Shuffling Coming To The Offensive Line?
February 29th, 2024
Talkin’ Bucs run game.
Joe isn’t sure who had a chance to listen to the latest edition of the “Ira Kaufman Podcast” from the combine in Indianapolis last night, but Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht was gracious enough to stop by and chat.
It was an excellent sitdown with Licht. Good, good information.
During the interview, Joe asked Licht about the run game, specifically the offensive line and Rachaad White.
Throughout the season, Joe noticed White, for reasons unknown, did not always read holes that were there to run through, or he chose not to run to daylight. Joe maintains you cannot blame the offensive line for holes that are there and not utilized.
(Many fans seem more than willing to blame center Robert Hainsey and use him as a scapegoat.)
White’s yards-per-carry is not good, niether are his yards-after-contract on runs.
So Joe asked Licht if the issue is White or if the issue is the offensive line and do the Bucs have the neccesary horses to resolve this issue? Licht seemed to suggest the issue isn’t just one thing.
“I think having some stability there and playing together goes a long way,” Licht said. “I know that we’re going to have some different players up front this year.
“Seeing the holes, hitting the holes with authority, that was something [White] needed to work on. That was something [coaches] needed to preach to him. And he got better at it.”
White did get better as the season wore on.
Another interesting Licht nuggest was White was upset he didn’t get 1,000 yards, but he didn’t carry that disappointment around or let it affect his play or work ethic and Licht praised him for that.
Bucs coaches showed White how earlier in the season he did not attack the holes like they wanted him to, Licht said. (No secret to JoeBucsFan readers.) Coaches then explained to White had he heeded their instructions earlier in the season he easily would have had 1,000 yards.
So it seems it wasn’t solely White, per Licht’s words, and it wasn’t solely the offensive line. A combination kept White from dominating on the ground.
February 29th, 2024 at 12:22 am
Ask many people on here it’s so easy to have a dominant running game if you just keep drafting OL in the 1st round. It erases all RB, Scheme, Timing, Opponent Scheme issues. Just so simple!
February 29th, 2024 at 12:32 am
Everyone but Wirfs needs to feel the heat of competition. Matadors are not good run blockers, and our matadors get gored by the bull.
February 29th, 2024 at 12:56 am
I support investing heavily into the lines
February 29th, 2024 at 12:57 am
Translation -> Hainsey BUH BYE, no longer the center
Stinney BUH BYE, no longer starting LG (backup is fine)
February 29th, 2024 at 1:19 am
You keep drafting college offensive tackles to come to the NFL to play guard and center and then wonder why you can’t run the ball?
February 29th, 2024 at 2:47 am
Agreed Brian. Licht is without a doubt a good (if not great) evaluator of OL prospects, but I feel like he’s gotten to the point where he’s smelling his own farts a little and trying to get too cute with it. Not to say we’re the only team that will draft a college tackle and transfer him to guard, but it’s getting excessive. If a guy comes out at age 21, he may have had 8-10 years at his position at that point. Trying to switch them at that point for a 3-8 year NFL career seems a little like swimming upstream. I also don’t think it would kill us to just draft a blue chip guy (and not switch his position) instead of always searching for the diamond in the rough. Last guy we did that with was Wirfs, and how has that turned out?
As far as the running game issues go, there is plenty of blame to go around when you’ve had the league worst running game 2 years in a row. It’s not all Hainsey, it’s not all White, it’s not all scheme and play calling timing, it’s all of those things put together. It’s just so strange to me that the Joes will bang the drum all day about White missing holes and dancing behind the line (valid criticisms to be sure), but act like people are wrong to call out Hainsey’s upper body weakness and lack of push (also valid criticisms). If we’re being honest, we could use an upgrade at both positions (along with scheme and play calling/ timing). Unfortunately, there’s a lot of areas we need to improve in and there’s only so many draft picks and so much cap space. We’ve already (albeit not by choice) addressed scheme/ play calling with a new OC, and I don’t see us pursuing a starting caliber RB. I would like to see the C position addressed and improved this off-season and I think a lot of people agree. Now that we know for sure Jensen is done, we don’t need a placeholder any longer, we need a legit starter.
February 29th, 2024 at 3:06 am
Licht said 2 things:
“I know that we’re going to have some different players up front this year.”
“And he got better at it” ( White seeing and hitting the holes)
Bucs are drafting and/or signing an interior OLineman.
February 29th, 2024 at 3:16 am
Remember when the Cowboys had 5 first round offensive lineman?
Zeke Elliot and Zak had all day.
First round center!
Enough is enough!
February 29th, 2024 at 3:16 am
*Dak
February 29th, 2024 at 3:30 am
“So it seems it wasn’t solely White, per Licht’s words, and it wasn’t solely the offensive line. A combination kept White from dominating on the ground.”
Correct sir!
No secret either. This is after all, still a team sport. Even an all time great like Barrry Sanders would have had a hard time.
The number of times White was hit in the backfield before he could even think about hitting any holes is what most of us here saw. That was not on our RB Joe, and why the O line catches so much grief in the run game. Yards after contact don’t mean much when you are done before you start three yard behind the LOS.
My old coaches would have had us running alot of gassers for that stuff when I was playing. Just saying. That would include benching a running back who refused to hit the line full speed when it was called for. That has happened wether you believe it or not. Fournette had the same issues and was a bigger back! Drove me nuts!
Go Bucs!
Go Bucs!
February 29th, 2024 at 3:35 am
“we’re going to have some different players up front this year”
Glad to hear the word “players” – especially the plural part of that word.
Both Center and LG need upgrading.
Jason Licht knows this and apparently intends to remedy the situation this offseason.
February 29th, 2024 at 4:00 am
LOVE THE OL
Wirfs and Goedeke will be the best 2xOT in the NFL next year.
Mauch is a STUD. Just needs to get a little stronger.
Hainsey is a great backup.
The Bucs will pick up at least one new starter in the draft. Licht has an amazing eye for OL talent.
Give it 2 years and the Bucs will have the best OL in the NFL for the next 5 years.
February 29th, 2024 at 5:04 am
The first thing the Bucs had to correct was White’s” Lavian Bell’s patient style”
of running. Some of our run issues could be White learning to trust his vision. Also
think the holes were not opening up where the play was designed to be run. Good running teams have blocking schemes that open up holes, but also lanes where backs can break off big runs. Running on first and second down consecutively also
gives the defense the edge, since they know what is coming. The blocking in the screen game was good at times and provided some good lanes to run through.
February 29th, 2024 at 6:25 am
@Joes, Ira…excellent interview with Bowles btw. Great questions, and you dispelled many of the perceptions MANY of your readers think about Bowles, as if he’s some sort of Tyran pulling all the strings. Guy gets way too much credit for when everything goes bad and not enough credit when it’s good.
Looking forward to the Licht interview on my commute to work this morning.
February 29th, 2024 at 7:19 am
I believe I’m gonna buy a subscription to ‘All-22’ next season, (instead of the usually motorcycle parts) we never really get to see this sort of stuff
They won’t get RID of Hainsey/Stinnie, but it’s be surprised if either of them remained starters
February 29th, 2024 at 8:07 am
Joe: (Many fans seem more than willing to blame center Robert Hainsey and use him as a scapegoat.)
Joe do you even watch the games? Hainsey gets blown out and pushed around on so many plays. He’s the weakest C in team history.
February 29th, 2024 at 8:14 am
Not only have we drafted tackles and made them guards, we’ve also moved them to the opposite side of the line where they played in college. Case in point Goedeke was a right tackle that we tried to make a left guard. March was a left tackle that we moved to right guard. Difficult enough to switch positions let alone on the opposite side your used to.
February 29th, 2024 at 8:37 am
You will never win the SB being dead last in rushing so they need to fix this for sure.
February 29th, 2024 at 9:05 am
Very good information from Licht. I think the Bucs do need a RB with a little more speed and who can see the holes in the line a little better. Also to lighten some of the load on White. If White continues his rate of carries, I don’t think he will make no more than 3 years staying healthy. Listening Licht, seems that they also are looking at upgrading the OL or putting the OL in positions that they play best.
February 29th, 2024 at 9:16 am
Love that he’s basically openly committed to upgrading the O-line this year.
Elite O-line would help everything.
I really want Jackson Powers Johnson if the dude is there. I wouldn’t mind a trade up either. Every draft guy is saying this guy = your rock solid anchor at C for 10 years.
February 29th, 2024 at 10:02 am
Colleges put their best players at Tackle their very best at at Left tackle.
Those guys may have short arms or lack the mirror skills to Play Tackle in the NFl.
Shifting inside to guard isnt a big djustment.
But,
All of those guys have spent their careers playing guard or tackle. They consider that a full time job.
Move them to Center and its more work. It is added work. It makes it harder to do their job. Plus playing center is just uncomfortable. They hate it.
The only guys who are comfortable playing Center- are guys who’ve played center.
We did Hainsey a huge disservice moing him to Center. He might have become that starting guard we need. And a good one.
Now hes gonna be a backup center the rest of his career.
A position you can tell hes not comfortable at or very good at doing.
Draft a Center for the future, sign a Vet Center to play now.
Move Hainsey back to bak up Guard/Tackle- let him play his natural positions.
That would be a step in the right direction.
Cody Mauch better be spending his days in the weight room. I bet he is.
If he muscles up- he miht just be another of Jason Lichts”finds”
February 29th, 2024 at 10:54 am
We all know and understand that this team has been missing the presence of Ryan Jensen, and that Hainsey is not even a remotely suitable replacement. You need improved play from the interior linemen, and only Mauch gets a pass for being a rookie. Draft a lineman that actually plays center. I would spend a premium pick on one versus wasting that pick on the next JTS or Logan Hall. Has Licht even busted on an early OL pick in his tenure here?
February 29th, 2024 at 11:16 am
Deff a team sport. I agree it was both and would even add playcalling to it. 1st time play caller Dave I’m sure learned a lot and add in the fact that we are built for passing more than we are built for running. I love when RW gets the ball in his hands when catching. Dude is electric
February 29th, 2024 at 12:18 pm
Jackson Powers Johnson
Graham Barton
PLEASE
GO BUCS .
February 29th, 2024 at 1:24 pm
C’mon Joe, that’s far too reasonable of a take to have around here!
March 1st, 2024 at 1:19 am
Goedonkey is a matador.
March 1st, 2024 at 1:21 am
Goedonkey was abused like the rented mule he is by the Eagles and Lions in the playoffs.