Welcome to the board, White Shogun!
Here's the Caste Football archives on Jurevicius (I wasquite wrong about Gruden's intentions to utilize Joe in a big way!):
JOE JUREVICIUS
(9/17/03) Off to a nice start and receiving national acclaim after his two outstanding TD catches in Week One, Jurevicius collided with teammate Mike Alstott in Week Two and is now expected to miss four to six weeks of action with a torn MCL in his right knee.
(9/11/03) JJ made two simply outstanding touchdown catches in the season's first Monday Night Game. Jurevicius helped Tampa ruin the inaugural game in the Eagles' new stadium by making his first TD snag in the far left corner of the end zone, leaping to snag Brad Johnson's throw and then somehow bringing both feet down just in bounds. The follow-up was just as good, as near the end zone Joe tipped a pass intended for him that he couldn't catch up into the air, eluded a defender, dove into the endzone, , located the ball and made the catch.
Most players would be happy to have one TD catch like that per season, if not for their entire career, but Jurevicius made two in one night. He is clearly a big-play receiver who seems to thrive in big games and who should be Brad Johnson's main red zone target this year.
(9/01/03) Jurevicius is one of those rare white receivers who hasn't made the most of his chances, appearing to coast too much with the Giants, who gave him quite a bit of playing time.
If he is ever to become a top-notch NFL receiver, this would appear to be the year all the stars are in alignment for that to become a reality. Keyshawn Johnson is a slow possession receiver, and Keenan McCardell is a slow, aging possession receiver. Jurevicius is as tall as Keyshawn, and faster, and is taller and faster than McCardell.
Brad Johnson is a smart, accurate passer who finds the open man. Jurevicius' 70 yard catch-and-run in the NFC title game against Philadelphia showed the entire country his ability. Head coach Jon Gruden said in an interview with Playboy that Jurevicius would catch more passes in 2003 than Johnson and McCardell. That may just be hype, but it shows that Gruden acknowledges Jurevicius' talent and his apparent willingness to use it. Given that the Buccaneers have no other receiving threats to challenge him, this needs to be the year that Joe steps it up and becomes a 1,000 yard receiver.
Jurevicius finished the '02 season with 37 receptions for 423 yards and 4 TDs.
(9/26/02) Jurevicius was the Bucs' clutch receiver in the season-opening loss to the Saints, but had just two catches in the next two games.
(8/21/02) Fortunately, Joe Jurevicius has a fast-burning metabolism, or he would have been forced to gain 30 pounds and become a tight end, the pass-catching position whites are supposed to play in the caste- NFL and which various pundits projected Jurevicius would end up at in the NFL despite burning defenses for an outstanding career average of over 20 yards per catch at Penn State during his college career. I still remember Chris Berman of ESPN when the Giants drafted him in the second round, starting to call him a possession receiver until he saw the graphic showing Jurevicius's great yards per catch average and he quickly stopped midway through the word "possession."
But though he has tight end height at 6'5", Jurevicius is too thin to play the position. Besides his lofty yards per catch average, he also led Penn State in receptions in 1996 and '97. Drafted in the second round by the Giants, Jurevicius' reception total has gone up in each of his four seasons â€â€- from 9 to 18 to 25 and finally to 2001's respectable totals of 51 catches for 706 yards and 3 TDs.
Signed by Tampa Bay in the off-season, Jurevicius was originally projected to start alongside fellow giant receiver Keyshawn Johnson, but that plan was scrapped when the Bucs went after and signed Keenan McCardell. Jurevicius is now slotted as the number three receiver in the Bucs' overhauled, Jon Gruden-designed offense.
Jurevicius needs to take advantage of the opportunities presented to him in Tampa as he was his own worst enemy at times with the Giants, dropping too many catchable balls.
