Too Much Rookie Fear
February 12th, 2022
Lots of lessons for GM Jason Licht and Bucs fans on the Rams’ offensive line.
Joe sees too much fear in the hearts of Bucs fans when it comes to the roster, the NFL Draft and young players.
It’s like everyone forgets the Bucs won a Super Bowl handing starting jobs to two rookies and with a very inexperienced secondary.
General manager Jason Licht and Bucco Bruce Arians have earned Joe’s trust for 2022. If they want to roll with a few young pieces, Joe is not going to be the guy clinging to 2020 Super Bowl glory and trembling in the corner of the nearest Big Storm Brewery taproom.
Look at the Rams’ interior offensive line starters. The NFC champs are an interesting study since they’ve been dumping premium draft picks in trades for years.
Left guard David Edwards? He was a 2019 fifth-round pick and started 10 games his rookie year for a seventh-ranked offense coming off a Super Bowl appearance.
At right guard is Austin Corbett, the Rams traded for him when Corbett was in his second season with Cleveland (2019). The Browns were down on Corbett and the Rams got the former second-round pick for a fifth-round pick and dropped him directly into the starting lineup.
And look at the Rams’ starting center, Brian Allen. He reminds Joe of the Bucs’ 2021 third-round pick, Robert Hainsey. Allen was a fourth-round pick in 2018. He was a backup as a rookie and grabbed the Rams’ starting center gig in 2019.
So the Rams built the middle of their Super Bowl line with two fifth-round picks and a fourth-rounder, and these guys were all on the field starting with the Rams’ seventh-ranked offense in 2019.
Breathe easy, Bucs fans. If Licht gets it right, nobody has to cry if the Bucs lose Ryan Jensen or Alex Cappa in free agency. Instead, a celebration will be order for all the other free agents the Bucs were able to retain.
February 12th, 2022 at 5:04 pm
I noticed that you said ‘if the Bucs lose Ryan Jensen OR Alex Cappa’ and not Ryan Jensen AND Alex Cappa’ Joe. Does that imply that we should cry if we lose BOTH Jensen AND Cappa?
February 12th, 2022 at 5:14 pm
Young or old!! Can they play or not??? I loved George Allen and he was great at playing old players. Did he ever win a Super Bowl?? Bill Walsh combined old and new. How many Super Bowls did he win? Case closed. No one answer. A combination of both seems to work and it looks out to the future. A great QB young or old, solves numerous issues.
February 12th, 2022 at 5:21 pm
We can’t lose many or vets
We can’t have to many rookies either, bring the one that can help the team
February 12th, 2022 at 5:22 pm
keep Cappa, he will be cheaper then Jensen and is on the right side of 30.
Start Hainsey, He can play between one great and one good guard.
February 12th, 2022 at 5:27 pm
Since TBBF is older than dirt….have no problem with getting younger….would rather lose Jensen than Cappa….
Can say goodbye to Suh & JPP…..
Having trouble saying goodbye to Brady
February 12th, 2022 at 5:30 pm
The Bucs current OLine is a 1st rounder, 2 second rounders , a 3rd rounder and a proven FA signee.
They’re not replacing these guys with part time Special teams players (Hainsey) and 5th round reaches.
Plus there’s the lack of chemistry when inserting new bodies into an established OLine.
If Bucs lose Jensen, Cappa, Gronk and Howard all at once – the OLine is in need of immediate upgrades, either through draft or free agency.
February 12th, 2022 at 5:36 pm
Trade donovan
February 12th, 2022 at 5:44 pm
“Joe sees too much fear in the hearts of Bucs fans when it comes to the roster, the NFL Draft and young players.”
This is hilarious irony considering the recent doubting of Kyle Trask and the praise of subpar veteran players like Jimmy G around these parts
???When’s the last time you saw a first-time starter at quarterback in the Super Bowl? Plenty in that category outside the QB position.–Joe
February 12th, 2022 at 6:09 pm
If Licht can draft anyone well, it is O-linemen. There are a couple of guards and tackles in the draft that might make it down to where the Bucs sit.
Remember that the back-up who needed help int the divisional game was injured, just not as badly as Wirfs.
I don’t think we will lose both Cappa and Jensen, but one of them is possible. We have three guys that can be promoted, but we do need more depth in the line.
February 12th, 2022 at 6:09 pm
That’s been my position…..Licht is pretty solid in drafting linemen and finding them on the street. I think the fella we drafted last year can replace Jensen from an execution standpoint, not sure you’ll find anyone to replace the edge Jensen brings. Cappa was a good find but Stinnie has shown he can get the job done and I’m guessing Licht will scoop up another linemen to groom just in case.
I feel the same with Godwin….Licht has shown a knack for finding WRs. I would be fine with a tag/trade of Godwin. I believe you’ll find a team with multiple 1st rd picks would spend one on a proven commodity at 25 yr old that’s an excellent locker room guy and does everything you hope for on the field and off. Godwin is everything you want in the huddle with a young QB.
February 12th, 2022 at 6:12 pm
Soeaking of rookie fear, if slightly off the subject…I’m carefully watching Kyle Trask film from last preseason. I don’t like what I see.
His mechanics do remind me of the worst Brad Johnson, but even more perhaps like Drew Brees, but ugly. More nervous, happy feet, and inconsistent control of passes.
On longer passes, he does this corkscrew windup and then pushes the ball out with effort, with a blind follow through, twisting all the way to the left almost with his head turned. How much power does he have? It’s hard to tell. Some balls die like ducks. He does a good job going through his progressions, for the most part. Pocket presence? All over the place.
Now of course, we don’t know what improvements he’s made since. Based on what public footage there is out there, I just don’t know. You have to give him a shot, but is he that much better than, say, Pickett?
February 12th, 2022 at 6:24 pm
No comparison, they don’t have to block long because of the scheme. BA wants to hold the ball for deep looks so yea the o line in tampa has to be better
February 12th, 2022 at 6:28 pm
Steele, stick to judging line dancing competition, tennis, or badminton!
February 12th, 2022 at 6:51 pm
It’s not sustainable to give up so many picks. it might get you 1 championship and never have a chance to build a long term run. Gruden cost us 2 1st and 2 nd. was it worth it? yes. Did it hurt our chances to go on a 5 year run? yes also. The Rams are about to do the same thing. If they lose 2 out of 3 years players will flee and no draft picks to replace them.
February 12th, 2022 at 7:08 pm
If there is one position I’m confident in Licht drafting it’s definitely the o line. 4 of the 5 starters were drafted by the guy and I’m pretty sure they got Jensen pretty cheap ( no more than a 3rd rounder I believe, could be wrong). Everybody knows the big question mark is QB. Can’t wait to see what the new era of buc ball brings. The NFL Draft is a weird entity in itself. You honestly never know what’s going to happen year to year. Some udfa could come in as a rookie and throw for 5k yards with a 4:1 TD:INT ratio. Unlikely? Yes. Impossible? No. GoBucs!
February 12th, 2022 at 7:12 pm
Trade the Raiders kyle trask and two first round picks. Jimmy G. Will get released and reunited with Josh.
February 12th, 2022 at 7:29 pm
Could care less if they are rookies or 44 year olds, just be able to win.
February 12th, 2022 at 7:30 pm
If we are successfully “all in” again, meaning we find the right QB early enough, then I see Ryan Jensen back at center. If we are forced into a fallback position and a rebuild year then I see Robert Hainsey in the center spot this season. We would be gearing up for a big push next year.
Go Bucs! Let the cards fall how they may!
February 12th, 2022 at 7:56 pm
If we had to choose one or the other? That’s not an easy one. Cappa is younger and will play for us longer…
…that said, fans around here seem to think replacing a good center is easier than it actually is. Every time we lose a good center, it has taken us years to find a new one.
It is the second most difficult position to fill with a quality starter (the first being QB).
I’m sure the ‘experts’ will disagree…but history is on my side of this.
February 12th, 2022 at 7:56 pm
If Cappa will sign a back loaded team friendly deal he should be back.
However I believe we have a few players capable of taking over for Jenson and Cappa.
Hainsey, Stinnie (if we re-sign him), Nick Leverett.
Plus we can draft a C/G in rounds 3-5 and add more depth…
February 12th, 2022 at 8:11 pm
I like Capps but still can’t get that picture of him being embarrassed by Cam Jordan out of my head.
February 12th, 2022 at 8:15 pm
Re-sign: Jensen, Stinnie, Godwin, Gio, Howard, Suh, Whitehead
Acquire: Stephon Gilmore, James Connor, DeShaun Watson
Draft: CB, DE, RB
February 12th, 2022 at 8:25 pm
It seems though that, after a few years together the Bucs secondary is regressing. Yes injuries and substitutes. But Davis SMB Dean Edwards Whitehead and Winfield were all on the field during the ineptitude that was the loss to the Rams.
Although rather than blame them, the real place to pin blame is fairly easy to locate.
Hey Todd, how’s those head coaching interviews going?
Ever heard of Cooper Kupp?
February 12th, 2022 at 8:48 pm
Joe is correct but keeping Jensen and revamping the line as little as possible would be ideal. He’s the heart and soul of that line.
I am kind of assuming they keep him and let Cappa go.
Do that and keep Godwin and Davis, after that, whatever they can do with the money they have.
February 12th, 2022 at 9:39 pm
4 wins without Brady>
February 12th, 2022 at 9:42 pm
Bring in Brady, or Saints fan causes me to self destruct. Go Bucs.
February 12th, 2022 at 9:57 pm
I agree, especially when it comes to Trask! Going out and selling the farm for one of the top drama Queens (Rogers, Wilson, Watson, Murray) who will demand 40m a year will ruin the franchise for a decade! You will have no cap space to fill out the rest of the roster and you will have traded all your top draft picks for years to come. The best recipe for sustainable success is to take advantage of having a QB still on his rookie deal. It allows you to use all your cap space to put top talent around him giving him a chance to grow. And yes, of course there will be growing pains. But as fans we must show patients and support for our young QB. We can’t hold him to the standard of the GOAT. Licht & Arians must have seen something in him to take him in the 2nd round. I do believe they expected Trask to have one more year to sit and develop behind TB and are caught a bit off guard. Trask has been doubted at every level but has still excelled. The best thing that could happen for this franchise would be for him to succeed and we can build a strong team around him. Buc fans lets give him the support and patience he needs! It may turn out he’s not the answer but one thing is for sure; if you get desperate and sell the farm for instant gratification you will have a decade to regret it.
February 12th, 2022 at 10:19 pm
The rebuild has commenced whether some choice to ignore it.
February 13th, 2022 at 12:13 am
Proud Bucs Fan Says:
February 12th, 2022 at 10:19 pm
A rebuild is when you don’t have any talent to win with or over-the-hill talent on the decline. Neither of those is true with the Bucs. We just need to find our QB.
February 13th, 2022 at 12:25 am
Always better to build from within, we have young talent everywhere. Let Jensen walk, sign cappa if we can. I really like are other OLine backups besides Josh wells, he isn’t good at all.
WR we are set even if Godwin leaves.
DL we are set even if JPP and Suh leave
Oline we are fine even if Jensen or Cappa leave
Defensive secondary would be a priority
February 13th, 2022 at 2:14 am
We have some young talent. Winfield, Diva White when his head isn’t up his arse, Wirfs, Vita, . Can’t really call anyone else on the OL “young.”
Maybe Anthony Nelson. Scotty Miller if healthy can play. Tyler’s Johnson doesn’t seem to want it enough. He failed in big moments.
I’d say this is a team that has been carried by its veterans and is thin in the young department. Tryon is a headless chicken who has probably already maxed out (see Noah Spence).
Light needs a haul in this draft and you can’t do that if you send those picks to SF for a GQ looking version of Trent Dilfer.
Thanks, Todd. If we had Brady for another year it would,have been much easier to transition,
Thanks Horseface.
February 13th, 2022 at 3:32 am
Carlton Davis, Whitehead, Jamel dean, Devin White, Winfield, Marpet, wirfs, Cappa, stinnie, leverett I really think looks good, hainsey, Vaughn, Scotty Miller,
Cyril Grayson, trask… pretty much every area of the team has young guys that have showed up. Not to mention the guys in their prime that are playing well and under contract.
February 13th, 2022 at 8:17 am
Good point Joe, but let’s not go with the youth movement at QB.
February 13th, 2022 at 8:27 am
I think I’d rather sign Jensen before Cappa if I had to choose. I know Jensen is older but much more experienced, which will be needed. Also I woudn’t go crazy signing Davis or Godwin. A little to injury prone for a big payday. I wouldn’t mind seeing us trade Smith to keep Jensen & Cappa. Never a big Smith fan. Very over rated. Only plays when the mood strikes him. Takes to many plays off.