“Ryan, He’ll Get Back Sooner Or Later”
August 31st, 2022
Encouraging talk about Ryan Jensen.
An important guy at One Buc Palace sure made it sound like Bucs Pro Bowl center Ryan Jensen will play this season. And Joe may have found some parallel history.
So Bucco Bruce Arians was promoting good cholesterol yesterday in New York and made a surprise visit to ESPN’s set of “First Dump.” Arians was asked about the Bucs’ offensive line issues and made it clear that he’s not concerned about the center position.
Interestingly, among Arians’ replies was, “Ryan, he’ll get back sooner or later.”
Hmmmmmm???
Arians also noted how Robert Hainsey, Jensen’s backup, was drafted last year to play center and is capable. The best coach in Bucs history added of Tom Brady helping the O-line, “He’s not going to stand back there and hold the ball very long.”
Back in August of 2015, Bucs starting right tackle Demar Dotson blew out his knee in preseason and an ACL tear was reported. That’s supposedly Jensen’s issue. Doston, however, did not require surgery and returned to a starting role in December.
Perhaps Jensen’s issue is similar — early report of a major knee injury that is really more like a five- or six-month injury?
August 31st, 2022 at 10:13 am
Fingers crossed!
On a side note, the fact that the Bucs are only favored by 1.5pts against Dallas seems like a no brainer. Bucs should be favored by 7.5pts in my opinion.
August 31st, 2022 at 10:18 am
Either way we need someone behind hainsey at the very least. Is Leverett ready to go if needed both from a capability and health perspective? And what about LG. If soemthing happens to goedeke or he struggles is Leverett also that guy? And if so he can’t be in two places at once so if be getting real nervous if either one of those guys goes down and Leverett is forced into action
August 31st, 2022 at 10:25 am
Welp, on the brighter side of this story, if Jensen is due back later in the season, what do we do with a battle tested Bobby Hainsey? Does he go back to the bench? Will he be needed at either G position? These are the questions that I kind of looked forward to seeing how the answer will play out.
August 31st, 2022 at 10:32 am
If he comes back for our Playoff run, how awesome would it be
August 31st, 2022 at 10:32 am
Hurry back big fella.
Man – can you imagine how much better we would feel about this team if we still had Jenson starting and Hainsey as our LG?
August 31st, 2022 at 10:33 am
Any decent IOL on the scrap heap?
August 31st, 2022 at 10:35 am
Let Darden play center, since he is known as a ferocious blocker.
Oh, wait.
August 31st, 2022 at 10:36 am
I think Licht should go after Daryl Williams and Sheldon Richardson to shore up both lines
August 31st, 2022 at 10:36 am
Is he trying to pull a Logan Mankins? Tough as nails.
August 31st, 2022 at 10:44 am
Hmmm…. Still too swollen for a MRI
I see
Shmoke !
August 31st, 2022 at 10:48 am
I am staring at transaction sites, waiting for JL to sign some OL depth, and ferchrissakes, Logan Ryan.
This has not been an attractive roster trimming period. Let’s keep Darden, a guy who has demonstrated for over a year that he can’t do anything in a game, like catch, run a route, get open, block, make someone miss. But at least he can run sideways and fall down at the sidelines while slipping and sliding. And let’s cut two ferocious blocking slot guys in Grayson and TJ.
Yeah, let’s run the OL with the interior staffed with young guys who don’t know how to play.
JL has earned the deference to his judgment, but man, I don’t like it at all right now.
August 31st, 2022 at 10:55 am
Sorry Tom Brady is the best coach and gm ever!
August 31st, 2022 at 11:00 am
Joe–did Jensen have surgery? Can we at least find that out?
August 31st, 2022 at 11:05 am
And what’s not being said is that the defenses will know this, which will pack the DBs at the second level.
August 31st, 2022 at 11:15 am
Jason?
Jason.
Wake up.
August 31st, 2022 at 11:23 am
@Goatfarmer
We’re 27th on the waiver claim priority list and we probably won’t re-sign Logan Ryan until after 4pm today when Jensen is placed on the pup list to free up that roster spot for Ryan to return.
August 31st, 2022 at 11:24 am
why won’t anyone say what the darn injury is already…
this is f’in ridiculous…
of course we are all pulling for big red and want him back, but we also want to know what’s wrong…
let’s hear the diagnosis…
#TheSecretKneeInjuryThatsNotSoSecret
August 31st, 2022 at 11:45 am
Dooley – I know! I’m just impatient and anxious. Thanks for the calming take.
August 31st, 2022 at 11:55 am
Is it 12 yet?
August 31st, 2022 at 12:46 pm
@ adam from ny
They’re only going to give out as much injury info as the league will force them to give out. As long as they know, we don’t need to know.
The fact that they are playing this dog and pony show and dragging his roster spot into the regular season rather than putting him on full season IR should be telling enough.
Jensen is the toughest SOB on this team so it will be all about pain management for him and the amount of drugs he will allow them to pump into his knee to allow him to play. I think we all know where his priorities are by now.
August 31st, 2022 at 12:54 pm
MonkeyMan Says: On a side note, the fact that the Bucs are only favored by 1.5pts against Dallas seems like a no brainer. Bucs should be favored by 7.5pts in my opinion.
—————-
Dallas is 12-1 vs Tampa in Dallas, with the only Bucs win coming in 2001, an exciting 10-6 victory vs a Cowboys team that went 5-11.
Anyone marking this as an easy win — I hope you’re right, but Dallas is place where the Bucs normally play poorly and lost in games that aren’t really all that close.
If they do lose the Dallas game, however, I’m not going to worry about it, the last time they lost on the road to open a season they won the SB. But still, I’d rather win.
August 31st, 2022 at 12:55 pm
The longer we went without a diagnosis on Jensen, the clearer it became that his injury wasn’t season ending. Roster spots are to valuable to throw away on a chance he may play. My guess is, he’ll be back by mid November early December. On a side note, why has BA suddenly become the spokesperson of the team. Isn’t that supposed to be the HC? The more BA talks, the less confidence I have in Bowles. I could see if Bowles was a second year coordinator, but he’s been around, and was a HC before. I hope for his sake that once the season starts, BA buttons up. With every comment, he further undermines the HC.
August 31st, 2022 at 1:01 pm
It looks like the Bucs got back a few Practice Squad players who cleared waivers. None of them are household names, even in their own households.
Leatherwood was claimed by Chicago, which was a stupid move considering how terrible he’s played at both OT and OG. He carries an early first round contract, Las Vegas must be thrilled that Chicago bailed them out of it.
Devin Asiasi, an oft-injured but high draft pedigree TE was claimed by Cincinnati. Too high an injury risk for my blood, but it might be a position of need.
Kody Russey was a waived, UDFA Center. While he lacks the experience at the NFL level, he had a very good preseason and might have made sense as a claim. I’m curious to see if anyone grabbed him.
August 31st, 2022 at 1:02 pm
An ESPN morning sports show named ‘First Dump’ is wrong on so many levels it boggles the mind.
August 31st, 2022 at 1:24 pm
@GOB
we know you don’t like BA for whatever reasons, you gotta take a chill pill he’s not undermining anything. Spreading awareness about a healthier lifestyle and short quips on his coaching career are not detrimental to Bowles as an HC or this team as a whole. Just start a drinking game, every time you see BA take a shot
August 31st, 2022 at 1:28 pm
@DR I am pretty sure that “First Dump” is Joe being funny. The shows real name is First Take.
August 31st, 2022 at 1:50 pm
I believe that keeping Jensen’s knee status secret is a negotiating position. If a perspective trade partner knew the Bucs were desperate for a center then they’d ask for a lot in return. Have you all learned nothing from Trump?
August 31st, 2022 at 1:52 pm
Dooley, it’s not that I dislike BA. I’d love to have a few glasses of scotch with him. I just have a problem with how much credit many of you give him. Sorry, but yes, it’s a distraction when the former HC continues to talk. This isn’t the only example. BA has been running off at the mouth for weeks. Of course promoting men’s health is great, but when asked about the team, BA should direct those answers to the HC. It’s a chain of command thing for me. IDK, maybe it’s just me. I spent 28 years as a civilian commander in the Navy.
August 31st, 2022 at 1:53 pm
Lots of ways that people BA can be himself without ruining it for others.
I always liked BA’s style and it has led to successful teams for the Buc’s, so I give the man lots of leeway.
I think it is great that he is asking older men to get health checks. If all he did was talk about health checks and not football, then it is likely he would never be on these shows.
August 31st, 2022 at 2:20 pm
Eric Fisher from Indy and Daryl Williams from the Bills are available. I’d feel much better with another experienced offensive lineman on the roster, and Williams has played multiple positions on the O-line. Hainsey and Leverett just seem too injury prone to rely on.
August 31st, 2022 at 3:10 pm
We all know that an injury is not going to keep Jensen out of the playoffs. He will be a shot in the arm when he comes back, and this team will be better for it. Hes likely politicking to get on the field as we speak.
August 31st, 2022 at 4:51 pm
Plot twist : he starts week 1
August 31st, 2022 at 4:51 pm
Goatfarmer:
LMAO
August 31st, 2022 at 9:15 pm
Secrecy in this case is idiotic. Everyone knows Bucs need major OL help. Useless in negotiations—which do not appear to be happening anyway.
Jensen may be back by December, the original projected time frame. The season could very well be over by then. I hope I’m 100% wrong, but I don’t see this team making the p-p-playoffs, much less a SB. Not as it’s currently coached and comprised.
The struggling and dinged in-houses are simply going to be left out there to get blasted aside. Brady will dump the ball off as soon as possible, and develop new flinching tics. He could transform into Jittery G Garoppolo if they leave things as they are.