“The Time Has Come”
August 19th, 2022
Is he ready?
Is it put up or shut up time for the Bucs’ offensive line?
Bucs fans are still in sort of a pall over the loss of Ryan Jensen. Barring Robert Hainsey demonstrating in a regular season game that he can get the job done, many Bucs fans don’t even want to hear or think of a green second-year player trying to protect Bucs quarterback Tom Brady Blaine Gabbert.
(Bucs fans’ significant others are hiding shoelaces and belts until more is known about Tristan Wirfs’ injury.)
At left guard, the job is still wide open. And yesterday Bucs coach Todd Bowles basically said if someone wants to win it, do it now. When asked about rookie Luke Goedeke getting first-team reps, Bowles basically said Goedeke’s dress rehearsal is here.
“Now’s the time to give him a look,” Bowles said of Goedeke. “You can’t put him in [earlier] because he hasn’t learned everything. He’s learned enough now to go in and play.
“Like we’ve said, we’re giving all these guys shots at guard and his time has come.”
After Saturday’s game with the Titans, there is but one preseason game left. Surely Bowles would like to know by next weekend who he will open the regular season with at left guard, at center, at right tackle (if Wirfs can’t answer the bell) and at quarterback.
So Joe wonders if Hainsey is also on the clock? And if one or two linemen don’t satisfy Bowles, are the Bucs going to swing a trade using a couple of receivers as bait?
The longer this preseason lasts, the worse thing seem to get.
August 19th, 2022 at 4:37 am
Joe … ‘The longer this preseason lasts, the worse things seem to get.’
Far as I can tell, we’ve only lost ONE starter to injury to this point (Ryan Jensen). Admittedly we do have several dinged up, but hey, first real game isn’t until Sept 11th, 3 weeks away. Yes Tom Brady is AWE (Absent Without Explanation), but he’ll be back. Probably.
Bucs have a much tougher schedule it looks like, as well as a lot of new moving parts this year, and a new head coach. We all knew it’d take time for this thing to come together. Patience Joe; maybe another Big Storm beer will help. If not, maybe something harder will do the trick.
August 19th, 2022 at 6:30 am
Gabbert is going to need them at their best if the Bucs want to win 8-9 games this year. With Brady gone, that’s the best we can hope for.
August 19th, 2022 at 6:48 am
Is it just me or do these “injuries” come way too often in TC. By the end of the Saints game the Bucs will be down to third stringers. The Saints aim to name and mail outside the rules. I hope the Bucs are up to it physically.
August 19th, 2022 at 6:50 am
The O Line is porous, the C and LG positions pourest of all.
August 19th, 2022 at 7:22 am
The sky is falling, the sky is falling!!!
August 19th, 2022 at 7:22 am
Yup. Bucs need to make decision soon? Like phone calls ready to go / speed dial ready.
Is Jensen done for year?
Cause hainesy im sure will be a fine / ok player. But not holding his own yet. Looked not so solid this week in joint practices. Getting blown up left and right. I bet he would have won left guard sport if jensen healthy
The left guard spot seems to be a disaster waiting to happen. Goedeke seems really green. Some players it takes longer. It may take all year to make transition from tackle to guard . Sure he could figure it out better in remaining 3 weeks. But are you willing to risk that with brady? Eat glass my friend. You are last hope or calls will be made.
In regards to leverret , the titans dline told him to go back to the practice squad when tempers flarred. Ouch. Enough said. Leverret is backup
And stinnie. Bucs gave him 1.3 mil deal. They dont even think he was going to be the starter . And he has not looked like a starter. And thanks for pushing Hall into Jensen you dummy.
Walton seems to be more successful at tackle/ more wins at tackle in these joint practices. Not the answer at guard.
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Shoot no wonder brady is gone from team. And return unknown. He doesnt want his last season to be watching games from a coffin. 💀 😂 I mean teams will tee off on this interior ..imagine rams and saints games. Bucs will have to have running back behind full back to stop the rush up the middle.
August 19th, 2022 at 7:24 am
Need to sign JC Tretter
August 19th, 2022 at 7:34 am
A lot of boys who cried wolf.
August 19th, 2022 at 8:04 am
It’s simply too much to imagine Wirfs out of the lineup right now.
I do believe we have the OL talent, just not any real game experience. I was hoping for a 3-1 or 2-2 start. Maybe that is altruistic now?
Wtf are Bucs thinking by practicing against dirty Tennessee? We should know better after last year?
August 19th, 2022 at 8:08 am
So BA shows up when Brady is gone?
This whole stupid drama is getting old. We have a QB who never wanted to play in Tampa and HC who isn’t allowed to coach him?
August 19th, 2022 at 8:24 am
Biff,,,, BA was on the field every day that Brady was here too. In fact there were several times that we were talking & laughing together out there.
August 19th, 2022 at 8:44 am
Scotty to Baltimore for one of their deep Interior Offensive Lineman depth they have there.
Scotty isn’t making the team right now if we just kept 6 WR’s I don’t think. He has the most value out of the top 4 WR’s. I’d be ok trading Scotty and a WR7 for a valuable and talented Baltimore IOL who at worst is probably a backup Guard or possible starter. And I’m cool w/ keeping one of Keiger, Thompkins (the more dynamic and possible KR/PR if Darden can’t hold that down) or Sterns (I like the most as a pure receiver) as WR7 to gain that IOL depth by shipping Scotty. Like him a lot and the GB catch forever, but this makes too much sense.
Sterns may be short, but he’s built thick at almost 200lbs. Knows the route tree, all the positions, is tough and durable (you gotta be to catch 150 balls in a season at his stature or not), intelligent, has KR/PR experience in college. If he can prove to play all facets of Special Teams over these next couple weeks, I think he can make the team as our WR7…..and I’m rooting for him to do it.
He ain’t making the practice squad because he’ll get claimed and he has a future as a receiver. Gotta strike while the iron is hot on Scotty too. Plus James Proche just went down for the Ravens and they were already aching for a WR. Baltimore and the Bucs have worked out in recent history w/ us faint Jensen and then having a good run w/ Jeremy Zuttah. It all makes too much sense to not do!
August 19th, 2022 at 9:02 am
Good things come to those who wait!! Maybe the rookie can step up at left guard!! Hainsey will be fine as the snaps add up. TB12 will return next week.
August 19th, 2022 at 9:04 am
Remember it’s not how good you are at the start of the season rather how good you are at the end!
August 19th, 2022 at 9:06 am
The time has come because guys like Stinnie who apparently have been hitting the buffet instead of the squat rack keep getting pushed back in one on ones, getting pushed back in 11 on 11’s, in joint practices, and pushing defender in to Ryan Jensen. Him and our LG position in general have been profoundly annoying simply by reading the heartburn inducing updates on these slap diks. The time has come? I would certainly say so.
August 19th, 2022 at 9:58 am
Licht will be watching for cuts and practice squad OL’s. Expect lots of try-outs once rosters begin getting cut down. Brady needs good protection up the middle. If Hainsey, Stinnie and Leverette aren’t getting the job done, Licht will go elsewhere.
He has no choice, with Brady its all in, who cares at this point if you trade picks/players for backups that are better than Hainsey, Stinnie and Leverette.
August 19th, 2022 at 10:05 am
I think Mason should be thrown into the mix for tomorrow’s game. The line needs to gel so players can work with the other’s strengths and weaknesses.
O-line guys are the smartest football players, but they need to see what the rest of the line is.
August 19th, 2022 at 10:06 am
I think everyone should take a chill pill. The Bucs are going to be just fine. And TB will return next week, so stop sweating…
August 19th, 2022 at 10:46 am
@Bird. I agree with your entire post. Some fans and local media seem to have their hand buried in the sand. This OL is a total liability! Licht dropped the ball by not bringing in another C to challenge Hainsey. Are we all in or not? Seems like the team is content on going with unknowns and see what happens. We’re developing these guys on the fly with a gauntlet of a schedule that includes great defensive lines. Brady’s been around for 23 years. He knows a bad OL when he sees one. Brady is all about perseverance. He will dirt the ball before he takes a big hit. The Washington game last year was a great example. It was check down all day. Lenny was a busy man. He’ll take the hit when he needs to make a big throw, but if he has nowhere to go he will smartly get rid of the ball.
August 19th, 2022 at 11:18 am
To all those saying this isn’t a big deal. It’ll be fine. Go have a beer or chill pill, or my new favorite, ‘ it’s not how good you are at the start of the season, but how good you are at the end.’ Lol, bloody hell. Y’all aren’t thinking right if you want another championship this year.
For another championship, we have the weapons, talent and heart to make it happen with Tom Brady. Without Brady, we don’t make it to the big show. Who protects Tom? These guys. And here is HC Todd Bowles, saying not one of these guys are ready for the job! He’s saying someone needs to take it because no one has. No one has shown it in themself to step into the role of LG or C. This is coming from the guy who really has to toe the line on what the organization wants presented to us. If he is saying it, we should probably recognize this as a problem.
If Brady isn’t protected from game 1, then the odds he gets hurt are extremely high. Just think, every defensive guy on the other side of the ball wants a piece of Brady and this year is probably their last to get it. They will be putting forth extra effort to make their dream come true and every offensive coordinator is going to scheme tf out of a pass rush up the middle because no one has shown the capability to do the job at the level it needs to be done. Yes, players are better at the end of the season, but Tom won’t be upright come that time if the OL is getting blown up in the first half of the season.
There are maybe 7-9 more practices (maybe) and two preseason games between now and week 1. If the guys that are trying out for the online positions are getting blown up and turnstiles and effing up so much they are getting heckled to return to the practice squad, how do you forsee them being ready in this short amount of time that remains. We are near the starting gate, and our jockey is still looking for his horse.
There isn’t enough time. We need a veteran or two. Now
August 19th, 2022 at 12:00 pm
Goedeke and Hainsey are big , smart guys- if they get beat a time or 2, they’ll figure it out.
August 19th, 2022 at 4:09 pm
Just go get Tretter Mr. Licht….this is no time to be playing around!
August 19th, 2022 at 6:38 pm
We are totally screwed with this O-Like. If we wake up Monday morning and they haven’t haven’t announced a trade or signed a free agent, ITS OVER FOR US this season. I’m not buying into any “oh they’ll get beat a few times and figure it out” or “they’ll be fine, don’t worry”.
Don’t worry?!?! If Brady gets injured, which he absolutely will, the season is over for everyone. The good players we have lose out just as much too. They know next season is guaranteed and this might be their last shot at a ring.
why is management okay with this?!?!?!
The blood is going to be on their hands
August 19th, 2022 at 9:42 pm
Yes. The sky is beginning to fall. It’s still up there, but dropping fast.
Bowles won’t even confirm if anyone has the job and that no one has grabbed one. Telling by itself, and this is already late in the process.
Then he adds to it by saying that they 1. don’t get out there until “they’ve learned” and 2. “they haven’t learned yet”.
A team that still dares entertain Super Bowl chances or even playoffs (“p-p-playoffs”?) cannot be searching for and auditioning the “unlearned” this close to the start of the season.
The line should be a unit well into developing chemistry and tacticals with Brady, right now, and that line has to protect a 45 yr old from what will be relentless demon hordes on every single down.
Sure, this is an all-in season…for the practice squad. Hainsey may be better in the future, but he has not proven he’s ready now, at all. Stinnie and Leverett are certifiably awful.
But they’ve committed to these guys, having bypassed time and opportunities to bring in veteran help. They still have to. If they want Brady to stay out of the hospital.