice connection with Winston in preseason last year before getting injured. There is still a possibility that the Bucs look to grab Roddy White, as he is still a free agent and has a great relationship with Koetter and his offense. The WR position is one to keep your eye on moving forward as there still lies plenty of question marks as to who can compliment Evans and be a viable option for Winston.

Vincent Jackson Has Plenty Left In The Tank

Dont tell Dirk Koetter that wide receiver Vincent Jackson is done and that cant be a playmaker anymore. Koetter said the complete opposite today and believes Jackson has more gas left in the tank per Roy Cummings.

#Bucs HC Dirk Koetter "I'm not a believer that Vincent (Jackson) is anywhere close to being done.''

— Roy Cummings (@RCummingsTBO) March 23, 2016

Vincent Jackson is heading into his last year of his 5 year contract he signed back in 2012. If Jackson at age 33, can stay healthy as last season injuries were freak accidents, he can still be a consistent target for young Jameis. Having Jackson and Evans on the field together opens up the offense so much, and should be even better this year. With all that being said, Bucs should still draft a receiver in the upcoming draft, as they could use another playmaker to add to the offense.

Could Bucs Target Eric Weddle?

Tampa's secondary last year was abysmal which leads us to believe they will do whatever to improve it. As stated before, pass rush is the biggest need this offseason and it looks as if Licht is leaning on targeting that in the draft, so what will he do in free agency?

Back end help doesn't come with as high a price tag and would look to be an area where Licht could spend some of that 51 million in salary space. Eric Weddle would be the best of the bunch in this years free agency class. Weddle 31, is going into his 10th season and would provide an immediate impact in a secondary that only managed 6 interceptions all season. Weddle is known for always being around the ball and anticipating plays well. Those are qualities the Bucs badly need and could be willing to pay for given the right price.

Vincent Jackson could play a huge role in bringing Weddle to Tampa as they played 5 years together in San Diego. Jackson hasn't shied away from helping the Bucs recruit players to join the team and I'm sure he would fully endorse a player like Weddle. Tampa is an up and coming team and could be a nice landing place for Weddle. He will likely demand upwards of 7 million a year to be obtained.

Defense will be a focus this offseason and signing a sure thing in Eric Weddle would provide a fine start to the offseason.

Prospect Watch: Tyler Boyd

The last great WR out of the University of Pittsburgh was named Larry Fitzgerald and Tyler Boyd surpassed all his records. I'm not saying Tyler Boyd is the next Larry Fitzgerald but I am saying he is one well polished wideout.

Boyd will not blaze through the 40 yard dash and will most likely get negative remarks about his slight frame (6'2 190) but he is a natural with the ball in his hands. Boyd amassed 254 receptions, 3361 yards and 21 touchdowns in his 3 years at Pittsburgh. He does everything well and displays incredible hands and vision. Although not the quickest receiver Boyd has just enough shake to elude the first defender. Given the opportunity to take him I believe the Bucs will jump at him. Jason Licht has made it clear that he tends to stick to his board and usually goes with best player available. Evident in 2014 when Licht took Austin Seferian-Jenkins with his second round pick when the Bucs had so many other needs.

You may be thinking why would the Bucs waste a high draft pick on a WR when they have both Mike Evans and Vincent Jackson? Well if you remember last year when Vincent Jackson went down with his leg injury the passing offense began to sputter. Jackson continues to be a consistent player when on the field yet father time is starting to creep up on him as he is already 33 years old.

Boyd figures to be an early to middle of the second round selection as of right now. The franchise is centered around Jameis right now and what better way to help him out than by getting another target for him to throw to. Here is a glimpse of what Tyler Boyd can do.

Is This the Year ASJ Finally Breaks Out?

When the Bucs drafted Austin Seferian-Jenkins in the second round of 2014 NFL Draft, I yelled in excitement because of his potential to be a great tight end like Rob Gronkowski. Jenkins has said all the right things and has been a good teammate in his 2yrs with the Bucs. The problem is staying on the field and providing consistent production when on it as he has only played 16 total games in 2 seasons.

He has put up average numbers with 21 receptions in both years with 2 and 4tds respectively, the main issue is the nagging injuries which has prevented him for establishing any kind of consistency in his play which has resulted in drops and flags. I still have confidence in him as a player because he shows flashes of being a game changing tight end. He is 6-5 262 and is a huge target for Jameis and the way Jameis loves attacking the middle of the field, Jenkins should be primed for a breakout year this year.

Jenkins needs to work on his body and hopefully he can avoid the nagging injuries that are stopping him from becoming a good player. Personally I would like to see him get with Doug Martin and Vincent Jackson and copy their workout regiments because those two are always in excellent shape. The potential is there and he is great friends with Jameis so I expect Jameis to get his buddy on track and poised for a breakout season in year 3. The time is now for Austin Seferian-Jenkins or it could be goodbye.

Heres to hoping we see this guy in 2016!

Keeping Vincent Jackson Is the Right Move

The Bucs offense was looking potent at times during this past season, and the one common thread was Vincent Jackson. When Jackson was on the field, the Bucs just looked like a new offense, just look at the Eagles game where the Bucs put up their highest point total of 48. The offense is just able to do more as it allows more flexibility when you have Evans and Jackson out there together. He is very reliable on third down, and is just a consistent solid player. Yes he is 33yrs old and is making almost 10 million in salary, but he provides so much to this team that you could make a case that he is the MVP.

He is an outstanding leader, and frankly Mike Evans needs him here as Evans is just not ready to do it by himself. Plus the young talent in Kenny Bell, Donteea Dye, and Adam Humphries all look up to Jackson, so having him on the team is vital not only to the offense but helping the future of this team as well. Hopefully this year, Jackson can stay healthy and help the other receivers improve but help Jameis take the next step as well.

If healthy he can still do things like he did in this video below.