Evaluating Ben Bredeson
January 28th, 2025
Disrespected.
Joe chuckled hearing former Jets and Jaguars pass rusher Jeff Lageman take a shot at the Bucs’ interior offensive line this week.
But he’s sort of not alone.
Lageman, a 1989 first-round pick who had a nice 10-year career, works for the Jaguars media team and appeared to be trying to prop up new Jacksonville head coach Liam Coen on radio this week. Lageman praised Bucs left tackle Tristan Wirfs and center Graham Barton but said he was unimpressed by the rest of the O-line Coen worked with in Tampa this season.
It was a clown take, but Bucs left guard Ben Bredeson isn’t getting much love from analysts as he approaches free agency in six weeks.
Bredeson is ranked by Pro Football Network as the 22nd-best interior offensive lineman availale in free agency (if he’s not re-signed first).
The PFF tribe doesn’t rank Bredeson very well, either. Joe thinks that’s almost silly for a 26-year-old that just blocked for an elite rushing and passing team.
Keep in mind Bredeson has a heck of a pedigree, starting for a University of Michigan offensive line that has had tremendous success in the NFL, including center/guard Cesar Ruiz, guard Michael Onwenu and tackle/guard John Runyan, Jr. All those guys got fat second NFL contracts.
Joe is confident the Bucs want Bredeson back in order to keep continuity on the line; it’s rare to have an entire offensive line return, especially a strong line like the Bucs’. But where will they set his value?
Would they dare to let him test free agency?
And might Bredeson look at the Bucs as an unstable situation because Tampa Bay changes offensive coordianators like underwear and the ground under Todd Bowles may be shaky beyond next season?
January 28th, 2025 at 3:25 pm
And might Bredeson look at the Bucs as an unstable situation because Tampa Bay changes offensive coordianators like underwear and the ground under Todd Bowles may be shaky beyond next season?
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By only changing the name of the player I can only imagine the amount of times Joe will be able to recycle a similar ending to many of the stories he will write during the upcoming FA cycle.
January 28th, 2025 at 3:25 pm
Can we get some articles regarding the wide open, drive a truck through, grand canyon like, Swiss cheese pass defense that Bowles claims “Just gotta be better”?
That seems way more relevant than O-Line nonsense surrounded by constant Coen hatred for taking a higher paying job.
28-27
Fire Bowles now!!!
January 28th, 2025 at 3:28 pm
Top 5 in every major offensive category. Did he even watch tape or just parrot what he heard?
January 28th, 2025 at 3:30 pm
You lose Bowels, you lose Lavante vice versa they are pretty much tied at the hip.
Ben B was a decent signing, much better than Bloomsburg kid last year… Bring him back and let him battle with our rook we picked up last draft…the rook looked decent in preseason
January 28th, 2025 at 3:31 pm
Ball Hawk where have you been brother?
January 28th, 2025 at 3:51 pm
He’s a great backup. He’s no starter. He’s the weakest link on the line by a wide margin.
January 28th, 2025 at 3:51 pm
hes also entering his prime doesn’t seem smart to let him walk
January 28th, 2025 at 3:59 pm
He’s just inside the top 50 percentile, but he seems functional enough, we need to save money wherever we can
January 28th, 2025 at 4:04 pm
I’m sure the Bucs would like to have him back, but it’s all about the cost. Again, as of today, the Bucs have a whopping $2m in cap space. Obviously there’s moves to come that will raise that number, but they’re still going to be very tight on the cap, and we already know Licht can find guys to start and play well at very cheap prices, at least for a year.
January 28th, 2025 at 4:07 pm
Supply and demand will dictate what Bredson is worth…
Lucky for Bredson there are very few capable free agent OGs on the market this off season.
However – there are a plethora of decent rookie o-lineman available via the NFL draft in April.
It wouldn’t be a big surprise to see our GM draft another IOL in rounds 2-4 if things don’t work out with this guy.
January 28th, 2025 at 4:15 pm
Sounds like Jacksonville trying to lower the price on him so they can go after him if he hits the market.
January 28th, 2025 at 4:23 pm
Meh – he’s average at best. The weakest link on our OLine without a doubt…
If Bredeson wants or thinks he can make more than $5m or maybe $6M per year – then let him walk. We can do better – and perhaps for less $.
The impression from Training camp was that Opeta was beating Bredeson out for the spot – until Opeta got hurt and the team decided to put him on IR for the season. Opeta signed for $1.35M last year.
To be fair – Bredeson played all year and did reasonably well – so durability and availability should definitely be a consideration….
January 28th, 2025 at 4:37 pm
Let’s see if the Bucs can retain Carbs to give Licht some guidance. Other possible LG’s on the roster are Royce Newman (also a FA), Hainsey, and Klein. Carbs has seen all of these guys in practice but not much in games this past year.
For what it’s worth, PFF’s grade for Bredeson with the Bucs is similar to his grades at the Giants – so no improvement last year according to them. To Bredeson’s credit, he was available last year with no missed snaps I could find.
January 28th, 2025 at 4:53 pm
At the risk of showing my ignorance, who was the guard that we signed to be the starter, but he went down with a blown knee in training camp? Bredeson was his backup…what’s that guy’s status?
January 28th, 2025 at 5:14 pm
Can’t give him something crazy , but he did show everyone he’s valued in TB. I don’t really see greatness, but he’s an average starting G and I’d resign him if he’s willing to do it for the same or so idk. How many penalties and sacks did he give up? The thing is we all know if he stays in TB on a 1 year deal he’s gone the year after so for him it’s not worth it unless a multi year deal and as they said everyone else from his college line got paid why not him? It’s wrong.
January 28th, 2025 at 5:27 pm
Jeff Lageman was DEAD on in his assumption of evaluating Ben Bredeson, I really hope the buccaneers move on from him ( unless he signs for the league minimum salary) I’m CHUCKLED just trying to understand how come you Joe think so highly of this Scrub.
January 28th, 2025 at 5:28 pm
Forgot about Sua Opeta being in the mix too.
January 28th, 2025 at 5:31 pm
Without a good Pass defense, nothing else matters
January 28th, 2025 at 6:24 pm
Tell the truth, Truth be Told.
January 28th, 2025 at 6:32 pm
He’ll go with whatever team gives him the best deal. Simple as that
January 28th, 2025 at 7:10 pm
I cant imagine he would be too expensive to sign back. If we can get him at a good price its a good move.
January 28th, 2025 at 8:13 pm
Is one of the Joes secretly Ben Bredeson’s agent or something?
Oh, Ben’s been in the room with a bunch of good players, so he must be good? Ruiz, Onwenu and Runyan have all performed better than him. The former two by a large margin (and the latter got paid by the amazing front org that is the Giants – reminder kids: don’t be the Giants).
He’ll give you an ok floor at the position, but he’s not a great player. He was pretty clearly the worst starter on the line. If you can get him at the right price (cheap), absolutely go for it. If you’re spending significant money… no. Either/both options of another low price UFA vet and/or a day 2 pick rookie (Donovan Jackson etc) is likely to at least match his performance next year, if not exceed it.
January 28th, 2025 at 8:31 pm
Frankly I would resign him on a deal but I would not invest more than three or four million in him. I think one can get replacement value of equal or better talent for not much more money. Additionally we drafted Klein who I think with a year of NFL seasoning under his belt probably could outperform Bredesen.
Any news on Opera who likely would have started if not for injury?
January 28th, 2025 at 10:02 pm
Pickgrin Says:
January 28th, 2025 at 4:23 pm
Meh – he’s average at best. The weakest link on our OLine without a doubt…
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Well there’s always going to be a ‘weakest’ link, as one player is always going to be 5th when you got five players there.
Also being average isn’t a bad thing. The Bucs have a ton of resources put into the line and have to figure out how to pay Luke – and if I’m the Bucs, figure out how to bring back Hainsey as you need depth and a guy that can play every position on the line, and do it pretty well, is huge.
So it’s just a money issue – and can you keep guys knowing you likely can’t spend a high pick on another lineman when you have so many holes on defense.
January 28th, 2025 at 10:51 pm
The Bucs will now go about fixing something that was not broke and not fixing that which was broke. Another routine par.
January 28th, 2025 at 11:41 pm
So he is ranked #22 out all interior lineman in the NFL. I am assuming they are considering RG, C, and LG as interior lineman. So that means out of the starting 96 interior lineman in the NFL he is ranked #22. How is that bad? I don’t understand.
January 29th, 2025 at 3:32 am
So the Jags are stacked at the Low Class employees position Joe?
Wow! Top to Bottom…
Go Bucs!
January 29th, 2025 at 8:54 pm
Tackleblockwin; “22nd-best interior offensive lineman availale in free agency”
Not 22nd best overall. Only of guys available as a free agent.
January 30th, 2025 at 10:57 am
Keep him unless he wa ts some stupid money amount depending on how well the other guy plays coming off IR. Then draft Fairchild out if GEORGIA, 1 sac surrendered all l a st season as a LG in the SEC against a top 3 schedule.