Are Bucs getting 'return' on investment?

One of the things that was lost in the craziness of Sunday's win in Chicago was the decision to substitute Michael Clayton as the primary return man on several kickoffs.

Second-round pick Dexter Jackson has been handling the majority of kicks, but wasn't on the field for at least a couple of them against the Bears.

Why?

"It's new to him," coach Jon Gruden said. "Obviously, he didn't have the greatest footing, for whatever the reasons were. We have a guy standing there in Clayton who was really feeling it, and I like the way he played. (I said) 'Get back there and do this, man. Take one back.' He was decisive and physical in the hole and, if you're going to play the Chicago Bears, you better take it north and south and keep your feet. That's the reason we made the change."

Granted, Jackson didn't return many kickoffs in college, as he was more of a punt returner. But he has had only mild success in that regard for the Bucs. He is yet to truly make his presence known.

Regarding punt returns in general, Gruden said, "I want to see a lot more, to be honest with you. We've worked at it. We had some excitement in the preseason (Jackson's touchdown at Houston). We had a potential game-breaking play in New Orleans. We've been kind of quiet. But then again, we have to keep working. There's a lot of areas we'd like to pick up, and that's one of them."

As for the possibility of seeing more of Clayton as a kick returner, especially after his three returns for 69 yards, Gruden didn't sound too open to the possibility.

"I think Mike has the ability to do a lot of things," Gruden said. "I'd like to let him zoom in on the wide receiver position. He's playing pretty good right now and I think he can play better this week. I just don't want to put too many things on his plate right now."

Comments

[DR]

Stephen, what does "I'd like to let him zoom in on the wide receiver position." Does Gruden have two personalities? Is the one side of Gruden struggling to let Clayton out of the other side's dog house? "I'd to let him play but he told the St. Pete times he was the starter so I can't let him play", is that what he means?

[aaron]

That is too bad, he looked really good on the returns. he has the right mentality for it. i am sure Clayton wouldn't mind if that was given to him. i think he could handle that and playing wr.

[bucfan4life]

like i said yesterday someone else can do it better then dex jack....he needs to be traded or cut already; what a waste of a pick

[bucfan4life]

like i said yesterday...jackson is a wasted pick....cut or trade him

[bucfan4life]

and onto a. bryant; i said it before the season....what a steal....hopfully he will keep getting better

[bob]

Jackson is terrible! It's not "footing" that's the problem. He's afraid to get hit! Witness how he ran backwards last week against Chicago? He dives down to avoid getting hit on almost EVERY kick return. I've seen quarterbacks who slide less than this guy!

[Erick]

Am I the only one pissed about Dexter getting picked over DeSean Jackson? That guy is great and he's not afraid of getting hit like Dexter is. Put Clayton back there. Why the hell not?

[Jason]

Brilliant assessment, bucfan4life: Hey, we've had this guy for a whole preseason and 4 games and he hasn't done well, so let's cut him! What a doofus! Why wouldn't you wait a season to see if the light goes on and he gets more comfortable with the system and what he is being asked to do?

[JJ]

DR,
I think Gruden was pissed at Clayton for saying he was starting. Being that Galloway's injury was day to day he wanted to keep the Bear's guessing. Clayton should have never opened his mouth.

[JJ]

DR,
I think Gruden was pissed at Clayton for saying he was starting. Being that Galloway's injury was day to day he wanted to keep the Bear's guessing. Clayton should have never opened his mouth.

[JScott]

Erick,

The Bucs didnt pass up on Desean Jackson for Dexter Jackson, they passed on Desean for Aqib Talib. The eagles scooped up Desean just before the Bucs could in the 2nd round.

[A vet]

He's got talent but he reminds me of my puppy who knows she did something bad. As soon as you approach her, she immediately rolls over on her back.

[A vet]

He's got talent but he reminds me of my puppy who knows she did something bad. As soon as you approach her, she immediately rolls over on her back.

[skp]

re:
"I'd to let him play but he told the St. Pete times he was the starter so I can't let him play", is that what he means?

DR, how about paying attention to what he DOES instead of inferring what he means? how many times was clayton out there sunday? how many times was he targeted? how many catches and plays did he make? gruden was peeved because a) Clayton tipped off the opponent and b) presumed too much from what coach told him....

this is a great case study to debunk the myth that gruden runs this team on ego and personal agendas rather than based on what's going to help us win.

[DR]

skp, what's going to help the team win is Clayton returning kicks over that kid who gets tackled by the 5 yard line. The thing about Gruden is Clayton is his 3rd or 4th WR on the depth chart, so what is the harm in letting him return kicks?
It's a great thing the Bucs selected Jackson in the second round to convert him to a returner which he never did before. Sounds like a great investment. Even better than AIG's investing. They may as well convert Jackson into a QB, he may have a better chance at the QB position.

[Leo In Canada]

What a quandary! We ALL are aware of the necessary 3 years to judge a draft pick. Dex just may be proving to be an exception to that rule. IF the Bucs knew they were taking a huge gamble picking him, at what point to they take responsibility and cut their losses? IF they saw a still to be recognized realistic potential, how long till it surfaces? So much is truly at stake either way. Man o' man, the NFL sure is a "Damned if you do, Damned if you don't" hotbed!

[bobbyd]

Leo,
I'd think they have to at least give the guy one season before they cut him. That's not to say he should be the exclusive kick/punt returner. I'd lean toward giving him a few tries a game to see if he develops. Also, work in some designed offensive plays (end-around, WR screen etc) that play to his strength.

It was definitely a gamble and like any gamble, sometimes you look good, sometimes you look bad. Most ignorant people would look at a pick like this (after the fact of course) and say management was stupid, but they're ignorant and don't understand football.

[aj]

Better idea. Cut Galloway and DJax.

Sign Sapp and Lynch and let them lead the team out one final time. Let them play one play and then send them off to Canton the right way. The emotional boost alone would lift the team over the Packers.

Then in the offseason, have fun as every free agent wants to play here, for the classiest team in the NFL. The one that gave a proper sendoff to the guys who transformed the worst team in pro sports into a perennial contender.

Then promote Spurlock or Paris to the roster next week and pick up a new practice squad player. At least we know that Spurlock can take one to the house.

[aaron]

the non ignorant people said this pick looked bad on draft day.

Even better idea, cut Galloway, D-Jax, and Garcia.

[bobbyd]

aaron,
I'd suggest waiting at least until the end of the season before claiming your prize for brilliance.

[GrudenHater]

DR, I want to give Dex a chance. He's a rookie. I wish Bucs had taken DeSean too (the Eagles fans remind me how good he is all the time). But with DeSean, I wonder if he could turn out to be another Clayton, someone who looked like a budding star in his rookie year.

I hope Dex is better than Aaron Lockett :O)

[DR]

The sad part is the Bucs fell in love with Dexter Jackson's "speed". If speed was the only thing that mattered than this league would have all the olympic track stars, but it's not all about speed. It's early to judge, but you'd expect a second round pick to be in the top 5 of your depth chart by opening day. But their have been quite a few disappointments the last 5 years in the WR department.

Well-put GH.

Sometimes rookies look good and fade, sometimes they look bad and grow. Sometimes they look good and stay good, and sometimes they look bad and stay bad. It takes patience this here game of football. It's rarely wise to make rash decisions.

DR,
Jackson IS in fact a football player. He played in college. So it's not like they just signed some guy who could run fast (like your beloved Cowgirls did with Todd Lowber).

[tae]

talib is a great pick but why pass on Desean Jackson in hopes of get a WR in the second round? if im not mistaken Andre Caldwell was on the board when they selected Dexter. Grudenis Always Talking about juice then why not sign Jerome Mathis a proven Return man

[Nick]

I think you guys should consider that the few times that Clayton did return kicks in the Bears game he fumbled the ball. If Gilmore hadn't recovered it, that play would have been challenged. It's sad that no one thought about that. Clayton is not the answer at the return game. I would rather have 23 yds a kick return and not turn the ball over than Clayton out there.

[aaron]

bobbyd, no one is claiming brilliance. it just doesnt take a rocket scientist to figure out that the Bucs pick of Dexter Jackson was a reach. He wasnt expected to be taken anywhere before the 4th round. But like you said lets wait and see. I would love to be wrong, but i dont think i am going to be.

aaron,
I hope you're wrong too, but I'm a realist and I agree it doesn't look good so far. The Bucs did say from the start though that they considered him a development "project", so they must have seen some amount of potential there. I wonder what he looks like in practice during WR workouts.

[aaron]

He ran kicks back in college so it is not like this whole concept is foriegn to him. As a freshman her returned 22 kick offs for 394 yards. His sophmore year he returned kicks and punts for more than 400 yrds. His junior year her returned kicks for 369 yards.
He has done this before, he knows what to do.

[GrudenHater]

It seems to be just bad luck with receivers and returners on this team for over 30 years. In the history of this franchise, the consistently (not occasionally) good for several years might have been Keyshawn, Kevin House and Mark Carrier. And the only good returner we had was The Truth.

I wondered if Dex would turn out to be another Jacquez Green... I remember Green returned a punt in the second regular season game he played against Green Bay. I know Dex returned a kick all the way in pre-season, so I am hoping that is a confidence builder for him.

[Jesse]

I've suggested before that Coach should put Dexter at WR, & maybe it will knock the fear out of him when he gets hit. Of course, I know Coach Gruden doesn't listen to us outsiders, but it makes sense, doesn't it? Jackson goes across the middle & takes one for the team; it's got to help eliminate the sting of getting hit by guys running full speed at him, while he sits like a target waiting to catch a ball & run on a return. I was surprised when Tampa picked him, but I figured they know better than me because I would have taken DeSean over Aqib. In reality, though, a 2nd round pick in Dexter is worth playing at whatever position gets him on the field to see what he can do, & it's obvious that returning kicks is harder in the NFL, so when the opposing defense isn't expecting it, or even if they are, put him in there at WR & throw him the ball. I believe that is the solution with Dexter.

[DR]

LOL, comparing the Bucs investing a pick in Dexter Jackson to the Cowboys signing a free agent from the CFL. Too funny. The even funnier thing is how you guys go straight to the Cowboys out of nowhere. You all mention the Cowboys first.
Like I said, its early to judge, but you would expect better things out of a second round pick. He's a part time returner. There was plenty of talent out there that doesn't need "development". They drafted position rather taking the best talent available.

[jackpc]

I cringed when the Bucs passed on quality receivers to pick Jackson who is primarily a punt returner in the second round. I don't who made this call but it's huge mistake. The guy can't get on the field as a WR, can't return kicks without slipping, and does not run up the field. Gimmeckry that worked in college - using speed to circle back - does not work in the NFL. This is a wasted pick at a time when Bucs could have used a serious infusion in the WR position. Why not activate Clifton Smith?

[Clifton Smith]

Yeah, at least I ain't scared to get hit.

[dex]

I suck!

[Steve]

The problem with Dex is that he is gun shy. It is obvious he doesn't like getting hit. He's being paid like a pro and, perhaps he'll be great someday but right now he's not making it. Clayton at least runs b-line ahead. He'll break one at sometime. We'll start around the 30 when he's returning and he should continue.

[Swami]

DR! It's time for the Swami to let you know what he see in the Old Crystal Ball. Swami see D-Jax returning a punt return and kick return for touchdowns. Let me read the Tarot Cards. The Tarot Cards confirm what Swami has seen in the Old Crystal Ball.

Oh No! DR, Swami see many things about you (snicker, snicker, snicker) that he can not share on this site.

Once again DR and Grudenhater just showing their ignorance. DJ has been in the NFL for all of 3 weeks. I am not saying he is going to be Jerry Rice as a receiver or even as Donte Hall as a return man but get a life. He fell down on a field that i saw a lot of other people fall down on. He is averaging nearly 24yd per KICKOFF return. It is the punts he sucked on so far. So because he is a 2nd round pic he should break into the top 5 his rookie year??? despite the fact we already have 3 1st round pics a proven 2nd rounder and an up and coming 3rd rounder in Stovall, who should be good if he can hold onto a ball? The funniest thing about all of these postings is none of you or I have ever stepped foot on and NFL football field and actually played a single down. You sit here and act like you know what you are talking about and make these ignorant judgments. Give the guy a year and see what he does.

[Drew]

D-Jax will develop over time. He hasn't learned how to take an NFL hit. He's still adjusting to the NFL speed and ferocity of the Pro game. When he gains some confidence in himself he'll burn the hash marks and score.

[Kurt]

What do you know anyway DR...right? he's just another E Graham to you...I'm just sayin...

[DR]

So Kurt, what you're saying is you're willing to wait 4 to 5 years for Dexter to become productive? As a 2nd round pick... sounds like a waste... i'm just sayin'.
EG was undrafted.