Todd Bowles Names MVP, Three Most Improved Bucs
October 9th, 2023
Right tackle Luke Goedeke
Head coach Todd Bowles played along in a game few coaches like to play after only four games.
Bowles made his regular visit to the Buccaneers Radio Network and was asked to name his MVP of the 2023 season to date.
Baker Mayfield is the pick, per Bowles, who cited how Mayfield has been himself after taking over for the greatest quarterback in the history of the free world, in addition to making great plays.
Interestingly, Bowles said he could have chosen six other Buccaneers. They are Antoine Winfield Jr., Devin White, Vita Vea, Tristan Wirfs, Mike Evans and Luke Goedeke.
Luke Goedeke as team MVP? Joe needs whatever Bowles has been sprinkling on his chocolate chip cookies!
However, right tackle Goedeke has been doing a great job after a rough rookie season at left guard, followed by time on the bench and a Week 18 start at right tackle.
That’s surely why Bowles had Goedeke on his three-man list of most improved players: Goedeke, second-year defensive tackle Mike Greene and second-year cornerback Zyon McCollum.
October 9th, 2023 at 11:04 am
Well, Goedeke really improved…He went to his original position and showed he is reliable, last year when he played other poistion he was not reliable at all….
Well deserved!!!
October 9th, 2023 at 11:19 am
Glass eater!
October 9th, 2023 at 11:22 am
DPOY(Q1): Winfield
OPOY(Q1): Evans
Most Improvied: Tie (Zyon and Goedeke)
MVP: Wirfs
Why Wirfs? Wirfs was a Pro Bowl RT. He didn’t have to move. The Bucs OL was terrible last year. The hardest position to fill is LT. The Bucs asked Wirfs to make the move and gamble on his future. He accepted the challenge, dedicated his entire offseason to learning LT, and he’s already one of the league’s best. There is no Baker, Evans, or 3-1 record without everything Wirfs sacrificed and invested.
October 9th, 2023 at 11:36 am
Good for Goedeke. He will only get better. Last year was an experiment that didn’t work.
October 9th, 2023 at 11:46 am
“Most Improved” is always a very dubious honor……
It means you had much room for improvement. Tristan Wirfs, Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Antoine Winfield, LVD would never win most improved.
October 9th, 2023 at 11:47 am
I saw him put Cam on his ass a couple of times. But Winfield is our MVP no doubt about it!
October 9th, 2023 at 11:58 am
When draft grades are looked at moving forward for the 2020 draft class, there is no way any team gets a better grade than the Bucs Wirfs and Winfield Jr are both phenomenal football players. Just outstanding.
October 9th, 2023 at 12:10 pm
Jake Camarda should be on that list.
October 9th, 2023 at 12:11 pm
Most Improved is still a great honor because you would expect it would go to a guy the team is testing and figuring out what works. Great credit to Bowles and the rest of the coaching staff for coaching these guys up and not discarding them like years past!
October 9th, 2023 at 12:16 pm
I’ll admit, I was thinking both cornerback Zyon McCollum and Tackle Goedeke were waisted picks. Looks like I wrote them off too soon. Hopefully JTS and Hall can rise to the table. Hall is making a strong push this year but JTS is going to get replaced by YaYa if he doesn’t live up to his part.
October 9th, 2023 at 12:17 pm
Give rookies 3 years……. then grade them. Go Bucs!!
October 9th, 2023 at 12:26 pm
I don get Bowles’ infatuation with praising White. Just like last year, White exploded on the scene in the first game of the season, but then his play dropped. White is in no way a MVP and I wish the coach would focus on how White can improve instead of constantly praising him, which seemingly leads to complacency.
October 9th, 2023 at 1:31 pm
SlyPirate
Great post I agree almost completely. I think OPOY is a contest between ME13 and Baker. Other than that nit to pick I think you’re spot on.
October 9th, 2023 at 2:41 pm
Proud of him.
October 9th, 2023 at 3:01 pm
Luke has been great! That’s awesome to see. Zyon has been balling and may just take Dean’s job if he doesn’t start steppin it up out there.
October 9th, 2023 at 3:14 pm
we’ve got “the wall” and the “glass eater” bookending the o-line…
gotta love it
October 9th, 2023 at 3:15 pm
Joe, has the team named captains yet? My recollection is that Bowles said he may do that during the bye week. Might be good motivation to get everyone even more fired up for the upcoming home game and Creamsicle Day.
October 9th, 2023 at 3:44 pm
Eh, IDK. I’ve heard his arms are too short to play tackle, let alone be an MVP.
October 9th, 2023 at 8:48 pm
Goedeke might just be the MVP if you adjust for expectations…. (Baker would be a close 2nd in that department).
I know Joe doesn’t like or really allow links in the comments – but there’s a well done analysis of our RT’s play thus far on you tube…
Just search “Bucs RT Luke Goedeke is the Most Improved Player in the NFL: Film Breakdown” and watch for yourself. Its well worth the 6 minutes or whatever….
October 9th, 2023 at 9:14 pm
Did they ever name team captains?
October 9th, 2023 at 10:58 pm
I would add PK Chase McLaughlin, P Jake Camarda and OLB Shaq Barrett to the above list.
Also LaVonte David has been playing lights out.
October 9th, 2023 at 11:08 pm
Captains
Offense, Baker Mayfield and Mike Evans
Defense, LaVonte David and Devon White
Special Teams, ??? (Maybe Joe can select somebody)
October 9th, 2023 at 11:09 pm
I would probably pay the most to keep Wirfs. I guess that makes him most valuable.
October 10th, 2023 at 1:18 am
Maybe I a m missing something. I surely am no expert on LBs but D White?
He flashed a couple of plays in the Vikings game, but back to same stuff different day from what I have seen.
Go Bucs!
October 10th, 2023 at 1:26 am
Wouldn’t surprise me if Wirfs is the highest paid player on our team next year so I agree. I wouldn’t even pay Baker 25 million but Wirfs will be blocking for the blind side of whatever QB we have for the next decade. He is worth 25 for sure.
Goedeke has been great this year honestly. It’s unfortunately the 1 area we always try to run it that is the problem, the middle.
Mauch will be fine and probably great next year, but we need an upgrade at Center and Left Guard.
We would need 5 Tristan Wirfs for White to be effective though, so maybe we should start there!!