Bucs Benefit From Shocker
April 29th, 2020
Surprise!
The fun thing about the NFL draft is the unknown. Who thought a team that needed a wide receiver (Packers) would not draft one receiver in a draft with historic receivers depth?
And who dreamed Cee Dee Lamb would fall all the way to No. 17 (Joe has to admit when the Bucs were on the clock Joe was literally jumping in his office hollering, “CEE DEE LAMB! CEE DEE LAMB!”)
Better yet, who imagined an NFL coach would let his dog make a pick?
So in his post-draft mailbag, uber NFL insider Jay Glazer of The Athletic was asked to name his biggest surprise of the draft.
Well, let’s just say the Bucs were involved.
Jay Glazer, what’s your biggest surprise of the first round? —Stan K.
My biggest surprise is Tristan Wirfs and Jordan Love. I’ve addressed Love already, but a couple of questions later I am still just as surprised. I am shocked Tristan Wirfs dropped when he did. This guy is a stud in the weight room and athletically. He won the state championship in Iowa in wrestling as a heavyweight. He had to cut down to 265 then go back up for football. To be a state champion in wrestling anywhere, you have to embrace the grind and have a different mentality. Plus, all that body-on-body work he understands the human body and leverage. I thought he was the top tackle in this draft. He has so much upside. He was a freak at the combine. He has everything you’d be looking for and he went last out of the four. I was very surprised by that one, extremely surprised.
Earlier in his mailbag, Glazer said in his film study and working the phones before the draft, he had Wirfs as the No. 1 tackle.
No wonder Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht was working the phones trying to trade up like a crazy man.
April 29th, 2020 at 8:09 am
Something like 30 of 80 mock drafts had wirfs going to the Giants who picked 4th. More then any other potential candidate at that spot
Pretty exciting
Plus he plays right side which was clearly the weak side of our oline last year and biggest hole going into 2020
On top of that, they say iowa Oline are more pro ready then almost any other program in college football
So this kid will be ready to rock and roll (wont have as much of a learning curve). And They need to put wirfs locker right next to Jensen to get some nasty in him. Nothing wrong with nice guys. Marpet is a good example. But seems like wirfs is almost to nice. Need some mean guy in him
April 29th, 2020 at 8:11 am
We had a gaping hole at RT and Joe wanted us to blow our 1st on a position of strength in a draft loaded with WRs… and I thought clamoring for Johnny Football wasn’t wise.
April 29th, 2020 at 8:21 am
Brandon…glad we chose Wirfs… a win/win. But if you looked at the pre-draft prognostications, many of the top draft guru’s had us picking a top WR at that position. So Joe wasn’t the only one. He was just being honest enough to tell you he really wasn’t aware how talented Wirfs was..many people not tuned into the Big Ten weren’t, or those that did figured he wouldn’t drop past the Giants at 4. Johnny Football… many didn’t know whether the key to the Evans/Manziel combo was Mike or Johnny. Thankfully, or GM did. So let it go.
April 29th, 2020 at 8:23 am
The big surprise was the Giants at 4. Thomas was generally described as the lowest rated of the top group of tackles; in fact, some rated the draft as having three top tackles, then Thomas. Must have been a difference of opinion on the player.
A related surprise was the drop of Josh Jones of Houston down to the 3rd round.
April 29th, 2020 at 8:25 am
The evidence is irrefutable……..RT, S, RB, WR, Defensive Line Depth, LB Depth, KR/RB
We drafted for need…..pure and simple and did a really good job of it.
April 29th, 2020 at 8:28 am
Drafted for need is right. Good draft.
April 29th, 2020 at 8:46 am
Falcons and Saints have invested high draft picks in OL the last 2 years….
April 29th, 2020 at 8:47 am
The only conundrum for me was whether to pick RB or S in Rd. 2. We let J.K. Dobbins slip through our fingers in favor of Antoiine Winfield. Not sure that Ke’Shawn Vaughn is the RB we needed to round out our offense, but by all accounts, Winfield is a legitimate baller and should really elevate our defense.
April 29th, 2020 at 8:51 am
WR was way down on our list of needs. I certainly did not want us to use our first round pick when we had a serious need at right tackle. I will say I was shocked when the Giants selected Thomas. Like Lou, everything I read leading up to the draft made it seem as though Thomas was definitely the 4th best tackle of those “big four.” I can only assume the Giants wanted a pure left tackle. Both Wirfs and Wills played primarily right tackle. I would love to know which tackle the Bucs were targeting when they were trying to trade back into the top 10. My gut was telling me that Wills was the best tackle, but all three that were still available at that point were awesome players.
April 29th, 2020 at 8:59 am
Real football people focus on the Big Uglies, not the splashy supporting cast.
Big Uglies win football games. The splash sells tickets.
Anyone who understands OL play knew Wirfs and Wills are generational talents, large human athletic freaks of nature.
The Bucs did a fantastic job with this selection, as they did Vea.
I would have pined for Wirfs, but didn’t think he has a snowball’s chance in hell to drop out of the first 4-6.
Licht deserves a raise pulling this off.
April 29th, 2020 at 9:07 am
what TBBF said…
I LOVE the Wirf’s pick! It is about time the Bucs invested a little more in the Oline. What was it, 2005 when we drafted David Joseph in Rd 1? Maybe this year we find out if the Oline has a little more to say about how are RBs produce!
The only pick I did not like was the “reach” in the 3rd for Vaughn. Yes, we needed a RB. But if there was not one there worthy of a 3rd then take BPA and go trade for a RB after the draft.
April 29th, 2020 at 9:14 am
My guess is that Vaughn will be a pleasant surprise; once real activities start. A solid all-round RB. Will fit well with the other RBs and their skills.
April 29th, 2020 at 9:18 am
@Tampabaybucfan
of course they drafted for need!!!!!! It has been that way for years with licht bulb!!!!!!! How did you think that NFL GM Lynch knew exactly what would happen when he fleeced licht??????
And lets wait and see what the kid at RT looks like in a game before the sheep wrongly crown another 1st round pick!!!!!! And for those that are taking Glazers compliments as proof that he is a great player, Glazer many times said that he was “biased” as he worked out and trained with the kid!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Its time to start herding the sheep and putting them back in the pen!!!!!!!!!!
go bucs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
April 29th, 2020 at 9:19 am
This is a great breakdown of Tristan
https://youtu.be/6K-OL21I2xE
April 29th, 2020 at 9:19 am
If It matters..WIRFS broad jump was 15 inches better than Quenton Nelsons……………….and his vertical.was 10 inches higher…all the rest of the combine efforts were the same except for
nelson doing more reps on the BENCH!
April 29th, 2020 at 9:33 am
Wirfs has the highest ceiling of anyone in the draft by far. His floor seems to be perennial pro bowler and his ceiling is Orlando Pace.
I saw what Penn State did to him by rushing strong inside and that is easily fixed by coaching, he’s a rookie pro bowler and possibly All Pro. Our screen game is going to be something special to watch! The 3 TE sets will be fun to watch with CG as the 1 WR. I can’t wait to see this.
April 29th, 2020 at 10:06 am
In general I still don’t know who the “sheep” are?
Are they the one’s that hate every first round pick and are wrong 1/2 the time? Are they the ones that love every first round pick and are wrong 1/2 the time? Are they the one’s who have differing opinions and fall along various lines of that spectrum?
Seriously what is this “Sheep” mystery group that I hear so much about lol?
Is it the Tampa bay media in general?
Is it Ira Kaufman and a random gang of teenagers?
Is it Kobe Faker and any other alias he may use?
Is it any poster with the word “buc” or “tampa” in their name?
Is it anyone that has a positive opinion?
Or is it just all in your head?
Stay tuned!
April 29th, 2020 at 11:14 am
Yes, we did a really good job in the draft. In the first rd. After that IMO it was crap. Drafted a shrimp in the 2nd. rd. A no name RB in the 3rd. 5th, 6th & 7th. Who cares. But we’ll wait & see. Eveybody to there own opinion.
April 29th, 2020 at 11:59 am
Some days even the Bucs get lucky, once in a blue moon the Bucs great lucky two days in a row, and once in a lifetime can Bucs fans see on off-season like this one.
It seems like a dream to add Brady and Gronk to the team, then have Wirfs and Winfield fall into their laps on consecutive days.
Hope the dream last until the Super Bowl.
April 29th, 2020 at 12:06 pm
It’s likely Wirfs will start his career at RG …
1. Cappa played RT in college
2. Cappa has a year playing next to RT, Dotson
3. RT is more difficult than RG for a rookie
4. Arians doesn’t trust rookie OL
5. Marpet, Jensen, Wirfs = powerful inside running game
April 29th, 2020 at 12:44 pm
Wirfs was the best tackle in the draft and to the “experts” who have him changing positions — especially having two Bucs change positions —
BWAAAAAHAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAAAAA.
He is and will be the Bucs RT. Cappa is and will be the Bucs RG.
April 29th, 2020 at 2:55 pm
Mel Kiper made some good points the other day on First Take regarding why the Giants chose Thomas over Wirfs. They were looking for a LT and Thomas was considered the best at LT who was the most “pro ready”. He went down the list with the other 3 and clearly stated we got great value at 13 and didn’t see Wirfs making it past 10! That 4th round pick was a no brainer!
April 29th, 2020 at 5:00 pm
The guy pictured with the two cigars, Gene Hackman, is a huge upgrade over Dotson. Hopefully he’s our RT for many years to come.
April 29th, 2020 at 7:00 pm
The fact that he was a wrestler too gives me more hope cuz he understands leverage n weight to move his opponents on the line of scrimmage especially if he has alot of strength