“I’ve Been Working Both”
April 17th, 2023
Tristan Wirfs
All-Pro Buccaneers right tackle Tristan Wirfs is preparing to change positions.
That doesn’t mean he will or wants to, but Wirfs said today at One Buc Palace, “I’ve been working both,” when asked about the speculation the Bucs might move him to left tackle to replace Donovan Smith.
Wirfs, 24, played some left tackle at the University of Iowa, but it certainly would be a gamble for the Bucs to relocate him. Suppose he’s just average on the left side?
Wirfs quipped that he’s been following what fans and media have been saying on Twitter and other social media about when a decision will be made on his 2023 position.
Joe already reported that Todd Bowles told Joe there will be no decision on Wirfs until after the NFL Draft.
April 17th, 2023 at 1:05 pm
For a high IQ and high motor guy like Wirfs it will be no issue and when he renews his deal , Wirfs will be very happy about being switched to LT.
April 17th, 2023 at 1:07 pm
I wouldn’t do it. Robbing peter to pay Paul is never a good idea. I could be wrong, but he’s an elite RT. He’d probably be fine over there. I guess it depends on who falls to them, and if they think it’s a better long term decision.
April 17th, 2023 at 1:07 pm
I’ve been converted to the camp of trying Wirfs at LT and seeing how he does. If he be don’t at LT, easy to move him back to RT. Much rather him at LT and a newb at RT than a newb at LT. There is always the chance that he makes the transition seamlessly. He’s such a stud.
April 17th, 2023 at 1:07 pm
You gotta be kidding me… Whether he’s as good at LT as he is at RT is a reasonable question, but seriously, the guy is gonna be above average (at worst) at LT. He knows how to play the game and he has all the physical attributes to play LT well. There’s NO WAY he ends up only average. Sure, it might take a few games or maybe a half season to really settle into the change, but I’m not worried.
That said, I’m not advocating the move unless we can’t get a quality LT in the draft.
April 17th, 2023 at 1:10 pm
It really becomes a matter of, who are the options at LT, (including Wirfs) and how do they perform in camp. But a rookie at LT scares me.
April 17th, 2023 at 1:10 pm
Well average is better than we had before and if it doesn’t work out he can always go back to the right side. Pick up a left tackle with a day 2 or 3 pick. Or you could always wait and get a left tackle next year I mean its not like we are going to the superbowl this year.
April 17th, 2023 at 1:11 pm
Wirfs will be fine… He already stated very clearly several times that he is able to play LT.
I am curious how GM Licht will fill the RT spot. Pick #19? Pick #50? M. Feiler? Luke Goedeke?
To me this is the biggest roster slot the Bucs need to fill this off season it will be interesting to see how they go about it…
It would be nice to draft BPA in rounds 1-3 without having to reach for an OT.
April 17th, 2023 at 1:12 pm
If he’s able to switch thinking with the other half of his brain… He’ll be a great left tackle. It starts upstairs.
April 17th, 2023 at 1:14 pm
THE REAL RISK OF TRYING WIRFS AT LT
If he fails: You wasted the year and have to draft a LT next year. Draft your LT this year so you can move forward with the rebuild.
April 17th, 2023 at 1:18 pm
If they move Wirfs to LT, at least D13Kempererer will have something else to b!tch about.
April 17th, 2023 at 1:26 pm
He’s given us zero reason to believe he’d be Average at any position they put him at on the line. Dude is a stud
April 17th, 2023 at 1:26 pm
There’s no way Wirfs doesn’t want to do this. Left tackle is the top of the heap
April 17th, 2023 at 1:41 pm
Sometimes you need to take a gamble to be great and this suppose he isnt good at LT, it’s football grow a spine, suppose he is just as good at LT. If you don’t at least try then you will miss out on a huge opportunity and I bet wirfs would love that bigger payroll of a LT salary so the motivation is there. Go bucs!
April 17th, 2023 at 1:42 pm
Yep. he’ll be fine! He wants it and will do an awesome job there.
I think a rotation of Luke and Matt at RT will allow us to focus on LB Trenton Simpson and TE D. Washington…and RB Achane
Its all coming together folks….
April 17th, 2023 at 1:44 pm
If Wirf is going to be a top 3 paid tackle in this league, he needs to switch sides.
April 17th, 2023 at 1:56 pm
The silver lining is, Wirfs is so good he creates the dilemma. Another lightning bolt for Licht.
April 17th, 2023 at 2:07 pm
I want Wirfs at TE catching TD passes.
April 17th, 2023 at 2:13 pm
he can do it, but can he do it well and does he want to. for the $$ of course it makes sense, but he is SOOOO dominant in his current role. I would only do it if he was in there asking to make the switch.
April 17th, 2023 at 2:19 pm
People are like, what if he’s only good at LT? Who you trust more, Wirfs on the left side or ANY ROOKIE? Seriously, the chances are extremely high that he will far exceed what the best rookie can do over there. It’s only the most important position on the line and hardest position to fill… but yeah. Leave him at RT and let someone else go to LT and destroy every drive.
April 17th, 2023 at 2:54 pm
Wirfs is so GREAT a player it should be primarily his decision on which side he wants to play then coordinating with what the coaches and front office need.
April 17th, 2023 at 3:38 pm
Wirfs’ play since the end of his rookie season supersedes positional value in terms of pay, but when it comes to play at least he’s getting himself prepared if called on to play on the left side of the OL.
April 17th, 2023 at 3:58 pm
You have to move Wirfs to LT in order for him to get paid properly. He is going to want to play on that side because he is going to receive generational wealth on that side. This next contract is going to be huge but in order for us to justify it he must play on the left side. He is a freakish athlete and there is no way that he struggles on that side
April 17th, 2023 at 4:27 pm
Wirfs, 24, played some left tackle at the University of Iowa, but it certainly would be a gamble for the Bucs to relocate him. Suppose he’s just average on the left side?
———–
Then you move him back. It’s literally that simple. The same thing the team did with Marpet when they moved him to center, and he was merely good, instead of an all-pro, so they just moved him back to guard.
It’s not like the team is going to the playoffs or winning a SB this year, so there’s nothing to lose here. Plus cross training guys at different positions is never a bad thing.
April 17th, 2023 at 9:34 pm
If it ain’t broke don’t fix it. Leave him there and draft a left tackle.
April 17th, 2023 at 10:51 pm
I suspect Wirfs promotion to LT will be the least of our concerns for the oline once things get underway.
April 18th, 2023 at 8:59 am
With his size football IQ athleticism and dominance Wirf’s has on the right side it only makes sense to plug him in that hole at LT And it’s not like he’s not going to have rotational help including, the bucs just picked up left tackle Matt Feiler.Matt Feiler has been putting up Ali Marpet type numbers at left tackle over the last two seasons while playing more snaps than just about any other tackle in the league. I believe with our quarterback situation putting our best lineman into the blind spot position is not a horrible idea
April 18th, 2023 at 10:51 am
The Bucs are going to do what any team does … mix and match pieces along the line until they figure out what the best combination is. I’m sure they aren’t making blanket decisions about who will be best, where, before they have tried out the various combinations or even seen who the pieces will be. Too bad so many here think they have the definitive answers already.
April 18th, 2023 at 10:52 am
Tristan Wirfs is an elite athlete. He can play anywhere on the OL and be an all-pro.