Will Young Receivers Show Improvement?

The bucs seem to have competition across the board this year but one position that doesn't seem as deep is the wide receiver position. Jason Licht skipped addressing the position in the draft and free agency as well. Is that because he is confident in the young receivers on the current roster?

The bucs have 3 second year players that still have room to grow and could potentially be a difference maker in Donteea Dye 22, Adam Humphries 23, and Kenny Bell 24. Dye was more of a deep threat last year and didn't manage much else as he totaled only 11 catches for 132 yards and one score. Humphries on the other hand seemed to be a sure handed slot guy that could make strides this year as he totaled 27 catches for 260 yards and one score as well. Kenny Bell had a redshirt season due to injury last year but was the only one of the 3 to actually be drafted last year and has the most all around game.

The bucs truly need a slot receiver and difference maker at the wide receiver position and they are hoping that guy is currently on the roster. 2nd year receivers can make big strides in development so I'm not going to say theres no chance these guys aren't it. Training camp and preseason will tell all and push the best guy to the top. This should be an interesting competition to keep and eye on.

Bucs Are Building a Diverse Offense

When you think of great offenses in the NFL, you think of the Patriots, Saints, Packers, Cardinals and Broncos to just name a few. These offenses have a few things in common as they all have franchise quaterbacks, but most importantly they can attack in different ways which makes them hard to stop. Especially the Patriots when healthy they can attack you on the outside with Eldeman or the inside with their tight end core led by Gronkowski, or pound inside with their committee of running backs. Bucs Gm Jason Licht thinks the Bucs are building that type of offense where they can be diverse in how they attack opposing defenses whether it be from the outside or inside per pewterreport.com.

“But look at the Seahawks and the Patriots,” Licht said. “They don’t have any first-round receivers and they win Super Bowls. Obviously, we do. We drafted Mike Evans at No. 7. But you have to diversify your offense. If you have several mismatch-type weapons – maybe not the elite speed guys – you’re still diversified. Your mismatches don’t always have to be on the outside. They can be inside, too.”

This Bucs offense has many options to create mismatches whether that be on the outside with their two stud receivers or inside with their tights ends and backs out of the backfield. Having a diverse offense can make it tough for opposing defenses to anticipate what tendencies are being shown. In other words, it allows the offense to run multiple plays out of the same formation due to having that versatility with their personnel. Versatility has been the theme of this offseason, and the Bucs have plenty of it on offense. Look for more diverse personnel groupings this year with Jameis having plenty of options to spread the football to in the passing game.

He is Very Similar to Chris Cooley

In the NFL today it's all about match ups and finding the mismatches for the offense to take advantage of. The Buccaneers think they have added a mismatch player in Dan Vitale who is a hybrid type and can play all over the field. Bucs Gm Jason Licht is very high on him and thinks he can create mismatches and become a reliable target for Jameis Winston per pewterreport.com.

“I do like him,” Licht said. “He has great hands. He’s super smart. He’s very tough. He’s a great athlete. He’s not a typical fullback athlete. A guy like that can be your quarterback’s best friend. He has a real knack for running routes and getting open and making big plays.”

Vitale can play fullback, tight end, or h-back and is seen as a flex option which should make the offense difficult to defend. Vitale is pretty much a receiver with a full back body at 6'1 239lbs and with 4.60 speed he is fast enough to create separation allowing him to make big plays down field. Vitale had 135 receptions and 11 tds in his college career so it is safe to say he is dangerous when used correctly.

Vitale compares himself to former Redskins tight end Chris Cooley who was used as a h-back and was quite successful. Bucs Gm Jason Licht agrees with that comparison and thinks he could have the same impact for the team.

“Vitale is an added weapon,” Licht said. “He’s not a long player that is going to survive for a ton of plays on the line of scrimmage. He’s going to be more of an H for us. Chris Cooley is a perfect example. I love his versatility. The other unique thing about him is that he’s a four-phase special teams guy. When is the last fullback you’ve seen that could play on special teams?”

If Vitale can be that reliable target like Chris Cooley was and more importantly like Nick O'leary was for Jameis at FSU, then the Bucs have found a gem in the 6th round.

What Will Happen With Jude?

Last year the secondary was down right embarrassing and Lovie would throw anyone and everyone out there to see who could play the best. That when number 38 was thrown into the fire. A guy with a name no one could pronounce and could barely fit on his jersey. The guy was practice squad rookie Jude Adjei-Barimah out of Bowling Green State.

Jude's background is in soccer and he didn't even start playing football until his freshman year of high school. When he was thrown into live action he looked just as bad as everyone else in the bucs secondary but he did show flashes of athleticism and hustle. He ended up playing in 13 games and starting in 7 of them as well as totaling 41 tackles. He was targeted often due to being a no name rookie but it seemed as if he never shied away from it and took it as a learning curve.

Looking at the roster now, the bucs have loaded up on corners in hope to fix the mess that was our secondary last year. That means Jude will have stiff competition to make the final roster in 2016. With Grimes and Verner getting the early first team reps and top pick VH3 likely to win the nickel position where does that leave Jude? He will have to compete with veteran Jonathan Banks and free agent pick up Josh Robinson to make the roster. Luckily for Jude it seems like the bucs defense values smaller quick corners and that fits Jude to a T.

He no doubt caught the eye of Jason Licht and I will never doubt Licht's talent evaluation based on his recent draft decisions. It's all up to Jude now to prove he's worthy of a roster spot and most likely will have to shine in special teams to make the team.

Deep Passing Game Will be Focal Point in 2016

It's early but so far during practices the Bucs offense are making big plays in the passing game. This is what Dirk Koetter wants as it is all about making explosive plays on offense because it's really hard to drive the length of the field every time. Last season, Jameis was inconsistent with his downfield passing, and it is something he has been working on so far during this off-season. Just take a look at this pass in which he hits Kenny Bell in stride for a touchdown.

Video: Nice touchdown pass from Bucs QB Jameis Winston to former @Huskers receiver Kenny Bell. pic.twitter.com/TEkQZMizfH

— Greg Auman (@gregauman) May 24, 2016

It is plays like this that can change the outcomes of games, and if the Bucs want to be a playoff contender they are going to need to make more plays like this. Now a lot goes into the deep passing game as there has to be protection from the oline, the receivers have to be precise, and lastly the Qb must throw it on time. With the Bucs going into the 2nd year of the offense, we should expect better execution from the deep passing game, and most importantly the team has the pieces to attack downfield.

With Evans, Vjacks, Murphy, Dye, Bell, and Sims the Bucs have the weapons to go deep often to create big plays. This team should be able to create mismatches consistently allowing them to convert on big plays often. Expect Jameis to be better with his ball placement and accuracy because of improved chemistry with his teammates and better understanding of the offense. So look for Dirk Koetter to attack the seams and the deep middle of the field in 2016, big plays are on the way.

Big Play Guy

There can never be enough weapons for this buccaneer offense and Winston spoke about how he's excited to get last years 6th round pick back on the field.

I spent more time with Kenny Bell last year than I spent with the rest of the guys, because we live so close to each other. So I'm very excited for him, looking forward to him doing big things. He's a big play guy, he can stretch that field for us.

Kenny Bell although a late round pick possesses that deep threat speed and is a hidden freak athlete noted by his 4.37 forty yard dash and 41.5 vertical leap. The man known as "Afro Thunder" for his hair that can barely fit in a helmet, can really stretch the field and is most likely the only legitimate speed threat on the bucs roster right now. He may not possess the quick twitch ability to make people miss, but football is all about north and south and he sure can do that. Consider last year a redshirt season for Bell and for him to compete heavily for the slot and kick return duties.

Joint Practices Are on The Way

Head coach Dirk Koetter is adjusting well to his new duties and responsibilities as he is making changes that he feels will benefit the team. One of them is having practices in the morning in attempt to beat the hot temperatures that August brings which is good logical thinking.

#Bucs coach Dirk Koetter says his team will practice in the morning from now until the 4th preseason game in an effort to beat the heat.

— Rick Stroud (@NFLSTROUD) May 24, 2016

Then today Koetter announce that he will have joint practices with other teams to see different looks and go against another jersey than your own which can always be beneficial. This will be good for the team and is just another shrewd move by coach Koetter.

Bucs coach Dirk Koetter said team will have joint practices in August with Jaguars and Browns. Will go to Jax for two days of practices.

— Greg Auman (@gregauman) May 26, 2016

So far I like what this coaching staff is bringing to the table, hopefully they can be here for a while. I think going against the Jaguars in practice will be great for this team just due to the fact that the Jaguars are a rising team as well. They have a quick defense and an explosive offense so it should help our coaches see what we truly have this year.