Now you add Rob Gronkowski to that group and you have three proven producers at tight end, which explains why Arians is certain he'll be using "12" more often. After challenging me to predict the top five categories that the Bucs will improve on statistically, it's my turn to turn the tables on Scott and give him his topic. On paper, the Steelers group of wide receivers was as talented as any in the NFL going into 2020. Top 15 NFL Fantasy Football Wide Receivers In 2020, Ranked . He played close to half of his snaps in the slot last year and led the NFL in receiving yards when being targeted over the middle of the field. In 2019, the Dolphins were perceived as a team void of talent but yet still brilliantly capable of brewing an upset if you didn’t take them seriously … Tampa Bay's usage of the two-TE grouping was at roughly a league-average level in 2019. With the expected start of training camp approaching, we’re going to dive into the 2020 Tampa Bay Buccaneers position by position. However, Perriman came on strong in the latter part of the season, which was huge given that Evans went down with an injury in Week 14 and Godwin picked up a season-ending injury of his own the very next week. Watson finally got some consistent snaps down the stretch in his second year and ended up totaling 15 catches for 159 yards and two touchdowns. TAMPA, FL - MAY 27, 2020 - Wide receiver Mike Evans #13 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during an asset shoot. Yes, he got virtually that total in just 14 games last year, but again, the greater diversity might cut into his numbers. It probably isn't difficult to come up with the five players who will catch the most passes from quarterback Tom Brady in 2020. Last year, the Buccaneers' top five players in terms of receiving yards accounted for 3,903 of the total of 5,127. Carmen's not just speculating here; Head Coach Bruce Arians was practically chuckling when he recently noted how set up the Buccaneers were to exploit 12 personnel. That put them on pace for 1,494 and 1,461 yards, respectively, in a full season. Last season, both went for over 1,000 yards and were selected to the Pro Bowl despite both players' seasons getting cut short due to injury. Besides, if we accept 52.5 yards per game as a reasonable amount of production, that's nothing to sneeze at. 1 guy and produced huge numbers, but that got him a new contract elsewhere. Both of these guys are easily capable of getting to 1,500 yards. UPDATE (Fri. 1/8): WR Mike Evans (knee) practiced on a limited basis on Thursday and seems likely to play through his questionable tag. 3 (plus 4 and 5) receiving options. A closer look at the Titans' wide receivers after the 2020 campaign. Now as we enter Week 7 let’s hope we can keep the momentum going and get another full week of games. 2020 Buccaneers Position Preview: Wide Receivers. While it may have seemed inconceivable at the beginning of the offseason that the Buccaneers might land Tom Brady in free agency, it seemed less crazy once you really evaluated the potential pitches the team could make to him. That's why I'm going to put Evans at 75 catches in 2020, which would be right between what he did in 2018 (85 with a pre-breakout Godwin and no Gronkowski) and the 67 he had last year. That is the conundrum I have bestowed upon him for this week so let's see what he comes up with, shall we? In any case, I'm sticking with this top five and in the order presented, even if the projections prove to be a little off. Evans, Godwin, Miller and Watson are all familiar faces who will lead the way out wide, now catching passes from Brady rather than Winston. These are valid reasons to temper our expectations and not expect the 1,300-yard Gronkowski of old to rematerialize as he comes out of retirement and joins a new team. It'll likely lead to more catches as a result. This wasn't so much a passing-of-the-torch as the number one, as from Vincent Jackson to Evans, but more of Godwin simply joining his teammate at the top. Honorable mention – Carolina Panthers . The Buccaneers lost the game, 37-26. So let's go with 4,500. Evans has famously joined the great Randy Moss (his childhood NFL idol) as the only players in league history to open their careers with six straight 1,000-yard receiving seasons. Across 45 years, it's doubtful the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have ever felt better about their wide receivers heading into a season, at least in terms of the starting duo, than they do in 2020. While Evans is that bonified 'X' receiver that is probably the greatest threat, he's almost always lined up outside. 0 Comments. Evans and Godwin obviously have the top spots occupied, but with Perriman’s exit, there is now a chance for guys like Miller and Watson to step into a bigger role. Earlier in the week, we started our depth chart projections for the Jacksonville Jaguars. Evans has already done it, in 2018. However, putting these guys in order is a different story. Heading into 2020, the Bucs have a wide receiver room that looks a lot like it did in 2019, only without Perriman, who signed with the Jets. One of his great skills is putting the football in the perfect position for a pass-catcher to grab it on the run and gain extra yardage, and that's particularly true on the shorter routes that running backs and slot receivers are likely to run. In Week 16, many wide receivers put forth exceptional box score statistics. John Franklin, Cyril Grayson, Bryant Mitchell and Spencer Schnell are back, while John Hurst, Travis Jonsen, Jaydon Mickens and Josh Pearson are all looking to make the squad out of camp (or whatever version of preseason we end up getting). See the best photos of the Jaguars wide receivers from the 2020 season. The Rams have a lot of great receivers on their schedule in 2020. My hunch here is that Vaughn does prove to be the top pass-catching back in the Bucs' stable and that his role will include a good number of third-down snaps. A guy who many have touted as a big steal, Johnson should certainly get a chance to earn a prominent role within the Bucs’ receiving corps. Of course, given the amount of talent at tight end, they likely already have their No. Now, how do we divvy it up? Next closest was the Minnesota Vikings, who allowed 231. For years, the Bucs’ wide receiver group has been one of their stronger assets. That leaves 380 yards for every one else. Scott Smith: This was harder than I thought it would be, but still a fun exercise. Plus, you're adding one Rob Gronkowski to the mix. Ranking the 25 best wide receivers the Rams will face in 2020. That's how good Godwin was in 2019, and that's why this is no insult whatsoever to put the greatest receiver in franchise history second on this list. Yes, they were on pace to get close to that mark last year, but the Bucs' offense looks like it will be more diverse in 2020. I'm seeing Howard catch about 28 passes at a clip of about 15 yards each, and thus ending up with 420 yards to finish fifth on the team. Mike Evans has been a 1,000-yard receiver in each of his first six NFL seasons, and he is just one of two players in history that has accomplished that feat, with the other being Randy Moss. Buccaneers wide receivers The Green Bay Packers are set to take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC Championship. That's what could make this such a great year for him, though. My answers, which will inform the rest of this article, are 1) Yes, the second tight end will produce more than the third receiver and, 2) Yes, a running back will make it into the top five. The five projections listed above add up to 4,120 yards. And it is what I am asking Scott to do. Evans wasn't far behind though, tallying 1,157 receiving yards himself. Read on to find out in what order they land. This is a bit of a hunch. 5 best wide receivers in Tampa Bay Buccaneers history. That suggests I'm being a little too optimistic about one or two of the players above – maybe Vaughn? Who would have thought that six years into his career Evans would produce at as high of a level as he always has and yet not be the Buccaneers' leading receiver? For much of the season, it was Evans and Godwin carrying the load for the Bucs as 2019 offseason addition Breshad Perriman struggled. Jarvis … When the Bucs lost Evans and Godwin late in the 2019 season, it exposed just how unproven their depth at receiver was. Let's not put Vaughn in that top-10 category just yet. ProFootball Talk on NBC Sports. Pro Football Focus was very high on him during his final year at Minnesota, naming him the highest-graded receiver in the country with a 91.8 grade. The Bucs' Dare Ogunbowale averaged 8.2 yards per catch as the primary third-down back last year, on 35 catches, so I'm confident Vaughn can match that. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have become a dominant offense through the air in recent years. That would have ranked 10th among NFL backs last year. PHOTOS: Rob Gronkowski in a Bucs Uniform for the First Time, PHOTOS: Mike Evans in the New Bucs Uniforms. Those two made up perhaps the greatest QB-TE combo in league history for most of the last decade, a run that included 90 touchdown passes (postseason included). Yes, this was the team's second-most common offensive package after "11" personnel last year, but by a pretty wide margin behind the favored "11" package (three receivers). And with the Washington Football Team defense up next, who are allowing the fourth-fewest points to wide receivers this year, it’s hard to trust Lockett this week. Of course, those Patriots teams didn't have a WR duo like Evans and Godwin, so there were more balls to go around for running backs. I'd think he'd be in the top five again, but with either slightly lower per-game numbers or perhaps a few games on the sideline. Or perhaps the difference will be in the inevitable injuries or game absences for other reasons, and with the reality of playing a season amid the COVID-19 pandemic, it's easy to guess where the uncertainty would come from. Godwin ended up playing one more game than Evans, so he unsurprisingly then ended up with the most receiving yards on the team with 1,333 last year. Give Me Five: Bucs' Leading Receivers in 2020 Scott took a look into the most exciting Buccaneer wins of the past last week. 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