Positions Thought I’d Never Do Proper: Wide Receiver

Joey Galloway: Joey just had some surgery on the shoulder that prevented him from giving his full effort during the wildcard game. He will be back in 2008, but that may be it. It's not that he's too old to play, but I have a feeling his heart just isn't in the game anymore.

Ike Hilliard: Ike is under contract for a $1 million salary in 2008 and it's a bargain for the security Hilliard provides. He's intelligent, reliable and a great teammate. Jon Gruden seems to think so as well. He'll also be back in 2008.

Maurice Stovall: I saw a thing on NFL Network the other day where Gruden was just verbally beating the shit out of Stovall during a game, telling him he needs to "Sterling Sharpe" a route by splitting defenders instead of trying to outjuke them. "You're 6-5, but you're gonna be 5-9 when I'm done with you." He didn't sound like a guy with a lot of confidence in his receiver. He's still relatively cheap in 2008 with a $445,000 salary, and his special teams skills may get him a spot, but he's going to be on the bubble when camp starts. If he is retained, I think it will be with even less of a role of the offense than he had in 2007.

Michael Clayton: Clayton started showing some promise toward the end of the year again, but it was another disappointing season. I think Ski said something like, "He's a great receiver when it doesn't matter," and there's a lot of truth in that. At $2 million salary, Clayton may start to become more expensive than he's worth. He'll be given a shot in camp, but he is no longer guaranteed a spot, regardless of where he was drafted.

Paris Warren: Warren is not technically under contract in 2008, but he's an exclusive rights free agent, meaning he can't go to another team as long as Tampa Bay offers a minimum contract. They will, and he may actually beat out Stovall if he can continue the progress he started last season.

Mark Jones: I'm pretty sure Jones is done. His only real value is as a kick returner, and after the knee injury he suffered, he's not going to be ready for that particular job by camp.

Micheal Spurlock: Spurlock was #11 in the league in kickoff return yardage. Take away the touchdown kick and he drops down to #45. He also has little value as a punt returner or as a receiver, and don't forget that fumble in the playoff game. He's got some wiggle and burst to him, but my point here is that the touchdown hasn't guaranteed him a spot. I think the Bucs can do much better in the kick return department. I would guess he won't be back.

Chad Lucas: Lucas's had a good game at the end of the year against Carolina, but he's not coming back. At least not right away. If the roster starts getting thin during the season, maybe he'd come back again.

Brian Clark, Taye Biddle, Cortez Hankton, Charles Spiller: These guys were signed to future contracts last month. Camp meat.

I had most of it right last year except I thought Jones would be gone.

Wide receiver is perhaps the most significant need on the Buccaneer roster. Galloway is the only real speed on the team and everyone else besides Hilliard is pretty unremarkable. When Bruce Allen said he wanted to go after a big name free agent, I kind of assumed he meant receiver. I won't belabor Chad Johnson anymore, but if Cincinnati is willing to part with him, he should be a top priority. Larry Fitzgerald is another one that could be available for a trade, but it is looking less likely that the Cardinals will let him go. Randy Moss will be a free agent, but the talk is that new England will use their franchise tag on him. Even if they didn't, I'm not sure Gruden's style of coaching would make for a good relationship with Moss, and if he starts getting pissy, it's all over. Patrick Crayton and Drew Carter are both young receivers that are coming off their first contracts that both have potential. Each of them is overshadowed by a top tier receiver on their teams (Terrell Owens and Steve Smith respectively,) but Crayton is the better choice because of his speed. I also still maintain that Jerry Porter can still play ball and would be an excellent addition to the team, even though he may not challenge for the #1.

Keep in mind that Bruce Allen has said on more than one occasion that with the cap space available, the team has the ability to absorb major contracts in a trade. To me, that means just about every starting receiver in the league is at least up for discussion.

DeShaun Jackson (California) is the top-rated receiver in the draft. He doesn't have the God-like hype surrounding him that Calvin Johnson had last year, but I watched him last year and know he's the real deal. The Bucs would have to use their first rounder on him, and even that may not be enough. As I said last year, no one is worth trading up for, so if he's not there, it's fine. I really like Donnie Avery (Houston) who is the fastest pre-combine receiver in the draft. He had a productive Senior Bowl with 54 yards on 3 catches and is also an excellent punt returner. He may be available in the second round, which I think would be a great value. Mario Manningham (Michigan) is also floating around the top of the draft and is easy to like for his talent, but that thing he did where he jogged out of bounds before getting the first down against Michigan State was kind of shitty. He made up for it later in the game, but you have to wonder if there's something going on there.

Notice that everyone I looked at in the draft was in the first couple rounds. The Bucs don't need a project or a "raw talent". They need someone who can produce at a high level right away. To fill in that piece will go a long way towards getting the team over the one-and-done hump in the playoffs.