Check out part two of some of the best photos shot by the photographers of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the 2015 season.
What do you do when your team has a hot young quarterback on the rise? Why, you "surround him with weapons," of course.
Yes, it's a modern NFL cliché, right up there with "next man up" and "locker room chemistry." It's also true that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers would want to get the most out of Jameis Winston's considerable talents by filling his huddle with as many dynamic skill-position players as possible.
The Buccaneers had the NFL's most productive tandem of running backs in 2015 in Doug Martin and Charles Sims, though they'll have to do a little work if they want to keep that pair intact. They've got pass-catching tight ends in Austin Seferian-Jenkins and Cameron Brate who are poised to increase their numbers significantly. And they have a receiving corps anchored by a 22-year-old standout (Mike Evans) and a veteran with six 1,000-yard seasons in the last eight years (Vincent Jackson).
So there are plenty of good pieces already in place around Winston, but the Buccaneers need more. When Jackson missed big chunks of the 2015 season due to injuries, the team struggled to find a consistent pass-catching presence opposite Evans. That was due in part to early season-ending injuries that took out Louis Murphy and promising rookie Kenny Bell. Murphy and Bell will be back in the mix in 2016 but the Bucs may still want to add competition to that group. That's doubly true given that Jackson is entering the final year of what proved to be a very worthwhile five-year contract inked in 2012.
After two straight offense-heavy drafts, Tampa Bay seems likely to use its premium picks on the defensive side in April. If that proves to be the case, perhaps free agency will be the means to adding depth on offense, including at wideout.
Between now and March 9, we will take a position-by-position look at the players who may be available when free agency begins, hoping to determine the ones who could be good fits for the Buccaneers. The usual caveat applies: This is not meant to reflect the opinions or strategies of Tampa Bay General Manager Jason Licht, Head Coach Dirk Koetter or any of their assistants. In fact, since the players mentioned below are still under contract until the start of the new league year, Licht and company could not comment on them specifically even if they wished to do so, lest they be guilty of tampering.
NFL.com Around the NFL Editor Gregg Rosenthal named his top 20 unrestricted free agents of 2016.
- Brock Osweiler, Denver Broncos, quarterback
- Janoris Jenkins, LA Rams, cornerback
- Danny Trevathan, Denver Broncos, linebacker
- Andre Smith, Cincinnati Bengals, right tackle
- Matt Forte, Chicago Bears, running back
- Kirk Cousins, Washington Redskins, quarterback
- Sam Bradford, Philadelphia Eagles, quarterback
- Eric Weddle, San Diego Chargers, safety
- Russell Okung, Seattle Seahawks, offensive tackle
- Bruce Irvin, Seattle Seahawks, linebacker
- Doug Martin, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, running back
- Olivier Vernon, Miami Dolphins, defensive end
- Malik Jackson, Denver Broncos, defensive tackle
- Eric Berry, Kansas City Chiefs, safety
- Jason Pierre-Paul, New York Giants, defensive end
- Cordy Glenn, Buffalo Bills, offensive tackle
- Alshon Jeffery, Chicago Bears, wide receiver
- Muhammad Wilkerson, New York Jets, defensive end
- Josh Norman, Carolina Panthers, cornerback
- Von Miller, Denver Broncos, linebacker
After looking at defensive ends/edge rushers on Wednesday, we'll now switch to the other side of the ball and study the available talent among…
Wide Receivers
As was the case with the edge rushers, there is one name that stands out at the top of the receiver list, and one name that likely won't be there when the market actually opens on March 9. Even after an injury-marred 2015 campaign, the Chicago Bears' Alshon Jeffery would surely command a big deal as an unrestricted free agent after an average receptions-yards-TDs line of 87-1.277-8.5 from 2013-14. That's why many expect the Bears to use their franchise tag on Jeffery while letting Matt Forte depart. That would be a similar choice to what the Dallas Cowboys did with Dez Bryant and DeMarco Murray a year ago.
Even if Jeffery is off the market there is an intriguing mix of receiver types who are likely to be available. This is not unusual; the receiver position is often one of the most fertile in free agency. Among the many who switched teams last year were Jeremy Maclin, Michael Crabtree, James Jones, Ted Ginn and Kenny Britt, all of whom were at least moderate hits, if not better. There are always some swings and misses at receiver, too; among those last year were Percy Harvin and Andre Johnson.
This year, the list of wideouts who could change teams includes Cleveland's Travis Benjamin, Cincinnati's Marvin Jones and Mohamed Sanu, San Francisco's Anquan Boldin, Miami's Rishard Matthews and Seattle's Jermaine Kearse. Oh, and James Jones and Percy Harvin are back on that list, too.
If you agree that the Buccaneers could make good use of a quick and shifty receiver to work the middle of the field between the enormous outside pair of Evans and Jackson – as we posited after watching Super Bowl 50 and Emmanuel Sanders – then Benjamin might be an interesting option. Benjamin (5-10, 172) is a little smaller than Sanders (5-11, 186) and he ran a 4.36 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine in 2012. He's a crisp route-runner who can make explosive cuts and isn't afraid of contact. Benjamin can also return punts, which is an area the Buccaneers have been looking to improve for years.
Benjamin had a 68-catch, 966-yard breakout season in 2015, and that underscores the difference between some of the available receivers. There is a group like Benjamin, Matthews and Marvin Jones who are just finishing their first NFL contract and might be on the verge of taking their production to another level. Then there are the Boldins and James Joneses, the receivers who are a little longer in the tooth but likely still have some productive years left. Getting a good player just as he's entering his prime is the dream scenario in free agency, but sometimes an established veteran is the answer to a short-term situation.
Like Benjamin, Marvin Jones had a strong season at the right time, hauling in 65 passes for 816 yards and four touchdowns in Cincinnati last year. Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton had plenty of good targets to which to distribute the football, headlined by A.J. Green, so it's possible that Jones or Cincy teammate Sanu could do more in a new situation. That's a risky bet, however, taking the #2 target from a strong passing attack and hoping he'll produce more like a #1 in your system. The Bucs learned that early in free agency with Alvin Harper. On the other hand, Tampa Bay doesn't really need an incoming player to become its new #1 receiver, given the presence of Evans.
A photo timeline of Jameis Winston's rookie year with the Buccaneers.
After a successful collegiate career, Jameis Winston declares for the NFL Draft. He threw for 7,946 yards and 65 touchdowns in two seasons at Florida State, leading his team to the national title in 2013. He was also named the Heisman Trophy winner in 2013.
For the first time since declaring for the NFL Draft, Jameis Winston meets with reporters. He expresses his interest to become a Buccaneer almost immediately. "It would be a privilege to get accepted by the Glazer family in Tampa," he says. "I think it would be a privilege to play in Tampa – period."
Winston takes the field for the NFL Scouting combine. He is particularly impressive, drawing positive reviews from the media. Coaches seem impressed with him in the meeting room, in addition to on the field. "I believe I accomplished what I needed to," Winston says. "I just came here trying to be real, be as genuine as possible."
Winston visits the Buccaneers' facilities. He meets with several members of the Bucs' staff, including Head Coach Lovie Smith and General Manager Jason Licht. "I believe (in) this place," Winston says during his visit. "I would love to be here."
Florida State holds their annual Pro Day. Winston is among the players working out for a slue of pro scouts, including those representing the Buccaneers. "The original plan was that I was going to throw 60 to 75 throws," Winston says. "And then when we started writing it down, I was at (personal coach) George (Whitfield)'s house until like 12 o'clock at night. We were just writing down things and going over things. I was like, 'Man, George, I'm a competitor, let's give them everything.'" Winston ended up throwing 102 passes and his performance is considered by many to be a success.
The Buccaneers coaches, including Offensive Coordinator Dirk Koetter and Quarterbacks Coach Mike Bajakian, fly out to Tallahassee for a private workout with Winston.
With the first overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, the Buccaneers select Winston. "Winston is undeniably a rare prospect on the basis of his statistics and college record alone, but the Buccaneers also believe he has the drive, work ethic and competitiveness necessary to succeed at one of the most difficult jobs in all of sports," Buccaneers.com Senior Writer Scott Smith writes that night. "The opportunity to draft a quarterback prospect of this caliber comes along very infrequently for any franchise, and the first pick in the draft is an incredibly valuable asset."
Winston arrives at the Buccaneers' facilities for the first time. He signs his contract the same day and, later that afternoon, meets with reporters for the first time as a member of the Bucs. "Earning the job and working and sacrificing your life to be a quarterback for a great franchise like this is my dream," Winston says. "Ever since I've been playing I always wanted to work hard for what I get and I plan on doing that."
Winston takes the practice field for rookie mini-camp, his first practice in a Buccaneer uniform. He arrives early, before the rest of the players, and greets his fellow rookies at the door of the facility.
Winston and the Buccaneers take the field for Organized Team Activities, or OTAs. It's the first time that Winston is able to practice with Mike Evans, Vincent Jackson and the rest of the Buccaneers' veterans.
A day before the start of training camp, Head Coach Lovie Smith names Winston the Buccaneers' starting quarterback. "A lot of things go into that (decision)," Smith said. "We've had a lot of evaluation of him. It's where we feel like he is. We brought him here to be our quarterback and we feel that he's ready to take this next step. We're not game-ready, we're not Tennessee-ready at a lot of positions but he needs to move into that role right now. Again, we all feel good about him going there."
Winston begins his first NFL training camp. The practice is like many training camp practices that summer – humid and rainy. The Buccaneers were forced to practice at the University of South Florida due to the weather.
![The Buccaneers travel to Minnesota for their first preseason game of the year. It is Winston's first game action of his NFL career. He completed nine of 19 passes for 131 yards and an interception in one half of play, while rushing for a score. "What we saw from him, facing a little adversity early on, [he] hung in there," Coach Smith says. "[I] looked into his eyes on the sideline, he was anxious to continue to get reps and as much as anything, the script we had drawn up was for him to finish strong. We feel like he did that."](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album_2x/t_lazy/f_auto/buccaneers/b050a7j0ey4amfpvmh9p.jpg)
The Buccaneers travel to Minnesota for their first preseason game of the year. It is Winston's first game action of his NFL career. He completed nine of 19 passes for 131 yards and an interception in one half of play, while rushing for a score. "What we saw from him, facing a little adversity early on, [he] hung in there," Coach Smith says. "[I] looked into his eyes on the sideline, he was anxious to continue to get reps and as much as anything, the script we had drawn up was for him to finish strong. We feel like he did that."
Winston makes his NFL debut against the Titans. His first pass is intercepted and returned for a touchdown. He finishes the game completing 16 of 33 passes for 210 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. Winston's first touchdown as a pro comes on a five-yard pass to Austin Seferian-Jenkins in the second quarter.
![Winston earns his first NFL win as the Buccaneers top the Saints, 26-19, in New Orleans. He completes 14 of 21 passes for 210 yards with a touchdown in the air and another on the ground. "Jameis did a really good job of hanging in there," Offensive Coordinator Dirk Koetter says. "He made some beautiful throw, he missed some throws. That's just where we are at [with him]. I'm probably going to be saying that for the next [14] games as we go through."](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album_2x/t_lazy/f_auto/buccaneers/nbm77dhr7yylqdddnior.jpg)
Winston earns his first NFL win as the Buccaneers top the Saints, 26-19, in New Orleans. He completes 14 of 21 passes for 210 yards with a touchdown in the air and another on the ground. "Jameis did a really good job of hanging in there," Offensive Coordinator Dirk Koetter says. "He made some beautiful throw, he missed some throws. That's just where we are at [with him]. I'm probably going to be saying that for the next [14] games as we go through."
Winston throws four interceptions as the Buccaneers fall to the Panthers, 37-23. "Confidence will never be an issue," Winston says following the loss. "I've just got to work harder. That was a wakeup call to my work ethic. I have to work harder." He does just that; the next four games, Winston isn't intercepted once.
Winston averages 11 passing yards per attempt as the Buccaneers pick up their second win of the season against the Jaguars. His 11 yards per attempt would be the most in a single game during his rookie season. It is also the Buccaneers' first home victory since the 2013 season. "It was a big win for us and that's our goal, that's my goal individually is to get better every week," Winston says. "If I hold myself to that standard I expect everyone else to hold their self to that standard – the goal to get better every single week. The more we play together, the better and better we get together as a team."
Despite putting together one of his best games of the season, Winston and the Buccaneers surrender a late lead and fall, 31-30, to the Redskins. Winston completed 21 of 29 passes, his highest completion percentage of his rookie season. He also tosses two touchdowns without an interception.
In what would become a signature moment of the 2015 season, Winston flies through the air to score on the ground. It was his only touchdown in Tampa Bay's loss to the Giants. "Anything I can do to help this team out I'm going to do it," he says.
With 54 seconds left to play, Winston runs in for a one-yard touchdown to help lift the Buccaneers past the Cowboys, 10-6. He completed 22 of 39 passes in the Bucs' victory. "The touchdown was magical, man," Winston says. "Had a great fake, a great call, found the way into the end zone."
Winston picks apart the Eagles, throwing five touchdowns and no interceptions, as the Buccaneers pick up their second win in a row. His passer rating of 131.6 is the highest of his rookie season. "Every day I step on that field, I think it's going to be a special day," Winston says. "We just turned it up and we played better than they did from an offensive line standpoint. They took control of that line of scrimmage. When you control the line of scrimmage – it's hard to beat a team that's controlling the line of scrimmage."
The Buccaneers defeat the Falcons, reaching 6-6 in the process. Winston converts a seemingly impossible third down late in the game on a 20-yard scramble to keep the Bucs' final drive alive. He then throws the game-winning touchdown to Mike Evans with 1:39 left in regulation to help the Bucs to victory.
Winston throws for a career-high 363 yards but the Buccaneers fall, 33-23, to the Rams. Tampa Bay is eliminated from playoff contention later that week.
Winston passes Peyton Manning for the third-most yards by a rookie quarterback in NFL history. The Buccaneers finish with a 6-10 record and Winston finished with the 4,042 passing yards, the second-most ever by a Buccaneer quarterback in a single season. Winston addresses the media one last time. "We are going to create a mindset this offseason, I guarantee it," he says. "We are going to create a winning mindset, a mindset that you would never give up... a relentless mindset of being able to persevere over adversity. We are going to have that next year."
At 6-1 and 200 pounds, Jones is bigger than Benjamin but he's shown a good ability to gain yards after the catch so might also be a good option in the slot. Matthews had 61 targets and 43 catches in just 11 games for Miami, but the Dolphins have a pair of up-and-coming young pass-catchers in Jarvis Landry and DeVante Parker. Matthews might believe he can find a better opportunity for targets elsewhere in 2016.
Looking for sleeper possibilities this spring? Keep in mind that hundreds of players will find new NFL addresses during free agency, and not all of them are "home run" signings like a Vincent Jackson. Teams look to shore up their depth, too, and perhaps find a player who can rebound from a few down years or finally deliver on his perceived talent. When the Buccaneers signed Murphy in 2014, he had been with three teams in the three previous years, and he had a total of 46 catches in that span after hauling in 75 in his first two years in Oakland. Murphy has had a bit of bad luck on the injury front in his two years in Tampa, but he has been a very valuable contributor when healthy.
Maybe another former Oakland receiver could follow the same path: Rod Streater. Streater lost his place in the Raider offense last year, playing in just one game, but he had 99 grabs in his first two seasons and is still just 28. Brian Quick was the 33rd overall pick by the Rams in 2012 but he's never had more than 25 catches or 375 yards in a single season. He does have a fine career average of 14.6 yards per grab, however, and maybe still some untapped potential. As for Harvin, retirement rumors have followed him around for a few months, but if he chooses to continue his career after being released by the Bills last week, he'll likely find at least one NFL suitor. He is, after all, still just 27 years old and, when healthy, one of the most unique weapons in the league.
Bucs' Overall Interest Level at the Position: Moderate
As long as Evans and Jackson remain in place, the Buccaneers wouldn't seem to be at the top of the list of teams that would go after an Alshon Jeffery-type of free agent. Still, the receiver free agency pool always features some second, third and fourth-level options, and the Bucs have not been shy about dipping into it. Over the previous four offseasons, Tampa Bay signed four unrestricted free agent receivers – Vincent Jackson, Kevin Ogletree, Louis Murphy and Lavelle Hawkins – and half of them worked out. The Bucs' offense is led by 22-year-old Jameis Winston, who had a marvelous rookie campaign despite working with an often-depleted receiving corps. It would not be a surprise to see the Buccaneers work on that receiver depth this spring, and free agency may prove to be the better option than the draft.
