Pound That Rock!
April 25th, 2024
Todd Bowles’ dream probably came true tonight.
Bowles wants to run the ball. He wants opposing defenses to earn the right to pin their ears back and get after Baker Mayfield on passing downs. That was too easy last year when the Bucs were slamming up the gut often for three yards or less on first down.
Center wasn’t a strength, and tonight Tampa Bay drafted center Graham Barton out of Duke at No. 26 overall. He played center there for a year and spent the last three as a bruiser left tackle.
At the NFL Scouting Combine, Bowles said (let it slip?) that he wanted the Bucs to get bigger in the trenches. And here we are.
Coach Bowles got his wish and GM Jason Licht kept up his trend of deeply valuing the center position.
Now it’s time to move people in the run game and keep more defensive linement out of the face of your short quarterback
April 25th, 2024 at 11:37 pm
Awesome pick, we have been getting crushed at center.
April 25th, 2024 at 11:39 pm
Lots of upside with this pick
April 25th, 2024 at 11:40 pm
With this pick, the OL is better, the run game is better, the pass game is better, therefore the offense got better= more points! More points wins more games! LFG!!
April 25th, 2024 at 11:40 pm
We are not finished with the run game improvement…..I full well expect a RB to be picked tomorrow and a blocking TE later on day 3.
April 25th, 2024 at 11:40 pm
We are going to have a whole line of tall left tackles soon lol
April 25th, 2024 at 11:41 pm
Is Ira OK, Joe? I mean I’m happy with this. I liked Frazier too, but this should be OK
April 25th, 2024 at 11:41 pm
Wanted JPJ but in Licht we trust.
Great pic. Absolutely needed to get better at the IOL. Every game is won or lost in the trenches.
Edgerrin Cooper, linebacker, Texas A&M, potential starter, and definite LVD long-term replacement. Will he fall enough in round two?
Dude is fast, shoots the gap, gets a lot of tackles for loss and can cover.
Would have no problem if they take one of their third rounders and their second rounder to move up. Heck, throw in JTS and go get Trey Hendrickson in a month.
April 25th, 2024 at 11:42 pm
Gonna need Mike Glennon to throw over the top of these linemen
April 25th, 2024 at 11:44 pm
Jared Verse went against this kid and had no sacks, no pressures and 1 tackle in the game.
April 25th, 2024 at 11:45 pm
JPJ was seen as the sexy center pick. Kind of a one-year wonder though. And I read lately that he had concussion issues and that’s why he was slipping. Barton all day everyday over Johnson.
April 25th, 2024 at 11:49 pm
Need Estime now with one of our 3rds!
I know, his 40 isnt a shifty speedy Bucky Irving…if thats what you want, theres my guy. But Estime is a dynamic power runner with great vision….its like he studies who he’s up against and knows theyre going for his legs so he leaps over them. Very smart player.
Barton at C, Estime and White at RB….theres your run game Mr. Licht and Bowles.
April 25th, 2024 at 11:50 pm
A very smart Duke athlete with a 9.9 RAS score….yeah I’ll take that. Football is like heading into a street fight. Don’t you want your best guy at the middle of the front line?
April 25th, 2024 at 11:52 pm
Like the Barton pick but keep building O line. There is bound to be a NFL ready guard in round 2. Also, need a bruiser tight end who will block. Again, there is size and strength available in 3rd round. The Ohio State tight end might be a good pickup.
April 25th, 2024 at 11:52 pm
MadMax
What if Frazier is still on board in the 2nd?
April 25th, 2024 at 11:58 pm
LT Tristan Wirfs
LG Graham Barton
C Zac Frazier
RG Cody Mauch
RT Luke Goedeke
Would be insane!
April 25th, 2024 at 11:58 pm
We need another corner–third round we need Trey Benson in round 2. Anyway Duke was known to have an outstanding O-line last year. Hopefully Barton is good at center–last 3 yeaars he was a tackle. Falcons got Penix–sorry about that.
April 26th, 2024 at 12:02 am
LUVMYBUCS Says:
April 25th, 2024 at 11:52 pm
MadMax
“What if Frazier is still on board in the 2nd?”
Omg…could we really get that lucky?
April 26th, 2024 at 12:03 am
so many folks saying we need a blocking tight end–we have ko Kieft cant we just use him–lets not get another tight end. We need a guard an edge, a corner and Trey Benson.
April 26th, 2024 at 12:06 am
Bonzai
Lol, after seeing Barton drop to us in the first, anything can happen.
April 26th, 2024 at 12:06 am
Braswell or Isaac at Edge in the 2nd (to make Joe happy). WR (Polk, Mcmillan or Rice) and ILB (Trotter) in the 3rd rd. Power RB Estime in the 4th. Finish up with CB and TE in the 6th and 7th.
Skipping out on G on l y because I believe the Bucs will go with Ostu or Hainsey — unless they puck one in the 7th instead of a TE or CB. I would love to see the Bucs take the Iowa TE if he falls to the 6th rd.
April 26th, 2024 at 12:08 am
Zak Zinter G Michigan and Cade Stover Tight end OSU would look good as picks 2 and 3….. Doesn’t matter what order just take both of these guys and with Barton and a stronger Mauch you have fixed the O line.
April 26th, 2024 at 12:15 am
Luv….As much as I’d love that, DB and Returner is very much a need too. If theres one we can find in the 3rd, then yeah, Frazier all day!
April 26th, 2024 at 12:17 am
Baker APPROVED SEALED AND STAMPED!
April 26th, 2024 at 12:29 am
He is our LG. Hunter Nourzad is our C. Estime is our first down back. That is a run game for Bowles. Michigan’s TE late would be another enhancement.
April 26th, 2024 at 2:27 am
the problem is we have more needs than picks. I am really curious to see which needs the Bucs prioritize. A lot is dependent on how other teams pick ahead of us. of course. At some positions of need, only the scraps will be left when we pick. Hope we get lucky the next 2 days.
April 26th, 2024 at 7:15 am
It doesn’t matter which one of those lineman they got neither one is going to help Baker Mayfield grow taller are give Rashard White better vision running the ball. It’s crazy how some of you think Baker has the power to choose what player he wants and the bucs will actually give him what he want. Lol 🤣
April 26th, 2024 at 8:50 am
ONeill
There are NO metrics to back up your continual insults of Baker based on his height. Google if you do not believe me.
You clearly are still upset you boy Fameis turned out to be a bust, not because of a lack of talent but a lack of character and intellect, something we ALL(except for FSU homers) questioned. The very FIRST off season if you have any pride ONeill Fameis embarrassed the hell out of FSU!!!
Perhaps the Bucs get Trey Benson and he gives the FSU guys somebody worthy to cheer for on the Bucs.
April 26th, 2024 at 9:45 am
Stpetebuc. Jamies is gone and Baker Mayfield is our quarterback and he’s a average at best. Let me show you tell me a number one overall pick playing for 4 different teams in 6 years? Baker Mayfield is a backup at this point of his career he’s not going to get better. Do you really believe that the bucs can win a superbowl with Baker Mayfield? The only way that happens is you have to have the 02 bucs defense and because of the rules you can’t have defenses like that anymore because they can’t play defense like they did back then. Again either this year or next year we will be tanking for a new quarterback. Baker almost lost his job last on that 6 game losing streak which the Texans game wasn’t his fault. But the ATL game he threw a pick in the end zone which lost that game. He sucked against the Lions, 49ers and both of the Panthers game. He don’t make players better or can he put a offense on his back and we saw it last year. This will be another 7-10 or 9-8 season. But I you guys love mediocrey to me .
April 26th, 2024 at 10:00 am
O’Neil – your takes suck and are boring – every time! All you do is complain.
This was a great pick, and we are lucky to have Baker. He may not be elite but he can get us to the promised land if we can run the ball and keep defenses honest.
Have better takes or stfu.
April 26th, 2024 at 10:50 am
74. Would you put money on it about Baker Mayfield getting us to the promise land ? I’m sorry but I just don’t celebrate mediocrey like a lot of bucs fans do I want superbowles not average seasons. And last year doing the 6 game losing streak people started talking about tanking for Caleb Williams which I hate tanking. But I got a strange feeling that either this year or next year their going to tank for a quarterback especially if we go on another 6 games losing streak.