Not-So Hidden Gem In Ben Bredeson?
March 16th, 2024
New Bucs guard/center Ben Bredeson.
So the Bucs signed guard/center Ben Bredeson in free agency yesterday. The Giants’ castoff has a very interesting history dating back to his college days.
Bredeson, 26, was a fourth-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft out of the University of Michigan.
Michigan had a whopping 10 drafted players that year including four offensive linemen. In Round 1, the Saints grabbed center/guard Cesar Ruiz. He’s played well and he signed a massive contract extension last year.
After Bredeson went to the Giants in Round 4, Michigan guard Michael Onwenu went off the board in Round 6 to New England. He just signed a super fat three-year contract extension with the Patriots.
Ten picks later in Round 6, a Michigan offensive tackle went off the board, John Runyan, Jr. The Packers moved him to guard and the dude didn’t miss a start and played very well. He just signed a huge multiyear free agency contract to jump to the Giants.
Sense a pattern here? Joe does.
The three Michigan offensive linemen not named Bredeson landed with quality, stable organizations after college and thrived. Bredeson landed in the mess that is the Giants. He was moved around a lot on the interior O-line and didn’t have the same success, though he has good film out there at guard and at center in 25 career starts.
Also in the back of Joe’s head is knowing how much Buccaneers Ring of Honor general manager Jason Licht and his team were scouting offensive linemen in 2020. They needed a tackle but that doesn’t mean they weren’t paying attention to the interior. Bredeson was lauded for his work at the Senior Bowl.
Joe is confident Bredeson will get every opportunity to show the Bucs what he has to offer at left guard and at center, where he made starts for the Giants last season. He sure smells like what some front office types call “a change-of-scenery guy.”
March 16th, 2024 at 11:53 am
Okay, thanks, Joe.
I may have misjudged this guy. On the surface it looked like a downgrade…but he’s cross-trained at center and as a floater, he never got a chance to solidify.
I’ll withdraw my previous judgements on him to on the fence for now…let’s see how he plays 🙂
March 16th, 2024 at 11:53 am
Beer Licht is trying to find another hidden gem against like Ali Marpet….
So far, since Alex Cappa. ………we’ve been unsuccessful in finding A TRUE starting Lineman…….
The Bucs better get the O-line right or else Baker will be running for his life again like he did last season…..
….cause this past season there were plenty of times where the O-line was down right awful!!!
March 16th, 2024 at 12:00 pm
David a year older, carlton traded. Need a jpp type trade
March 16th, 2024 at 12:00 pm
Licht does a great job with O-line guys. I trust the Bucs will fortify the trenches on the offensive side. I’m hoping they can also plug the remaining hole on the D-Line EDGE.
March 16th, 2024 at 12:13 pm
Yep. He was bounced all over the place on that line never settling. Opeta is also a good move eagles fan didn’t want to see him go living in SJ see a lot of eagles stuff. Opeta also had one of the best line coaches schilling him in stoutland
March 16th, 2024 at 12:27 pm
I sure hope so.
March 16th, 2024 at 12:33 pm
Not to compare players since it’s unfair to both but simply to compare ‘”potential” career paths.
Ryan Jensen went to the Ravens and bounced around 3 different spots mostly IOL. It wasn’t until Jensen’s 4th season when the Ravens made Jensen their fulltime Center he blossomed.
If Bredeson could hold down the spot at Center…there is already enough talent in house to create a really good OL without even thinking about the draft yet.
March 16th, 2024 at 12:36 pm
I don’t have a paid PFF, so here’s the public grades from last year:
Stinnie 56.6
Hainsey 52.8
Bredeson 42.1
Opeta 53.2
I’m guessing the new OL guys were favored over the prior players by the two new OL coaches, Carberry and Picucci?
While Licht does well drafting college OL, we missed on Feiler (54.7) last year. I wonder if Feiler was picked based on Harold Goodwin’s and Joe Gilberts’ assessment?
March 16th, 2024 at 12:38 pm
BREDESON is a solid starting LG and an upgrade over Stinnie. He also gives some flexibility in the draft if we are in a situation to draft a guard only or center only lineman because he can play both spots. I still think the bucs will go offensive line in round 1 and it will be a center or guard. Personally I like jackson Powers-Johnson and Cooper Beebe.
March 16th, 2024 at 12:41 pm
That would be a great question for Licht as to where or if they had Bredeson on their radar in 2020.
March 16th, 2024 at 12:46 pm
JimBobBuc we didnt miss at Feiler. He was a low level contract given an opportunity to start while we were in a “rebuilding year” with 80 million in cap penalties. In any ideal year he’s not starting but we had to make tough choices. That being said what needs to be pointed out is that Bredeson is young and still developing where guys like Stinnie, and Feiler are at the tail end of their careers and they are who they are. If Bredeson doesn’t work out we lose nothing, hes a low level 1 year contract that we just don’t resign and look elsewhere.
March 16th, 2024 at 12:47 pm
Regardless…..we are going on the cheap with all of them……Leverett, Stinnie, Feiler, Bredason & Opeta….
Only high investments are Wirfs, 1st round & Mauch, Goedeke 2nd round.
You get what you pay for……time to draft a C/G in round 1 or 2 this year.
March 16th, 2024 at 1:02 pm
Swapping out marginal players, hoping one comes through bigly.
I appreciate Stinnie’s efforts, especially in the Lombardi year.
Not every rostered player will be a star.
March 16th, 2024 at 1:06 pm
History shows there are hits and misses with rounds 1-3. And there are some gems in 4-7 and UFA. They can do all of the homework, but it’s still a crapshoot. Guys mature differently. A 22 year old goof becomes a 26 year old father who treats football like a job and becomes great. Other guys can’t handle the wealth of fame.
So trying to determine this at the draft stage is hard.
March 16th, 2024 at 1:11 pm
Have looked closely at the list of OG and C available in 202 draft. Looks like there are many good options that will be available in rounds 3 & 4. This means that if EDGE is the main priority Bucs should swap maybe 1 & 2 to move up to get a top flight EDGE. Unfortunately there isn’t an abundance of EDGE in this draft class. Alternative might be to find a proven EDGE(9-10 sacks) and see if a combo of draft picks might pry him loose. If no EDGE available via draft or trade, just work on building strong O line this year. Really good year for O line talent. Draft is very deep.
March 16th, 2024 at 1:13 pm
TheBucsAnthem Says:
March 16th, 2024 at 11:53 am
Beer Licht is trying to find another hidden gem against like Ali Marpet….
So far, since Alex Cappa. ………we’ve been unsuccessful in finding A TRUE starting Lineman…….
^^^^^^^^
Wirfs, Hainsey, Goedeke, and Mauch have all started multiple games since Cappa.
March 16th, 2024 at 1:26 pm
It is fun for old Bucs fans to see the team pluck starters from bad organizations after so many years of watching it happen in reverse. In the 1980s the playoffs were full of ex-Bucs. Now the Bucs are in the playoffs with ex-other-bad-teams.
March 16th, 2024 at 1:42 pm
I’d really like to see an improvement in the running game come from some of these changes.
March 16th, 2024 at 1:55 pm
I like how licht has grabbed these 3 to4 year experience types that may have been behind a great guard and our still in the midst of their careers and dont have a major injury history. bredeson, opeta, and even logan steinberg all have some upside. I like hainsey as a jack of all trades that we should keep as he can play all positions. I believe hainsey can have good games in this 6th man role.
March 16th, 2024 at 1:58 pm
I remember mike onwenu early on at michigan and was astounded and mesmerized by that damn rhinoceros of a body. Never seen someone so damn wide , cant believe he lasted till the 5th round
March 16th, 2024 at 1:59 pm
Would be sweet to score a young quality starter to plug in at LG or C. I do trust Licht to evaluate o-linemen.
March 16th, 2024 at 2:15 pm
Ok, this is good. But we still need a pass rush folks
March 16th, 2024 at 2:56 pm
Currently have Opeda penciled in as starting LG & Bredeson competeing with Hainsey at C
^^mtnbucman^^
Since ’76
March 16th, 2024 at 2:59 pm
all makes sense now…licht and crew liked him coming out of college and were probably laying in the weeds on him…
and then he got snatched up before jason could ever make the call…
so maybe they finally got him a few years later…and now the big young fella is gonna start to progress in our system…
time will tell…
at least he can play all 3 interior spots…
on paper our front office really seems to be nailing it this offseason…every move is pretty much a plus
March 16th, 2024 at 3:00 pm
“Buccaneer Bonzai Says: as a floater,”
Lets hope not, ewwww.
Must’ve gotten swept off the poop deck.
Probably chum now
^^mtn^^
March 16th, 2024 at 3:06 pm
This was my attempt to explain this to people yesterday.
Stanglassman Says:
March 15th, 2024 at 3:17 pm
This guy won the LG job last year out if training camp and because OL injuries they moved him to center then to RG and then to back to center.
So he graded out that well playing 3 different positions on a offense that was decimated Bucs injuries. I image he would grade out much better plugged into LG and starting it all season on a stable good OL. I trust Licht’s opinion on offensive lineman over jbf commit page GMs.
March 16th, 2024 at 3:53 pm
I hope Bredeson or Opeta switch to center if there’s no beast at center available with the first pick
March 16th, 2024 at 4:00 pm
This is textbook Licht 101. Grab roleplaying FA linemen to hedge your bet with a lineman draft pick. They are doing it at corner as well. It also gives you a good mix of vet and new players. I like it.
March 16th, 2024 at 4:07 pm
We might have found that gem we so surely need! Time will tell!!
March 16th, 2024 at 4:21 pm
mtn
Yup. Thats how I figured it also. Bredeson will hopefully take off in new environs. Opeda as a real shot at LG.
In Licht we trust.
March 16th, 2024 at 4:25 pm
Have we signed an Elite Edge rusher yet?
What the heck is the hold up??
March 16th, 2024 at 4:26 pm
SI.com says “Bredeson started 24 games over the past two seasons at three Giants positions, including guard spots and center. Since coming to the Giants, he’s allowed 65 pressures, including a career-high 39 last year and five sacks last year.”
March 16th, 2024 at 4:29 pm
“If Bredeson could hold down the spot at Center…there is already enough talent in house to create a really good OL without even thinking about the draft yet.”
Thats I guess the downside of such pick ups and the timing of the draft/free agency. You won’t know so you still have to go for a center in the draft .
March 16th, 2024 at 4:30 pm
Feel comfortable with he and Sua and Hainsey battling it out for LG.
Need to draft a top C and our Oline is Good
March 16th, 2024 at 4:37 pm
Left guard and center? So move him around? Sounds Giants like from the article
March 16th, 2024 at 4:53 pm
Licht is trying to search for gold in a pan of river nuggets. You never know, though. This guy might be a bona fide starter.
March 16th, 2024 at 4:59 pm
How come no mention of signing CB Bryce Hall?
March 16th, 2024 at 5:03 pm
Bucs are meeting with another Corner today – ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler is reporting that Tampa Bay has interest in free agent CB Tavierre Thomas, who spent the last three seasons with the Houston Texans.
“Thomas earned a 72.2 Pro Football Focus grade last year, including an 83.2 run defense grade and a 69.5 coverage grade for the Texans”
March 16th, 2024 at 5:13 pm
Thanks for the info, Marine Buc! Thomas was an UDFA from Ferris State (small school in Michigan), runs/ran a 4.38, 5-10, 205.
March 16th, 2024 at 5:18 pm
@ Joe in Mich
No problem bud.
Thomas would be another solid depth signing for the Bucs… I like it.
March 16th, 2024 at 5:27 pm
RagingBrisket Says:
“How come no mention of signing CB Bryce Hall?”
Joe’s already did an article on Hall…come by more often.
March 16th, 2024 at 5:45 pm
Yea Capt. Tim cause edge rushers grow on trees and are cheap like Chris Jones .
March 16th, 2024 at 6:15 pm
per compilation of draft websites it seems JPJ and Zach frazier, there is a dropoff on centers capable of being starters..with the uga center and on the next level lower and then beau limmer. I didnt include graham barton who i read as being a guard moreso than center. I would JPJ in 1st or Frazier in 2nd they seem a cut above
March 16th, 2024 at 6:17 pm
per compilation of draft websites it seems JPJ and Zach frazier, there is a dropoff on centers capable of being starters..with the uga center and on the next level lower and then beau limmer. I didnt include graham barton who i read as being a guard moreso than center.
March 16th, 2024 at 6:21 pm
Rd #1 Edge Verse or Robinson
Rd #2 C Frazier
.. is my dream
March 16th, 2024 at 9:40 pm
Woodenman,
Seems as if Jadeon Clowney and Derek Barnett are both still available and affordable.
Although My comment was intended as part of the on Going Joke about needing Edge rushers. Havent you read any other post? Didnt get it? Sarcasm lost on you?
Meybe it should be “woodenhead”
March 16th, 2024 at 11:25 pm
Versatility is always good, but I find it hard to believe they’ll do worse at LG and Center. Maybe they just need to replace one but I really think they need to replace Hainsey.
March 17th, 2024 at 7:32 am
Licht has more than proven his competency in obtaining under the radar free agent studs… Barrett, Jensen, Mayfield, and has more than proved his mettle as a great drafter.
I’m pretty sure he knows what he is doing… at the very least he knows a lot more than all of the posters and Joes. If we haven’t signed an edge rusher yet, I’m 100% sure there is a very good reason.
March 17th, 2024 at 8:34 am
He wasn’t the best on a sub-par O-line in NY. He’ll make a good back-up for the interior OL, but he’s not starter material for a championship calibur team, which this team is very close to being. This draft will have 3 centers who could (potentially) be day 1 starters, and also a few lineman who could do the same at LG.
March 19th, 2024 at 10:40 am
Bredeson was drafted by the Ravens in the fifth round of the 2020 Draft, not by the Giants in the fourth. The Giants acquired him in a 2021 pick-swap trade that cost them a 2022 fourth round selection. He showed some promise early in 2021, then struggled with injuries until 2023. His play last season is hard to assess because the entire line was an epic mess most of the year. He wasn’t the biggest problem. He wasn’t the solution either. When healthy, he is a replacement-level interior lineman with some versatility. Quality depth, very low-end starter.