The Jeremy Trueblood Experiment
October 11th, 2012
If you haven’t read Joe on the record about this subject yet, Joe isn’t expecting much of anything at all from Jeremy Trueblood playing right guard.
Trueblood, a right tackle, hasn’t played one snap at guard since he graduated high school. Being thrown in to play guard on football’s highest level in the middle of a season isn’t the ideal time to learn a position one hasn’t played in a decade or so.
Woody Cummings of The Tampa Tribune isn’t as pessimistic as Joe. He took to the WHFS-FM airwaves Wednesday to chat with Booger McFarland and Rich Herrera to discuss all things Bucs, including the Jeremy Trueblood Experiment.
Woody Cummings: The Bucs haven’t committed to it yet, at least they haven’t publicly committed to it yet, but Booger, you know as well as I know that when a guy takes the first snaps at practice on a Wednesday, he is probably going to start on Sunday…
Booger McFarland: …right…
Cummings: … but the Bucs are still saying it could be Ted Larsen over there at right guard, that is what [Greg] Schiano told us today, it could be Jamon Meredith for all we know. It sure looks like they are going to give Jeremy Trueblood a shot. And you know, I’ve got to think if he can make that transition, you say it’s just moving over a step and a half and it should’t be that difficult. But when you have played right tackle your entire life, certainly in the NFL certainly at right tackle, there can be a trick to it, it can be difficult. The thing with Jeremy Trueblood at right tackle, there is no question he is their best run-blocking right tackle. If you put him in at right guard, it just may improve that run game just a little bit. That’s what you want to do with that team, they have made that commitment. I would think this is a good move. I think he is an upgrade on Ted Larsen. He doesn’t have the athleticism that Jeremy Truebood has, he doesn’t have that power. The question is can Trueblood get low enough with his pads, get that pad level low to make an effective jump from right tackle to right guard? I think he can. It will certainly be interesting to watch and with the Buccaneers, try something and this makes sense. You have a pretty decent player there in Jeremy Trueblood and he can run block so why not put him in there if that is what you are trying to do, that is run block?
A reasonable person might ask if the Bucs are desperate — and in Joe’s eyes, to try to pull off an experiment like this in the middle of the season smacks of desperation — why not pull a guard off the street?
Well, this very subject came to light prior to the start of the 2012 season on “Movin’ the Chains,” with co-hosts Pat Kirwan and Tim Ryan, heard exclusively on SiriusXM NFL Radio.
Just hours after the final cuts were made by all NFL teams to get down to a 53-man roster, Kirwan and Ryan discussed who was unemployed that could contribute in a pinch.
Both Kirwan and Ryan felt there were a few defensive linemen who didn’t make the final cut that could make an impact on a team if signed, but as far as offensive linemen, they said there was nobody walking the streets who could start on a moment’s notice and do a credible job. Offensive lines across the NFL were thin as a result.
The fact the Bucs would kick start the Jeremy Trueblood Experiment five games into the season just reinforces Kirwan and Ryan’s belief that a decent offensive lineman cannot be found walking the streets of America in mid-October.
October 11th, 2012 at 8:07 am
Perhaps if we’d addressed the lack of O-line depth in the draft by taking Zebrie Sanders or Senio Kelemete in the 5th instead of wasting a pick on Najee Goode….we would be better off right now.
October 11th, 2012 at 8:47 am
Well… its really the perfect situation to see IF Troodblood can play guard or not… He will be going up against GMC in practice and he’s quick of the snap and plays with great pad level. If he can block GMC I think he’ll do ok… we’ll see
October 11th, 2012 at 8:49 am
Jessup don’t be stupid. Do you remember what our Oline looked like at that point? Let me remind you: penn, nicks, zuttah/faine, Joseph, trueblood. With backups Dotson, Zuttah/faine, and a hardman that stepped in and did well before. Just where are you gonna put your draft pick?
October 11th, 2012 at 8:50 am
I’m with Woody on this one. I like this experiment for the fact that Trueblood is a nasty run blocker. I think playing guard will also make pass blocking slightly easier for him. He is no longer exposed on the end to speed rushers. He can now use that power on the inside against defensive tackles. The only thing I worry about is his height and the effect that has on Freeman’s passing lanes.
October 11th, 2012 at 8:56 am
I think it’s Trueblood’s physicality in the run game that the Bucs are after in making this move.
October 11th, 2012 at 9:37 am
Funny how Schiano is going with this rather than an “experiment” with Blount. Basically he’s saying it’s the line’s fault Martin gets about 3 yards every play. I don’t think Martin would have many more yards even if Davin Joseph had been playing.
October 11th, 2012 at 9:44 am
The Bucs are desperate after losing Joseph. This move makes a lot of sense and they have noting to lose by trying it.
Every year in the Draft you hear about College Tackles that will project as guards in the NFL. Short notice? Yes but True has experience and isn’t a rookie.
Often times, it works if you work it.
October 11th, 2012 at 9:45 am
Now let’s bench Lorig and put Blount and Martin in the same backfield together.
October 11th, 2012 at 10:10 am
Trueblood didn’t have a problem with big body defensive linemen it was always the quick, small, agile guys he struggled against. Those were the guys he would get the majority his false starts off of when he tried to get a jump on them.
October 11th, 2012 at 10:13 am
LOL Shiano knows 1000 times more about football than Woody Cummings…srsly ? think I will defer to the coaches…
October 11th, 2012 at 10:17 am
@BigMacAttack
That’s a great idea, too bad they won’t do it. I would figured that they would want their two best backs on the field just so that the defense wouldn’t just focus on just one player. Plus Blount would be a pretty decent run blocker given the fact that he can find out the right hole to run through instead of running into the closed gap (Lorig). Can’t fault Lorig for that though he is a converted DE so he just follows the play and does not have the RB instinct to find the open gap.
October 11th, 2012 at 11:27 am
Sneedy16,
Joe has been saying this for a while. I just wanted to reiterate it.
October 11th, 2012 at 12:16 pm
BigMacAttack
I know, I remember the article with Graham about Lorig incapability of finding the correct hole instead of the designated hole on a running play.
October 11th, 2012 at 12:30 pm
I would rather have Martin blocking the gap while Blount runs over whoever is left.
October 11th, 2012 at 8:16 pm
We went 10-6 when Blount got the rock.
Freeman only threw 6 int’s that year.
Are these coaches crazy??!?
We NEED Blount like Snoop needs Blunts!