Grooming Benenoch To Start?
May 23rd, 2018
Insight from Bucs coach.
A very interesting peeling back of the curtain yesterday by Bucs coach Dirk Koetter.
The offensive line isn’t exactly rock solid these days. Demar Dotson wasn’t practicing yesterday because he had knee surgery recently. Donovan Smith wasn’t practicing due to some health-related issue — Koetter emphasized it is minor but wouldn’t elaborate.
And who the hell knows what’s going on with J.R. Sweezy?
So often yesterday in underwear football, the Bucs had the renowned Cole Gardner of Eastern Michigan at left tackle in place of Smith. Now Koetter is a huge believer in backup offensive linemen being able to play multiple positions. It is almost a prerequisite for employment with Koetter. So what Koetter dropped when he explained the juggling of the offensive line caught Joe’s attention.
“Cole Gardner is a young guy that we had in here last year and he had a shoulder surgery and had to miss the year,” said Koetter, adding Gardner is getting a lot of reps. “If we were in the season, Caleb [Benenoch] could also rotate out there. But, we’re trying hard to leave Caleb in one spot. We move him so often that we’re trying to leave him in one spot and let him get some work.”
If Koetter isn’t eager to move Benenoch, who has the most experience of any of the backup offensive linemen except Evan Smith, that sort of tells Joe the Bucs are force-feeding Benenoch to be a starter.
Given that the Bucs seem fully confident Dotson will return for training camp, and seem anything but confident about Sweezy’s future, could Koettter be preparing to start Benenoch at right guard? Benenoch was lined up there yesterday.
May 23rd, 2018 at 9:06 am
It’s Caleb’s 3rd year, not exactly playing behind all stars, time to step up and see what he can do
May 23rd, 2018 at 9:08 am
Counting on Dotson is foolish and will come back to haunt this team. Should have upgraded Dotson years ago.
May 23rd, 2018 at 9:12 am
I think OL depth will shake out off someone else’s roster
May 23rd, 2018 at 9:13 am
My guess is the Bucs plan on cutting Sweezy after June 1 and drafting a replacement for Dotson on the first two days of the draft next year.
May 23rd, 2018 at 9:19 am
Agree with SCB; they will pick up a veteran OL for depth one of these days.
May 23rd, 2018 at 9:27 am
But I thought Joe and the Sheep said this roster was set!!!! That the coaches just had to come up with a average game plan and all this scary talent would walk thru the division!!!!!! Looks like they were just riding the emotional rollercoaster of winning the offseason!!!!!!!!!
GO BUCS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
May 23rd, 2018 at 9:28 am
SCBucsFan Says:
“I think OL depth will shake out off someone else’s roster”
Yea – ours….
The Bucs like both Gardner and Wester – and won’t be able to protect them both
May 23rd, 2018 at 9:32 am
It seems obvious to me that the RG spot will be an open competition between Benenoch, Cappa, Evan Smith and I guess Sweezy if he is still here.
Coaches comments seem to indicate they think Benenoch is the front runner as of now.
May 23rd, 2018 at 9:41 am
I want bucs to grab a veteran CB I think the line will be fine
May 23rd, 2018 at 9:47 am
Realist, I don’t remember reading any articles that even hinted at any of those things.
May 23rd, 2018 at 10:01 am
Wouldn’t be shocked if he gets paid some injury settlement to leave.
No one has even whispered such a rumor to Joe. Just reading tea leaves.
May 23rd, 2018 at 10:04 am
William
thank you for putting this chump on blast!!!!!…..everyone knew the oline was/still is a mess…..that’s why most wanted q.nelson…..and that’s also why some scratched their heads when we let pamphile walk…..
as far as the oline is concerned, imo, benenoch is not a RT….he looked ok at G but I wasn’t impressed…..
with that said, I think his development has been hindered because the staff moves him around too much as dirk alluded to…..keep him at G….keep cappa at RT…..don’t move them…..
#NOEXCUSESIN2018!!!!….#PRESSURESONTHECOACHES!!!!….GO BUCS!!!!
May 23rd, 2018 at 10:04 am
The bigger picture is Koetter is going to let Winston get sacked more! Why, because he’s being a nice guy and holding hands and not making decisions to get better healthier men to protect the QB like he should be doing (or/and the GM too)!
May 23rd, 2018 at 10:11 am
Year #1…Draft them late & put them in the weight and nutritian program
Year #2…Utilize them in a back-up role
Year #3…They start, or they’re traded or cut
Repeat every year.
Signed,
~Bill Belicheat
May 23rd, 2018 at 10:12 am
Don’t see why Cappa couldn’t be groomed for R.T.. He has the body type, and played L.T. in college. With Dotson out someone will have an opportunity to step up. It would be nice if someone does, and we don’t need to use a premium pick on a R.T. next year.
May 23rd, 2018 at 10:26 am
I get a little worried about Cappa playing either Tackle position. He has slow feet. You need athletes on the edges if you are going to continue to make your QB take deep drops.
May 23rd, 2018 at 10:28 am
Realist… do you gotta hit em with another realist narcissistic repost to show them what’s up?
May 23rd, 2018 at 10:57 am
@Bucsfan951
You want it!!!!!! You got it!!!!!!! Some inspiration for the start of OTA!!!!!!!!!! OMG!!!!!!!!!!! ITS another “REALIST REPOST”!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The Buc Realist Says:
August 1st, 2017 at 4:14 pm
@Stpetebucsfan
Actually, It starts with Head Coach Koetter and is oozing thru the whole roster!!!! and even more exciting than just chemistry, is that there are some dynamic players on each side of the ball!!!!! Being able to disguise and not telegraph their intentions is so huge in today’s NFL!!!!!!! There is so much excitement and expectation for this year!!! And From the Coaches down to the players, They will ride the wave of excitement instead of being crushed by it!!!!!!!!!
Jamies says: Mr Realist, give me some inspiration!!!!
The Buc Realist says: You got it!!!!!!!!!!!!!
“Competition is the most magnificent test in which a human being can indulge!!!!! It brings out all that is best!!!! it removes all that is base!!!!! All men are afraid in the battle of competition!!!!!!!!! The coward is the one who lets his fear overcome his sense of duty. Duty is the essence of manhood!!!!!!!!!!!
Jamies says: Thx Realist,,,,, real recognize real!!!!!!!
May 23rd, 2018 at 11:08 am
Am I the only one that reads Realist’s posts in a Dick Vitales voice? just missing the Ya Baby!!!!!!
lol
May 23rd, 2018 at 11:28 am
Time to move on from sweezy. A lot of people like names but I think we have a couple guys who could start in house and would give what sweezy have us minimum. Use sweezy cash to help sign marpet or kwon
May 23rd, 2018 at 11:49 am
@Joe
Is there a deadline on an injury settlement release? I guess what I’m really asking is when do we know we have to overpay him again?
May 23rd, 2018 at 12:26 pm
incognito should be signed, 1 year prove it or lose it, what would it hurt, if he don’t pan out cut him, take your losses
May 23rd, 2018 at 12:28 pm
I think it’s likely that Benenoch is our starter at RG this year. Cappa will learn RG and RT and we will see what shakes out in a year or two when he puts on weight and learns how to play at the NFL level. But for now, I think the jobs his.
May 23rd, 2018 at 12:47 pm
The o-line hasn’t been rock solid since week 16 of the 2015 season, if we are being honest…
May 23rd, 2018 at 1:29 pm
The OLine has not really been solid since Dungy built it and Chucky won a Super Bowl with them.
May 23rd, 2018 at 2:51 pm
oh god.
No Jason Licht!! Don’t force another 5th round OG on us!!
Pamphile was a turnstile!
Benenoch is a decent backup RT but not strong enough to be an OG.
We should have used one of our 2nd round picks on an OG!
Dotson will be fine. RG will not be!
May 23rd, 2018 at 2:57 pm
Benenoch finished the year at Rt, and has the build for it.
Cappa’s arms are an 1” shorter than Than the minimum for Tackles.
Think he will end up at Guard
But with the Bucs, you never know
May 23rd, 2018 at 3:17 pm
Jaboo – Cappa has slow feet? Where did you see that? Check out the breakdown on another website that starts with Pewter and ends with report. That story has multiple videos of his movement – feet, hands, hips – and he looks very quick to me… but my eyes can deceive me, so I don’t trust them.
May 23rd, 2018 at 3:46 pm
Need to drop Sweezy and Dotson. Cappa at OG and Benenoch at OT, and pick up BPA depth after teams after they clean out their rosters. Or we can get Incognito, sit Cappa for a year to learn and have him as a back up this year.
May 23rd, 2018 at 6:07 pm
Joe- Any idea how an injury settlement impacts the cap? Do you get hit with the cap hit PLUS the settlement? I’ve been thinking at this point the Bucs are just waiting for him to pass a physical so they can cut him without the injury settlement, but that’s assuming they’d take a bigger cap. Something to keep in mind is his salary goes down to $5m for the next two seasons after this one, so if he can play and be even an OK starter, that’s not a bad deal for a starting offensive lineman. But it’s a big IF obviously.
May 23rd, 2018 at 11:16 pm
No sure how I would feel about that move…. But I do like the chubby Kanye West with hair look.
May 24th, 2018 at 12:30 pm
RT are not drafted in the 1st or second round, LT are primary. Move D Smith to RT, Cappa to guard where he is a mauler along with Jensen and Marpet would be a tremendous middle. Then draft a LT next year.