National Football League

Buccaneers Most Disappointing Players of the 2016 Season

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 11:17 p.m. ET

Fansided, Alan Schechter/FanSided via The Pewter Plank

Who were the Buccaneers most disappointing players of 2016?

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The Buccaneers had many individual players worth discussing in 2016. There were rookies like Noah Spence who have a big future ahead of them. Jameis Winston continued the record-setting pace of his young career. Mike Evans showed the world he is one of the league’s best.

There were some great individual performances, which we counted down here yesterday. There were other performances that didn’t make the list, such as Mike Evans’ performance on Thursday Night Football. That was some night for him, wasn’t it?

Some performances were surprising. Last week, our roundtable entertained that topic. This week, we decided to take a look at the other end of the spectrum. We go around the table and pick our most disappointing players of the season.

Let’s get it started.

Vernon Hargreaves

For me, Tampa Bay’s most disappointing player in 2016 was Vernon Hargreaves. The Bucs took Hargreaves with the 11th overall pick in last years draft in the hopes that he could improve a struggling secondary. The Bucs secondary did indeed improve a lot between 2015 and 2016, but Hargreaves struggled to adjust to the NFL for the most part. The rookie impressed during training camp and by the beginning of the season VH3 was the starting corner opposite Brent Grimes.

Hargreaves however would go on to give up the most targets, yards and catches in the NFL, as well as six touchdowns. Despite a boat load of targets sent his way, Hargreaves registered just one interception and didn’t seem to have the same play-making ability that he showed throughout college.

On the bright side, corner back is a very difficult position to play as a rookie and once Hargreaves gains some more experience and savvy he should be able to play up to his potential. However, in year one, it was a rough go for him. Quarterbacks picked him apart all season long.

–Michael Horan

Vincent Jackson

One of the biggest disappointments in Tampa Bay’s 2016 season was veteran receiver Vincent Jackson.

Heading into this offseason, one of the team’s biggest needs is at wide receiver. Part of the reason for that is the regression of Jackson, who played just five games in 2016 before landing on injured reserve. Even in those five games, he put on sub-par performances. He only caught 15 of his 31 targets for 173 yards, while failing to find the end zone. Of course, not all of the disappointment is on Jackson. It’s unfair to blame him for an injury.

I think we all expected another big year for the Buccaneer offense, which set franchise records in 2015. And despite the fact that V-Jax is getting up there in terms of age, a lot more was expected of him this season. The struggles of the offense can be somewhat explained by no. 83’s absence. He didn’t deliver, and then his season came to an abrupt end. What could’ve been a big contract year turned into a big disappointment very quickly.

–Bailey Adams

Roberto Aguayo

The most disappointing Bucs player for the 2016 season has to be kicker Roberto Aguayo.

Now… where to start. Well first of all, general manager Jason Licht decided to trade back into the second round of the draft to select statistically the best kicker in the history of the NCAA and that sounds great… but he’s still just a kicker. This isn’t the first time a kicker has been drafted high, especially one from Florida State, and that’s beyond me.

The high draft pick had issues from the start of season. The first kick of his professional career, he missed. Chalk that up to nerves or whatever you may like, and that’s fine. It didn’t stop there and his struggles continued to a point where his own teammates were praying for him to make a field goal in a week five matchup versus the Carolina Panthers. Jameis Winston, Gerald McCoy and others were seen huddling praying together on the sidelines.

Really? Week five?

Six misses from beyond 40 yards, a long of 43 yards, and the lowest overall kicking percentage in the league. Bring on the competition.

–Zach Sauers

Austin Seferian-Jenkins

The Bucs most disappointing player didn’t even make it a quarter way through the season. Austin Seferian-Jenkins had a ton of potential entering this season. Even Tony Gonzalez said he saw a lot of himself in ASJ. The Bucs decided to part ways with the disgruntled tight end after he was arrested for drunk driving. He only played in two games for the Bucs this year and a few were surprised he even made it that far.

Being one of my favorite players coming out of the draft in 2014 I was extremely disappointed that he turned out to be a total bust. Especially in one of the most loaded drafts in recent history the Bucs could’ve had a dynamic offense if they went another direction. With offensive players like Allen Robinson, Jarvis Landry, and Devonta Freeman on the board with Mike Evans already taken they could’ve had an even more explosive offense.

With Jenkins landing with the Jets after his release he continued to struggle proving he was a bust of a draft pick. Imagine if he developed into the player we thought he could be and didn’t have the off-field issues, him and Cameron Brate could’ve been one of the most dynamic tight end duos in the entire NFL.

–Brian DeFeo

Vincent Jackson

Doug Martin

My biggest disappointment of 2016 for the Bucs was easily Doug Martin. After rushing for 1,402 yards in 2015 I won’t say I expected him to take the rushing title, but I certainly expected him to be a Top-10 back and compete for a Pro Bowl selection. Instead, we got his worst statistical outing of his career despite the fact he actually played more games this year than in 2013 when he appeared in just six.

From game one it just didn’t fit, and while I’ll never be one to fault a player for injury, Bucs fans have to be left feeling like there was just something missing. Perhaps it was actually there was too much of something added as he was busted and suspended for using Adderall and has since been tied to ever-growing recreational drug rumors.

Considering the offensive line hadn’t changed a whole lot between last season and this one, his 2.9 yards per carry are a surprising disappointment, and one which may have cost him his new contract and any positive legacy he had to leave in Tampa.

–David Harrison

Donovan Smith

For anyone that has read my posts, you know my feeling. The offensive line is the key to any offense. It doesn’t matter what the skilled position players do if the offensive line has a bad year. The Bucs offensive line took steps backwards this year and I look at Donovan Smith as the most disappointing. He’s the blind side protector and the most important player on the line.

In the passing game, the Bucs allowed eight more sacks in 2016 than they did in 2015. That’s never a good look for a team on the rise. In the running game, the difference was stark. In 2015 the Bucs averaged 4.8 yards per carry, in 2016 they dropped to 3.6 yards per carry.

When the run was designed to go Smith’s way the numbers dipped just as much. According to Football Outsiders, runs around left end in 2015 went for 4.94 yards per carry, and runs at left tackle went for 3.4 yards per carry. When adjusted to 2016, the runs at left tackle were about the same at 3.46 yards per carry. But, around left end, they dropped to 3.17 yards per carry.

–Alan Schechter

Doug Martin

Not to be like “Captain Obvious” here but the most disappointing player from the Bucs’ 2016 season was running back Doug Martin. He was a typical player in a contract year looking to cash in during his 2015 campaign when he rushed for 1,402 yards. His performance got him the payday but it was his poor judgment that earned him the title of most disappointing player.

When he was injured early on this past season he only thought of himself. He put himself before the team when he went for the weak-minded decision of popping PEDs to cope with injuries. This selfish act may have cost the Bucs a spot in the playoffs because the Doug Martin that the team wanted was never Doug Martin they envisioned having.

However, what if this was the real Doug Martin? What if this is who he is? I know the reports are out there of what he has done. But I know that I feel comfortable saying this was not his first time experimenting with something he should not be.

I was against re-signing Doug Martin after last season for many reasons. All he did in 2016 was validate those thoughts.

–Gil Arcia

Vincent Jackson

There were modest expectations for the Bucs this season by most and they managed to exceed a lot of them. Unfortunately, some expectations weren’t met and players were disappointments. The biggest, to me, was Vincent Jackson.

After being a key part of the offense for three seasons, Jackson suffered a few injuries in 2015. 2016 was supposed to be his bounce back year, his season to click with Jameis Winston and help take the offense to the next level.

The season got off to a rough start for Jackson. He was dropping passes, running the wrong routes, loafing on blocks, and looking generally disinterested. Come to find out, Jackson was still injured and was shut down for the season after only five games.

Jackson’s 2016 season in Tampa Bay went out with a whimper, likely closing the book on his career with the Bucs. He’s still arguably the best free agent acquisition in franchise history so seeing him go out like that was a massive disappointment – not only disappointment for Vincent Jackson the player but disappointment for Vincent Jackson the person.

A man who has truly taken to the community with his charity and his family, we wanted better for him. Just as I’m sure he wanted to give all the fans better last year.

–James Yarcho

Do you agree? Who was your most disappointing player? Sound off in the comments below…