Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2015 Wide Receivers Breakdown by Joe Soriano 1h ago 
Dec 21, 2014; Tampa, FLTampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans (13) is tackled as the Green Bay Packers beat the Buccaneers 20-13 at Raymond James Stadium. David Manning-USA TODAY SportsThe Tampa Bay Buccaneers have one of the NFL’s best wide receiver duos on their hands with Vincent Jackson and Mike Evans on the outside to provide rookie quarterback Jameis Winston with two legit deep-threats who can win vertically in both senses of the word. Austin Seferian-Jenkins and Tim Wright are a TE duo well worth praising, but it’s clear that the best players on the Buccaneers offense are their two star receivers.If Winston can do a much better job of getting the ball to his weapons than Josh McCown did, then both V-Jax and Evans should enjoy big 2015 seasons. Sure, the Bucs will run the ball plenty to take pressure off of Winston, but you always want to put the ball into the hands of your best players; Jackson and Evans are clearly the best talents that new offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter will get to work with for the duration of the season.There’s more to the Buccaneers wide receiver corps than just their two big names, as they have a host of interesting youngsters on the depth chart, including rookie Kenny Bell and a certain second-year speedster out of Wyoming.
Nov 30, 2014; Tampa, FLTampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Vincent Jackson (83) catches a pass in front of Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Terence Newman (23) in the first half at Raymond James Stadium. David Manning-USA TODAY Sports Vincent JacksonHe’s been mentioned in trade rumors due to his size and age, but the Buccaneers have never shown much willingness to part ways with him. They knew they would be drafting Winston first overall in this year’s draft, and they knew that they would need Jackson’s big body and safe mitts around to ease the former Florida State star’s transition to the NFL.Jackson led the Bucs with 70 receptions, turning those catches into his fourth straight 1,000-yard season. He’s never put up anything less than a 70/1,000 line in Tampa Bay, so it’s safe to say that the Buccaneers are more than happy with the previous regime’s decision to spend on him. He’s one of the most expensive receivers in the game, but he’s also one of the most consistent. As long as Winston meets expectations, he’s a prime candidate to improve on his two touchdowns and 14.3 yards per reception, which were both the lowest outputs of his entire career; a career that dates back to the 2005 season.McCown is arguably the worst starting quarterback in the NFL right now, so Jackson really has nowhere to go but up right now. As we saw with Kelvin Benjamin, Winston knows how to use big targets, and that can only mean good things for Jackson, who should also impose himself as a mis-match in the slot; he has the route-running chops and sneaky quickness to put his size to use on the inside, as he’s been very successfully deployed there in the past.
Aug 8, 2014; Jacksonville, FL Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans (13) warms up prior to the preseason game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Field. Melina Vastola-USA TODAY Sports Mike EvansThere is absolutely no doubt in my mind that Mike Evans is the most talented player on the Buccaneers offense, and this is coming from someone who loved ASJ as a draft prospect, has always been a fan of Jackson’s, believes in Doug Martin as a bounce-back guy, and believes in Winston’s long-term prospects in this league.The Buccaneers aren’t short on talent at the skill positions, but Evans is the gem of the bunch after leading the team with 1,051 receiving yards despite being out-targeted by Jackson 142-123. He absolutely bossed the Bucs red zone targets last year with 12 touchdowns, meaning that he had a double-digit TD advantage over his elder.Per Advanced Football Analytics, the hard-nosed wideout with elite ball skills averaged 8.5 yards per target, turning in 15.5 yards per reception with a considerably higher catch rate than Jackson. The Texas A&M product showed that he is a fully legit vertical threat, an elite red zone weapon, and he’s quite clearly the alpha dog in the Buccaneers passing attack. Nothing against V-Jax, but Evans is the real deal, and Winston is going to have a whole lot of fun tossing it up to this athletic specimen, who deserves every bit of his QB’s trust.
Sep 28, 2014; Pittsburgh, PA Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Louis Murphy (18) runs past Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Cortez Allen (28) during the second half at Heinz Field. The Buccaneers won the game, 27-24.Jason Bridge-USA TODAY Sports Louis MurphyThe Buccaneers unsurprisingly peppered Jackson and Evans with a huge amount of targets while largely ignoring their other pass-catchers, so former Oakland Raiders wideout Louis Murphy finished third at the position with 56 targets last year, averaging just 6.8 yards per target on each opportunity.Murphy has some vertical speed and isn’t a bad player, but he’s ideally a No. 4 guy and doesn’t bring much upside to the table. Perhaps the Buccaneers like him more than I do, as they signed him a three-year extension. The 28-year-old Florida product did outperform expectations last year by carving out a real role for himself as the team’s No. 3 wideout, so there’s a chance he could have an even bigger season for himself in 2015. I’m not a fan, though, as he was an inconsistent player earlier in his career who has too many issues with drops.
May 28, 2015; Tampa, FL Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide reciever Kenny Bell (80) works out at One Buc Place. Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports Kenny BellKenny Bell seems to be everyone’s favorite sleeper as we head into training camp, and I’m no different in this case. I think Bell has the potential to be the real deal, and I give him even odds to beat out the incumbent Murphy for the No. 3 gig. I actually think Bell is a better vertical threat, and the fifth-round sleeper is extremely physical with big upside due to his athletic ability.If Bell can make good on the Kenny Stills comparisons, then he could be a huge asset for the Buccaneers passing attack as a guy who takes pressure off of Jackson and Evans. What impresses me the most about Bell is the fact that he’s further ahead than most mid or late-round rookies when it comes to route-running concepts, so Murphy’s experience probably won’t be as much of a factor as some might be inclined to think.
Oct 5, 2014; New Orleans, LATampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Robert Herron (10) scores a touchdown against the New Orleans Saints during the fourth quarter of a game at Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports Robert HerronI think Robert Herron qualifies as a player who was a polarizing draft prospect, as there were plenty of differing opinions on the drop-prone but electric slot weapon. Herron can really bring a splash to the table for the Bucs offense, but he failed to seize the No. 3 gig over Murphy last year, earning just 12 targets last season. He caught only half of those passes for 4.8 yards per target, and Herron’s main impact on the offense was found in his dropped passes.He’s definitely one for the future, but it would be nice for the physical sixth-round pick to show some improvement in training camp this year. Herron has the upside and is somebody the Buccaneers shouldn’t give up on quickly even if he continues to struggle, but he could easily end up flaming out of the league as another speed guy who didn’t have the required polish to put his YAC potential to use in the slot.
Dec 28, 2014; Tampa, FL Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Russell Shepard (89) bats the ball out of the end zone to down a punt inside the ten yard line as the New Orleans Saints beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 23-20 at Raymond James Stadium. David Manning-USA TODAY Sports Russell ShepardAlthough he flashed some playmaking ability on his four receptions and eight targets last season, former Philadelphia Eagles WR Russell Shepard will have his work cut out for him this offseason when it comes to forging a role as a receiver. There are players who can push for his spot if he doesn’t show that he can contribute as a receiver if called upon, especially since some viewed him as a better defensive back as a draft prospect.Shepard, like pretty much every receiver on the Buccaneers roster, has plenty of speed and did outplay Herron in his 156 snaps. But what clearly makes Shepard’s spot on the roster safe is his work on special teams, which will continue to be his biggest asset.
May 28, 2015; Tampa, FLTampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Tavarres King (15) works out at One Buc Place. Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports Tavarres KingHerron seems to be on the bubble after failing to meet expectations as a rookie, but the notable wide receiver who is clearly on the bubble is former Carolina Panthers backup Tavarres King, who was scooped up last season after the Jacksonville Jaguars elected to waive him.In 55 snaps, King caught two passes for 13 yards, and the former Georgia star doesn’t have as much upside as most 25-year-old receivers. Unless if he absolutely balls out in camp, chances are that he’ll be released and will have to continue to do the roster shuffle. He’s worth rostering somewhere, but there’s a good chance that the Buccaneers will have better options with higher ceilings.
May 8, 2015; Tampa, FL Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Kaelin Clay (14) works out for rookie mini camp at One Buc Place. Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports Kaelin ClayThe sixth-round pick out of Utah won’t be asked to do much- if anything at all- as a wide receiver, but the speedster is the favorite to return kicks and should bring plenty of special teams value to the table. Clay has some upside as a slot man in the future, but it’s unlikely he’ll ever be a real part of the Buccaneers offense.Even so, snagging an impact return in the sixth round of the draft would be a big win for Jason Licht and Lovie Smith, so we’ll see just how much life Clay injects into their return game as a rookie. He’s worth keeping a close eye on for that reason, because he could bring plenty of value to the Bucs if he meets his expectations as a key special teams contributor.
Jun 4, 2015; Tampa, FLTampa Bay Buccaneers wide reciver Rannell Hall (16) catches the ball as cornerback C.J. Wilson (41) attempts to defend during work outs at One Buc Place. Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports Rannell HallThe Tampa Bay Buccaneers have three interesting UDFA receivers on the roster (D3 prospect Donteea Dye and former Clemson standout Adam Humphries are the other two), but I’ll focus on Rannell Hall, who will try to make the roster (he’s likely ticketed for the practice squad) after a great career at UCF. He was the No. 2 receiver across from Breshad Perriman last year and was previously a favorite target for Blake Bortles, largely because Hall is a beast when it comes to getting after the football.Hall has the body control to make circus catches, and while he only has 4.60 speed, he has vertical ability with regards to jumping for the football. No wide receiver posted a better vertical or broad jump than Hall at the Combine, and that trumps his modest 6’1?, 200-pound frame. Hall is perhaps the slowest receiver on the Bucs roster, but he’s well worth developing as a 22-year-old due to quickness, toughness, football IQ, and ridiculous body control.He’s probably ticketed for a practice squad gig, but I think Hall is a productive college receiver who is worth monitoring in training camp due to his unique skill-set and determination. But as with a few guys on the Bucs roster, Hall has serious drop issues, and players with poor long speed and drop issues generally have an uphill battle; the good thing is that Hall does have redeeming traits that could make him a legit sleeper.In fact, those that are bullish on Hall could view him as a long-term solution to the Bucs slot issues, as his leaping ability, quickness, smarts, and physicality over the middle could all be real assets on the inside that help overcome his serious lack of speed. So yeah, don’t forget about him when you are on “sleeper watch” in August.link
