Ryan Jensen’s Bad Back
June 6th, 2019
This is old news, but it’s ongoing news and Joe can’t ignore it any longer.
Buccaneers big-money center Ryan Jensen has missed a bunch of spring practices with an undisclosed back issue.
When linemen have foot or back problems, red flags start flying through JoeBucsFan.com world headquarters. All injuries stink, but those two are not what you want affecting your big men. The manbeasts along the lines put a ton of stress on their bodies, and feet and backs absorb a big percentage of it and are not the fastest healers.
Mike Lietdke, a 27-year-old with no NFL starts, has been taking a lot of snaps at center. Back in 2017, Dirk Koetter said Liedtke could play any position except center.
Guard/center Evan Smith hasn’t practiced all spring and Joe suspects the Bucs would love to make him a salary cap cut in August.
Ali Marpet? Hopefully he’s locked in at guard.
Joe is not writing off Jensen for what could be a minor back problem in June, but his back is worth keeping an eye on. Bucco Bruce Arians is planning on a physical training camp and Jensen will be expected to deal with Ndamukong Suh and Vita Vea on a daily basis.
Get well soon, Ryan!
June 6th, 2019 at 5:08 am
Oof. And ai thought it was just a massively long hangover from Memorial Day.
June 6th, 2019 at 5:10 am
On the plus side, if he craps the bed as badly this year as he did last year we can cut him at the end of the season iirc and take no cap hit.
June 6th, 2019 at 5:11 am
Can Desmond Harrison play center? He’s on waivers.
June 6th, 2019 at 5:31 am
Hope Jensen is okay, we already are short a G, losing Jensen means Ali would most likely moving back to C and now we have two weak spots at G –
As a coach, number 1 priority are the A gaps on both sides of the ball. Love the last sentence, as many a OC are going to sit up at night wondering how in the heck they are going to plug those gaps with Suh and Vea staring them down
I am still wondering who we are going to plug in at RG, the 2 and the 4 hole are looking very suspect right now…If Im a DC, early and often I am flooding those gaps with run blitzes, stunts and games, forcing everything to the left side – will have them handcuffed by half time…sound familiar Dirk? Down 20 at the half?
BA knows it, I completely expect a vet to come in here at some point and take the job by Aug 1 – we got a UDFA C that was projected to go in the 4/5th can’t recall his name and the G from Auburn – better get them coached up fast!!
Worse than our DE drafting Joe, our OL picks historically have been far less than stellar – Beckles might be the last 5th rd pick to plug and play, Mayberry was a 4th right?
Lets recap the lost decade:
Xavier Fulton – 2009 5th BUST
2010,11,12,13 – NO OL TAKEN AT ALL – 4 YEARS IN A ROW
Kevin Pamphile – 2014 5th (meh)
2015 -DS & Ali – 1 okay, 1 good
Caleb Benenoch – 2016 5th – um, see a trend here?
2017 -NONE – just two years ago, no OL needed here folks….
2018 -Cappa – 3rd – needed 20lbs of muscle and two years of technique before he’s ready…we burn a 3rd rounder and let him sit and watch…
2019 – NONE
6 of the lost 10 years, we dont even bother to take an Olineman…
Overall we have 0 commitment to the Oline in the draft and we keep overpaying for FA and our own marginal (DS) talent…
In contrast, the Cowboys drafted 9 OL in that same span, only twice not taking one in an entire draft and their C/G/T combo that is All Pro, all 3 are 1st round picks from MAJOR college programs….
Ray Charles called and said see the light…
June 6th, 2019 at 5:37 am
RT Desmond Harrison
June 6th, 2019 at 6:25 am
Imagine if our GM has drafted a center to push Jensen and possibly develop as a guard. No, he needed 3 more attempts at the secondary
June 6th, 2019 at 6:30 am
Thanks Clw JB, nice rundown. What concerns me more than anything is that we have very little experienced depth. Evan Smith has decent versatility, but he’s getting banged up too easily. Earl Watford didn’t exactly set the world on fire with Cleveland last year, but he did get some decent time at RG & RT with Arizona for a couple years before that. other than those 2 (and our 4 starters in Donovan, Marpet, Jensen & Dotson), we’ve got a pretty inexperienced OLine … and 2 of our starters seem to get banged up pretty easily. I’m really hoping that we add at least 1 veteran to the OLine after the cutdowns occur.
June 6th, 2019 at 6:36 am
Good to know, but depressing. Haven’t even put on a helmet yet and we’ve lost so many key players. Say what you will abotu Jensen but he’s at least a starting Center….
I don’t remember when it was looking like so many key players down so early.
June 6th, 2019 at 6:51 am
Bad backs and sports don’t mix
I am in that boat right now
Again I am much older and don’t play football in the trenches against 300 lb men , but all it takes is a small tweak in the wrong direction.
And then it hurts to be alive/breath.
That’s not good. And the best drs can only fix it temporarily until the next tweak.
Not good at all.
This is his last year of guaranteed money
Hope it’s nothing severe cause that’s another potential issue of Oline
June 6th, 2019 at 7:19 am
They are dropping like flies. Time to dumpster dive. Starting to lose any hope for this season.
June 6th, 2019 at 7:30 am
No worries ..good thing thing we used the first 4 picks on OL & DL
June 6th, 2019 at 8:00 am
Clw JB,
Here are the C and G picked up as UDFAs. Bailey is the high priority signee. Let’s hope they step up!
60 Trewyn, Nate C 6-3 313 22 R Wisconsin-Whitewater
61 Bailey,Zach G 6-5 299 23 R South Carolina
June 6th, 2019 at 8:08 am
Not really a problem for most anyone on the roster but come training camp June/July it’ll be time to have a real talk
June 6th, 2019 at 8:09 am
Nothing much has been said about it but Malachi Dupre (WR ) Nehari Crawford (WR)Jamarius Way (WR)Josh LeRibeus (OG)Cyrus Kouandjio (OT) were the tryout players in Bucs minicamp on Tuesday.
It should be noted that Crawford and Way are UDFAs. The others have NFL experience. The Bucs already have 13 WRs on the roster, but continue to look at WRs. There must be a reason, but no questions from me. Lol. WR Jamarius Way is listed at 6-4, 220 at South Alabama and hails from Belle Glade, FL. WR Nehari Crawford is 5-11 175 at Duquesne and hails from Ft Pierce, FL.
You would think that the O-Linemen LeRibeus and Kouanddjio have the best chance of being signed. Cyrus Kouandjio is still only 25 and was a second-round pick of the Bills out of Alabama. He has played sparingly in last two years with the Broncos but has good size for a tackle at 6-7, 322. Go Bucs!
June 6th, 2019 at 8:27 am
What did I say?
Draft a OG/C in the 2nd round.
I have been saying it for 3 years.
June 6th, 2019 at 8:38 am
Bucs need depth at OT, but I don’t know how they would feel about recently released OT Desmond Harrison. First of all, nobody cuts good left tackles. He is a talented guy but hasn’t matured yet. This has followed him since he left Texas and ended up at West Georgia. The Bucs have a fifth waiver claim, but the Cardinals who are also in need of O-Line help have the first waiver claim. Someone with a lower waiver will probably give him another shot. Don’t know after DT Chris Baker if Bucs would want another “needs to improve” project. lol.
June 6th, 2019 at 9:02 am
If Licht’s/ Bucs perception on what to draft were likened to driving a car, their eyes would look no further than the hood ornament!
They must know that they probably replace “Gingy Man” after this season because of the size of his contract, if not his play. Of course they knew nothing of this back issue!? Also, allowing next years’ rookie center two years to “gel” wouldn’t apply to the Flying Licht’s! I’m sure the kid walks right in and starts, whether he is ready or not! In preparation they bring in zero “0”, nada, threats to start or replace!?
I’m TRYING to sip the cool-aid (for the 40th year in a row) then this organization, again, reminds us why we continue to suuuuck!
Maybe Jenson’s back and the season turns out fine and I’m over-reacting. I hope so. But, this is not the only area of the team that is just one injury away from catastrophe for the whole team & season! After SIX drafts, the team is held together with VERY expensive duct tape!
See Fire Licht’s name!!
June 6th, 2019 at 9:15 am
That would truly suck.
June 6th, 2019 at 10:07 am
If Guys are not 100% in June there’s no point to have them out there to risk making it worst of not healing all the way I’m not going to stress about it till TC
June 6th, 2019 at 10:32 am
next man up….
GO BUCS!!!!!!
June 6th, 2019 at 10:44 am
Smith should not only be on the roster but should of played extensively over some others recently
June 6th, 2019 at 11:03 am
It’s criminal that they didn’t address O-line at all.
I can live with ignoring pass rush over Devin White or drafting secondary talent over RB or DL given the scheme change but ignoring the O-line is just insane when you literally have no one worth a damn at RG and your RT is 34.
It’s such a waste of TE/WR talent we have to not supplement it with a dominant O-line.
Hoping/guessing reinforcements are coming.
June 6th, 2019 at 12:29 pm
It’s June people
Maybe he’s not practicing because he’s the starting center, and it’s underwear football… gotta see what the others can do.
Jarvis Landry is siting out with “undisclosed injury” too…..
June 6th, 2019 at 1:55 pm
I think that run on OL-men in the 2nd round left the Bucs scrambling ever since.
(35) Jacksonville Jaguars (From OAK): Jawaan Taylor, OT – Florida
(36) San Francisco 49ers: Deebo Samuel, WR – South Carolina
(37) Carolina Panthers (From SEA): Greg Little, OT – Ole Miss
(38) Buffalo Bills (From OAK): Cody Ford, OT – Oklahoma
(39) Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Sean Bunting, CB – Central Michigan
June 6th, 2019 at 9:21 pm
The constant search for upgrades is not a search for starting players or high second string backups it’s in search for special teams studsl. Last years special teamers were average at best, and the new mantra is speed, speed and more speed. We are not Superbowl bound this year but will be a team to be respected and will surprise many. My prediction is either 8-8 or 9-7 and out of the basement. 2020 will be our year I think. Drafting a stud right guard first, a D tackle 2nd if Suh is gone, and if he stays a slobernocker R Tackle, RB 3, then build the special teams with smaller fast linebackers athletic guys 6 foot tall and around 215 who can zoom downfield and love to hit. Face it folks we are going to be a young exciting fast hard hitting team with attitude.
IT’S GOONA BE A FUN RIDE…If not we will still suck…