Is the Wide Receiver Position Hurting the Tampa Bay Buccaneers?
Byron Leftwich. Leonard Fournette. Luke Goedeke. Rob Gronkowski.
These are just some of the names that are mentioned most often when discussions take place regarding the Buccaneers' offensive struggles this season.
Considered a major strength coming into 2022, and undoubtedly a massive financial investment for the team, the Buccaneers' wide receivers haven't lived up to expectations, either. In fact, as a group, they've been very disappointing.
Whether it's based on the status of big-name players like Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, and Julio Jones, or because there are other more glaring issues plaguing this offense, it feels like Tampa Bay's wide receivers haven't really taken much blame for what has been a horrendous start to the season for this group.
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Through 9 games, the Bucs' wide receivers have accounted for just 6 touchdowns. Evans (3), Gage (1), Jones (1), Perriman (1). The team has a PFF receiving grade of 67.9, which is 23rd in the league, behind teams such as the Patriots, Ravens, Falcons, and Commanders, all of whom are known for lacking talent at the position.
As Bohdan Yard described in the clip above, on the latest episode of the Bucs Banter Podcast, Tampa Bay's receivers are also failing to meet one of the most basic requirements of their job — catching the football.
When evaluating EPA (Expected Points Added) specifically based on dropped passes through 9 weeks of the NFL season, the Buccaneers have cost themselves more points than any other team in the league.
Despite their lack of production so far this season, Tampa Bay still possesses one of the most dangerous groups of pass-catchers in the NFL. It would be naive to not expect both Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, to find their form — and soon. In Godwin's case, he deserves some slack, as he is continuing to work his way back to full strength coming off a serious knee injury, and I have the utmost confidence that he will continue to improve as the season rolls along.
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Between the newcomers — Russell Gage and Julio Jones — at least one of them (but ideally both) is going to need to get healthy and make some kind of impact on this team. After all, the two former Falcons are costing the Bucs (a minimum of) $16 million this season. It's about time they start to earn those paychecks.
The bottom line is this: If the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are going to put up more points in the second half of this season, they are going to need more production from their very talented, and very expensive cast of wide receivers.
But is that actually going to happen?
Well, based on these receivers' body of work over the course of their careers, and Tom Brady's as a quarterback, I wouldn't bet against it.
For more on this, and continuing coverage of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, make sure to follow Collin Haalboom on Twitter, and check out the Bucs Banter YouTube Channel!
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