“It’s Hard Not To Feel Great”
September 14th, 2017
X-factor is ready
Arguably the Buccaneers’ greatest question mark was smiling and spreading good cheer yesterday in the locker room.
Converted ACC pass rusher J.R. Sweezy is a great NFL story and was a starting guard for Seattle’s Super Bowl team four seasons ago. The Bucs signed him in free agency for big bucks 18 months ago and Sweezy hasn’t played in a regular-season game since.
A mysterious back surgery quickly derailed him, and his long road back is finally over.
“It’s hard not to feel great,” Sweezy said of his health after an unexpected Week 1 bye week.
Those are six words many Bucs fans never thought would come out of Sweezy’s mouth. But here we are, Sweezy is ready to show why he has a reputation of being one of the NFL’s nastiest offensive linemen.
Frankly, the bar is set high for Sweezy, who replaces Ali Marpet at right guard. Marpet, who was moved to center, was on a Pro Bowl growth plan at guard. If Sweezy isn’t as good as Marpet, then the Bucs’ offensive line shuffle might not make a lot of sense.
And then there’s the fact Joe has found it impossible, despite loads of research, to find an offensive lineman who missed an entire year because of back surgery and then returned to play well and last a full season. So Sweezy has that to overcome.
Regardless, the slate is clean for Sweezy, who already overcome major hurdles in his career as a seventh-round pick who didn’t even play offense.
Joe is not counting out Sweezy at all, but he remains a major wild card for this season.
September 14th, 2017 at 10:24 am
It’s hard not to feel great about Sweezy feeling great!!
Bad a$$ football team here we come!
September 14th, 2017 at 11:52 am
Baddest in this league FIERCE.
September 14th, 2017 at 12:24 pm
when the game got cancelled, i thought about the positives: kwon getting rest, bond getting time, all the rookies healing up from camp, evans getting more time for whatever kept him out of the end of training camp, devante bond missing one less game, and jacquies smith getting some more time too.
i’d forgotten about 2 big ones, sweezy with his back and TJ Ward with some more time learning the scheme. this could turn out to be a big ingredient in the bucs starting fast for one of the few times in their history. it’s so important to bank wins and confidence at the start of the season and not feel like you’re digging the team out of a hole for the entire middle part of the season
September 14th, 2017 at 3:15 pm
pick6 I think Sweezy knew the scheme just fine but it was getting back into play in the preseason that helped him. He wasn’t playing floppy hat practice all last year to go home right after.
September 14th, 2017 at 8:46 pm
Hulk posting this from work.
Joe, Hulk think Sweezy never brought in for last year. Hulk think Glazers needed to spend money and Licht brought Sweezy in for future. Then he under contract when they really need him. Licht knows Bucs not win anything last year.
So Licht say, “Take year off. Wear floppy hat.”
So Hulk decide to wear Floppy Hat too.
September 14th, 2017 at 10:39 pm
Ok guys..I’ll lay off my main man..EASY MONEY SWEEZY!! I want him to do well. If he does? We got mass improvement. But Easy Sweezy is quite a handle..especially with the floppy hat pic Joe always post. I just picture him smokin a bowl..grinning.