Bucs Getting A Pass?
April 3rd, 2015
An ESPN analyst tees off on the Bucs not (yet) addressing the porous offensive line.
Lost in the hoopla over Tuesday’s coronation of Jameis Winston — if you think Joe and other media are covering Winston too much, Joe is going to guess you will have a very difficult adjustment the next few months — is Bucs’ the offensive line stinks.
Joe got hammered for not being sold on the offensive line last year and, frankly, the offensive line was worse than anything Joe feared. One could argue on April 3, it may be worse.
And while the Bucs are rightly looking to address the Grand Canyon-like hole on their roster for way, way, way too long (quarterback), the Bucs may be ignoring the turnstiles up front and voids from rank turnstiles who will not return.
ESPN Insider Matt Waldman, by way of Pat Yasinskas, went off on the Bucs for seemingly doing nothing about the offensive line short of letting two of their biggest sieves walk.
“I don’t understand why people aren’t killing the Bucs about their offensive line,’’ Williamson said. “Their line was terrible last year and they have done absolutely nothing to fix it and I don’t understand why not. They’re going to be bringing in a rookie quarterback. I compare that to having a baby. You have to have your house ready for the baby and they’re not ready.’’
Again, last year Joe was plenty skeptical of the offensive line through the summer and got hell for it. The line proved to be miserable.
There is nothing about Evan Dietrich-Smith’s play last year that inspired confidence, sorry. Barbecue pitmaster Logan Mankins was just meh and, oh yeah, he’s a year older. And the thought of 29 year-old Demar Dotson, who is an OK right tackle, being moved to left tackle sends shivers up Joe’s spine.
Left tackle and right guard (and depth)? The “Help Wanted” sign is still out.
April 3rd, 2015 at 6:00 am
Is there any word on Dan Connelly yet? I know he is not the answer but in our case every little bit counts.
April 3rd, 2015 at 6:07 am
Why haven’t the Bucs entertained Jake Long? I know he’s an injury risk, and not a long term solution, however better than anything else on the roster, even with that risk. At the right price i think he should absolutely be brought.
April 3rd, 2015 at 6:25 am
Why do you think they haven’t “entertained”, whatever that means, Jake Long because you haven’t read about it?
April 3rd, 2015 at 6:49 am
I believe it’s going to be a majority offense draft. After Jameis, I believe we are going to get a OT or an o-lineman that is versatile in the 2nd round.
Me personally I would get John Abraham for a year or 2 to play passing down. I would let the younger guys at DE start for at least 2 downs or all downs. I think the younger guys can learn from Abraham.
Then go all offense with Jameis, OT, G, WR, Special team returner and TE. Then the next draft hopefully the offense is completely fixed. The next draft focus hard on getting young pass rushers if Smith, Gholston, and other aren’t playing well. Also, finding a great cover two middle linebacker.
April 3rd, 2015 at 6:55 am
I’d hate to see those dirty diapers…
April 3rd, 2015 at 7:08 am
I don’t understand….if you have guys like garrett gilkey and cousins playing guard on the inside of your line plus your left tackle is non existent, im just curious how anyone on the entire line is supposed to get a positive grade. I mean if we knew how bad they were I think the teammates knew about the big holes on the line, even demar Dotson had a average season. it’s almost impossible to play that badly again
April 3rd, 2015 at 7:29 am
I think bringing in Connelly (or Garza)just makes sense. The guy can play all 3 interior positions and gives the Bucs flexibility in the draft. Not to mention he was a captain of the team who won the super bowl and already has familiarity with Mankins.
April 3rd, 2015 at 7:53 am
The offensive offensive line needs to be addressed with every pick this year.
The Bucs experience being able to neither recognize or to coach up offensive line talent is terrible.
Good luck, Jameis!
April 3rd, 2015 at 7:53 am
A coaching staff that feels pressured after a 2-14 season, an offensive line that is as porous as a screen door, and a rookie QB learning a brand new system…..what could possibly go wrong with this scenario?
April 3rd, 2015 at 8:00 am
Last year we drafted two I the 5th round. Edwards and Phamphile. Hopefully they have both grown and will be a little better. I know if the draft is the plan to fix the line, they better be looking in the second and third rounds rather than the fifth. Is there any sense that our two rookies from last year might be ready to step up?
April 3rd, 2015 at 8:20 am
it’s not often that solid O line free agents become available, especially tackles. If they’re good, they get re-signed. I remember when the Bucs signed Randall McDaniel and some other off the shelf guys and won a Super Bowl. Draft the good ones and plug the holes as needed.
April 3rd, 2015 at 8:23 am
Ask yourself this.
How much of the offensive line woes last year due to non existing offensive play calling (no legit OC) and bad quarterback play (calling the correct protection at the line before the snap ).
Now the really bad OL guys are gone, and will get replaced via draft & FA. If you get a good OC, and a good QB that can read defenses and call the right protection, I think that makes a mediocre OL into a almost decent one.
Now I am worried about the OL as well, I don’t want our pending Franchise Quarterback on the IR the weeks into the season . But I think with two smart additions and proper coaching plus a smart QB. It will be OK.
April 3rd, 2015 at 8:24 am
The line is looking like it’s going to be a disaster. We’ll see. They’ve got the draft and the waiver wire to work still, but I am not confident we can find enough of the talent we need. We desperately need two starters (OG,OT), and the other 3 starting positions look shaky to me. Mankins was nothing special. EDS was awful. Dotson is ok at RT, but nothing spectacular. At LT? I have no idea but I’m skeptical.
So we’re banking on Dotson making the move to LT successfully, Mankins and EDS improving their play significantly over last year, and two probably rookies.
Yikes. Ugly. Ugly. Ugly.
April 3rd, 2015 at 8:26 am
And Connolly is over the hill. He’s versatile in the sense that he plays all positions on the line equally badly these days.
April 3rd, 2015 at 8:28 am
Who is Matt Waldman? Does he know Matt Williamson?
April 3rd, 2015 at 8:33 am
Theshaz – I think your right, having a real OC has got to help a lot. Plus these guys being together for another year might help as well. I am also hoping last years rookie class gets better but not holding too much hope as at this point they are back up players Here is Mel Kipers re-grade of those guys after the season:
Guard Kadeem Edwards: A fifth-round pick, Edwards is a project. He didn’t make any impact before having his rookie season cut short by an ankle injury.
Tackle Kevin Pamphile: Another fifth-round pick, Pamphile got some playing time late in the season and could be a key backup next season.
April 3rd, 2015 at 8:42 am
Im pretty sure we’re going to address O line with our 2nd and 4th (and later) picks. Our 3rd will probably be spent on DE unless a cant miss DE is sitting there in the bottom of the 1st/top of 2nd.
Its amazing the holes we have in our trenches! If Winston had decided to play one more year for FSU, I’d be ALL in on trading down. Mariota def isnt worth 1st overall status. Im hoping a LT can be found with our 2nd, then Ali Marpet can hopefully fall to us with our 4th.
April 3rd, 2015 at 8:47 am
The OL will be better this season for a few reasons.
1. The presence of Jameis Winston will elevate their play. They will want to block for him.
2. The direction of a real and proven OC…Thanks to Dirk.
3. Adding talent in the draft.
4. Releasing higher paid underachievers like Anthony Collins.
I know that most of us have a “I will believe it when I see it” mindset with the OL but it will be better. Notice I said better and not great or good. It wont take much to be better than last season.
April 3rd, 2015 at 9:02 am
@ rayjay1122
I agree….Olines are strange….one really bad link and the whole line doesn’t work well….Mankins by himself can struggle but put someone like Connelly on the line and both can do well.
Sometimes that also works with a dline….getting rid of Johnson & Collins may make a huge difference.
I also agree that the QB makes a difference also…..this line should be very protective of the rookie.
April 3rd, 2015 at 9:07 am
It boggles my mind with the amount of time that stands between right now and opening day of next season how people are so up tight about issues pertaining to the O line. These folks over at one Bucc place do this type of work for a living. It is my belief that O line is something that they have a game for going into the draft and the waiver wire thing. Relax a little folks,they’ll have the best quality possible starting on that o line to begin next season. Geez.
April 3rd, 2015 at 9:31 am
Well now the chickens are finally coming home to roost for all you fantasy football NFL head coaches.
For years, I’ve read you all, Joe included, sounding off about we’ve gotta draft this guy or that guy. I’ve heard every name from Morris Claiborne to Johnny “Football” Manzel bandied about as the Bucs’ savior until I’m ready to puke. But, nary a word about drafting one the big uglies up front.
At the same time, I listen to Mark Dominic talking about how “we don’t draft offensive linemen.
Now, everyone is running around like Chicken Little yelling the sky is falling.
Well, the lesson is, it ain’t fantasy football where you just count up points, touchdowns or whatever you all do. It’s real football, with pads and helmets and everything. And, real football, for the informed, which appears to be most of you all, does in fact start up front with the big nasties.
And, the best way to build the front on either side of the ball is through the draft. In the end you see, it’s even harder to put together five on offense or four on defense championship caliber guys than it is to find a championship caliber quarterback. That’s just simple math that it’s easier to find one than to find five or four. And, the teams that got them tend not to let them go.
So, it may be another few years before the Bucs can get something going, at least until they draft the upfront guys teams just can’t do without.
April 3rd, 2015 at 9:36 am
@Rick
That was a logical post. From the inception of the NFL, games have been won and lost in the trenches and though some things have changes as the game of football has evolved, that truth has remained. Games are won and lost in the trenches. Successful teams control the line of scrimmage.
April 3rd, 2015 at 9:41 am
“It boggles my mind with the amount of time that stands between right now and opening day of next season how people are so up tight about issues pertaining to the O line. These folks over at one Bucc place do this type of work for a living. It is my belief that O line is something that they have a game for going into the draft and the waiver wire thing. Relax a little folks,they’ll have the best quality possible starting on that o line to begin next season. Geez”
Didn’t someone post this exact same thing last year? Good thing that this year we have different people in charge of bringing in players…
April 3rd, 2015 at 9:51 am
The real question is why any of this is a surprise…. Lovie has historically fielded bottom of league o lines. Why do you think a man as stubborn and as foolish as lovie smith would change and actually address team needs.
No not Loive, Instead he goes out and signs ex bears that need prove it deals and has beens. This is Lovie Smith; he has been a HORRIBLE personnel evaluator. Lovie is setting this franchise back years and some of you sit back and defend this buffoon with the “he is a nice guy and dungy this and dungy that….” The best possible thing for the Bucs is Dungy and Smith go off to some basement and stay there. Oh and they can bring that useless heartless qb glennon to be there house boy… maybe they can put in an escape door for him to duck out of the room before the markers.
Jake Long is broken down and Connelly has not been able to play for 2 years. How are these potential targets upgrades. I laugh every time I read he is better than what we have. Welll if you have crap and you replace it with crap it’s still crap…..
April 3rd, 2015 at 9:56 am
Hawk
you can not build a consistent winner counting on waiver wire pickups and other teams garbage. Not one player signed this off-season is a CLEAR upgrade to either the departed player or the player they are supposed to compete with. Moore has the most potential. Carter switching positions is risky and melton, jenkins and conte are useless. So I think us “Little” fans have plenty to be concerned about. Lovie is a pathetic joke and the bucs will not be a consistent winner until he is back in the basement for good.
April 3rd, 2015 at 10:02 am
I hope L&L have a plan for OLine. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen worse play up front than what happened last year. And in 2013 the OLine was also terrible.
The worst thing you can do to a rookie QB is not provide adequate protection and the 2nd worse thing you can do for him is to lack a running game.
Considering NOTHING has been done yet to improve the OLine – its no wonder fans are uneasy.
April 3rd, 2015 at 10:29 am
Not at all Joe. We took a lot of pictures of our first child
April 3rd, 2015 at 10:43 am
the biggest upgrade on the OL thus far has been Dirk Koetter. i think they’re banking on him, at least one of last year’s draftees, and this year’s draft to effect the turnaround. i think at least one “name” player on the downside of his career will join the group before training camp also.
April 3rd, 2015 at 10:51 am
I’ll wait till after the draft to panick. If we don’t address the O-line with at least 1 of the top 3 picks I will be very dissapointed.
April 3rd, 2015 at 11:27 am
@ tmaxcon
I was quoting a previous poster (I deleted his name because he isn’t the only one with that mindset, and I did not want to appear as though I was singling him out).
MY response was “Didn’t someone post this exact same thing last year? Good thing that this year we have different people in charge of bringing in players…”.
The last sentence being somewhat sarcastic.
I agree that the draft is where you get the ‘meat’ of your team, but only IF the team has the ability to pick the right players.
April 3rd, 2015 at 2:29 pm
We all know they are waiting on the draft. They will likely spend a 2nd and a 4th on OL. Somewhere in the middle rounds. Hopefully they find ones that can be rookie starters. It is a deep draft of OLmen. The brass probably has longer than we think to create a performing roster. Also to have either of the 5th rounders last year to step up and improve. fingers-crossed.
April 3rd, 2015 at 3:06 pm
What O linemen were available early in free agency? Anyone worth breaking the bank for? Thought they pursued Bulaga, but he was just leveraging us to get a better contract offer in Green Bay. There were a few guards who got overpaid. Did we really wanna go down that path again (overpaying guys who won’t live up to their contracts)? I think they’ve been down that road and decided to stop.
Free agency is never a good solution to these problems. Supplement the roster wisely and then draft well and develop guys. It does require patience, which no one wants to hear, but it’s just reality.
April 4th, 2015 at 10:44 pm
Lovie has never had a decent offensive line and that isn’t going to change this year. At this point I don’t understand how anyone can have any confidence in this guy to draft and develop linemen since he has never done. Building through the draft only works if you consistently pick good players and the Bucs aren’t known for having great drafts. A better OC will help some but he isn’t lining up to block anyone so he can only do so much.