“We Drafted Him Just For That Position Right There”
May 8th, 2024
“Jason, I always stay on message.”
The Bucs have created some confusion when it comes to where their prized first-round draft pick will play.
On draft night 13 days ago, Bucs general manager Jason Licht said Graham Barton will play center. One night later, assistant GM John Spytek said Barton could play guard and there would be a flurry of competition on the interior offensive line. Then Licht went on national radio and left the door open for Barton to play guard.
Yesterday on The Rich Eisen Show, head coach Todd Bowles, the man in charge of assigning Barton a position on game days, made it clear that his top draft pick will play center.
“Well, he’s pretty bright. Hopefully he gets up to speed soon,” Bowles said of Barton. “You know, center’s a tough position in this league, but we drafted him just for that position right there.”
So there you go. Barton was picked for one specfic position and that’s where he’ll play.
For now.
May 8th, 2024 at 9:17 am
I’m not confused, nor have I ever been. Barton will be the Bucs center barring injury for at least the next 5 years. Mauch will move over to LG, Klein will start at RG. There’s your new starting IOL, bookend by Wirfs, and Goedeke.
May 8th, 2024 at 9:18 am
Glad to see that the front office has been reading the comments here …😉
May 8th, 2024 at 9:40 am
I saw a crazy graphic of data online that demonstrated the ONLY offensive line position that is worth a first round pick is LT. The Canter position had the same chance of finding a starter with a first round pick as the 6th round. Even UDFA had a similar % of starting than 1st round centers over the past 17 years. There were similar numbers for guards too which bodes well for Bucs 6th rounder Elijah Klein. Really opened my eyes to why some here (including Joe) would not have drafted Barton in the first.
May 8th, 2024 at 9:41 am
Isn’t Klein our 6th rd rookie? Lmao seriously doubt he beats out one of our 2 new signees or Hainsey for that matter. But it sure does sound good🤣
May 8th, 2024 at 10:10 am
Yes, Barton at Center. It’d be quite a blessing if Elijah Klein is good and won a Guard spot from the get-go. Will he? We’ll see.
May 8th, 2024 at 10:18 am
LOL, Todd will have him learning nose guard and dime cornerback as well. Versatility you know. Learn 7 or 8 positions so you can play them all like dung instead of excelling at one.
May 8th, 2024 at 10:36 am
Our center position gave up 5 sacks, something like 50 pressures last year, cutting THAT by 90% or so rates a 1st IMO
May 8th, 2024 at 10:40 am
Actually, I think Sua Opeta will win the starting guard position for starters. Would like to see Klein in the mix as backup and maybe eventually take over if he looks decent….
Buh-bye Hainsey!
Sorry bro 🤷🏻♂️
May 8th, 2024 at 10:48 am
Who cares what the graphic data says as long as you get the right guy for your team, bucs made the right pick go bucs!!
May 8th, 2024 at 10:50 am
I think that Barton will be given every chance to be our starting center. He has played the position before in his rookie season so the adjustment should not be that great.
Main reason why he would not play center would be if they felt that Hainsey at Center with him at guard would be a better tandem than with Barton at center and some other player at guard.
I know there are rumblings about moving Cody Mauch to left guard and it might make sense given that he did play left tackle in college so he would be playing on the same side however I’m not a big fan of moving guys that are just developing at a position already. However if he does it certainly opens the door for our rookie pic in the sixth round to have a shot. Personally I think opeta gets the starting job at left guard Barton at center Mauch at right guard and that leaves Robert Hainsey as the backup center Ben bredesen as the backup left or right guard and same for our 6th round rookie pic.
May 8th, 2024 at 10:54 am
That was the plan from the beginning.
Why would anyone buy the smoke that there was some doubt?
Hainsey is prolly happy that he gets to compete for LG and not C.
I suspect the entire OL, primarily the IOL, will perform far superior to last year’s version, and that is a good thing.
May 8th, 2024 at 11:00 am
@Tucker it demonstrates the value of the position. I mean just look at the position. I don’t think a Center has been drafted in the top 17 since 1999 (mind you a KICKER has)! It’s just not a high value position like QB, EDGE WR LT and DT. Doesn’t mean it wasn’t the right pick for this team at the time. Although I could speculate that the reason we hear about Barton’s “5 position” versatility is it increased his value and further justified the pick in the first round.
May 8th, 2024 at 11:11 am
The whole chances of finding a starter is the same as a 6th is garbage casual stat. Hainsey was drafted in the third and was a starter but there are levels to a guy being able to start and a guy that is going to impose his will in the other team to complete your objective.
May 8th, 2024 at 11:20 am
Laid it out here at one point, but like 1/2 or more of the top paid Centers were top 1-2 round picks. The other 1/2 were late rounders for the most part. THe 3rd-4th rounds had very little representation.
Looking at PFF’s rankings in 2023, the top 5 is made up of a 2 1st rounders / 1 2nd rounder / 1 5th rounder / 1 6th rounder. The 6th rounder is Jason Kelce who retired. After him is David Andrews who was undrafted but also older guy (32). Guy after him (Pocic) was a 2nd rounder.
Vast majority of top playing centers under 30 were top 2 round draft picks
May 8th, 2024 at 11:21 am
A Bucs Fan Says:
May 8th, 2024 at 9:40 am
I saw a crazy graphic of data online that demonstrated the ONLY offensive line position that is worth a first round pick is LT.
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A center can have an enormous impact on an offense. Bucs fans who watched Ryan Jensen when he was here and watched the offense after losing him KNOW this to be true. I trust Jason Licht more than whoever created that graphic and the other talking heads who spout that BS.
May 8th, 2024 at 11:22 am
@Statguy all statistics have limitations but it’s not garbage. It demonstrates probability of success at finding 1/32 starters in the NFL by round. Both Jensen and Jason Kelce were 6th rounders who fit your description.
May 8th, 2024 at 11:27 am
LT – Wirfs
LG – Mauch (played LT in college)
C – Barton
RG – Sua Opeta (best seasons with Philly)
RT – Goedeke
May 8th, 2024 at 11:29 am
There’s a good article on FoxNews about Barton written by Greg Auman from like 2 days ago!!!! It’s a pretty big article with his old H.S. Lacrosse Coach. It was nice seeing it from a national publication.
May 8th, 2024 at 11:56 am
@BucsfanSince1996 – I don’t disagree with you, but Jensen was a 6th round pick.
I hope people don’t misunderstand. I am not undermining or questioning the Bucs draft strategy. I agree that Barton was a good pick at a position of need.
I was merely stating an observation I made because there were people who claimed (including at least one Joe) that center was not a high value position worth drafting in the first round.
It turns out there are years of data that back up that premise and the trend has only increased in recent years which makes Bucs pick of Barton that much more of an outlier.
I trust Jason Licht, especially with lineman, and hope Barton’s a probowl center for years to come. It’s just interesting how the value of positions fluctuate over periods of time and it gives insight to why some “experts” didn’t value the pick as much.
May 8th, 2024 at 12:27 pm
I believe the Bucs drafted Barton to be a center, but as Bowles acknowledges, the position is tough, which is why they’re keeping their options open. Barton is a smart, talented player, so I have no doubt he’ll start somewhere on the line. It is smart for Bucs to keep their options open. Let the five best players start and that won’t be clear until sometime in August.
May 8th, 2024 at 12:51 pm
Guard or center, just get the best 5 out there. Barton will be fine. Don’t see much of a story here. Of course we can beat this horse up for the rest of the and lament how we missed the top three edge players.
May 8th, 2024 at 1:01 pm
@bucsfan I get what you saying but it’s the bottom of the first when pretty much all the first round graded guys are already drafted so I’m completely fine with the bucs drafting Barton where they did. It fills a need and you get a starter and that’s where the value of the draft is getting players who can start and help you win games. Go bucs!!
May 8th, 2024 at 1:15 pm
I mean, he was announced as a center when we made the pick….
May 8th, 2024 at 1:42 pm
Lord Cornelius Says:
Vast majority of top playing centers under 30 were top 2 round draft picks
A Bucs Fan Says:
The Canter position had the same chance of finding a starter with a first round pick as the 6th round.
Who’s stats are wrong ???
May 8th, 2024 at 1:45 pm
I don’t know … picked to play center doesn’t necessarily mean playing center day one. If he’s slow on picking it up, or struggles, they’d be smart to move him to guard for now (which is much easier to learn and play early on) and then just keep giving him reps in practice at center.
With that said, I assume he’ll start at center – but no reason to force it, he hasn’t played center in a few years, right? So if that’s an issue, be smart about it, and don’t force it, just to force it.
May 8th, 2024 at 2:04 pm
“OrlandoBucFAn Says:
May 8th, 2024 at 12:27 pm
I believe the Bucs drafted Barton to be a center, but as Bowles acknowledges, the position is tough, which is why they’re keeping their options open. ”
And another possibility -starting Barton at G may have more to do with getting the best 5 on the field rather than Barton failing to win C this season
May 8th, 2024 at 2:05 pm
@Bucben61 both statements are true.
May 8th, 2024 at 3:04 pm
Well whatever position he plays, it won’t be the one he played in college. Because of Licht’s odd penchant for drafting only tackles, mainly from small schools, not one OL is playing the same position he did in college.
May 8th, 2024 at 3:17 pm
I’m not confused at all.
They drafted him to be a center, but if for some reason he has trouble making all those calls and what not, they’ll slide him over to guard. (Which would be a disappointment, even if they won’t admit it)
May 8th, 2024 at 3:32 pm
This is a very similar situation to the so called “QB Competition” we witnessed last season! Last year everyone knew who the starting QB would be when BM6 was signed! (Except for a few KT worshipers)! But the coaches spit out the “competition” word to get the most from their players!! This year, same story different position. Everyone knows who will be the starting center! To get the most from their players here is the “competition” word again!!!
Only an injury or a “a really sucky” training camp can change that!
May 8th, 2024 at 5:46 pm
I think center sounds good. That’s something he has done as well, and did pretty good. The upgrade is needed Hainsey doesn’t have a problem with it either so. Let’s Do This !!!
May 8th, 2024 at 6:23 pm
A Bucs Fan Says:
@BucsfanSince1996 – I don’t disagree with you, but Jensen was a 6th round pick.
I hope people don’t misunderstand. I am not undermining or questioning the Bucs draft strategy. I agree that Barton was a good pick at a position of need.
I was merely stating an observation I made because there were people who claimed (including at least one Joe) that center was not a high value position worth drafting in the first round.
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@A Bucs Fan, I get that many claim that center was not a high value position worth drafting in the first round and its unusual for them to be drafted in the first round. And I didn’t get the idea you were questioning the Bucs draft strategy. My previous comment was directed towards the talking head analysts who DO question the draft strategy.
Licht wants to make the offensive line great again! MOLGA! 😉
And because of his track record I do totally trust him in this regard.
There’s no guarantee’s Barton will succeed at center but I suspect he will end up there eventually, even if not starting from day 1.
May 8th, 2024 at 8:04 pm
Barton will play center and become a pro-bowler there! Go Bucs!
May 8th, 2024 at 8:06 pm
Bowles is spot on.
May 8th, 2024 at 9:27 pm
Was Ali a disappointment because he was a much better G than C? I know the Bucs wanted him to play C but found out he was much better G. I don’t believe that the Bucs think Marpet was a disappointment. They only wish he didn’t get so many concussions that forced him into early retirement.
I’m on team best 5. Center or Gaurd I don’t care. Whatever helps the team win and maximizes his talent.
May 9th, 2024 at 8:06 am
The other stat was that Centers drafted in the 1st round were 93% likely to sign a 2nd contract with their original team. That was higher than any other position drafted in the 1st round.
May 10th, 2024 at 12:00 am
White finished 7th in the NFL in yards run BEFORE CONTACT.
The run blocking wasn’t that bad. The pass blocking was.
White wasn’t in the Top 60 in average yards AFTER CONTACT.
Then we drafted a RB in the 4th with the exact profile as White, just minus the elite athleticism. And who’s bad at pass protection.
Let’s hope Tucker shows out as his agent got him here. Not the Bucs scouts who continue to show they do not know RB.