Bucs Ready If Wirfs Isn’t
August 14th, 2020
Bucs RT Tristan Wirfs.
Yesterday, Bucs coach Bucco Bruce Arians spoke for the first time this week and revealed thought processes of who may get playing time when the Bucs open the season in the empty Superdome.
Early in his press conference, Arians seemed about to name rookies Tristan Wirfs and Antoine Winfield as starters, raving about the two and saying they were the type of players the Bucs thought they would be when they spent their first- and second-round draft picks on them, respectively.
A few seconds later, Arians put the brakes on Wirfs as a sure starting right tackle.
In a normal NFL world, Wirfs would have already gone through OTAs, two minicamps and roughly three weeks of training camp by now. If you just woke up from a six-month slumber, the world is not normal and there’s no telling when it will be. So Arians said Wirfs will start when the Bucs believe he’s ready, and no sooner.
If Wirfs is still too green to face Cam Jordan, the man who will start at right tackle will be veteran offensive lineman Joe Haeg, Arians said.
“We know about Joe, we’ve got film of Joe,” Arians said. “He has a resume. We will see Tristan in pads. If he’s not ready we will play Joe.
“It’s not a big deal. We are going to play guys that are most ready that ballgame. At every position.”
Joe has a hunch the Bucs may be asking too much of Wirfs to learn his new teammates, new playbook and the ways of the NFL in a five-week cram course and then be asked to control one of the best edge rushers in the game in his first at-bat.
If somehow Wirfs proves capable of starting at New Orleans and he holds Jordan to, say, two pressures, well, Joe will be willing to say the Bucs have an awfully special right tackle on their hands.
August 14th, 2020 at 12:04 am
Wirfs as a TE at the goal line. Whoa.
August 14th, 2020 at 12:10 am
For a rookie lineman especially a tackle with no preseason he is being asked A LOT in this off season. Two weeks of non underwear football practice to go out there week one and line up opposite of Cam Jordan.
I don’t expect any rookie to flourish under those circumstances no matter how talented.
August 14th, 2020 at 12:38 am
When he is ready to start, he will start
I expect he will get snaps against the Saints, if only on running plays, and when he has the speed of the game down… He will be a beast
August 14th, 2020 at 12:39 am
Joe will work in the short term.
August 14th, 2020 at 12:54 am
Did Donovan Smith and Ali Marpet start their first year defending a brand new first year rookie QB?
Come’on – Wirfs is transcendent talent. And Brady is savant who can read every D. Start the rookie!
August 14th, 2020 at 1:18 am
I trust the coaching staff to play their best option for the first week. If it’s not Wirfs, then I trust them to play Wirfs when he becomes the best option. I would be shocked, however, if Wirfs isn’t starting at RT by week 4, as that should be enough time for the rookie to be as ready as he would have been with a normal full off-season of practice.
August 14th, 2020 at 6:21 am
Most likely the Bucs will put in a lot of two tight end packages to help Joe Haeg,
August 14th, 2020 at 6:52 am
Be it college, Wirfs has had more game snaps the last three seasons at right tackle then Haeg has had. Wirfs started every game last year at RT while Haeg was riding the pine in Indy. look I like Haeg, good pick up, but Wirfs was picked at 13 in the first round because of his talent, and the fact he’s played RT for the last 3 years. He’ll be our day one starter. JPP, Shaq, Vea will get him ready the next few weeks.
August 14th, 2020 at 7:53 am
REDZONE BA Fan Says:
August 14th, 2020 at 12:54 am
“Did Donovan Smith and Ali Marpet start their first year defending a brand new first year rookie QB?”
They had the benefit of OTAs and minicamps.
August 14th, 2020 at 7:53 am
Nothing wrong with making the rookie earn his spot.
August 14th, 2020 at 8:04 am
We don’t need to rush a rookie into a starting position…..but Wirfs needs to get snaps……so, once we’ve built up a 35 point lead….put him in.
August 14th, 2020 at 8:18 am
Yea Swampbuc, let’s give him more to learn.
August 14th, 2020 at 12:25 pm
i say play wells or haeg….cam will work any rookie RT…
no need to crush the kids confidence week1…
1 bad game as a rookie vs a great player like cam jordan and folks will be saying he’s a bust or kick him inside to G….
GO BUCS!!!!!
August 14th, 2020 at 12:42 pm
No problem with Haeg starting game one against Jordan. Wirfs cannot be put in that position with no work.
August 14th, 2020 at 8:08 pm
What are you guys talking about? Stop being scared of Cam Jordan. He’ll rag doll the 278 lb Haeg no matter what his experience. Wirfs is 330 lbs, faster, stronger, hasn’t missed a game in three years starting RT for Iowa. He won’t get beat any worse then Haeg, or Smith. Wirfs is our most athletic O linemen already he needs to play.
August 15th, 2020 at 10:24 am
Iron sharpens Iron, I believe he’ll be ready to start because JPP, SUH, Barrett, and Vea will give him all the work he needs in the next few weeks of practice. If he doesn’t look at good or better than Haeg, let Haeg start a few games. If I remember correctly, when Haeg did start last Andrew Luck was getting blasted just about every other play.
August 15th, 2020 at 1:22 pm
We are a team with a plethora of tight ends. How many two TE sets will we see.
Can one of our three guys not help Wirfs and at minimum force Jordan way wide if he wants to get around the edge.
Of course if the shoe was on the other foot and Payton was our coach he could always counsel Wirfs to stand Jordan up and OJ to chop his knees. And if he’s really Payton he’d offer a bounty to OJ if Jordan leaves the game.