Upgrade Needed At The Tight End Position

by Douglas O'Connor
follow me on Twitter @Ren_Daxt 

     The beginning of the 2016 season was filled with question marks. Will Jameis Winston progress as an NFL quarterback? Can new coordinator Mike Smith make an impact on the defense? How big of role a will the draft picks play? Will the Bucs make the playoffs? I could go on, and on, and on. One question no one had was, what are the Buccaneers going to do at tight end? 

     The Bucs had youth, Cameron Brate, talent, Austin Seferian-Jenkins, experience, Brandon Myers, and leadership, Luke Stocker. If everything had gone as planned the Buccaneers would of been set at tight end for years to come.

     Fast forward to the present and tight end has gone from a position of strength to a position of need. Brate was a welcomed surprise. Racking up 57 catches for 660 yards and 8 touchdowns, but ASJ was just as big of a disappointment. Getting arrested for DUI two weeks into the season was the last straw for the Buccaneer front office and cut the troubled tight end before the home opener. Myers is now a free agent and I don't expect the Bucs to attempt to bring him back, and Stocker, primarily used as a blocker, is the only other of the four under contract.

     The Bucs run a ton of two tight end sets and adding a player(s) that can get open and block on the NFL level will be the off season goal for GM Jason Licht and his staff. The question is who, and where will they look for them?

What The Bucs Have: As of time of posting the Buccaneers have five tight ends on the roster. Three on the 53 man and two future contract players.

    Cameron Brate we all know about. Ivy league UDFA that made the team during the 2014 training camp and quickly built a chemistry with quarterback Jameis Winston while filling in for oft injured ASJ. The early season decision to cut bait with ASJ in 2016 landed Brate squarely in the starting role and he responded with a Pro Bowl type season. Cameron is part of the solution and I don't see any free agency targets that make sense that will oust him from his starting role. However there are two players in the draft, if the Bucs go tight end early, that could challenge Brate during training camp. 

     Luke Stocker is an excellent blocker and is used more as a fullback than a traditional tight end. Stocker contributes next to nothing in the passing game logging only 47 catches during his six years with the Bucs and struggles to get any separation in his routes. Licht has tried to replace Luke by drafting a true fullback, Joey Iosefa, in 2015 and a hybrid TE/FB, Danny Vitale in 2016. Neither one panned out and Luke has been able to keep his job. I expect Stocker to make the 53 man roster next year but to lose his starting job. The Buccaneers have already signed Quayvon Hicks, a fullback from Georgia, that blocked for Todd Gurley and Nick Chubb in college and their is a free agent that I like that would make Luke Stocker obsolete. 

    
     Alan Cross proved to be a better blocker than 6th round draft pick Danny Vitale so he made the team. A UDFA out of Memphis was serviceable when he was in the game for the Bucs but isn't going to be drafted on anyone's fantasy team anytime soon. Cross should make the team in 2017 mostly because of low price tag.

     Future contract players Tevin Westbrook and Kivon Cartwright are both big, athletic, and raw. The Buccaneers like Westbrook whom they have kept on the practice squad for two years now. I think this is a make or break year for Tevin if he doesn't make the 53 man roster this year his days at One Buc maybe over. Cartwright a former Colorado State Ram will be hard pressed to stay with the organization. Westbrook already has two years in Koetter's offense and the 2017 draft is the deepest for tight ends anyone can remember. The deck is stacked against Kivon but Jason Licht did sign him for a reason.

Free Agents: Martellus Bennett is the clear number one tight end in free agency this off season but his age and price tag will probably be to high for the Buccaneers. I like a four year veteran whose path has mirrored the Bucs own Cameron Brate.

     Jack Doyle was UDFA out of the University of Western Kentucky that was picked up by the Indianapolis Colts after he was let go by the Titans. Playing mostly as a blocking tight end for his first three years. Doyle finally got his shot with the departure of Coby Fleener in 2016 and he responded with 59 catches for 584 yards and 5 touchdowns. Playing the run blocking tight end is key in Doyle's evaluation. Look at it this way. Jack Doyle played three years as Luke Stocker, then when given the chance he put up numbers comparable to Cameron Brate. He actually had more receptions and yards than the Colts number one tight end Dwayne Allen with just one less touchdown. Picking up a veteran run blocker that has shown the ability to get open in the red zone and is only 26. That's the type of player I would like to see the Buccaneers make a play for.

The 2017 NFL Draft: This years tight end pool might be the deepest ever. I've seen as many as twenty prospects receiving draftable grades, with three coming from the University of Oregon. I'm only going to write about a few here, the clear number one guy, a small school draft board riser and a late round project.

     O.J. Howard, University of Alabama: Solid, solid run blocker and most think underutilized as a pass catcher in the Crimson Tide's offense. Recently won the best player award at the Senior Bowl and will be the first tight end taken off the board. Projected to be drafted around where the Bucs pick at 19. With the draft being deep at other need positions for the Buccaneers will the lure of the best player on the board be to much for Jason Licht to pass up at 19?

     Gerald Everett, South Alabama: Starting his college career at UAB, then transferring to the Jaguars after Birmingham killed their football program. Everett is gaining buzz and climbing up big boards. Scouts believe that he can be a serious receiving threat in the NFL. I've even read that Everett won't last past the second round.

     Jeremy Sprinkle, Arkansas: Lost behind Hunter Henry last season, Sprinkle put up solid numbers in 2016 and is a an above average receiver and blocker. He could be around in the 6th or 7th round making him a value pick for Jason Licht.

What I Think Will Happen: Without Cameron Brate the Bucs tight end situation might be the worst in the league. Especially with players that can get down the seam for an explosive plays. Jason Licht will address it in free agency and the draft. Don't expect a top tier free agent because the Bucs already have a Pro Bowl caliber starter. The draft could go a number of ways. I wouldn't be surprised if Licht took Howard at 19 but what if WR Corey Davis is still available? Best guess, the Buccaneers will take a tight end by their third pick in this years draft.  

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Thank You for reading and as always Go Bucs!


       

     

   

Brate and ASJ Should Be Main Targets vs Rams

One part of the Bucs offense that has been disappointing is the lack of targets and use of the tight ends. The Bucs have a more than capable tight end group with guys that can create mismatches and win with their size and ability. This week against the Rams the Bucs need to get back to involving their tight ends more in the passing game and use it to their advantage. With Cameron Brate and Austin Seferian Jenkins, the Bucs should use them down the seam and over the middle against the Rams Lb's and smaller Db's as their should be openings. Just look at this look that the Seahawks had against the Rams D, Luke Wilson was wide open but Russell Wilson missed him via Chris F. of Bucsbrief.com.

Then you're left with an uncovered Luke Wilson, probably wishing his name was Owen. pic.twitter.com/x0c5yK9vBs

— Chris F. (@BBPChris) September 21, 2016

Have to expect the Bucs to attack this if they get these kind of coverages as the Bucs have the speed and size with their tight ends to make the Rams pay if executed properly. Get the ball to ASJ and Brate early and often and get Jameis off to a fast start. Be smart and attack the Rams weakness and just keep attacking it. Run two tight end sets with Brate and ASJ and just have them run crossing routes and seam routes until the Rams can stop it because it should be open.

Explosive Plays

The Bucs offense played pretty good in their win yesterday against the Falcons putting up 31 points and over 350 yards. The Bucs were balanced in their play calls with a good mix of run and pass and took advantage of what the defense was presenting to them. However, all great offenses in this league make explosive plays and the Bucs made three that won them the game yesterday. Let's take a look at each one.

Charles Sims made the play of the game

The Bucs got a big stop on defense right before the half in which coach Koetter quickly called timeout to give the Bucs offense enough time to score some points before the half. Bucs went no-huddle and Jameis found rhythm as he went 7-10 on the drive. Two key plays were the passes to V.Jackson on third and 10 and then on first down to get 7 yards. That set up the Bucs with 2nd and 3 on the 24 yd line with 24 seconds left in which the Bucs at the very least will get three points. Charles Sims took over with a short pass over the middle and made 6 defenders miss on his way to the endzone putting the Bucs up 17-13.

HOLY S*** CHARLES SIMS https://t.co/4d4kb22MJN

— Trevor Sikkema (@TrevorSikkema) September 11, 2016

Jameis to an diving ASJ 

The Bucs have been harping all week about starting fast, well the team did that to start the second half. The Bucs went down the field in 4 plays covering 75 yards ending with a fantastic play from Jameis to tight end Austin Seferian Jenkins who made a great catch on the ball for the score. This play was just Jenkins beating his man to the endzone and Jameis put the football where only he could catch it.

Austin Seferian-Jenkins got those hands though 🔥 pic.twitter.com/3dUT3c3rzR

— Football Posts (@FballPosts) September 12, 2016

Mike Evans is Elite

In the first half the Bucs only targeted Evans once, and if they wanted to win that would have to change in the second half. It did as Evans made play after play setting up a beautiful 45 yard touchdown pass from Jameis to Evans which showed the potential of this offense. Again pretty simple play as Evans just got over the top of the defense and Jameis delivered an perfect ball right into the hands of Evans.

In my 25 years on this Earth, I have never seen a Tampa Bay Buccaneers team play offense like this. This is fun https://t.co/Kr8HrupAYa

— Trevor Sikkema (@TrevorSikkema) September 11, 2016

Koetter has been talking about making explosive plays all off-season because of how hard it is to drive the whole field. It was the difference in this game and the Bucs are 1-0 going into week 2.

3 Positives From Week 1 Win

The Bucs prevailed over the Falcons today 31-24 and there were a lot of bright spots but here a few that really caught our eye.

Winston Deep Ball

Jameis did miss his first deep throws early in the first to Humphries and a wide open Evans in the end zone but he made up for it as the game went on. Winston connected with ASJ for a 30 yard TD on the first possession after halftime and a 45 yarder to Evans the drive after. Both were perfect timing passes that dropped right in the receivers hands. With the size of all our bucs receivers and tight ends the deep ball will be used heavily and its a great sign that Winston has the timing down.

Redzone defense

A major weakness of the bucs for the past 5 or more years has been defense, but primarily red-zone defense and today they showed improvement. Of the 4 times the falcons got into the red-zone the bucs stopped them 3 times. The bend but don't break defense could be coming back but improvements still need to be made.

Punter/Special Teams

Overall the special teams had a picture perfect day. Roberto Aguayo made his first and only regular season kick for 43 yards as well as all 4 of his extra points. The coverage teams all did their part as there were no big returns to flip the field. The biggest highlight to me was punter Bryan Anger as he was booming kicks left and right. Anger had 5 punts averaging 45 yards per punt, with a long of 57 yards. Field position is huge in this game of inches and Anger can be seen as a weapon as he can determine where the other team will begin their drives.

Bucs Win!

Coach Dirk Koetter comes away with his first victory ever as a head coach in the NFL beating the Falcons 31-24. Jameis Winston put on a passing display going 23-33 281 yds and 4 tds versus only one interception. The offense took the game over right before the first half after Jameis found Charles Sims who made an amazing play to put the Bucs up 17-13. Then in the second half, especially in the third quarter the offense made two big plays that put the team up 31 to 13.

Jameis stayed hot starting the opening drive in the third, going deep to ASJ who beat his man for a great touchdown catch which put Tampa ahead 24-13. Then after a defensive stop, the Bucs went right back on the attack, and Jameis hit Mike Evans for a beautiful 45 yard touchdown pass giving the Bucs an 31-13 lead. After that though not much happen, as the offense seemed to lose their tempo and would only gain 41 yards after that Evans touchdown. 

On the defensive side, there were positives as they held the Falcons to less than 60 yards rushing and only allowed one Td out of 4 redzone attempts. The Bucs had three sacks which is solid but was still lacking consistent pressure throughout the game. Gerald McCoy and Kwon Alexander were outstanding today as they made huge plays especially at the end of the game to help the Bucs close out the win. Overall, a great win to start the season as winning division games on the road are never easy so with that being said it's great to be an Bucs fan today!

Tight Ends Could Have a Big Day

The Falcons are starting two rookie linebackers tomorrow in Deion Jones and Devondre Campbell who are talented but are still rookies. The Bucs have two good tight ends in Cameron Brate and Austin Seferian Jenkins who should be a big part of the gameplan tomorrow afternoon. The Bucs can use them off play action with seam routes and stick routes which can be very effective against the middle of the opposing defense. Expect the Bucs to go right at the Falcons linebackers and make them have to play the run and the pass.

The Bucs will probably use their two tight end sets often to set up different things whether it's via the run or pass. Balance will be the key for the offense, but I can see the tight ends being targeted early and often. Jameis and Cam Brate have good chemistry and I expect those two to make some big plays together. When ASJ is on his game, he can be a force on the field and I expect we see him and Brate on the field together often. So keep an eye on this for tomorrow and expect the tight ends to get multiple looks in the passing game.

Why 5 Tight Ends?

So if the roster stays as is the bucs will be going into Atlanta with 5 tight ends on the roster. Those 5 are Cameron Brate, ASJ, Luke Stocker, Brandon Myers and Alan Cross.

Not many teams hold more than 3 tight ends as there are many more skilled positions that require depth. The bucs are mainly holding that many due to the lack of a true fullback as both Stocker and Cross can play fullback.

They also are holding so many because the bucs used 2 tight end sets frequently last year and it worked well for them. Most of the time they would run out of the formation due to having an extra blocker but this year they may incorporate many more passing plays in it as now both Brate and ASJ are healthy.

So really if you look at it a different way the bucs have 3 true TEs in Brate, ASJ, and Myers as well as 2 hybrid blocking TE/FBs in Stocker and Cross. Koetter has frequently used the term being "multiple" and it seems as if they will be using multiple personnel this year at the TE and FB positions. 

Asj Will Still Have a Big Role on Offense

One of the big topics amongst Bucs fans has been about tight end Austin Seferian Jenkins and whether this is the year he finally lives up to his second round status from the 2014 draft. Maturity, bad luck, and inconsistency has hurt Jenkins from being that complete tight end that everyone in the Bucs organization still thinks he can be that guy. There have been negatives for Asj this off-season as he has been kick out of practice along with twitter rants with fans. However, I feel that has been good for Asj as it was the wake up call that he needed.

It's all about the mental game for Asj as he has all the physical tools needed to be successful now just has to put it all together and coach Koetter is making sure that Asj becomes a special tight end.

“[Coach Koetter] won't settle for me being average or good. He won't even settle for me being great. He wants me to be special,” Seferian-Jenkins said 

 “I really thank God every single day he kicked me out of practice. It was really a wake-up call.”

Even though Cameron Brate is number one tight end and rightfully so as he has been the most consistent. That doesn't mean Asj wont see the field as much because he will be a major part of the offense this season. Koetter is all about creating mismatches and with Brate and Asj on the field at the same time will definitely present issues for the opposing defense. The Bucs will feature tons of two and three tight end sets this year as the tight end group is one of the Bucs strengths on offense. Asj is great at getting open down the seam and presents a big target for Winston as does Cam Brate which should open up the outside for Evans and Jackson. Its an important year for Asj and he will have opportunities to make plays this year, he just has to take advantage of them. I believe he will be a big weapon in the redzone and finally he puts it all together to have a pretty good year.

ASJ with the TD for the Bucs. Beat out Evans. pic.twitter.com/RXDNhkTvNW

— Amanda Borges (@Amanda1010XL) August 17, 2016

Best Players Will Play

So far in camp this Bucs coaching staff has been a fresh breath of air as they are making players compete for their jobs and earn playing time. Coach Dirk Koetter has said all off-season that he wants competitors on his team and right now good competition is occurring. The best players will play and usually with good competition, the cream rises to the top something that should be very beneficial for this team. Koetter recently announced that Cam Brate is the starting tight end ahead of Austin Sefferian Jenkins and he didn't see what the big deal was when asked about it today after practice.

"It must be to you guys, because you keep talking about it a lot. I don't see what the big deal is. Every team I've always been on, the best players played," Koetter said.

This is the right approach by Koetter as best players should be on the field at all times and he elaborated on what Jenkins needs to do to get on the field.

"Right now, Cam's playing better than Austin. End of story, as far as I'm concerned. What does Austin have to do? Play better. And wouldn't you want that at every position to elevate the whole team? That's what competition does. Where a guy's picked, how much money a guy was making -- I could care less about that."

This is the mindset this team needs to have as it is a winning mindset in which best players will play and starting jobs just won't be given out due to draft status or contract. So the message is real simple from Koetter either compete and earn playing time or go find another career.

Expect to See More Three Tight End Sets

Bucs head coach Dirk Koetter is an innovative offensive mind, allowing him to take advantages of mismatches. The Bucs displayed multiple formations on offense last season and one of the more successful ones was the three tight end sets which feature one Wr and one Rb along with three tight ends. This allowed the Bucs to attack certain matchups against the opposing defenses and created unpredictability on offense. It did two things as it gave the Bucs numbers in the run game and if they wanted to pass out of it, it provided max protection or mismatches in the passing game with the versatility of the Bucs tight ends. Here is just one example in how it allows Doug Martin to get one on one matchups in the running game which he will win most of the time.

The Bucs lined up in a three tight end bunch formation with Evans the lone receiver on the top of the screen with Martin as the single back. This is well designed play as the tight ends and the line downblocks allowing Martin to go against the strong side corner one on one, and Martin easily blows by him and its solid gain of 15 yards. Expect to see more of this in 2016 with a mix of run and pass taking advantage of the Bucs deep tight end group. With ASJ, Brate, Stocker, and rookie Dan Vitale the Bucs have guys capable to take advantage of the matchups that they will get in these formations. Balance will be the focal point again for the offense in 2016, and this formation is one that we could see quite often as it can be very effective.

He Can't be Stopped in the Redzone

Even though the Bucs offense had one of their best years statistically, they could still have been way better in the red zone last season. One way to improve red zone efficiency is having reliable targets and the Bucs have one in tight end Cameron Brate. Brate was one of the nice surprises last season and so far this off-season, he just continues to do the right things especially when it comes to catching touchdowns in the red area. Coach Koetter is happy to have Brate on his side and talked about how Cam finds open spots in the red zone via NFL.Com and Tampa Bay Times.

"Cam has got an uncanny ability to show up in the red zone and we saw that again today,'' coach Dirk Koetter said Thursday during the team's final day of minicamp

Brate is on track to get more playing time in 2016 and should be a favorite target for Jameis to throw to. Brate is a grinder type player which makes coaches love him and it wouldn't surprise me if Brate starts the season as the starting tight end. ASJ has all the talent in the world but if he can't get the right mindset then he could easily be unseated by the man from Harvard. Bucs need to be better in the red zone, and Brate will be one of the solutions for 2016.

Koetter Expects Accountability

Bill Belichick is a big believer of players being held accountable as they should be. Its a big reason why the Patriots have been so successful over the last decade. Belichick has the quote "Do Your Job", which means being prepared, working hard, paying attention to details, and putting the team first. Buccaneers head coach Dirk Koetter is trying to create that kind of mindset with his players as he expects accountability and that players will be paying attention to the details by knowing what their job is on every snap.

Well today, Bucs tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins got kicked out of practice for apparently not knowing what to do on a certain play, and Dirk Koetter was not happy at all.

I believe this is the play where Dirk Koetter sends Austin Seferian -Jenkins off field for lining up improperly pic.twitter.com/jfLlXjkfZ2

— Jeff Tewksbury (@JeffTewksFox13) June 9, 2016

 This shouldn't happen especially since this offense is going into year 2 now, so the players from last season should know the offense. Now yes mistakes do happen but mistakes is what cost you games and the Bucs can't afford stupid mistakes like lining up incorrectly on the field. ASJ needs to mature and become more accountable and focus on what his job is or he is going to be seeing the bench often this season.

Bucs coach Dirk Koetter on play before Austin Seferian-Jenkins was sent off: "He didn't know what he was doing."

— Greg Auman (@gregauman) June 9, 2016

This is the NFL and it is hard to win in this league as the Bucs have seen up close for the past 9 years. Koetter made the right move as it sends a message to the rest of the team that if you are not here to do your job and be accountable then we will find someone else to do it. As far as ASJ goes, lets see how he responds from this and hopefully this makes him even better and he finally breaks out this year. This is good to see though and it shows Koetter expects accountability from his players or else it will be riding the pine for that player.

ASJ's Job To Lose

The Bucs 2014 2nd round selection Austin Seferian-Jenkins is no doubt a talented player with prototypical tight end traits but with the emergence of Cameron Brate, it seems Koetter sees ASJ being pushed for his job. Per Rotoworld

A former UDFA out of Harvard, Brate posted a 23-288-3 receiving line in 14 games last season. Seferian-Jenkins has struggled to stay healthy, missing seven games as a 2014 rookie and nine more last year. "Jameis (Winston) and Cam(eron Brate), they really connected last year," Koetter said. "They had a real good feel for each other in the red zone and on seam routes and just all over the field really. And Cam, well, he really made the most of his opportunities." The job will belong to Seferian-Jenkins if he stays healthy. The Bucs cut Brate four days after Week 1 last season, only to re-sign him after ASJ went down. Still, this could be a make-or-break year for Seferian-Jenkins in Tampa.

Cameron Brate did make big strides last year and showed he can become a respectable NFL tight end but the most important statement in that quote is "the job will belong to Seferian-Jenkins if he stays healthy". ASJ is without a doubt the better overall tight end and best tight end the Bucs have on the roster but can he stay on the field. This branches off Koetter's statement of the best ability is availability. You can't make a difference if your on the injured list. Not long ago Gerald McCoy was getting the label of injury bug due to his first 2 injury riddled season but he has shrugged that label off with 4 productive seasons in a row.

Give ASJ his time as he is coming into his 3rd year now and will look to be a breakout candidate this year. He seemed to be a Winston target early and often when he was on the field and no question will be a mismatch to utilize.

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.

Possible Two Headed Monster?

The often injured yet highly talented Austin Seferian-Jenkins getting sidelined in week 2 of the season may have been a blessing in disguise. Why, because the bucs reacquired tight end Cameron Brate from the Saints practice squad. Brate who stands 6'5 and weighs 245 is one large target and his alma mater is Harvard. So he's one big smart man. He was praised early in the season for his work ethic and keeping his nose in the playbook.

“Cam is a very bright guy,’’ Winston said. “He’s a hard worker. Cam, he gets here close to the time the quarterbacks get here. He’s always working, getting his body right. He’s definitely cherishing and definitely taking adantage of this opportunity he has"

Although having a big brain is good, that doesn't always translate into performing on the playing field. But hey, it doesn't hurt one bit. He was one of a hand full of players that were able to grasp new offensive coordinator and now head coach Dirk Koetters offensive playbook. He accredited it to his fine education at Harvard.

“The biggest thing I learned at Harvard was definitely time management,” said Brate, who grew up a Bears fan in Naperville, Illinois. “I learned how to balance football and academics. Now, I can devote myself 100 percent to football.’’

 Time management in the NFL is exactly what you need to keep yourself out of trouble (Johnny Football?) and to learn the ins and outs of the playbook to better perform on the field. Cameron Brate has the right head on his shoulders and now needs to work on his craft. Dirk Koetter had a few nice words about Cam himself.

He’s definitely developing,’’ Koetter said. “Cam is a guy that we almost let slip away there. We really saw the potential in Cam. He can run a little bit, he has good ball skills, he’s getting confidence in himself and he’s improving every week, which is all you can ask from any player.’

Brate ended his season with 23 catches 288 yards and 3 touchdowns, not big numbers but showed flashes of what he could become. If Seferian Jenkins can stay healthy and Brate can continue to develop and put on weight, the buccaneers could be looking at a two headed monster at TE. Thats a huge "IF" but looking at the mismatches those two could produce are mouth watering for a play caller and I bet Koetter himself is smiling thinking of ways to utilize them. Time will tell.

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!