O-Line Experience Added
June 28th, 2019
Hired!
Head coach Bucco Bruce Arians publicly shared his excitement for the veteran tryout players coming to Bucs minicamp early this month.
Today, one of them earned a contract.
That’s 29 year old center/guard Josh LeRibeus, who made three starts for the Saints last season at left guard before an ankle injury sent him to injured reserve. He made 11 starts for the Redskins at center in 2015, but he was out of football the following year.
Center/guard Evan Smith, who turns 33 in a few weeks, was sidelined all spring recovering from a hip injury and he’s due $2 million if he makes the 53-man roster in September. Joe would be surprised if Smith sticks around, but his extensive experience at center and team-first approach make him worth keeping for now.
LeRibeus can play guard, so Joe must now place him on the long list of unimpressive names fighting for the Bucs’ starting right guard gig.
June 28th, 2019 at 1:00 pm
Can we get the NFL’s permission to play two right guards?……..if not that….how about 4 or 5 extra roster spots for our bevy of RGs.
June 28th, 2019 at 1:00 pm
the Bucs are paying waaaay too much for their current center. He is average at best. Gets far too many penalties, many after the play is over!!Another blunder by the current BM. Bill Pulliam said it. “How can you be 5 & 11 and still don’t have enough money to sign your draft choices?” PATHETIC!!! Some one needs to go.
June 28th, 2019 at 1:01 pm
Sorry: GM!
June 28th, 2019 at 1:14 pm
sounds like cappa aint the answer….
GO BUCS!!!!
June 28th, 2019 at 1:16 pm
i think warfold wins the starting job and this guy serves as depth….
e.smith is a goner….
GO BUCS!!!!
June 28th, 2019 at 1:17 pm
When it’s all said and done at the end of preseason, if he stays healthy, I believe Liedtke will be the season starting RG
June 28th, 2019 at 1:20 pm
At least Bruce realizes what a disaster our O-line situation is and is trying to do something, even without much cap space. I have a feeling he isn’t close to being done with reshaping the O-line. More to come in training camp and during the preseason. Go Bucs!
June 28th, 2019 at 1:21 pm
Larry
2019 is the last year of Jensen’s guaranteed money so not this year but next year maybe a salary cap casualty.
June 28th, 2019 at 1:23 pm
BA said it takes 3-4 seasons to develop OL due to the differences between college and the NFL. This guy seems to a good signing for this year to let some players develop another year.
June 28th, 2019 at 1:32 pm
Let the dumpster diving begin.
June 28th, 2019 at 1:32 pm
Simply put, you can’t have enough O-line depth.
June 28th, 2019 at 1:35 pm
WHY does LICHT still… have a job with the bucs?? A lousy team with NO MONEY makes no since !!
June 28th, 2019 at 1:48 pm
When teams cut down to 53, a lot of talent will be on the sideline. Hopefully the Bucs will pick up a descent right guard. GM Licht is a terrible judge on the draft and during the first round of free agency but he is pretty good with finding the leftover talent, especially just prior to the start of the season.
June 28th, 2019 at 2:00 pm
Well, the fact he is someone ELSE is hopeful.
June 28th, 2019 at 2:02 pm
If we could get a right guard who plays atleast average, compared to the well below average guard we had last year, we might me in ok shape.
June 28th, 2019 at 2:19 pm
Was really hoping that was a picture of Max Unger
June 28th, 2019 at 2:42 pm
Scratch off ticket…
June 28th, 2019 at 2:46 pm
Saves a million or so when Evan Smith retires- probably a veteran minimum signing level salary –
Smith barely played last year, long injury recovery, and is well on the wrong side of 30 – his replacement was just signed
June 28th, 2019 at 2:48 pm
The list of lineman that have gone on to other teams and have been serviceable is also long. We had a few guys in place we should have kept but dirk is a horrible coach and couldn’t develop sweaty palms on a florida summer day. The o line weaknesses I believe will turn out to be exaggerated like most things by fans. If like winston says it is 99.9% mental then if this coaching staff has patriot like game day preparation I can easily see no name guys producing. Apparently fans think they have to have a 22 pro bowl players to get to 9-7.
June 28th, 2019 at 3:18 pm
How’d I miss this Joe. The Bucs tried out Josh LeRibeus plus 4 others during their minicamp way back on June 4th. LeRibeus must’ve impressed somebody because it looks like he’s the only one of the 4 to be offered a contract.
Nice size for a Guard or Center (6’2″ & 315 lbs) but he sure has been around the block since coming into the league with Washington back in 2012 (been with AT LEAST 5 teams now). Out in 2013 & 2016, but in the other 5 yrs has only gotten 15 starts in the 50 games he suited up for (11 of those in 2015 with the Redskins as a Center). But in his 11 starts that year, the Redskins went 7-4; not that shabby.
Who knows, maybe he’s got some potential. Saints apparently thought so; they signed him, then cut him, then re-signed him at least 3 times it looks like. Ended up spending the last 10 games last year on the Saints IR (ankle).
AlabamaBucsFan is absolutely right, there’ll be a lot more OLine talent available prior to season start. I could see us adding AT LEAST 1 OLineman, and very possibly 2 before we play the 49ers on Sept 8th.
June 28th, 2019 at 3:24 pm
nobody builds a basement title roster like the bucs… give credit to glazers for training low standard bucfan to get excited over other teams garbage. Once again this minor league franchise did not address the needs when talent was actually available. at least the excuses will be entertaining from the ignorant delusional optimists….
the only relevant topic for bucsfan to EVER discuss each season is when does draft talk truly begin week 4 or week 9 everything else is meaningless giving the failed 42 year history of this nfl wannabe train-wreck we all love so much.
June 28th, 2019 at 3:41 pm
Sorry T nobody cares about all the negative things you have to say. Your life must really suck or something for you to only have negative things to say. There’s more to life
June 28th, 2019 at 4:08 pm
TMaxipad
I guess you wanted Jonah Williams.
June 28th, 2019 at 4:10 pm
Not for nothing but the Saints had 3(I think) probowlers on their OL. Not a small feat to earn a starters job with that group.
Between this guy, Watford, E.Smith & a few young developing players there really is no excuse to have poor RG play this year. Guard is one of the easier positions to find in football. It don’t have to take major investments………just good coaching and player evaluation.
June 28th, 2019 at 4:43 pm
My new favorite Bucs o lineman!
June 28th, 2019 at 5:27 pm
Sad that I have to bring up the fact that EVERY team does this nothing new. If you want to do something new to the Bucs get rid of players while they still have value. McCoy last year or the year before would have gotten us at least a second round pick. Never popular with fans but I’m pretty sure the Patriot fans have gotten over it now.
June 28th, 2019 at 5:36 pm
When have the Saints had a bad O line? Not since Mr Brees took over. If he was starting depth on that line I’m sure he can play. This may be a quality pickup if he can stay healthy.
June 28th, 2019 at 5:55 pm
Results prove im right ladies not negative… get ready for your yearly nutpunch on the way to another bucs basement title
June 28th, 2019 at 8:20 pm
The Belicheats’ starting center was an UDFA in 2015, out of UGA. The young man already has two SB rings and snaps the ball to the GOAT, with a world-class organization.
We must over-pay for average players and / or gamble on whoever is available. The neglect and incompetence of our team (GM) would be hard to duplicate if one tried.
LeRibeus has only played 15 of 50 games in his career. Not encouraging! But, It sounds like he might be pretty good and versatile, if he can avoid injury. He has to do!
June 28th, 2019 at 8:44 pm
Speaking of Bill Belichick, in Cleveland dumped Bernie Kosar to sign Vinny Testaverde.
On the surface that seems like a bad trade, but going back and reviewing the numbers, Bill made the right choice. Bernie only ever had like one good year, Vinny had many and played until he was 63 years old.
June 28th, 2019 at 8:52 pm
Watching these posts hell oline is the easiest job in the world guess what I’m heading to one buc place for a job I’ll have a beer for all you losers when I get signed
June 29th, 2019 at 1:28 am
How many 2nd and 3rd round picks have we used the past 3 years?
I have been calling for a 2nd round guard since we fooloshly replacedLoganMankins for JR Sweazy.
If we had drafted a guard 2-3 years ago, we would be a playoff team.
We were 9-7 when Lovie forced Dirk to run the ball.
We had a top 10 RB duo and we lookedgreat.
Cut Logan. Sign Sweazy. Instead, we should have drafted a guard!
Amd we had 3 years to do it!!
WTF!!!???
June 29th, 2019 at 6:59 am
How can Bucs be 5-11 an not have money to sign draft picks is simple bad coaching last cpl years our players came in an got worse they had little to no good coaching watch this year GoBucs
June 29th, 2019 at 7:00 am
Bucs didn’t Cut Logan he retired
June 29th, 2019 at 12:42 pm
And lovie smith was not the coach when the bucs went 9-7. Futhermore, the 9-7 year, the team’s leading rusher might have been rodgers. Teacherman is another example of tampa’s brilliant fan base smdh
June 29th, 2019 at 5:49 pm
Wonder how he cut start three games for the saints yet possibly end up on this roster and be considered a decent player. Too many scouts on this site ptending to know more than the professionals paid to so it including the guys running the site.
Every free agent out on the market you suggest we go out and sign them, BA goes signs a guy and somehow the list of names you come up with are more impressive in your minds. Gotta love the people criticizing what they never did or could do.