About Those Graham Barton Snaps
August 9th, 2024
Few bad snaps overblown? Bucs GM Jason Licht and one of his assistants weigh in.
Yeah, Graham Barton has had a few snaps in shotgun that, well, eeerrr, haven’t been bullseyes.
Barton hasn’t been horrible, but what crossed Joe’s mind is that perhaps this is what should be expected after asking a rookie to be an NFL starting center when the last time he snapped the ball was as a freshman at Duke.
Joe doesn’t care where you were drafted, if a dude is learning a new position as a rookie in the NFL, there’s going to be a learning curve. That’s all there is to it.
Barton’s snaps made Joe wonder if the Bucs should bring in Mike Norvell for a day to work with Barton? He seems to know what he’s doing with long snaps.
Yesterday, Bucs assistant general manager John Spytek was asked about Barton’s snaps. No, Spytek said, they haven’t been perfect. But Spytek sees a silver lining.
“I think what you love about Graham is one wayward snap doesn’t become another one, another one and another one,” Spytek said. “Yeah, they show up from time to time, but it isn’t like he’s off a cliff after that.”
In one particular practice, Joe noticed two very bad Barton snaps out of three. Both bad snaps blew up the plays. One was high and the other was a wormburner back to Baker Mayfield.
But that was it.
However, that’s also still an issue because games come down to one play. Two bad snaps could sink a game for a team. And the past two seasons, one game came between the Bucs being in the playoffs and watching from the couch. So Joe isn’t trying to trivialize Barton’s bad snaps.
Buccaneers Ring of Honor general manager Jason Licht addressed Barton’s snaps during his can’t-miss sitdown on the Ira Kaufman Podcast yesterday (and below).
“He’s had a handful that he’d probably like to have back, but not that many,” Licht said. “Nothing that can’t be fixed. He’s very good at it.”
Licht said Barton’s learning curve is on a very normal path while his potential greatness is obvious.
“He looks exactly what we were hoping for right now,” Licht said. “But right now I would say that we ‘ooh and ahh’ over his athleticism. I mean, the guy getting out in space, it’s really fun to watch. You know, on the outer and the perimeter and those pulls and getting the second level. That was part of our problem in the past; we couldn’t get the mic [linebacker] blocked. This guy’s a phenomenal athlete.”
The GM also put his word on Barton being a quick study and more than ready for Washington on opening day.
“By Week 1, I promise you he’s going to be in a different place,” Licht said.
Again, Joe just thinks Barton’s struggles mostly have been a rookie adjusting to a position, which is not ideal. Joe’s willing to bet nobody will be talking about Barton snaps in six weeks.
(Licht had more to say about Barton and you can hear that below.)
Special Guest Jason Licht On The Ira Kaufman Podcast; Plus Ira Talks Saturday’s Bucs-Bengals Game, His Birthday Party & More
August 9th, 2024 at 4:31 am
He just needs to learn where his “happy” spot is to release the ball so it’s in a good spot for the qb. Smart and intelligent is what you need in your center and if he’s as good as they say as a rookie and he’s tough like Jensen then we’re good to go for years! Maybe now we can throw some Canales Specials in a while and they’ll work
August 9th, 2024 at 5:39 am
So they’re going to have a center on opening day that hasn’t snapped the ball since he was a freshman at Duke. What could wrong.
August 9th, 2024 at 5:43 am
Said it earlier.
Bredesen started 6 games at Center last year for the Giants.
Start him at Center.
Barton has played Left tackle for 3 years.
Going from left Tackle to left Guard would be an easy transition for Barton.
Still will be a big transition from College to NFL, but from Tackle to Center is huge
Bredesen played Center in the NFL last year.
Next year, Barton will be a great player. We need to draft a CENTER TO PLAY CENTER.
Either way, the interior Oline will once again be terrible.
Whats the team saying about Mauch?
August 9th, 2024 at 6:59 am
These transitions take time. Ryan Jensen spent 3 seasons flip flopping IOL positions before finding his home at center.
August 9th, 2024 at 7:13 am
Try to pick up a veteran center and move Barton to LG. Too much on Barton’s plate right now. Learn NFL line play and maybe move to center after a year or two.
August 9th, 2024 at 7:22 am
Should of signed Connor Williams when he was available a few days ago at a great price and put Barton at Guard
August 9th, 2024 at 7:27 am
The reason most Centers are lower round draft picks is because it takes years for players to pick up the nuances and knowledge to play the position effectively. Most C either sat on the bench for several years or converted from the guard spots or both. I hated the pick of C in first round. While Barton could eventually turn into an effective C you will make your team weaker if you try and force feed him the starting C spot this year. I’m also not a fan of drafting interior OL near middle of first round. Bucs should have taken pass rusher at that spot in first round
August 9th, 2024 at 7:30 am
News flash, the Bucs drafted Barton to play CENTER, they’re not signing a center or moving Barton. Quit worrying so much, Bowles said rookies will play in the pre-season. The Bucs have 3 games and two weeks of joint practices before game 1. Barton will be fine come opening day.
August 9th, 2024 at 7:38 am
Leave him alone, he’ll get it done
August 9th, 2024 at 7:59 am
Remember all the hand-wringing over Tristan going over to the left side last year? Yeah that worked out pretty well. It’s August though so I guess we gotta worry about something.
I’m far more interested in checking out this “Worthless” 🙄 pre-season game on Saturday. Let’s see who shows up for work!
August 9th, 2024 at 8:37 am
They obviously kept cringing watching tape and 100 percent targeted
Someone athletic enough to make 20 percent of the offense able to operate ( it just wasnt happening on tape )
. The bonus is the other 80 percent should get a boost also . Part B is you
Also have an experienced multi position back up .
August 9th, 2024 at 8:47 am
Jp09, well put, exactly right
August 9th, 2024 at 9:18 am
Thank you, Joe.
August 9th, 2024 at 9:23 am
This sounds ominous.
August 9th, 2024 at 9:27 am
Tunnel vision with Barton at Center and this won’t change unless he does lose a game or 2 with bad snaps.
August 9th, 2024 at 9:32 am
If memory serves me, Jensen would have a few “What was that?” shotgun snaps every year. They will happen, even Tiger Woods would hit one in the trees every now and then (when he was good)
August 9th, 2024 at 9:59 am
If Spytek feels there is a silver lining with Graham and Licht feels he will be fine by week one that is enough for me. Gotta give him a chance.
August 9th, 2024 at 10:24 am
We should get a glimpse of his progress tomorrow night at 7pm on channel 38(tampa- CW channel)🔥!
August 9th, 2024 at 10:42 am
I’m going with Spytek and Licht about Barton rather than these butt-squashing internet GMs. Good grief.
August 9th, 2024 at 10:47 am
I get that Tackles are the best OL athletes. It’s also true that most offensive lineman have played mutable roles positions throughout their football careers. But these transitions are sometimes difficult to watch. It’s going to be interesting to see how Barton compares to JPJ. Had the Bucs rolled the dice and waited til the 2nd round to fill center would have JPJ or Zack Frazier still been available? It’s hard to say cause both of them were gone but had Barton been on the board after the Bucs picked maybe Frazier been available for the Bucs 2nd at #57. That would have given the Bucs Edge (now a saint) Darius Robinson round 1 and Zack Frazier in the 2nd. Unless the filled a different position hole and got someone like Van Pran UGA C who last til the 5th round.
August 9th, 2024 at 10:58 am
@Drunk Bucs Fan- Jensens shot gun snaps were so consistently off center (low and left) Brady changed his stance after 19 years to field them.
August 9th, 2024 at 11:34 am
HAINSEY – CENTER, BARTON – GUARD
If Barton isn’t 100% dialed in at Center, he should play Left Guard. This could be for 4, 8, 17 games. A botched snap kills the play, gets players injured, and leads to TO. I’m not a Hainsey fan but he has 2 years at the position.
August 9th, 2024 at 11:54 am
He’ll be fine. Leave y’all’s musical chairs in the bingo hall
August 9th, 2024 at 12:15 pm
Hainsey at center is unacceptable. Any other situation would be better.
August 9th, 2024 at 1:54 pm
This is why you don’t draft a guy who played LT and try to make him a center. It was other centers they could have gotten that are true centers .
August 9th, 2024 at 2:40 pm
We drafted the right guy he just may need some time learning to hike the ball consistently in the shotgun.
August 9th, 2024 at 4:50 pm
Hell, Bucs have been wtong about the Interior offensive line for 3 years now. Whats one more.
I mean, we’ve been last in running 2 years in a row, and the team still managed the playoffs.
But it just makes me wonder what this talented team could accomplish, if we could just fix the interior line, and get the running game going.
Baker and our WRs, along with White able to gai yardage up the middle. We’d be a contender. A REAL contender.
Somehow, our Interior line list Hainsey as starter at center, and Mauch and Bredesen at Guard. If you look at their rating last year, you have the lowest possible rated Interior line amog starters. NO worse combination
Our back ups are Are 3 rookies. Klien and Barton at guard and Center.
Our other rookie guard is Xavier Del Gato. Im not sure hes even a football player.
I think hes a soccer player .
To be eve worse than last year- Licht must have a bet with somebody. No way you could accidentally make last years line worse.
August 9th, 2024 at 7:39 pm
He’s still got a month to figure it out, but if he’s not ready to go, they shouldn’t play him just to play him. Hainsey is a solid pass blocking center, and in 2024, you pass the ball. I have no long term concerns about Barton, but tackle to center is not an easy move and if he needs some extra time, give it to him.
August 9th, 2024 at 8:05 pm
And more importantly.. we finally get see what Trask has on Saturday. How. Exciting.
For every one of us here ‘stompin and hollerin’ to get Hainsey replaced, there were 5 crying that we don’t know what we have in Trask. Dreams do come true, right fellas?
Surprised Joe didn’t write a lengthy article and sticky it to the top of the feed. You’d be hearing clicks for miles
August 9th, 2024 at 10:44 pm
The Hainsey apologists and any suggestions he may remain a starter were torched by Jason Licht. Not directly, but check his comments again.
“That was part of our problem in the past; we couldn’t get the mic [linebacker] blocked.”
We know that wasn’t a problem for Ryan Jensen. Unless Jason is reflecting on…John Wade? That’s writing on the wall stuff.