O-Line Coaches Leaving Is Probably Good News
January 30th, 2024
Former Bucs offensive line coach Joe Gilbert.
This year the Bucs snapped an 17-year NFL streak.
Tampa Bay was the first team to rank last in the NFL in yards per carry in consecutive seasons since the Arizona Cardinals in 2006.
The Bucs set out to run the football with great purpose this season and landed in the cellar when it came to yards per carry (3.6). Sure, the rushing attack improved late in the season, but that only underscored how misguided and poorly schemed it was earlier in the year.
Roll out any excuse you want — young, jelling offensive line, first-time playcaller, inexperienced and thin backfield — Joe doesn’t want to hear it. Worst is worst.
So with today’s news that Bucs co-offensive line coaches Joe Gilbert and Harold Goodwin — Super Bowl offensive line coaches — bolted to join 2023 offensive coordinator Dave Canales at the Carolina Panthers, Joe is not slumped on the couch and crying into a Big Storm beer.
No, Joe is not holding some sort of odd personal grudge.
Heck, Joe spent extensive personal time with one of those coaches, and had great interactions with the other at the NFL Scouting Combine and elsewhere.
They were devoted coaches and always seemed to have bench players ready to perform. But last in rushing in back-to-back seasons with two different playallers is a red flag.
The Bucs can do better. Todd Bowles sure seems to think so.
That doesn’t meant the Bucs will do better. That’s on Bowles to find a quality O-line coach, one who can get more from each lineman and be more of a run-game architect, which was in Goodwin’s job description.
Joe will point to Tristan Wirfs. He’s publicly said he entered the NFL as a beastly run blocker but became better at pass blocking than run blocking. Joe thinks Priority 1 for the new O-line coach is to re-ignite Wirfs the run blocker. There’s no reason the Bucs can’t run behind him more effectively.
Pick the right guy(s), Todd!
January 30th, 2024 at 8:16 pm
Hey Joe how was the run game during that super bowl run when we had a top notch online? Coaching matters fo sho, but if Hainsey and the guards are exposed week in and week out there isn’t much coaching can do to fix weakness. Do you really imagine a new offensive line coach coming in and miracling Hainsey into a top 10 center in the NFL? That’s not happening my friend.
It’s good for them that they left because I want to see them succeed again and that’s not going to be with bowles. The writing is on the wall.
January 30th, 2024 at 8:18 pm
I look forward to the new staff on the offensive side of the ball. The offense lacked consistency and change will hopefully bring better results.
January 30th, 2024 at 8:22 pm
I think mike evans is going to carolina to follow dave
January 30th, 2024 at 8:23 pm
The OC hire is really all that matters…Tristan Wirfs isnt suddenly going to forget how to block without these guys
January 30th, 2024 at 8:24 pm
Hire Greg Olsen. 😆
January 30th, 2024 at 8:25 pm
How come no one wants our defensive coaches?
January 30th, 2024 at 8:34 pm
One of the defensive coaches was hired by Jacksonville two years ago as DC. Didn’t do a bad job but was let go a couple of weeks ago.
January 30th, 2024 at 8:43 pm
yeah for sure…but canales is turning out to be a one year blunder for us…
#NoBetterThanSeanPayton
January 30th, 2024 at 8:43 pm
Is kinda funny. Baker and Mike to follow. Yes, It can get worse.
January 30th, 2024 at 8:44 pm
Just mentioned this in the last article. OL coaches leaving may mean Bowles has identified and set to sign a top notch OC who will bring his own offensive people. The only problem with that theory is, there doesn’t seem to be a top notch OC left. The top 4 has digned some where else. Others are staying with their current team. So is it Van Pelt ,Peetz,B Johnson or the pass game coordinator from the Lions the choice to choose from?
January 30th, 2024 at 8:44 pm
@Allbuccedup:
coach prolly texted cantalones and said…
“i gave you a shot son…now don’t go messing with my defense”
January 30th, 2024 at 8:51 pm
Wonder how deep into the dumpster coach Toilet will need to go to fill out his staff…. any of his former Jets ‘superstars’ still around?
January 30th, 2024 at 8:53 pm
I am not ready to bury Goodwin and Gilbert because the Bucs lacked talent on the interior OL.
January 30th, 2024 at 8:54 pm
In the Super bowl season we were 25th in rushing, 4.1 per carry
January 30th, 2024 at 8:55 pm
Benedict Canales, who thinks he will be a great HC despite zero experience and only one half-baked season as an OC, is poaching everything and everyone, gutting the Bucs organization.
Is Canales doing the team a favor pulling the rug out? Doesn’t this justify the rebuild that is long overdue? Please, no more piecemeal: get rid of Bowels, start fresh, new HC/OC/DC and new QB. Lose roster deadwood, have a great draft for a change, and set a new foundation for the next several years.
Why overinvest in Mayfield. There is no continuity to supposedly keep going.
The longer they continue with Bowels and rotating short-term band-aids, the longer this team remains a .500 proposition.
January 30th, 2024 at 9:00 pm
Funny they’ve coached with Bowles so long then follow Canales after one year. It’s like he is a cult leader or guru or something.
January 30th, 2024 at 9:13 pm
WTH?
They couldn’t have taken Keith Armstrong too?
This guy is like a genital wart!
He just won’t go away.
January 30th, 2024 at 9:20 pm
The coaches followed Arians all those years, not Bowles. They coached longer with Arians than with Bowles. They were not his guys. I have confidence he will put together a good staff. For all those who always point to Jets tenure, he had the last winning season for the Jets. The GM got rid of most of the veterans leaving Bowles with very little talent. The GM was fired shortly after Bowles.
January 30th, 2024 at 9:32 pm
Welcome to bowels world Bucs fans. You been asking for it…..and it’s just getting started.
January 30th, 2024 at 9:38 pm
‘bowels world’ is looking extremely grim!
January 30th, 2024 at 9:38 pm
I don’t think it was the coaches that were bad. The players on the interior are mediocre at best or inexperienced
January 30th, 2024 at 9:49 pm
Move Wirfs back to R Tackle where he belongs.
January 30th, 2024 at 10:29 pm
Unless you have an very very good coach, it’s probably a good idea to bring in someone new every once in a while.
With that said, I’m expecting Cody to look like a new man next year, I think he knows he needs to put on some NFL muscle, and will spend the offseason doing so. Hopefully.
At LG, I wouldn’t be shocked if Hainsey ends up there, and I think he’d be a better guard than center, and with as much as people complain, he’s not as bad as people think. He’s a lower end starter, but that isn’t trash. Also, if you get a new LG and C, then Hainsey would be an excellent swing player since he was a college tackle, played guard and center, and a guy like that is very valuable.
In any case Licht knows what he’s doing, and I have no doubt he’ll figure it out. Every year people complain about the line, but the Bucs have mostly gotten very good offensive line play since Licht has got here – and he (or someone under him he listens to) is great at finding guys.
January 30th, 2024 at 10:40 pm
‘bowels world’ is looking extremely grim!
Wow Tye…I see what you did there…instead of Bowles you called him bowels.
Really funny! Especially for grade school level thought. Geez I can’t get over how very clever calling him Bowels is!!! Can’t give you complete credit though Tye because there are plenty of other juvenile minds here who have beat you to the grade school level insult.
January 30th, 2024 at 10:46 pm
Not very bright there stpetebucfan….
I copied it from Boss one comment above me..
But I’ve come to expect that from the post of yours I’ve seen!
January 30th, 2024 at 10:51 pm
Dooshlarue, the special teams coach must have something on the brass at OBF to have not been launched yet.
January 30th, 2024 at 10:55 pm
The more of the offensive staff Canales poaches from the Bucs will simply make their game planning more and more predictable for the Bucs coaching staff. Someone mentioned Mike Evans going to Carolina at the top of this post, ME may leave but he certainly is not going to go catch passes from Bryce Young on a 4-13 Panther club, thanks for the late night laugh!
January 30th, 2024 at 10:57 pm
Were I a low level offensive coach I’d be worried for my job if the OC position was open, don’t blame them for going for a sure thing
January 30th, 2024 at 11:03 pm
As a fan for 48 years I am Ashamed at 75% of our fanbase. Get real or Get Out!
January 30th, 2024 at 11:12 pm
CleanHouse Says:
January 30th, 2024 at 9:49 pm
Why? He was great at LT and we have Goedeke playing well at RT. This is the best combo of tackles we can manage. Do you follow the team?
January 30th, 2024 at 11:21 pm
Guarantee this means Evans and Mayfield are signing with Panzers.
January 30th, 2024 at 11:36 pm
All the coaches leaving seem to be an indictment on Todd Bowles since many you’re not getting a promotion. This is a massive problem.
Looking worse and worse that Baker returns and if he doesn’t, I would not be surprised one bit to see Mike Evans go sign with Houston
January 30th, 2024 at 11:46 pm
Mayfield signing with the Panthers would be absolutely funny since they cut him last season. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a player resign with a team that cut him. Just saying. I’m pretty sure JL already and has been getting his team to figure out how to resign ME. This will be a crazy offseason for sure.
January 30th, 2024 at 11:50 pm
It wouldn’t shock me if ME signed with the Texans either, but not because if we don’t sign Mayfield. ME also said he wanted JW back as his QB because that was boy. All that talk about wanting to stay with a certain QB is just professional team talk.
January 30th, 2024 at 11:53 pm
Was his boy*
January 30th, 2024 at 11:59 pm
You are misremembering that 2020 season. The Bucs rushing attack in 2020 ranked 26th in YPA and 29th in Yards.
This team has been terrible at running the ball every year Goodwin has been here. Here are the Bucs rushing numbers under his guidance:
2019: YPA (27th); Yards (24th)
2020: YPA (29th); Yards (26th)
2021: YPA (20th); Yards (26th)
2022: YPA (32nd); Yards (32nd)
2023: YPA (32nd); Yards (32nd)
Good riddance
January 31st, 2024 at 12:22 am
NC…
Is JW with Houston now? I had no idea. I just think it’s a young up-and-coming team who has the potential to be a Super Bowl contender and it’s in his home state. Don’t think JW has anything to do with it.
Hopefully it does not matter and he resigns and retires a Buccaneer
January 31st, 2024 at 12:27 am
Whoever said Mike Evans is going to Carolina… Sorry, but that’s ridiculous.
Whoever said Tristan Wirfs should move back to right tackle… Sorry, but that’s even more ridiculous.
After one year is a top 4 LT in the league, the hardest position on the line to fill. RT and RG are set with young guys who are going to get better. They need a center and a LG. Hainsey may be the LG after a battle but he is clearly not the center they need.
January 31st, 2024 at 12:56 am
Haha I grant you that Evans to Carolina is ridiculous- but I challenge the top 4 at LT for wirfs- where at RT he was a spotless and perfect all pro as a rookie!!
January 31st, 2024 at 5:27 am
“Can do” Canales talked/sold his way into a 6 year deal with a desperate hedge fund manager turned owner Tepper. He was smart to talk his way into a head coaching job. If Winfield doesn’t cause a fumble at the goal line in the regular season finale…none of this happens. Take Gilbert & Goodwin with you by all means…they’re nothing special whatsoever.
January 31st, 2024 at 5:35 am
I have trust in Licht who has been masterful the past few years in drafting and FA. Sure there have been misses, but that happens to all teams. Coming out of dead money call hell with a really good core I feel we will be fine!
But yeah, for Canales it should have been take 4 coaches get Armstrong for free.
Also I like that he left and poached.. gives a reason to hate Carolona and love to beat them 2x year!
January 31st, 2024 at 5:45 am
I totally agree Joe, these coaches were just not getting the job done and I am fine with them leaving out the door! good riddance!
January 31st, 2024 at 6:24 am
it’s not like we’ve lost anyone significant as defectors over to carolina…
being it’s in the same division, it’s really bad tho…
and we’ll be fine without these shlubz anyway – just hate to see things going down in this fashion…with dave pantalones circling back for sloppy seconds on all our coaches…just remember the panthers are equal to the saints – in that they are an “in division rival” – just because they haven’t been good for a minute is no reason to view them any lesser than the taints or dirty birds
January 31st, 2024 at 6:25 am
it’s not like we’ve lost anyone significant as defectors over to carolina…
being it’s in the same division, it’s really bad tho…
and we’ll be fine without these shlubz anyway – just hate to see things going down in this fashion…with dave pantalones circling back for sloppy seconds on all our coaches…just remember the panthers are equal to the saints – in that they are an “in division rival” – just because they haven’t been good for a minute is no reason to view them any lesser than the aints or dirty birds
January 31st, 2024 at 6:39 am
F Dave Canales. He’s gonna get what’s coming to him. What a royal POS he is to do the Bucs like this. I’ll be looking forward to seeing him crash and burn with the midget QB up there.
January 31st, 2024 at 6:43 am
Fans say no one wants to work with Bowles, what does it say about Canales that Mo, and Larry are the best O line coaches he could get? Let the new OC bring in his own guys.
January 31st, 2024 at 7:14 am
Hire Thomas Brown to be run game coordinator!
January 31st, 2024 at 8:45 am
Traitor Canales. However, good luck to panthers. we had a very bad streak there and he’s not as good as he thinks he is. Plus a poacher. We have an excellent GM and solid owners hang in there better days are ahead. Maybe all for the best
January 31st, 2024 at 9:54 am
Bowles is the issue…is my belief and it was a bogus hire in the first place letting Arian’s get a voice in who the coach would be. Just because him an Bowles pound bourbon together doesn’t mean he should of got the job.
January 31st, 2024 at 1:17 pm
This is a sign that the coaches in Tampa don’t believe Bowles will be around long term and there gettin while the gettin is good. Just rip the bandaid off and start fresh with a new head coach that can bring his own staff in. Why put off the inevitable?
January 31st, 2024 at 3:31 pm
I trust Licht to find some road paving guards/center that anyone can run behind with a coach that is strong in run blocking. Hopefully it’s a priority this offseason
February 1st, 2024 at 5:17 am
The Bucs had Michael Pittman for their first SB season against the Raiders. Mediocre run game. Defense won that championship!
Has it been since the days of Warrick Dunn and Mike Alstott since the Bucs had a real run offense?
Build the Bucs from the trenches out. Remember Denver’s O-line from a few years ago? They could put Peyton Manning behind that line as RB and he would gain a thousand yards. Similarly, Monte Kiffin’s original Tampa Two consistently got to the QB with only four down lineman.