2012 Fantasy Football Busts: Tampa Bay Buccaneers WR Vincent Jackson
Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Vincent Jackson was one of the biggest free agent signings this offseason. The former San Diego Charger signed a five year, $55.55 million contract. Jackson was a Pro Bowler a season ago catching 60 passes for 1,106 yards and nine touchdowns.
Jackson joins Mike Williams and Arrelious Benn as the primary targets for third-year quarterback Josh Freeman who’s coming off a disappointing sophomore campaign.
Tampa Bay finished the 2011 season losing their final 10 games after a 4-2 start. Their offense scored just 287 points (17.9/g), which ranked 27th out of 32 NFL teams. Look for new head coach new head coach Greg Schiano to get back to a more balanced offensive attack in 2012; a game plan similar to the one that worked so well for the Bucs in 2010.
So why should Vincent Jackson be in the same category as the other Fantasy Football Busts in 2012? Well, you can’t just assume Jackson’s new quarterback will put up numbers like he did in his rookie year. Jackson has had the luxury of Phillip Rivers throwing him the ball his entire professional career, and Josh Freeman is no Phillip Rivers. Plus, a balanced attack means less passes and more carries for LaGarrette Blount and Doug Martin.
Even with Rivers, Jackson has been inconsistent. He’s certainly capable of putting up huge numbers any given Sunday, but it seems like he only puts up big numbers in bunches. Jackson had four great games last season (Week 2 – 172 yds/2 TD, Week 4 – 108 yds/1 TD, Week 8 – 141 yds/3 TD, Week 10 – 165yds/1 TD), but he followed each one of those performances with a less than stellar effort. Week 2 against the New England Patriots was the only time Jackson finished with double-digit receptions (10).
Jackson’s presence outside will no doubt be a positive for the Tampa Bay offense as a whole, but how that will translate to Jackson’s value for fantasy owners is something we’ll have to wait and see. He could be a decent No. 2 WR on your fantasy roster but don’t be surprised if he’s not putting up the Vincent Jackson type numbers you would expect with the Buccaneers in 2012..