Buccaneers: Five Reasons the DeSean Jackson Signing is a Great Move

Opening Up the Box

This one goes along similar lines to the previous page.

The fact that the Bucs had a tough time running the football in 2016 was well-documented. Many, including myself, have talked about Doug Martin not being the same player he once was. There also were problems along the offensive line. Aside from the couple of performances by Jacquizz Rodgers, the Bucs weren’t exactly a juggernaut in the ground game. We know Dirk Koetter, no matter how potent the passing game is, wants to run the ball.

So what’s the problem? In addition to the aforementioned, the problem is the defense crowding the box. When a team doesn’t have a legitimate threat down the field, the defense is going to come up and crowd the line of scrimmage. The Bucs would see seven, eight, or even nine guys in the box. Jim Brown couldn’t run against boxes that crowded, much less today’s backs.

When you add a receiver that averages nearly 18 yards per catch for his career, crowding the box is impossible. Everybody knows that his reputation is as a deep threat. When he is in the game, if there are eight in the box, he will be matched up one on one on the outside, and I like his chances. If the defense accommodates for him, that gives the running backs more lanes to run through.

That, my friends, is a win-win situation.