Instead of breaking the bank to bring slot receiver Adam Humphries back, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers should look towards a well-known prospect to fill the hole.
Last season, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers had a tremendous receiving corps. With the 2019 offseason already underway, it appears the Bucs will need to reload the same unit just a year later.
Tampa Bay will likely be without the services of DeSean Jackson, and the impending free agency of Adam Humphries will leave the Bucs with only two proven wideouts.
Instead of paying Humphries or another free agent the big bucks, the Buccaneers should be looking to the Draft. In particular, Clemson’s Hunter Renfrow to fill the void at slot receiver.
Unfortunately, Tampa Bay doesn’t have the cap space to bring a talented wide receiver back into the mix next season. With a mediocre crop of wideouts available in free agency, the Bucs may be priced out on the Humphries sweepstakes reasonably early.
With limited cap flexibility, the Draft would be the perfect place to get younger while finding a player with a very similar skillset.
Renfrow spent four years at Clemson, winning two National Championships. He caught 186 passes for 2,133 yards and 15 touchdowns in his collegiate career. Quickly, he became a safety blanket for multiple Tigers quarterbacks, including Trevor Lawrence and Deshaun Watson.
Finding a reliable pass catcher to play in the slot would be the final piece to an already talented group of pass catchers. The Bucs have the tight end position covered. O.J. Howard is a budding star, and Cameron Brate is a machine in the red zone.
What else can we say about Mike Evans? And Chris Godwin showed signs of brilliance with his 842 receiving yards and seven touchdowns.
Renfrow would fit perfectly in the offense. He can play over the middle and provide Jameis Winston with a target on third downs. His route running and footwork are unmatched in this class. For what he brings to the table, Tampa Bay would be hard-pressed to find a more productive player in the middle of the Draft.
This isn’t just because Renfrow was on talented teams either. He proved himself at the Senior Bowl this past week. Renfrow made defenders look foolish in one-on-one drills, and then capped off his week with a tremendous performance during the game. He caught five passes for 63 yards.
If the Bucs are looking to acquire the final piece to their receiving corps through the Draft, Renfrow should be at the top of the Buccaneers’ list.