Tag: maurice jones drew

MJD calls Buccaneers’ talent pool ‘top-heavy’

See why NFL analyst Maurice Jones-Drew has some concerns about the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this season.

On paper, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers look like a team ready to play in Super Bowl LV, which just so happens to be at Raymond James Stadium next year.

Tom Brady’s arrival has injected new life and excitement into a franchise and fan base looking for a return to the glory days, when a dominant defense and balanced offense helped lead the Bucs to their one and only Super Bowl win following the 2002 season.

With the Bucs, Brady will have one of the most talented offenses he’s ever worked with in his two decades in the NFL thanks to wide receivers Chris Godwin and Mike Evans along with tight end Rob Gronkowski. Plus, the addition of veteran running back LeSean McCoy can’t be overlooked.

But as talented as this team looks, Maurice Jones-Drew over at NFL.com had the Bucs sitting at No. 4 on his list of the 10 most talented teams. Surprisingly, he had both the New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons ranked ahead of Tampa Bay at one and two, respectively.

Here’s what MJD said about the Bucs:

“There’s no shortage of talent in the NFC South, with three teams landing in the top four of this list. The Bucs finished third in total and scoring offense a year ago, then went out and signed six-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady and traded for future Hall of Famer Rob Gronkowski, who came out of retirement to rejoin Brady and the Bucs. This is the scariest passing unit in the league right now, and to be frank, I don’t know how defenses can stop an offense that has Brady, Gronk, O.J. Howard, Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. Drafting one of the top O-line prospects, Tristan Wirfs, to protect Brady, who’ll be 43 on Aug. 3, only helps. The Bucs’ defense features a linebacking crew full of stars — OLBs Jason Pierre-Paul and Shaq Barrett and ILBs Lavonte David and Devin White — but the secondary is an area of concern. The bottom line with Tampa: The team’s talent pool is top-heavy — which is enough to put the Bucs above both Super Bowl LIV reps.”

MJD is right about the secondary, although there’s reason for optimism. From Week 10 on last season the Bucs allowed 50 less passing yards per game, and the addition of safety Antoine Winfield Jr. should provide a spark for the unit as well.

The battle for the NFC South crown will make this division one of the most challenging this season. Three future Hall of Fame quarterbacks going at it along with a Carolina Panthers team that will look to play spoiler to all three.

Should be a fun watch.

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Maurice Jones-Drew names Devin Singletary AFC East’s best RB

Buffalo Bills running back Devin Singletary is the AFC East’s best running back, according to NFL.com’s Maurice Jones-Drew.

Buffalo Bills running back Devin Singletary landed in the middle of Maurice Jones-Drew’s annual running back rankings ahead of the upcoming regular season. But facts are facts, Singletary was also the highest-rated rusher from the AFC East on MJD’s list.

Overall, Singletary ranked as MJD’s 16th best starting running back in the NFL. Here’s how MJD broke Singletary down via NFL.com:

The Bills will have a committee spearheaded by Singletary, who, as a rookie, showed his ability to make people miss and line up out wide, along with his elusiveness out of the backfield. Even though he may have to share carries with T.J. Yeldon and Zack Moss, the opportunities will be fruitful, because the run game will be the focus. The addition of Stefon Diggs will also help the run game, as the No. 1 receiver will draw an extra defender out of the box.

As a rookie, Singletary had 775 total rushing yards, but he only played in 12 games. Because of that, he’s a bit overlooked in rankings of the NFL’s backs. But No.16 is still probably a just spot for him. Despite MJD’s analysis, Singletary’s not going to lose snaps to Yeldon. Moss? Maybe, but Singletary will still get his look and will have a chance to improve on his solid start to his career. Singletary showed despite his small size, he’s an all-around back that can quickly get to the outside while also wiggling for yards down the middle of a defense.

Circling back to the AFC East, the Jets’ Le’Veon Bell slots in at No. 20 overall, while the Patriots’ Sony Michel is 26th and the Dolphins’ Jordan Howard lands at No.30. Looking ahead, Bell might have the best look to jump Singletary in the future. He was a former All-Pro with the Steelers and the Jets are looking to help him in 2020 because their offensive line can only go up from last season. They were bad.

Looking at the rest of MJD’s list, the Bills do have some formidable offenses lining up against them in 2020, but not exactly some of the best running backs. On MJD’s rank, the only two backs the Bills face in 2020 that appear in the top-10 are the Titans’ Derrick Henry (7) and Raiders’ Josh Jacobs (9).

 

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