Who are the five best wide receivers in Buccaneers franchise history?
With the Buccaneers, there is a long history of good defense and a few Hall of Fame players on that side of the ball. Especially now with the arrival of Jameis Winston and a host of talented receivers, Tampa Bay has a bright future on offense. Mike Evans, DeSean Jackson, O.J. Howard, Chris Godwin, Cameron Brate and Adam Humphries will give Winston a lot of options this fall and for the foreseeable future. The team’s offense certainly looks dangerous and could be for a long time.
However, it wasn’t always so bright on the offensive side of the ball for the Bucs. They went through years of average to below-average quarterback play, especially post-Jeff Garcia (leaving out a year or two of promising play from Josh Freeman). There have been a lot of struggles for Tampa Bay offenses over the years, but despite that, the team’s history still has its share of talented players.
Although the franchise’s receiving records feature running backs like James Wilder, Mike Alstott and Michael Pittman, as well as tight end Jimmie Giles, this list only consists of players with wide receiver as their primary position. Without further ado, let’s get rolling with the five best wide receivers in franchise history.
Honorable Mentions: Keenan McCardell, Vincent Jackson
Keenan McCardell only played two years with the Bucs, but was very productive during the short stay. In the two seasons, he caught 145 passes for 1,844 yards and 14 touchdowns. He was a big part of Tampa Bay’s 2002 Super Bowl run, catching 61 passes for 670 yards and six touchdowns. Those aren’t necessarily eye-popping numbers, but he was a key cog in an offense that needed some substantial improvement after falling short for years before 2002. In the Super Bowl itself, No. 87 only caught two passes, but both were for touchdowns. All he did the following year was haul in 84 catches for 1,174 and eight touchdowns. His tenure with Tampa Bay was short, but McCardell definitely deserves his name to be in the conversation.
Another player worthy of a mention here is one from more recent history: Vincent Jackson. When V-Jax signed with the Bucs in 2012, it was a big deal. He was coming off of a seven-year stretch with the Chargers in which he went over 1,000 yards three times. After that, he was even more consistent with Tampa Bay, surpassing 1,000 yards in his first three years with the team. He finished his Buccaneer career with a bit of a thud due to injuries, but his production those first three years put him at No. 3 on the franchise’s all-time receiving yards list. Without knocking any of the following guys, the fact that he did it with Josh Freeman, Mike Glennon and Josh McCown as his quarterbacks makes it even more notable.
Yes, this is a top five list. But realistically, these guys couldn’t be completely omitted. They had impressive numbers in their Buccaneer careers, but for one reason or another couldn’t crack the top five. One of these players could easily be No. 6 while the other takes No. 7.
No. 5: Joey Galloway
Coming in at No. 5 on the list is a 16-year NFL veteran that made a stop in Tampa from 2004 to 2008: Joey Galloway. He was a part of two playoff runs in those five seasons, including the team’s most recent postseason appearance in the 2007-2008 season. Over the course of his Buccaneer career, No. 84 piled up numbers that have him among the best in franchise history. He is 10th in catches (248), fifth in receiving yards (3,912) and third in receiving touchdowns (28).
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Galloway had three 1,000-yard seasons in five years with the team and put up double-digit touchdowns (10) in 2005. He had a good connection with Jeff Garcia in Tampa Bay’s 2007 playoff season and always kept things interesting with his touchdown celebrations, flexing his massive bicep every time he crossed the goal line.
In his time with the Bucs, the former Ohio State Buckeye caught passes from Brian Griese, Brad Johnson, Chris Simms, Bruce Gradkowski, Luke McCown and Garcia. He was a big-game kind of player, as he posted 11 100-yard games in his Tampa Bay career and averaged 80.4 yards per game, which is good for fifth in team history. His final season wasn’t a great one, but what he was able to do in his first four years with the team certainly gives him a good place in franchise history.
No. 4: Keyshawn Johnson
Talk about someone who could run his mouth. That’s right, Keyshawn Johnson comes in at No. 4 on this list after a four-year stay with the Bucs. He was a huge piece of the team’s offense for those four years, but especially so in the Super Bowl season. In that year, he caught 76 passes for 1,088 yards and five scores. In the playoffs, he hauled in 14 passes for 194 yards and a touchdown. His impact on the offense was notable, as it propelled the Bucs to new heights after years of disappointing offense.
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As a Buccaneer, Key caught 298 passes (fifth) for 3,828 yards (sixth) and 17 touchdowns (10th). His loud-mouth personality was an issue sometimes, but maybe the Bucs just needed that at times. Sure, they already had Warren Sapp, but Johnson was a presence on the offense that couldn’t be ignored. Just take his run-in with the Cincinnati Bengals as a great example. It’s some entertaining stuff.
His selfishness was a little much sometimes, which showed when he gave Jon Gruden an earful on Monday Night Football in 2002. Sapp himself has spoken of problems he had with the receiver. Does his personality ruin what he did for Tampa Bay on the field? Of course not. His numbers are very good and what he meant to the offense certainly gives him a spot among the best receivers in Buccaneer history.
No. 3: Mike Evans
It’s only been three years, but Mike Evans is already one of the top receivers in franchise history. His numbers tell the story, but his ability to take over a game backs that story up. In the early part of his career, he has been dominant. From 2014 to 2016, he put up numbers along the lines of the best receivers in team history. He has 238 catches (12th), 3,578 yards (seventh) and 27 touchdowns (tied-fourth). The crazy thing is, he’s just getting started.
He is 1,440 yards away from first place in franchise history and with eight more touchdowns, he’ll claim the top spot. The former Texas A&M standout went over 1,000 yards receiving in each of his first three seasons without a great deal of help from those around him. Yes, Vincent Jackson also put up 1,000 yards in Evans’ rookie year, but in 2015 and 2016, Evans was the No. 1 receiver by a wide margin. More often than not, opposing defenses knew the ball was going to him. Despite that, he still racked up great numbers and blossomed into one of the league’s best receivers.
As impressive as some others were in 2016, Evans was still the most legitimate threat on the Tampa Bay offense– by far. He ended the year with 96 catches, which is three more than the next three receivers had combined (not counting tight end Cameron Brate). Adam Humphries (55), Russell Shepard (23) and Vincent Jackson (15) combined for 93 catches. No. 13 is on pace to be the top receiver in team history and he’s only three years into his career. Starting this fall, he’ll have even more help around him with the additions of DeSean Jackson, O.J. Howard and Chris Godwin to the already-improving group that includes Brate and Humphries. If this list is re-written in two years, Evans may very well be No. 1.
No. 2: Kevin House
At No. 2, we turn back the clock a long way to find Kevin House, who played for Tampa Bay from 1980 to 1986. Now, I won’t pass it off as if I saw House play. In fact, I wasn’t even born until 12 years after his run with the team ended. But what he was for the Bucs was a bright spot in a time when they didn’t have very many. In his six seasons as a Buccaneer, the team won 31 games, lost 74 and tied once. Despite that horrendous record, Tampa Bay made the playoffs twice in his tenure. He was a major part of the 1981 playoff run, finishing with 56 receptions for 1,176 yards and nine touchdowns.
The Bucs made the playoffs again the next year with a 5-4 record (due to the players’ strike that cut the season short). In that season, he caught 28 passes for 438 yards and two scores. He didn’t see a whole lot of winning, but House can see his name near the top of the Bucs’ records in every receiving category. Over his seven-year Tampa Bay career, he had 286 catches (sixth), 4,928 yards (second), 31 touchdowns (second) and 17.2 yards per catch (first). He put up two 1,000-yard seasons as a Buc.
House doesn’t get talked about much when it comes to all-time greats in Tampa Bay, but his time with the Bucs warrants it. Longtime Bucs fans don’t like to talk about the franchise’s early days. Truthfully, no type of Bucs fan really does, which is why House doesn’t get the recognition he deserves. Should he be in the Ring of Honor at Raymond James Stadium? Maybe so. Does he deserve a spot on the list of best Bucs receivers ever? Definitely.
No. 1: Mark Carrier
Finally, coming in as the best receiver in Bucs history is Mark Carrier. A third-round pick in the 1987 NFL Draft, Carrier turned into a steal for the creamsicle-wearing crew. In his six seasons with the team, he only surpassed the 1,000-yard mark once. However, he was Mr. Consistent for Tampa Bay in those six years. Because of that, he is at the top of the franchise’s record book in catches with 321 and receiving yards with 5,018. He is tied for fifth all-time in touchdown receptions with Mike Evans, hauling in 27 in his career.
The Nicholls State product played with the Bucs from 1987 to 1992. Like House, he didn’t see a lot of winning. In his Tampa Bay career, the team played to a record of 28 wins and 67 losses. The closest thing to a winning season that he saw with the Bucs was a 6-10 year in 1990. For that reason, he may fall into obscurity even more than House does, but it’s certainly not due to his performance on the field. The fact that he performed so well despite the lack of talent around him was pretty special. In 1989, when Tampa Bay finished just 5-11, he made the Pro Bowl due to his 86 catches, 1,422 yards and nine touchdowns–all career-highs.
Although he’s only a little bit ahead of Evans in terms of numbers, he can currently hold the claim of being the top wide receiver in team history. Again, with the reluctance of fans to reflect on the early years, Carrier doesn’t get much praise. His numbers alone warrant this spot on the list, but the fact that he put up those performances in such a hideous era of Buccaneer football solidifies it.
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