Todd Bowles Names Two Shining Offensive Linemen
June 13th, 2024
Rising newcomer guard/center Ben Bredeson.
Buccaneers’ mandatory minicamp is over. It’s now vacation time for players.
Underwear football season, however, officially ends after the three or four underwear-only practices of training camp in July.
So today after pratice, head coach Todd Bowles sort of was asked to take stock of his standout players this spring.
Bowles didn’t run down a full list of his expanded roster, but he did feel compelled to mention young veteran guards Ben Bredeson and Sua Opeta, the free agents signed this offseason from the Giants and Eagles, respectively.
What about center/guard Robert Hainsey? He didn’t get a shoutout today.
Joe thinks Bowles was calculated when he mentioned the newcomer guards publicly. What a great way to motivate those guys to come to training camp in peak shape and competing with their hair on fire.
Joe can’t go too far with the love because there’s been no hitting allowed in spring practice, so Bowles essentially is only judging movement in practice and how smart these guys have proven to be in meetings.
Regardless, both Bredeson and Opeta have shown they can start in the NFL and their competition should be fun.
Last season, Bowles and then-newcomer offensive coordinator Dave Canales gifted the left guard job to veteran Matt Feiler for the sake of building O-line chemistry quickly. That won’t be the case in 2024.
June 13th, 2024 at 11:20 am
Hainsey getting cut.
Plus Klein?
Brederson has a better ceiling than Hainsey.
Sua and Klein are way stronger and tougher than Hainsey as backup guards.
Hainsey is not making the team.
June 13th, 2024 at 11:23 am
I don’t believe Bredeson can be a starter. His arms are extremely short. Not Goedeke short. Like 3rd shortest OL arms to enter the league in 25 years.
Hopefully he can be quality IOL depth.
Sua on the other hand. I think he has more upside. We’ll see when pads come on.
June 13th, 2024 at 11:26 am
Licht is betting on one of these guys being a capable starting Guard.
I hope he’s right – but can’t help feeling skeptical….
June 13th, 2024 at 11:31 am
None of our guards were named in the top 32. We have a lot to prove. Hopefully they pick the right guy and someone steps up.
June 13th, 2024 at 11:34 am
@teacherman1983
“Hainsey is not making the team.”
That is a pretty wild take.
No NFL team is cutting a 2 year starter still on their rookie contract. At bare minimum Hainsey is a backup this year. I’m still not convinced that he has been usurped yet by anyone until preseason is over.
June 13th, 2024 at 11:35 am
Todd is an all pro psychologist. Love that. Better and nicer to say that than to target Hainsey as an impotent matador with gore wounds from the bulls.
June 13th, 2024 at 11:46 am
I have a better chance of hooking up with the playmate of the month than Hainsey has of being cut…..he can play multiple spots on the line and could end up starting at guard
June 13th, 2024 at 11:47 am
I’m pretty confident we are getting much improved IOL play this year.
Last year – Hainsey, Mauch (r), Feiler, Stinnie
This year – Barton, Mauch, Hainsey, Opeta, Brederson, Klein
5 guys listed there that are guaranteed better than last seasons 3rd/4th option in old busted down Feiler. The bar is raised. Same goes at WR and in the Secondary. Coaching better be sharp cause this team should compete with anyone and win some ball games.
June 13th, 2024 at 11:52 am
teacherman1983 Says:
Hainsey getting cut.
—————————————————————————–
There is close to zero chance of that happening.
First, Barton has to beat him for the center job. While that probably WILL happen, no one is going to beat him for the back-up center job.
It also wouldn’t surprise me if Hainsey starts the regular season at center and Barton takes over at some point after a month or two.
June 13th, 2024 at 12:42 pm
Hainsey getting cut LMFAO
So stupid
Best lineup to start will probably be Wirfs, Barton, Hainsey, Mauch, Goedeke.
What a moronic take.
Go watch soccer man!!!!
June 13th, 2024 at 1:00 pm
Hey Billy you should grab an apple.juice and sit beside him during that soccer match. Hainsey has been replaced and removed. Your lineup will only be seen here, at jbf.
June 13th, 2024 at 1:08 pm
That’s at least the 2nd or 3rd time I’ve seen someone on here say that Hainsey was getting cut? I mean, anything is possible, but I just don’t see where people come up with these things like this with seemingly ZERO real thought? They don’t give ANY reason whatsoever, or list the pros and cons, Etc. I’m not trying to defend the guy, or am some huge fan of his or anything! I just don’t see the point in cutting a young guy you drafted and still on his cheap rookie contract, who plays multiple positions, & with a ton of ‘starting’ experience in his young career. Like, please tell me HOW that would make any amount of sense at all? Wouldn’t you think that you could at least get something out of him in return from another team desperate for a Center/Guard with ‘starting’ experience, who is young AND cheap!? Teams always have guys go down on the OL during training camp before the season even starts, & several teams don’t look real good to begin with at Center (&/or) overall depth. It just makes no sense whatsoever, to just spout-out “CUT-HIM” for no good reason, like you have Tourette’s, or something.
June 13th, 2024 at 1:34 pm
Unsure about Hainsey, but am not counting him out quite yet. It is his 3rd season so we will see what he brings. Anticipating good things coming from Bredeson, Barton, Klein, and Opeta.
June 13th, 2024 at 2:11 pm
Hainsey is in Year 4 Jude
June 13th, 2024 at 2:24 pm
Thank you for the clarification, Pickgrin. Appreciate it.
I feel bad saying this, but I change my mind now about him possibly doing better this season. I hope he does though. Somehow I lost a year of him playing.
June 13th, 2024 at 3:11 pm
Anything is possible – but yea – after 3 full years and 37 starts – Hainsey’s ‘ceiling’ wouldn’t seem to be much higher than what we’ve already seen….
Supposedly Robert was hanging with Wirfs and Goedeke in the weight room and has bulked up some more – so we’ll see if he can manage to win that open LG spot. If not – its likely the last we’ve seen of Hainsey in real games unless an interior injury occurs.
June 13th, 2024 at 3:58 pm
If true, it is great to hear he is working out with Wirfs and Goedeke and is bulking up. Sounds like he is trying. In the end, it will be interesting to how it all plays out.
June 13th, 2024 at 4:28 pm
Stand all of our Oline shoulder to shoulder look at what you see. WIDE ARSES, THICK LEGS, BROAD SHOULDERS, Compare who is not built so much like that???
June 13th, 2024 at 4:41 pm
I’m hoping Klein ends up surprising everyone and becomes a starter. Dude looks like he could be a frickin beast
June 13th, 2024 at 4:42 pm
Good Problems …
Oh no! We have too many good players. It’s called depth. Props to Licht.
We really don’t have any significant holes. Lot’s of picks and cap room the next two years. Depth is a rare luxury in the NFL. Licht is building the Tampa Bay Crimson Tide.
June 13th, 2024 at 4:58 pm
Several of these guys also have reps of “playing to the whistle”. That’s code for playing past the whistle. It means perhaps the Bucs will finally find a successor to Jensen to replace the “mean” on the OL and in the best of all worlds 3 guys with “Jensen” attitudes. Who wouldn’t love a MEAN AND NASTY OL in front of Baker.
June 13th, 2024 at 5:04 pm
Hainsey is not gonna be cut, but he’ll be the clipboard holder of the O-line.
June 13th, 2024 at 5:23 pm
If the revamped O-line can even closely resemble a dominant one, then Sunday’s are going to be sooooooooo enjoyable! If that does happen, this O can average close to 30 points per game again! That may sound ridiculous after the past 2 seasons but it may very well happen! I’m hopeful!! Time will tell!
June 14th, 2024 at 12:22 am
hainsey is gonna be in the building all year as a versatile back up…
will he be resigned…?
maybe not…that’s a whole other story
June 14th, 2024 at 5:34 am
Ain’t buying it Joe.
Bowles blowing his usual smoke. Diva is my best player.
Go Bucs!