Building A Stable
August 19th, 2024
Offensive line makeover.
Within the past two years, the Bucs have undergone a massive rebuild on their offensive line.
Gone are four of the five guys who started when the Bucs put together a Super Bowl-winning season in 2020.
Donovan Smith left as a free agent. Ali Marpet retired. Ryan Jensen had his knee destroyed in an underwear football practice, of all things. Alex Cappa left in free agency.
The only guy remaining is Tristan Wirfs, and that is a helluva building block to start a foundation.
And while Saturday night’s preseason game against Jacksonville was mostly for rookies, camp meat and hangers-on bubble players, Brian Baldinger picked up on something.
The former 11-year NFL offensive lineman and current analyst for NFL Network highlighted how Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht is building a deep offensive line.
First-round pick center Graham Barton is easy to project as a stud. He may already be one. And Elijah Klein, a rookie sixth-round pick, is displaying scrappy if not diverse play on the line.
Baldinger even showed some love to rookie undrafted offensive lineman Xavier Delgado (Missouri).
This isn’t even factoring in second-year free agent offensive lineman Luke “Merle” Haggard, who played very well at Cincinnati, or Justin Skule, a veteran backup tackle.
Baldinger may be onto something. Not only should the Bucs’ offensive line be better this year, they likely will be deeper.
.@Buccaneers with 3 rookies playing on the interior of the O-Line @grahambarton53 @ElijahKlein79 #XavierDelgado getting the job done. Havent seen 3 rookies play this well together on the inside all preseason #coaching #BaldysBreakdowns pic.twitter.com/AzgBKiqVT6
— Brian Baldinger (@BaldyNFL) August 18, 2024
August 19th, 2024 at 12:05 am
Uh oh Joe. Baldy said the preseason is “So important for young players”. Going against the tried and true mantra of being worthless 😂. Giving you a hard time of course, appreciate the Baldy Breakdown. Need more to read tho!
August 19th, 2024 at 12:15 am
How did Antoine Winfield and Tristan Wirfs ever make it?
August 19th, 2024 at 12:23 am
@Joe
“How did Antoine Winfield and Tristan Wirfs ever make it?”
They are the outliers Joe. For the most part preseason is important for rookies, no matter what round selected.
August 19th, 2024 at 12:34 am
This is encouraging.
August 19th, 2024 at 1:25 am
Touché Joe, touché
August 19th, 2024 at 1:35 am
Leopold Stotch Says:
August 19th, 2024 at 12:05 am
Uh oh Joe. Baldy said the preseason is “So important for young players”.
Joe Says:
August 19th, 2024 at 12:15 am
How did Antoine Winfield and Tristan Wirfs ever make it?
AWJ31 & TW78 are outliers, Joe.
All-Pro outliers.
August 19th, 2024 at 1:57 am
Klein and Barton are brawlers. Wirfs is a phenom. The new LG Bredeson is a significant upgrade.
Would anyone mind an Offense that could hold the ball 5 more minutes a game with a punishing rushing attack?
August 19th, 2024 at 2:16 am
yeah i was thinking about this the other day…in a roundabout manner…
baldy knows…
if bredeson stumbles we have a few dudes fairly ready…exactly in haggard and young klein…people sleep on haggard…
the line has potential to be a nasty group……..if they want to be nasty…
walton is pretty decent, not so sold on skule, yet…
damn shame we lost opeta…
but the group is solid af, and has more roadgrader vibes…
i expect the run game to continue looking good with the commencement of the season
August 19th, 2024 at 3:45 am
Hmmm, strange that in a piece about OLine backups, the name Hainsey didn’t arise once of all the backups mentioned. And yet he’s probably the most versatile & experienced of all our backups.
August 19th, 2024 at 5:10 am
Not the expert that Baldy most assuredly is but I was thinking the same thing. I would add the big German Metz looked better than Delgado…Just my opinion. He needs some NFL coaching but he can play.
Go Bucs!
August 19th, 2024 at 6:04 am
Barton will be a monstrous talent. Teamed on the line with Wirfs and Goedeke, we have a tremendous foundation.
But.
Look at their play and Rankings, Mauch and Bredesen were two of the worst linemen in the NFL last year.
Bredesen has looked good this year. But the league knows his weakness, and the Defensive starters will use it against him.
He has the 3rd shortest arms of any linemen in NFL history. If you watch the Giants last year, you can see how it is an issue. He cant “lock on and steer” defensive tackles.
Mauch has struggled so far.
Meybe they both play great this year. I hope so.
But we have been last in rushing 2 years straight.
It just drives me nuts that we dont address the guards, when we have such great talent at tackle. At Center, at Wr and QB.
This is a very talented offense.
But two bad players at guard will really screw things up.
Last year, pressure came up the middle.
Finding good guards isnt that hard. We have been terrible at the interior line since
We lost Marpet/Jensen/ Cappa.
If we got even average talent, it would improve both our run and passing game.
Its like pass rusher. It just doesnt get addressed.
Oh well, we’ll probably still win The NFC South.
But with all the talent we have, a decent running game would make this team so dangerous.
Meybe Klein can fill one spot.
August 19th, 2024 at 7:29 am
Lichts an o line guru at this point. Like Howie Roseman of OL and maybe WR
August 19th, 2024 at 7:52 am
I do think the O-line will be better; but, who gives a crap about what I think. Time will tell.
August 19th, 2024 at 8:49 am
Jason and the scouting dept do a tremendous job, especially at O line. We were thrown a curve ball with Jensen’s injury….and believe me, Hainsey is still in there, not going anywhere.
August 19th, 2024 at 8:57 am
Excellent foundation for sure! Sometimes we miss or forget these great moments in football and need a reminder video to put it all in place. These are rookies having it all together! Sensational!
August 19th, 2024 at 9:25 am
It is not just personnel. It’s also scheme. The Bucs OL is an entirely different scheme from the recent past.
August 19th, 2024 at 10:19 am
Put Logan the Oaf in an isolation booth for the remainder of preseason, then cut him. It is encouraging to watch the Bucs run game in the two preseason games.
August 19th, 2024 at 10:45 am
Learn the Name: Xavier Delgado
X will be our starter by EOY. 6’6, 329. OMG! Bredeson hasn’t played an entire season.
(BTW, How bad were those throws?!!! The first pass was into triple coverage! Even the TD was way behind. He turned an easy TD into circus catch. I was a Trask supporter, but he’s not it.)
August 19th, 2024 at 11:03 am
Pirate, I agree. Trask could have 3-4 ints. He reminds me of Jamis. Strong arm and let it fly- -even if it’s to the other team. We need another experienced QB in case of injury. Like Mullins for the Vikes.
August 19th, 2024 at 11:09 am
Yes, Pirate – Xavier Delgado! And yes about Trask throws.
August 19th, 2024 at 12:07 pm
Go Bucs
August 19th, 2024 at 12:24 pm
This @Joe thinks the preseason is for 1st rounders only. LOL.
Not everyone coming out of college is Wirfs or Winfield Jr.
August 19th, 2024 at 2:34 pm
Yeah!!! Where is the talk about Metz? He is an absolute MOUNTAIN of a man at 6’9″ and 310. And he played left tackle pretty darn well last game. His pass blocking needs some work but he was dump-trucking dudes in the run game. He needs to get some more love from you Joe!