Buccaneers ready to air it out to 'Three Dunkaneers'

TAMPA — It's almost showtime for the "Three Dunkaneers" — the super-sized trio of Tampa Bay Buccaneers pass catchers, a trio that includes wide receivers Vincent Jackson and rookie Mike Evans plus hulking rookie tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins.

Each owns an NBA small forward's 6-5 frame and runs like a deer. And as former hoopsters, quarterback Josh McCown's towering targets are adept at out-leaping defenders on all variety of routes.

"The Dunkaneers' nickname is cool considering we all have basketball backgrounds," Evans, the No. 7 overall pick in May's draft, told USA TODAY Sports. "I didn't play in college. ... But I was recruited by the University of Texas, Colorado State and some other small schools to be a shooting guard or small forward. And Vincent played at Northern Colorado."

Seferian-Jenkins, a second-round selection, was on the University of Washington's basketball team as a freshman. So offensive coordinator Jeff Tedford should feel free to spread the floor for McCown.

"This offense is going to utilize our talents by getting us the ball in space," said Evans.

First-year general manager Jason Licht and new coach Lovie Smith made former Chicago Bears backup McCown feel at home by surrounding him with a familiar-looking trio of tall targets.

Last season, nine of McCown's 13 touchdown passes were distributed between 6-4 wideouts Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery and 6-6 tight end Martellus Bennett.

"Obviously, there's comfort to have two guys with similar body types to what I had in Chicago with Brandon and Alshon in throwing to Vincent and Mike," McCown told USA TODAY Sports. "But we have to make our own name here.

"We feel with those two guys and Austin Seferian-Jenkins and our two other tight ends, Tim Wright and Brandon Myers, we can really attack defenses."

Licht stood on the sideline during a recent night practice at Raymond James Stadium reflecting on how Evans, Johnny Manziel's go-to target at Texas A&M, and Seferian-Jenkins came to be Bucs.

"We thought with Mike and Austin that they had the best hands at their positions in the draft," Licht said. "Mike reminds me of Vincent."

Evans can box out a defensive back with his tight end size, while Seferian-Jenkins flashes sure hands as he effortlessly plucks McCown's passes.

"I haven't seen Austin drop a ball yet," McCown said. "He competes really hard and runs really hard after the catch. He's shown great awareness in his route running.

"For him and Mike, it's just getting acclimated to this game and the level you have to play at consistently."

There is another reason Smith wanted physical receivers.

"We're not just looking for big receivers who come in and catch," said the coach. "We're looking for complete wide receivers who will block in the running game, catch tough passes.

"The way you can tell you have a tough football team is when your wide receivers block and your corners tackle. Those are musts here."

Jackson, who has 15 touchdown catches in two seasons with the Bucs, is helping to groom his rookie wingmen. They can help ease the constant double-team pressure Jackson faced last season, though he still managed 78 receptions for 1,224 yards with seven touchdowns.

"The Dunkaneers name is fun," Jackson said. "This definitely is a matchup game. Sometimes the quarterback says, 'Let me just throw it up to my guys and let them win.'

"But it's also about timing where you have to be precise in your route running. That's where I'm trying to help Mike Evans. ... And Austin is definitely bigger than (Chargers tight end) Antonio Gates, who I played with in San Diego."

Seferian-Jenkins idolized recently retired all-pro tight end Tony Gonzalez and even emulates the retired Atlanta Falcon's regimen of snagging more than 100 balls during practice breaks.

"I'm trying to catch between 250-300 balls," Seferain-Jenkins said. "I want to run routes and catch like a receiver, pass block like a left tackle and run block like a right tackle.

"I just want to do whatever it takes to help this team win."

***

Follow Jim Corbett on Twitter @ByJimCorbett