Todd Bowles Weighs In On Graham Barton Development
August 7th, 2024
Is he any good?
Joe gets that question a lot about first-round pick center Graham Barton.
It’s a brutal question to answer. First, there’s not a ton of time to evaluate him in pads. Second, Joe doesn’t have the benefit of rewinding a play to study the trenches.
Then, if one is to be fair, one must assess whether the guy opposite Barton is playing with full tilt effort. That doesn’t happen on every single play of camp. And good luck evaluating any offensive lineman when the team is out of pads as it was today.
Barton has had bad snaps this summer. Are they too many? Joe can’t go there now. But even if it has been too many for the wrong reasons, there is still plenty of time to correct it.
Joe would confidently say fumbling by a prized rookie running back in preseason wouldn’t get the guy benched or traded. The team would work through it with the guy. The same is probably true for center.
Todd Bowles was asked about Barton’s development and snapping issues on WDAE radio today. The head coach didn’t address the snaps but did note that evaluation of Barton isn’t an obvious call.
“It’s hard to see the grunt positions develop because you can see the guys make great catches or interceptions. But it’s hard to see a center look like a star,” Bowles said. “You know, the run game will help that, blocking against Vita [Vea] and [Calijah] Kancey every day will help that. He’s very intelligent. He has quick hands. He picks up things fast. You know, it’ll develop and we think he’ll be a very good player.”
Joe has no doubt Barton will be thrown into the fire Saturday as the preseason kicks off in Cincinnati (real football!). He’ll have three games to show he belongs.
And if he does belong, the Bucs will let him develop through the season in the starting lineup like any other rookie offensive lineman drafted early.
Joe has zero concerns about Barton. He doesn’t have to be a Rookie of The Year candidate. He just has to be a better player than the 2023 edition of Robert Hainsey.
August 7th, 2024 at 4:18 pm
I’ve at least never been this excited to watch a Center in the preseason lol
August 7th, 2024 at 4:19 pm
hope he learns quick because i saw vea pull a swim move on him lol
August 7th, 2024 at 4:30 pm
If people don’t get patience with a rookie center, better pick up another sport……What about lacrosse?
Let rookies develop, and more specially OL’s!!!!
What’s wrong? Everybody is so anxious!!!
August 7th, 2024 at 4:46 pm
I’m hoping that Barton wasn’t a reach as a center. It seems like every guy we have on the line has been moved from his college position. Maybe Goedeke was an LT. That strikes me as a little too calculating, too cute.
Perhaps we should draft a guy to play the exact position he played in college because (1) it should be VERY easy to evaluate him at the exact position, especially if he was from a big conference; (2) he has, presumably, more experience at THAT position then he would at the one Licht wants to put him in. I think there was an SEC or Pac10 center available to trade down to.
Maybe I’m overreacting, but Joe did raise the question. One thing is for sure, he won’t be a Tony Mayberry who showed up as a rookie and, if not dominated, was damn good for 10 years. We don’t have time for him to develop in 2-3 years. We do have Hainsey who should be a little better than last year too.
August 7th, 2024 at 4:55 pm
I don’t understand why Hainsey has been named starter if Barton needs the snaps with Baker.
August 7th, 2024 at 5:00 pm
Omg. Another year with Hainsey at center.
The pain.
August 7th, 2024 at 5:26 pm
^^^ That’s the problem right there. NO ONE wants to see Hainsey at center for this team ever again.
August 7th, 2024 at 5:40 pm
Joe … ‘He just has to be a better player than the 2023 edition of Robert Hainsey.’
And there-in lies the question that I’m waiting for someone to answer Joe … ‘Is the 2024 version of Robert Hainsey significantly better than the 2023 version?’
Hainsey’s got 2 years of experience at Center & he’s supposedly very intelligent. Personally I think he just lacks the lower body strength to consistently hang with the big dogs. And yet, other guys (Mauch, Goedeke & others) apparently worked their tails off during the off-season to build muscle & increase strength. HOPEFULLY Robert did to.
I haven’t seen Hainsey’s name written at all this Training Camp. Can’t figure out if that’s good or bad. But it sounds like he’s getting 1st team reps also, and no mention MAY be a good thing.
August 7th, 2024 at 6:00 pm
The 2023 edition of Robert Hainsey was an average passing blocker who wasn’t that great in the run game, but not nearly as bad as people think.
In 2024, the passing game is still more important than the run game – and not getting your QB killed is the number job of a center. So if Barton can do that, he’ll be off to a good start.
I don’t think he’ll have any issues long-term, but the idea of just drafting and starting rookies – in particular at center when they’re moving from playing tackle (even if they had previous center experience) isn’t always going to be the smoothest thing. But Licht’s record is excellent on offensive lineman – and yes that includes Hainsey, who is incredibly valuable as a swing offensive lineman. But day 1 rookie starters is always dicey.
August 7th, 2024 at 6:34 pm
Hainsey isn’t terrible. He’s simply meh. Meh isn’t exactly specific, but to me it means he’s more or less adequate. Joe does a great job describing the plays, but it’s kinda tough to evaluate Olinemen with binoculars from fifty yards away. Thus, we only heard about Barton when he dorks a snap. Even on TV it’s a little tough to zero in on a specific lineman unless they do a replay. Last preseason I specifically watched Hainsey a lot to see if he was as bad as advertised. Hence the mediocre (not terrible) grade from me. I saw only a few true losses. I saw at least a few good wins. Mostly I saw reasonable adequacy. Saturday Night I will be watching both if both play. I doubt I’ll be the only one. I wanna watch Breeson and Klein too and maybe Mauch. Mauch looked kinda meh last year too, but with a few more splash plays also. Maybe I’ll buy a DVR. I rented one from Spectrum last year for one week, but the cheap baster yards didn’t have a clock on it so I sent it back. That clock is handier than I could have imagined. I guess I’ll just buy a cheap one.
August 7th, 2024 at 6:54 pm
Bowles doesn’t pay attention to offense thats obvious
August 7th, 2024 at 8:17 pm
inevitable growing pains for a rookie playing a position in a league that is entirely foreign to him. No, a handful of games in the ACC as a freshman do not count. Of course I’ve been saying this from the start. It was obvious from day one. They could have started his journey into the league at LG and eased him to the center position during next offseason. That way he could get his feet wet and the team could have possibly gotten a ROI in year one. But they’ve squandered that so it’s all in on Barton in year one. Still early so hopefully he gets settled in and plays well. Pressure is on the young man.
August 7th, 2024 at 8:29 pm
You are right, Zzbuc, “I want it yesterday!” does not work in the NFL either.
Go Bucs!
August 7th, 2024 at 8:31 pm
We really need him to excel these next few weeks.
Changes the whole o line
August 7th, 2024 at 8:37 pm
Maybe JL and TB are working toward a Superbowl run in 2025 or 2026.
August 7th, 2024 at 8:38 pm
Wish they would just play Barton at LG and try to find an experienced Center. Pretty sure Barton is just overwhelmed learning a position he hasn’t played for a while. Think it makes sense to try and get ex OSU Buckeye Luke Wypler from Browns and install him as Center. Price for Wypler would be reasonable something like a 4th round 2025 draft choice.
August 7th, 2024 at 8:38 pm
secretly working toward
August 7th, 2024 at 9:14 pm
Should have put him at guard and signed Connor Williams before the Seahawks did yesterday. 2nd highest graded center in the league for 6mil and we have 22m cap space . Dropped the ball
August 7th, 2024 at 9:27 pm
What Rod Munch said.
August 7th, 2024 at 10:53 pm
The guy is a rookie who really has no real experience as a center, save his freshman year in college. It’s going to take a year for him to learn the position. Don’t think he will start this year.
August 8th, 2024 at 12:17 am
Dangnamnit!!! This guy has LEFT GUARD WRITTEN ALL OVER HIM. Hainsey should stay center.
August 8th, 2024 at 12:46 am
Better than Hainsey to start. Amen to that J
August 8th, 2024 at 1:26 am
Naa, the preseason games are worthless, so they should trot out the laundry equipment maintenance guy to snap. No sense in getting Barton hurt in a meaningless game that shouldn’t exist.
Except the head coach thinks they are valuable, but he’s the same guy who insists on starting Mayfield over obvious savior Mike Glennon II, so there’s that.
August 8th, 2024 at 7:42 am
Todd Bowles “It’s not easy to evaluate linemen during camp”
Fan base “OMG HE’S A BUST. HE WILL SUCK FOR TWO YEARS. HAINSEY WASN’T THAT BAD. AGGGHHHH!!!”
August 8th, 2024 at 9:45 am
Most guys on the LOS on either side of ball need time to develop and then we are also talking about a guy relearning a position. Give it some time folks. Are you gonna really care in a few seasons if he turns into one of the leagues better centers?
August 8th, 2024 at 9:47 am
And at this pt, they just need to play the best 5. Period. And whatever combination that is. Have to have fast start to season
August 8th, 2024 at 9:33 pm
There’s been so much love for the first 5 draft selections that someone is bound to disappoint. Just by chance, someone flames out. Doesn’t seem like it will be McMillan. Irving seems to be just peachy. Smith is almost as elevated as McMillan. Braswell has been quiet, not up or down, not invisible, but just typical fluff.
Barton is the dude that alarms go off while reading about his camp. Snaps awry. Fast hands. Learns quick. Sounds like she’s smart with a great personality. I’m not shouting fire but excuse, do I smell smoke?
August 9th, 2024 at 10:31 am
“He’ll have three games to show he belongs”
But, but Preseason games don’t matter!! LOL