The Lesson Of Ted Larsen
August 14th, 2014
The Bucs’ recent history is filled with stories of offensive linemen who have been plucked from obscurity or the scrap heap and then filled starting roles successfully.
The Tampa Bay running game was punishing and dominant for much of 2010 and 2012.
One man on the field during those glory times was Ted Larsen. The guard/center was a 2010 sixth-round pick of the Patriots before becoming one of Bill Belicheat’s final cuts that season. Former Bucs rockstar general manager Mark Dominik claimed him quickly and, soon after, Larsen was the fix for the Keydrick Vincent debacle at left guard.
Also starting on that 2010 offensive line were undrafted standouts with little experience, such as James Lee and Derek Hardman. They had no problem blowing open holes for LeGarrette Blount, and even containing Ndamukong Suh.
Now Joe’s not saying the Bucs should have kept Larsen this offseason — ironically, Larsen now works for Bucs general manager Jason Licht’s old boss in Arizona, where Larsen started at center in their first preseason game — the point is Licht will have opportunities to work some scouting magic and find O-linemen on the street when cuts around the NFL start coming.
And that’s if the Bucs even have to go that route. Perhaps guard Jace Daniels is the answer? Or Kadeem Edwards will rise to the occasion? Or Patrick Omameh?
If not, Licht will have to find his Ted Larsen of 2014.
August 14th, 2014 at 9:54 am
Amateur hour at OBP
August 14th, 2014 at 10:05 am
The real amateur hour is in the comments section of JBF and other nonsensical fan sites.
August 14th, 2014 at 10:11 am
you can speculate on who those names may be from ourlads depth charts:
August 14th, 2014 at 10:15 am
So… remember the backup QB list that came out the other day that Joe put up?
It sure looked surprisingly weak… with a bunch of recycled QBs.
Well, that is the NFL. If you can start on one team and plug a hole, then chances are, you can start on others. The talent level in the NFL is so close, that it usually success is more predicated on coaching schemes and techniques than anything else.
It also helps when you don’t have to deal with a cancer like a Josh Freeman who most notably tanked the Buccaneers 2013 season. Yep, that loser isn’t even a 3rd or 4th stringer in pre-season. Nobody wants that cancer, aka Josh Freeman.
August 14th, 2014 at 10:29 am
Don’t forget Derek Hardman in 2010 when Joseph went out!
Did you not read the story? Hardman is referenced. –Joe
August 14th, 2014 at 10:32 am
Note to Macabee. Read the whole article before commenting! #selfanalysis!
August 14th, 2014 at 10:45 am
Larsen is was a penalty waiting to happen lol I always get Mahan and Larsen confused maybe because the penalties
August 14th, 2014 at 10:46 am
One thing’s for sure, if there are any extra coaching cycles they are using them on o-line this week.
August 14th, 2014 at 11:11 am
It seems to me that investing millions or high draft picks on guards is not the thing to do. I feel pretty comfortable that…..either we have one or two serviceable starters on the roster now….or we will find one or two from other teams’ cuts.
That seems to happen quite often….especially with the Oline.
August 14th, 2014 at 11:15 am
Wow, Tedd Larsen started at center, and the Cardinals won 32-0
I always see ex bucs that werent “good enough” to be bucs excelling…
I.E., blount, talib, larsen, etc……………………………………………
August 14th, 2014 at 11:23 am
Buddha. Don’t forget Gilberry, jones, selvie, miller, Bennet. I rewatched the game against Jacksonville. Folks…Michael Johnson is NOT the answer. You will see.
August 14th, 2014 at 11:47 am
Jon – because yeah – 11 snaps tells the tale of how an entire season is going to go for Johnson.
August 14th, 2014 at 11:56 am
Macabee Says:
August 14th, 2014 at 10:32 am
Note to Macabee. Read the whole article before commenting! #selfanalysis!
_______________________
Some of us just read the headline and skip right to the comments.
August 14th, 2014 at 12:07 pm
We should blow out dispatch Miami with no problems.
Still inexperienced guard play will show.
We’re not Seattle… we don’t have a dynamite young quarterback like Russell Wilson… that can evade the rush and still deliver the ball, with pen point accuracy down the field (ala Bob Gibson). Besides that Russell still took a beaten last year, as his mid season slump will attest to. So do we really want subject our QB’s to that kind of beaten?
Josh came from a situation last year we’re he flourished. Also note Chicago arguable had two of the better guards in the NFC last year. With 1st round draft pick (RG) Kyle Long making it to the Pro Bowl.
Time to make a trade…Hey isn’t Doug Martin from the Bay?
August 14th, 2014 at 12:07 pm
*We should dispatch Miami with no problems.
August 14th, 2014 at 1:25 pm
I would have kept larsen over cousins
August 14th, 2014 at 2:05 pm
hoping for a solution from outside the present roster cannot possibly be the solution the front office is counting on. Lovie is way too meticulous to sit down at the end of his top to bottom evaluation of the team and say, “well i don’t know who we have that can play guard in 2014, but we will still cut these 3 starting OL from last year.” i’m not saying that Lovie is right about the vulnerability at guard being overblown, just saying there’s no way that Plan A was “hope somebody gets cut who is better than everybody on the roster and teach him the offense in a week”
August 15th, 2014 at 7:57 am
Nothing like depending on guys to come out of nowhere every year to plug holes at positions that are perennially weak every year.
Before I die, just once, I want to see a dominant bucs offensive line. I’m 32 years old, so I know that may be asking alot.