2022 Buccaneers Fantasy Football Preview: Does Julio Jones change how we view Bucs offense?

Posted on by Nafiz Labib

Tampa Bay received good news when Tennessee Titans WR Julio Jones recently signed a one-year contract with the Buccaneers. Julio Jones is a 7-time Pro Bowler and 2-time All-Pro player who has proved many times just how skilled he is. Despite recording career lows in receiving yard, catches, and touchdowns with the Titans, it was while fighting a hamstring injury and he still average 14 yards per reception. However, does Julio Jones change how we view Bucs offense?

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The Buccaneers already had a formidable offense last year, and they led the league in pass attempts per game and in total. They were the only team to top 5,000 passing yards and one of just three with 40-plus passing touchdowns, and still ranked 9th in rushing touchdowns, showing how great their offense is. However, they also lost WR Antionio Jones, and TE Rob Gronkowski retired. In addition, WR Chris Godwin is coming off of a late-season ACL surgery and might not be able to start the season with the rest of the team.

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Despite all that, the Bucs offense can still be viewed in a good light. Julio Jones is a star addition, but the team still has WR Mike Evans, arguably top-10 at least int he NFL, and WR Russell Gage’s addition to the team means he’s expected to show out more. Gage averaged 80.3 yards on 8.6 targets per game with three touchdowns, putting up a near-1,400-yard pace during the second half the of last year’s seasons. Overall, he played better in just about every way possible, upping his catch rate, yards per catch, and yards per target on a higher target share than ever before, and now he might be the No. 2 target on the Bucs. You can’t forget about RB Leonard Fournette either; his performance at the Bucs camp means he’s up for the task to help the team’s offense as well.

So, does Julio Jones change how we view Bucs offense? Not really; there’s still great value in the Bucs offense, and they are not to be underestimated just because of a few key players lost. Julio Jones’ addition only solidifies the Bucs as an offensive powerhouse.

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