Is Left Guard Really That Much Of A Weakness?
June 7th, 2022
Guard Aaron Stinnie.
Yeah, Joe is a bit concerned that either veteran backup Aaron Stinnie and/or Bucs rookie Luke Goedeke won’t be fully ready to rock and roll strong to start the season at left guard. But Joe also thinks this may be overblown.
Charlie Parkinson of The 33rd Team, former general manager Mike Tannenbaum’s outfit, believes left guard is the biggest weakness of the Bucs.
Reasoning: While it seems like the Bucs’ aging roster could begin to fall apart this offseason, they have mostly kept their entire group together, ready to run it back and contend. However, the loss of Ali Marpet has still left a big hole at LG, where Aaron Stinnie or rookie Luke Goedeke will be the presumed starter, which leaves a lot of inexperience at the position.
Whoever starts will be a step down from Ali Marpet, no doubt about it. Marpet had been a rock of stability and a Pro Bowler. Those guys don’t just grow on trees.
However, if the Bucs had to fill a hole on the line, at least Stinnie/Goedeke will have two veterans on each side of him: Donovan Smith and Ryan Jensen. And as well as Stinnie played in the 2020 postseason, there is no reason to expect him to blow chunks if he wins the starting job.
The Joe typing here still thinks depth at cornerback is the biggest hole on the roster.
June 7th, 2022 at 5:14 am
If the Joe that typed this were in front of me, I’d give him a big smooch and tell him that I totally agreed with him.
June 7th, 2022 at 5:58 am
Left tackle is still the weakest spot on the o-line. D smith will be the one exposed without Marpet there to bail him out. Just look at his failure during the Rams game when the team needed him the most. There is a reason his contract hasn’t been restructured
June 7th, 2022 at 6:24 am
D. Smith is a quality LT, maybe not a top 5 but a top 10. He has improved since Brady has come on board and will hold his own, even without Marpet at his side.
Find another OT with his durability. I believe D. Smith has only missed a game or two in his entire career.
June 7th, 2022 at 6:27 am
Yah. Not sure sure about that
Dont forget cappa gave up most sacks last year. Probably the biggest weakness on line and i thought he did a really good job. You can compensate and have one ok/ good guy on a line composed of 5 guys.
They get mason who is still a proven commodity
So at left guard they have 3 guys going for that one spot. Thats great competition you want. Stinnie played fine in limited snaps. They draft a guy who likes to eat glass. And have hainesy in year 2 where he was a captain from oline U. His knock last year was size / chicken legs. Dude has bulked up considerably from last year. The cream with rise to the top.
I think bucs run right more this year.
Cant wait for season. Their schedule is brutal
But again their roster from top to bottom is loaded cause they will make one or two more tweaks. Go Get Trey Flowers.
June 7th, 2022 at 7:30 am
I think our pass rush is our weakest position…..the only proven pass rusher is Shaq…..we have JTS & Nelson…..and that’s mostly it.
June 7th, 2022 at 7:46 am
Marpet was not just any guard, he was a Pro Bowl caliber Guard, so he is not gonna be easy to replace.
But I think we are gonna be OK, especially with the pick of Goedeke.
June 7th, 2022 at 8:14 am
Stinnie played admirably in our run to the SB. There’s no question it’s tough to replace a guy like Marpet but I don’t think it’s as dire as some make it seem.
Other areas that concern me more are DB and LB depth, and as TBBF stated, pass-rush.
June 7th, 2022 at 8:42 am
2023 draft I would looking for a left tackle it will be Smiths last year hes ok but overpaid. Trade him for cap space.
June 7th, 2022 at 9:02 am
OLB is definitely our thinnest position group – by farrrrrrrr
June 7th, 2022 at 9:31 am
Stinnie will be fine. I share Joes’ concerns about the DB group, mostly because they don’t understand their assignments in Todd’s MENSA zone schemes.
June 7th, 2022 at 9:47 am
Left tackle is marginal
June 7th, 2022 at 10:02 am
RG was our weakest link before, now it’s LG, so not really a step back from where we were IMO. I’m optimistic about the rookie Goedeke and hope he is able to show out and perform well. Think he’s going to be a good one.
June 7th, 2022 at 10:20 am
Im with TBBF and ClwJB. I think our weakest group/position is OLB/pass rusher.
As has been said many, many times, QB is the most important position on a football team. Second is the guy who goes after the QB – the OLB.
June 7th, 2022 at 10:53 am
You can’t replace Marpet, but that doesn’t mean it is a weakness, it will just look different.
Goedeke will not be the starter until, at least, the second half of the season. If the injury bug doesn’t hit too hard, it will not be a problem.
June 7th, 2022 at 10:53 am
Not the least bit worried about this. We’ll be fine.
June 7th, 2022 at 11:28 am
Nope🤙🏾
June 7th, 2022 at 11:49 am
How is Stinnie inexperienced, again?
He played, and played extremely well, in every playoff game during the Bucs’ Super Bowl run. Every team tested him as the “weak spot” on the offensive line. He obviously held up.
June 7th, 2022 at 9:16 pm
Uhh , I believe that if you watched the same game as most of us , D. Smith played great . The only time he was overwhelmed was when the Bucs were putting extra help on the right side for the absence of Wirfs ! That’s when the Rams would overload the left side ! It’s called a chess game ! Our coaching does this , they do that in response. Smith has become one of the best LT in the game and I dare you to say otherwise ??!! Brady would have demanded a new LT if he wasn’t comfortable with Smith protecting his blind side. Go Bucs
June 7th, 2022 at 9:23 pm
We’ve had a top 2 or 3 Online since 2020 when we drafted T.W. …
And I really wouldn’t call any of the team a weakness. Maybe putting some veteran help for the young DBs FINALLY will pay off big time. Those guys haven’t had any veteran leadership since they were drafted all in the same 2-3 year span . Was nice to have Richard Sherman for the last part of the season and now we have Logan Ryan and a few other good vets to teach these kids how to use their craft .
June 7th, 2022 at 9:27 pm
Excuse me , there is a huge weakness on our Bucs team and it’s not been talked about enough. Special Teams is the worst in the NFL !! And has been since BA was hired .. I can’t believe we still have the coach , I don’t even know what his name is but he’s been terrible… We should have snatched up Rich Biccaia when we had the chance. Best Special Teams coach in football and a former BUCS Super Bowl winning coach .. Yeah nobody talks about how bad Special Teams has been.. There’s your weak spot