Bruce Arians Doesn’t Challenge “All-Pro” Assessment Of Tristan Wirfs
December 12th, 2020
Tristan Wirfs
Man, Joe’s fingers are tired from Pro Bowl voting all night in between swigs of Bromosa.
What good edge rusher remains on the regular-season schedule for Bucs right tackle Tristan Wirfs?
None!
The Vikings don’t have one, neither do the Falcons. The Lions? Romeo is good, but he primarily lines up opposite a team’s left tackle.
Wirfs has indeed passed all the tough tests this season, but his stellar play goes far beyond that. The guy has been a downright beast. He’s not Quenton Nelson as a rookie, but he may be the best rookie the Bucs have drafted since Doug Martin.
Nine days ago, a member of Bucco Bruce Arians’, outside linebackers coach and former NFL standout LB Larry Foote, called Wirfs an All-Pro and gushed about him being the best rookie offensive lineman he’s ever seen.
So Joe asked Bucco Bruce Arians this week if he and his offensive staff agree with Foote.
“We’re very, very, very pleased with his play, his ability to take the top guys and block’em. He’s doing every single thing we could ever ask for a rookie to do – it’s amazing,” Arians said. “And you know, Larry [Foote] played for a long time. He played against a lot of good players, so that’s a high-quality praise for him.”
Joe will take that as a “yes.”
Now Joe wants to see Wirfs, refreshed off a bye week, take his game to another level. Effectively, he’s not a rookie any longer with 12 games under his belt.
If the Bucs can’t pound the rock down the stretch (when they want to) behind Wirfs and Rob Gronkowski on the right side, then something is dreadfully wrong.
December 12th, 2020 at 4:38 pm
No he’s still a rookie. Don’t sit here and say 12 games with no offseason program makes him not a rookie. Give the kid credit, he’s balled his ass off. He is still a rookie. He will make mistakes and get beaten. He is damn sure a pro-bowler though. Or at least he should be.
December 12th, 2020 at 5:09 pm
Fantastic draft pick.
Too bad the tackle on the other side can’t handle edge rushers the way Wirfs can.
December 12th, 2020 at 5:31 pm
Can probably play left tackle if need be. At the very least would be as good as Donovan Smith at a lot less cost. We ought to be able to pick up the best right tackle with our projected draft pick. The money we save can go to locking down Chris Godwin. Mo player would rather have.
Go Bucs!!!
December 12th, 2020 at 6:04 pm
Love to see him move to left when Donovan’s contract is up
December 12th, 2020 at 8:13 pm
Oh man…there’s a game tomorrow isn’t there?
Team is finally doing better and I’m so busy I forgot.
December 12th, 2020 at 9:55 pm
I would like to see a complete game tomorrow on both sides of the ball.
#GoBucs
December 12th, 2020 at 10:45 pm
Move him to left tackle now!!
December 13th, 2020 at 1:00 am
Draft a real left tackle- leave him at RT
December 13th, 2020 at 2:24 am
clean house, i get where you are coming from, but if the kid is really all pro level his rookie season, he is special, and transitioning to the left side should be easy for someone special
December 13th, 2020 at 11:12 am
@Clean House: why do you think he cannot be a high-level LT?
I disagree 100%. He is a top OL, one of the best I’ve seen coming out of college. I stated as such well before the draft but didn’t think the Bucs had a prayer at drafting him without selling out other picks.
It’s easier to find an adequate RT than LT.
If the Bucs decide to move on from DT for performance and cap reasons, I suspect they’d shift Wirfs to LT and look for a playable RT in the draft or FA.
He’s that good.