Slot position is Stovall’s to win in Tampa

By Connor Byrne  |   Sunday, May 14, 2006  |  Comments( 2 )

Tampa Bay Buccaneers
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Thanks to their selection of former Notre Dame standout receiver Maurice Stovall in the third round of last month's draft, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers may suddenly find themselves with one of the most talented trios of wideouts in the NFL. Stovall could join the Bucs' top duo of Michael Clayton and Joey Galloway to form the Bucs' best receiving triumvirate in recent memory.

Although Clayton struggled in 2005, his sophomore season, he may be able to return to his 80 catch, 1,193-yard form of 2004. The reason for Clayton's freefall to just 32 receptions and 372 yards last season was threefold. First, he was underutilized because rookie running back Cadillac Williams was eating up yardage and clock. Secondly, the emergence of Joey Galloway as one of the most productive receivers in the league hurt Clayton's own production last season. Finally, the former LSU star had to do deal with what seemed like weekly injury concerns.

Tampa's top receiver from last year, the veteran Galloway, also seems primed for a second consecutive solid year in 2006. Galloway shocked the football world last season by catching 80 passes for 1,287 yards and 10 touchdowns. It's not likely he'll duplicate any of those three numbers again, but since quarterback Chris Simms is expected to be even better next season, the 34-year-old speed-demon may experience a similarly terrific campaign.

However, the slot receiver position in Tampa is a whole different animal.

Veteran Ike Hilliard doesn't seem like the right man for the job, since he averaged just 8.2 yards per reception last season. Hilliard's a somewhat-reliable target, but he lacks the explosiveness and big-play ability needed for a receiver coming out of the slot.

The next possible choice, Edell Shepherd, lacks the consistency to be the Bucs' No. 3 wideout next season. With just 10 receptions in his three-year career, Shepherd has never shown the ability to make an indelible impact on an NFL roster. In fact, he's best known for his key drop in a playoff game last January. Against the Washington Redskins, Shepherd dropped a beautiful pass in the opposition's end-zone from Simms, and it was that failure that may have ended up costing Tampa an opportunity to advance to the NFC Divisional Round.

With those two possible candidates unlikely to take the slot next season, it brings the Bucs' possibilities down to Stovall, the 90th overall selection in the 2006 NFL Draft. Stovall never came on until last season, his junior year, but after entering the spotlight, he shined in Charlie Weis' offense. The 6'4", 217-pounder caught 69 passes for a whopping 1,149 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2005, which coincidentally happened in a great year for the Fighting Irish. After running a respectable 4.58 40-yard dash at February's scouting combine, Stovall won the respect of many teams as someone with the potential to make a helpful impact in the league.

One star Stovall is comparable to is the Houston Texans' Eric Moulds, who spent the first 10 seasons of his career shining with the Buffalo Bills. So far, the 6'2", 210-pound Moulds has hauled in 675 receptions in what has been an extremely successful career. Of all the qualities Moulds possesses, it's his physicality that stands out. Since Stovall is bigger and equally as fast as Moulds, he already possesses traits that could lead to success. If the youngster can improve his level of physicality against opposing defenders, the Bucs may have stumbled onto something great.

With the possibility of Clayton, Galloway, and Stovall all clicking next season, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have a chance to win their second straight NFC South Division Championship. Offensively, their passing game should no longer be a liability, especially with a potentially tremendous trio of wideouts such as these.

Get more Tampa Bay Buccaneers insights at Realfootball365.com.

--Connor J. Byrne can be reached at cbyrne@realfootball365.com
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