Your Backup Tackle Is…
June 5th, 2017
Anointed.
Joe sees this question pop up a lot in the comments, so this post is an effort to clear up an overlooked element of the offensive line.
The question? Who backs up Donovan Smith or Demar Dotson?
Last month, when Bucs assistants spoke with the Tampa Bay pen and mic club, offensive line coach George Warhop stated for the record that his backup tackle is starting left guard Kevin Pamphile.
And it doesn’t matter which tackle.
If Smith or Dotson gets hurt or can’t go, Pamphile will immediately fill in. Though Warhop didn’t say this, Joe’s guess is Evan Smith would then replace Pamphile at left guard.
So Joe hopes this clears some things up for people wringing their hands over the offensive line.
June 5th, 2017 at 9:43 am
Let’s hope Pamphile stays healthy since he is a starter and a backup.
It makes you wonder how Benenoch is doing and if we should bring in a veteran backup tackle…..we have the $$$…..
June 5th, 2017 at 9:51 am
I’ve been waiting to hear this.
Hopefully he’ll get plenty of Live 2nd team reps in the preseason.
June 5th, 2017 at 9:52 am
We can fix him, we have the technology. I just dont want to spend any money…
June 5th, 2017 at 10:13 am
Connecting the dots, when Dotson retires KP will take over the right tackle role.
June 5th, 2017 at 10:29 am
Hopefully the line (and team) stays healthy so we do not have to hear names like Evan Smith, and Chris Conte!!!!!!!!
Go Bucs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
June 5th, 2017 at 10:34 am
A couple of serviceable NFL Ots out there to go get like Ryan Clady and then there is Cyrus Koumihjh from bama, he may be done in the NFL with some mental health issues but guy was stud at bama, think he has issues like aaron sears had, but he is like 24, but the bucs need to get some dudes in stat
June 5th, 2017 at 10:35 am
@TBBF- It does add more emphasis on KP’s importance as well as the perceived lack of depth. I only say “perceived” because of Benenoch, Wester, Smith, and Hawley. Other than Wester, we have a bunch of G/C back-ups.
June 5th, 2017 at 10:47 am
He was the backup T last year as well. What’s the problem? We have ES, Marlet goes back to guard and JH goes in.. not sure the Covfefe?
June 5th, 2017 at 10:55 am
Don’t be sleeping on Caleb Benenoch.
June 5th, 2017 at 11:00 am
What in that comment could possibly trigger “moderation”?? Ridiculous Joe.
Fix that chit. Your filters are obviously overzealous.
June 5th, 2017 at 11:21 am
the real problem is the starter at RT. Dotson is one of the worst lineman in the entire NFL. The only reason he did not have as many penalties as D. smith is he always misses games. Dotson is not the answer at RT under any circumstances it’s said the bucs would allow him to take the field given their goals.
June 5th, 2017 at 11:21 am
Thanks Joe….played 2 years at LT @ Purdue.
While I like what he has done with us on the interior, I fear Smith going down for an extended period of time would be catastrophic for #3.
June 5th, 2017 at 11:30 am
@TBBF
Agree with you that Benenoch is the mystery man in all of this. I suspect they’ll see how he looks in August and if he’s not all that they’ll hope for a decent FA acquistion…perhaps a cap casualty when teams cut down.
I’m still hopeful about Benenoch….”on paper” he looks good. He played well for UCLA on an OL that set a school record for fewest sacks allowed….he’s just finding his way in America football having grown up as a soccer player in Africa.
He’s tremendously athletic and along with Marpet the fastest OL on the team and one of the fastest in the league.
August is going to be exciting this year!!!! Roberto vs Folk….can Benenoch blossom…is Sweezy healthy…can the new kid from Boise replace the old guy from Boise? Is our new safety the real deal? And of course we all want to see how our Ferrari of an offense gets tuned up this August.
June 5th, 2017 at 11:45 am
I really like Pamphile but I’m not a fan of EDS. The depth at the line is concerning. Hopefully there are some unknown guys ready to step up….happy with the Pamphile as a backup tackle though.
June 5th, 2017 at 12:26 pm
If Kevin can successfully moving over to RT
We could draft (G) Quenton Nelson (2018)
Quenton Nelson, G, Notre Dame
• Height: 6-5. Weight: 325.
• Projected 40 Time: 5.15
(2018) Projected Line-Up
LT – Donovan Smith
LG – Quenton Nelson
C – Ali Marpet
RG – J.R. Sweezy
RT – Kevin Pamphil
*Potential giving us one of the best – young Olines In the Game
Quenton Nelson, G, Notre Dame
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=148F8rR2GSg
June 5th, 2017 at 12:35 pm
@ LUV that’d be pretty sweet.
I think in general we have to answer a lot of questions this year to give us the direction going forward:
1- Is Smith able to hold down LT (i think he can)?
2- Is Sweezy back to form and reliable at RG?
3- Is Marpet’s transition going to work out or will he have to move back?
4- Will anyone else emerge as a potential RT beyond Dotson/Pamphile?
5- Is Pamphile best off being the permanent LG or is he better as a RT?
I’d be super stoked with your scenario playing out; but if it does I’d rather get Pamphile going at RT this year then to let him really settle at the position instead of flipping him between LG and RT which seems unorthodox.
I love that lineup because the oldest guy on that line would be Sweezy at 29 entering 2018. We’d be set for like 4 years and even then we could just extend guys and draft 1-2 new ones over a long period
June 5th, 2017 at 12:56 pm
@LuvMyBucs and Lord Corn
While that gives the O-line another infusion of big time talent, No way that they take a guard in the 1st in next year’s draft!!!! Better think of DE or CB to replace one of the old guys in those positions for next year!!!!!
While the O-line is a little in flux, there are just so many ways to go, and just need a little help, to become a very good O-line if not one of better O-line in the NFL!!!!! We either will see DS76 step up or he will become a very good RT!!!!! The guard position is not to be worried about as This Organization seems to be able to find very good Guards later in the draft of free agency!!!!!!
GO Bucs!!!!!!!
June 5th, 2017 at 12:59 pm
Seems likely that they will add an experienced OT during the coming roster cuts.
June 5th, 2017 at 2:10 pm
@LC – One of the biggest failures as a franchise – has been our terrible/innconsistent offensive line play. #BuildaWall4Winston
@The Buc Realist – At the backend of the 1st round (G) Quenton Nelson; would be the best prospect on the board. He’s a day one starter – with perennial All-Pro/Pro-Bowl potential. I can’t say that about ANY of the defensive line prospects.
There’s a few guys projected in the 2nd & 3rd round – that have solid potential.
• Duke Ejiofor, DE, Wake Forest <-LUV this kid
• CeCe Jefferson*, DE, Florida
But outside of that – no one really jumps off the board.
On the other hand there's a few NFL (FA) that might hit the streets.
• DE – Ezekiel Ansah
• DE/DT – Stephon Tuitt
• OLB – Alec Ogletree
No reason to force the issue. Let the board come to you.
June 5th, 2017 at 2:13 pm
Somebody mentioned it here but..what about Benenoch. He’s been in diapers..opps I mean training long enough. IS he ready??
June 5th, 2017 at 2:26 pm
unfortunately, under the new CBA, coaches have almost no idea how benenoch is progressing until sometime in training camp. i think this is the reason so many offensive lines in the league seem so poorly assembled from year to year. OL coaches and OCs have to make assumptions about who is getting better and worse in what ways.
June 5th, 2017 at 3:44 pm
There are some interesting FAs next off-season at all our positions of potential need. The team will be in a very good position next year with our only real needs being OT, DE, CB, and maybe S depending on the level of play this year.
June 5th, 2017 at 4:39 pm
Thank you Joe, been waiting for this article / topic.
From reading the comments I can see I am not alone in my concerns (not grave concerns) but still a little concerned about out O-line.
Lord Cornelius must be in my head as those are some of the same questions I have. #3 really concerns me. Marpet did so good at guard I wish we could leave him there. Could bring in Nick Mangold on the cheap, still some tread left on the tires. Whatever the line ends up being they will need to get their chemistry quick so this offense can take off like a rocket when the season starts.
June 5th, 2017 at 5:25 pm
What about this for an O-line
Dotson, Sweezy, Mangold, Marpet, Smith.
Back ups, Pamphil, Benoch, Hawley, EDS,
June 5th, 2017 at 5:33 pm
Isn’t is strange how we had so much money to spend…and yet really have not seemed to spend much at all?
I suspect someone is getting a new contract soon.
June 5th, 2017 at 6:03 pm
RT is the weak link on the line. I see them bringing in another body at camp. More then likely a dept piece but even still would be behind Phamphile to play tackle. Our depth is at center and I like our options there.
June 5th, 2017 at 7:12 pm
Bonzai – Spotrac estimates the Bucs current 2017 salary cap availability when all is said and done at $9.8M. We started with over $70M available which means the Bucs have spent well over $50M beyond what was already on the books since the current year started in March.
June 6th, 2017 at 12:03 am
So, in other words we don’t have an actual backup tackle … we would have to move a starting guard over … that’s not good news.
June 6th, 2017 at 4:38 pm
Pamphile is a former basketball player, just like Dotson was when he started learning RT, and Dotson in his prime was our best OLineman. He looked bad toward the end of last year, but he may have been banged up. Let’s see how he looks this season. He is not too old to play at a high level. But if he goes down, I have every confidence that Pamphile can play RT at a high level. I don’t have as high confidence that D Smith will turn into a very outstanding pass blocker, but there is no doubt he is a very strong run blocker, and he could shift over and play LG and be an All Pro in time, but we will see how he does this year, and if no improvement, our first pick next year needs to be a LT.