“It’s Curly In The Boat”
September 7th, 2022
Bucs avoiding dangerous waters?
Although he was speaking about the Dallas offensive line, former NFL suit Michael Lombardi could have been talking about the Bucs’ line.
The two teams meet up Sunday night for their respective 2022 season openers and both have medical issues on their offensive lines. And to listen to Lombardi, Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht and head coach Todd Bowles are handling a major injury to the offensive line the right way; and Dallas is handling it the wrong way.
The Bucs lost center Ryan Jensen in July for what is likely the regular season with a knee injury. The Cowboys lost left tackle Tyron Smith for a significant time with a major hamstring injury.
The Bucs immediately decided to go with backup center Robert Hainsey and seemingly had little to no interest in bringing in a veteran. All last season the Bucs trained Hainsey to take over for Jensen at center if Jensen left in free agency this spring. (Those practices were closed practices with only Bucs-types having access)
Dallas went a different route.
Though they drafted a replacement for Smith in the first round, Tyler Smith, the Cowboys decided to instead plug the rookie in at left guard this summer and went out and signed 40-year old Jason Peters to replace Tyron Smith after his injury a couple of weeks ago. Peters certainly looked shot last year with the Bears.
Lombardi, speaking on his podcast “GM Shuffle,” railed against this move by the Cowboys, saying if you have injuries on your front line, you go with the guys you banked your future on and don’t plug a hole.
Or as Lombardi put it, “It’s Curly in the boat.”
(For those sad people unfamiliar with the Three Stooges or in any way Lombardi’s reference to a famous skit of theirs, the trio were on a boat that sprung a leak. In an effort to help keep the boat afloat, Curly began drilling holes in the boat. When Moe asked him in horror what he was doing, Curly replied, “I’m letting the water out.”)
“To me, I would go with Tyler Smith,” Lombardi said of the Cowboys. “Just get on with the future. Here’s the problem (with starting Peters at left tackle): It’s Curly in the boat. You’re going to keep drilling holes to let water out from the other holes. It’s going to keep coming until you plug it correctly.”
So in the eyes of Lombardi, who once was a coffee fetcher for Bill Walsh, Al Davis and Bill Belicheat, Licht and Bowles are doing the smart thing.
They are going with the center they planned on playing if Jensen bolted this spring. Going out and getting an unwanted offensive lineman now to start — and a guy unemployed in September like Peters is unwanted — will likely just make more holes in the boat.
September 7th, 2022 at 12:05 am
We have zero margin for error if someone else goes down. And zero margin for error if either Goedeke or Hainsey or both mess the bed.
Hence why fingers are crossed that Monday or Tuesday we find out that Jason has made a move or two.
September 7th, 2022 at 12:27 am
Goatfarmer, I think your thinking is sound on this. It just seems like…. even if we are VERY happy with the progress of Hainsey & Goedeke…. there is just TOO MUCH riding on this.
If we can bring in an OL vet or 2, just to add stability…. I think it may make us all feel a little better.
Is Isaiah Wynn of the Pats truly available?
September 7th, 2022 at 12:29 am
With the WR group we have on this team….. and by ALL indications, it being Tom’s last year in the NFL…..
IF we can frikking keep Tom safe…. the sky is the damn limit this year.
Let’s do whatever we need to, to strengthen that middle OL.
September 7th, 2022 at 12:31 am
Sorry guys… it is always a dead giveaway.
Y’all don’t hear jack s**t from me for days & days…
and then all of a sudden 19 posts in like 7 minutes.
Beer…. Rum & Coke…. too much of both probably….
but damn I love my BUCS…
just like y’all do.
LFG.
September 7th, 2022 at 12:31 am
I think they may be content with what they have now. Flexibility for the season seems more likely to me.
September 7th, 2022 at 12:37 am
Ash, I saw that sentiment from you on another thread, and it is very sound. Well may be the case.
September 7th, 2022 at 6:06 am
So, are we sure that in true Bucs fashion the Cowboys OL will simply dominant our Bucs front 7, not allow a sack and Dak not throw for another 400+ yards?
September 7th, 2022 at 7:42 am
Favorite Curly line:
Where are we?
Curly: (reading road sign) “Goslow”
September 7th, 2022 at 8:27 am
“Burnt toast and a rotten egg, I got a tapeworm and it’s good enough for him”.
September 7th, 2022 at 9:22 am
Favorite Curly line:
Moe and Curly were bartending in an old west bar. Curly kept adding different liquids, but all were water. Moe asks what Curly called the drink. Curly said, “A Western Surprise.”
Moe sampled the drink and said, “There’s no liquor in there.”
Curly replied, “That’s the surprise!”
September 7th, 2022 at 11:01 am
I loved me some 3 Stooges growing up; still do. They just don’t make TV shows like theirs anymore.
The one thing an anxious fan does not want to hear is, “Be patient, it’ll be fine.” The Bucs brass thinks their O-Line will be fine as evidenced by lack of additional signings. I guess we all, for now, need to patient and ride or die with the group we have. It’ll (hopefully) be fine. Is it Sunday yet so we can have some of these questions answered?
GO BUCS!!!
September 7th, 2022 at 12:18 pm
Im Ok with Hainsey.
Its Goedeke that has me worried. Small school. Looked lost in Preseason.
Our number one priority has to be protecting Brady.
Goedeke is not the man for that job this year.
Alex Cappa spend a year on the Brnch, learning the game and the System- before he started.
Thats what Goedeke needs..
guess not.
Duck Tom! Duck!
September 7th, 2022 at 7:30 pm
But, if you drill holes in the boat to let the water out, wouldn’t that just let more in?