The Dave Canales Tip Off To The Bucs’ Draft
April 26th, 2024
“I showed your card, Todd.”
There’s a reason Joe only had one pre-written story about tonight’s draft.
It posted a couple of minutes after the announcement of Graham Barton as the Bucs’ draft pick at No. 26 overall.
Why? Because the Joe typing here was tipped off by Dave Canales during his appearance on The Ira Kaufman Podcast. The Bucs’ 2023 offensive coordinator peeled back the curtain on his former team farther than usual. That’s probably because he was the Panthers head coach when he did the interview with Joe and Kaufman.
Per Canales, the Bucs rarely had a physical advantage in the offensive trenches last season. He cited the pivotal December Bucs game at the Falcons as an example. Tampa Bay was driving late for the win and relied heavily on the run.
Canales explained he trusted those run calls partly because “that was one of the few games that we were able to do that,” referring to outmuscling the opponent at the line of scrimmage.
And then Canales took fans inside the heart and mind of Todd Bowles.
“At the half [against Atlanta], you know, we go into the locker room and Coach Bowles was like, ‘Hey, for once we have the advantage up front, let’s get after these guys,’” Canales said.
Hearing that made it easy for Joe to understand why the Bucs wanted to draft an offensive lineman in Round 1, especially given Bowles’ background as a defensive head coach obsessed with running the ball. And it also jibed with what Bowles himself said that same day at the NFL Scouting Combine about Tampa Bay needing to get bigger on the O-line. And he wasn’t talking about his mammoth offensive tackles.
Now the Bucs have beastly Barton at 6-5, 315 pounds, and he still has man weight to add.
The Canales comments also explained the Bucs waving goodbye this offseason to offensive linemen Matt Feiler, Aaron Stinnie and Nick Leverett — and replacing them with Giants free agent guard/center Ben Bredeson and Eagles guard and Sua Opeta, and now Barton.
Yes, it pays to listen to the Ira Kaufman Podcast.
Ira Kaufman Talks Bucs Picks In Rounds 2 Through 7, Final Round 1 Debate, Wild Cards And More
April 26th, 2024 at 12:03 am
The game is won in the trenches.
The Bucs O has overachieved with a weaker IOL. That needed to change.
April 26th, 2024 at 12:09 am
Yep, sorry but facts are facts. Hainsey going against the Lions dline was Rick Morranis fighting Stay Puft. Barton will be a major upgrade
April 26th, 2024 at 12:10 am
I said, last year, that Bowles was overly stuck on a philosophy that the team was not designed for. He wants to be a ground and pound guy. I would not be remotely surprised if we drafted Cooper Beebe in the third round with Jonah Ellis in the second and Bucky Irving in the third.
Clearly, I would guess that Licht is getting him his team if it plays out that way.
April 26th, 2024 at 12:10 am
Marpet retiring and Jensen getting hurt and retiring was some serious curve balls thrown at us. Let Hainsey be our starting LG and backup C. He’s earned my respect and still should be with us after his contract expires. He can help bring the rook along. Or if he cant be our starting LG then he’s a career BU at both positions.
April 26th, 2024 at 12:11 am
Barton falling down to the Bucs was just too good of a fit to pass up. We really needed to beef up the O-line and Licht is good to great at drafting O-Lineman.
April 26th, 2024 at 12:22 am
Picking offensive line (outside of left tackle) isn’t considered a sexy pick. But I love this pick and am excited to see him suit up. Would’ve loved to see Jensen mentor this kid.
April 26th, 2024 at 12:26 am
Joe later can you get us a story on whether Cody Mauch has put on weight/muscle and beefed up? Hopefully he upgraded himself.
April 26th, 2024 at 12:27 am
Will find out next week. Supposed to meet with offensive assistants.
April 26th, 2024 at 12:28 am
I wonder if Jensen would be interested in coaching O-line? Can’t have too many positions coaches and assistants.
April 26th, 2024 at 12:31 am
Damn. Out of scotch. Switching to rye.
April 26th, 2024 at 12:56 am
Greg is correct. You don’t see many teams wanting to be run first while also paying 2 WRs $20M+ per and having a third round RB1. Not a great strategy in my book.
April 26th, 2024 at 2:13 am
Sure does seem like this kid is gonna put on some man weight once he gets to Tampa. Turns 22 in June, kid is just a baby. Amazing that he had so much experience and is so young. Very atypical with these COVID year players getting that extra year.
April 26th, 2024 at 3:12 am
And yet we still heard how mean we all were to Robert Hainsey for saying he was not a legit starter. He’s a career backup that can help plug a hoke for a few games until the much stronger man gets back.
April 26th, 2024 at 7:14 am
Geesh “that Joe” for posters here have been saying all of the 2023 season!
Every DC in the NFL could see the same thing
Excellent pick !
April 26th, 2024 at 7:56 am
Sua at Guard.
A year in weight room for Mauch
And a new big nasty, intelligent center.
Love it!
You can have all the running backs and receivers you want, if you can’t win the line, you’re not winning
April 26th, 2024 at 8:46 am
As usual agree with Cobra.
Bowles wants to play smash mouth defensive football. He’s just needs to add a big RB like Braelon Allen…a pounder to spell and augment White’s game and the Bucs can run the ball once again.
I loved the enthusiasm and positivity Canales brought to the Bucs last year.
I felt his playcalling SUCKED and some wish to blame all of that on Bowles…perhaps…but I think Canales was a ROOKIE OC and it showed at times.
Not writing his career off he’s a young dude, bright, with a great attitude…who knows. I think Baker has a decent year last season but if he had a truly solid, not rookie OC Baker would have exceeded his production last year.
April 26th, 2024 at 10:12 am
As a defensive coach and former player, Bowels knows the advantage of wearing down a dline by pounding the rock. We just didn’t have the players to do it effectively. Grab a big RB and a LG and watch us roll! You see a team in the playoff with a subpar oline, besides us?
As many have said for months, fix the oline and we’ll role!
April 26th, 2024 at 11:39 am
I agree with 74 Bucs. Grab a big RB today who weighs 225lbs+ to pair with RW.
April 26th, 2024 at 1:38 pm
A while back I talked about Baker needing more time and someone busted my chops saying he was to short. Didn’t Drew Brees win a after leaving the west coast? He’s not much taller than Baker. So many good things can happen with time plus there might be an inside run game. All because of time.
April 26th, 2024 at 1:59 pm
I knew all the picks before hand. Jay Gruden told me.
April 26th, 2024 at 4:07 pm
Watching the film, there is one thing Barton appears very good at and that is run blocking. Seeing him at the press conference he has an oak tree for a neck. Can’t wait for that kid to put on some more weight. He will be a road grader going up the middle.
April 26th, 2024 at 4:20 pm
Ok now that’s done what QB do we draft to push Baker because we have the worse backups in the league and need a talent infusion in our Qb room
April 29th, 2024 at 9:58 am
the reason we didnt do great at running the ball is because all canales did was run up the middle