“Offensive-Line-Friendly Scheme”
March 1st, 2023
Change is coming to the Tampa Bay offensive line.
During a visit to SiriusXM NFL Radio at the NFL Scouting Combine, Bucs head coach Todd Bowles was asked to talk about his O-line and how it fared last season.
Bowles quickly noted there were three new starters on opening day (Robert Hainsey, Shaq Mason and then-rookie Luke Goedeke) followed by injuries and steady change.
“You kind of like the progress the young guys made, but at the same time you want to get better and add some depth,” Bowles said. “From that standpoint, we had too many injuries last year down there, but every [team] did. You know, that’s part of it.
“With the new offensive scheme, I think it will help them some. I think it’ll help them. It’ll be offensive line-friendly, so to speak. And, you know, we’ll add some pieces to that and see what shakes out.”
Interestingly, Bowles later was asked to talk about his leadership core on offense. He mentioned Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Rachaad White, Cade Otton, Robert Hainsey, Ryan Jensen and Tristan Wirfs.
No mention of Shaq Mason. A cap casualty, perhaps?
Joe is unsure what an “O-line-friendly” scheme is, but considering most O-linemen love to run block, Joe will guess that’s a big part of it.
Special guest Todd Bowles on today’s Ira Kaufman Podcast, presented by Bill Currie Ford.
March 1st, 2023 at 5:07 pm
The Bowles opponent friendly game plans surface.
March 1st, 2023 at 5:13 pm
Just gets worse every time he opens his mouth.
March 1st, 2023 at 5:19 pm
We need some maulers up front
March 1st, 2023 at 5:20 pm
“O-line friendly” is coach speak for “reporters will buy anything”.
March 1st, 2023 at 5:25 pm
If Mason won’t restructure, let him go. We need to draft a guard and tackle in the early and mid rounds.
March 1st, 2023 at 5:27 pm
The outside zone scheme allows the RB multiple hole reads on each play allowing them to read the play flow and pick one of up to 3 gaps to hit
The BA/BL run game was straight power or trap – man on man blocking with one gap
This is what he means, but you need athletic lineman for it to be friendly – if they can’t move quick in short area, they are a liability
March 1st, 2023 at 5:28 pm
The only “O-Line friendly” scheme I’ve ever heard of is when, at the snap, the whole D-Line falls down like a game of bowling-pins charades.
It’s a great scheme, very effective, IF you can get the defense of the opposition to play along.
Other than that, how ’bout some blocking angles, boys? Counters and traps, if you please.
March 1st, 2023 at 5:33 pm
Speaking of injuries, any free agent trainers out there who can teach our players how to prevent hamstring injuries? It seems like something is missing from their injury prevention efforts.
March 1st, 2023 at 5:35 pm
The year is 2023…
The Tampa Bay Bucs are finally ditching the outdated ancient system that Bruce “Almighty” Arians brought to Tampa.
Let’s face it – BA is so old he farts dust.
When he had Tom Brady, Anotonio Brown, Gronk, Mike Evans, Chris Godwin (before the rebuilt knee), Lenny Fournette (when he was young and hungery) and a mainly All-Pro offensive line – the old outdated system worked just fine…
The talent enabled the system to exist.
Now the talent is mostly gone. I’m glad we finally getting a more updated offensive scheme.
And please don’t call me a “BA hater” – I’m not. His system worked and we won a Super Bowl. But it is time to move on…
March 1st, 2023 at 5:47 pm
Lot of teams need an experienced guard maybe get a 4th or 5th rounder for him
March 1st, 2023 at 5:48 pm
We go 7-10 with our garbage aniquainted, dinosaur coaching philosophy. Falcons go 8-9 and may win the division depending on if Carolina lands Carr at QB. Carr at QB then Carolina wins the division at 9-8.
March 1st, 2023 at 6:02 pm
Wow, Shaq makes $7.5 mil
March 1st, 2023 at 6:20 pm
In other words, the o-line will be bad again this year.
Bucs, trying to perfect the “Chinese-Fire-Drill” offense.
March 1st, 2023 at 6:54 pm
In other words, lots of run blocking and maybe two run blocking TE on occasion.
March 1st, 2023 at 7:46 pm
Marine Buc … Found out something interesting about ‘void years’ that caught me by surprise. Usually applies to pro-rating a signing bonus over several ‘void years’ beyond the actual deal.
Here’s how it reads (parentheses are mine) …
‘While the team saves money in the early years of the deal the CAP hit is lower), the salary cap charges in the void years do not simply vanish into thin air (when the contract ends). Rather, they become a “future you” problem – the sum of the prorated bonus money across the void years accelerates, ie, gets pushed forward from future years to the present, and the team will take a dead cap hit in the first void year of the deal. ‘
So in the example of Shaq Mason, his contract is up after this year, BUT …there were 3 ‘void years’ tacked on to spread out his signing bonus when he restructured. CAP hits in those years are:
o 2024: $3.2 mil
o 2025: $1.1 mil
o 2026: $1.1 mil
So according to that explanation above, we’d take a $5.4 mil CAP hit in 2024 for Shaq Mason because those 3 void years would be moved up to the year after his contract with us ends (2023). Bucs have a BUNCH of those type contracts in 2024-2026 that we’ll have to contend with even if we trade or release a player (he got paid his signing bonus in year 1 of the contract, but the ‘accounting’ for it (ie, CAP hits) were spread out over several years … and the bill will come due.
March 1st, 2023 at 7:56 pm
Toads shouldn’t talk. Every time he opens his mouth it sucks wisdom from the universe.
I-line friendly. Hahaha.
March 1st, 2023 at 8:02 pm
Oline friendly=no biscuit. Basically the opposite of no risk it no biscuit
March 1st, 2023 at 8:52 pm
It means out with the duo blocking scheme and in with a simpler zone principles that doesn’t put the pressure/onus of controlling the front at the point of attack on the shoulders of our interior OLmen call after call. 2019-2022 we had the talent with Cappa, Jensen, & Marpet to make it work enough to be effective, last year it exposed the massive difference in talent with who we had on hand in 2022. It’ll be interesting development to track over the next few months.
March 1st, 2023 at 8:53 pm
Probably right Marine. And I’m not so sure the D isn’t somewhat old and antiquated, considering how easy Dallas picked us apart in that last game.
March 1st, 2023 at 8:57 pm
@Marine – that’s what I said all season long.
@Joe – the most surprising part of that quote to me was Cate Otton being mentioned as a leader.
March 1st, 2023 at 9:18 pm
Did Joebucsfan threads get invaded by fake fans? The overwhelming negativity here in these comments is really disgusting for an actual fan of the Bucs.
MarineBucsFan being the exception.
March 1st, 2023 at 9:45 pm
It’s the norm. We win the |^®¢πing Super Bowl, fast forward two years, “FIRE Jason Licht!”
March 1st, 2023 at 9:57 pm
New look offensive line just an early guess:
LT: Tristan Wirfs
LG: Nick Leverett
C: Ryan Jensen
RG: Robert Hainsey
RT: Luke Goedeke
Young and cheap for the most part. Will see if it’s any good.
March 1st, 2023 at 10:54 pm
Trenches for Trask.
March 1st, 2023 at 10:58 pm
Some like to run block but there are a couple who seem to avoid prolonged physical contact but the good thing is the biggest culprit is almost history.
March 2nd, 2023 at 1:53 am
That would be really stupid to cut Shaq. He doesn’t make a lot of money and was really solid. At the very least you’d trade him, you wouldn’t cut him.
March 2nd, 2023 at 2:45 am
The guys he mentioned are all good in space and getting to the next level. That’s what the new scheme requires. The two who aren’t very good at it are LT Smith and RG Mason. Luke Goedeke has a mixed report and didn’t participate at the combine so it’s unclear. Licht didn’t seem too keen on moving Wirfs to LT. The fans seem more excited about it than Wirfs, coaches and GM. I see the logic in it but I’m not so sure it’s gonna happen.
PR did a in-depth story on the new offensive scheme and what it’s gonna ask for from the OL last weekend if anyone who hasn’t seen it and wants to learn more.
March 2nd, 2023 at 8:07 am
Mason has to take a serious pay cut, get traded, or released. Goedeke is the future at RG and a backup RT. If you can get a 5th rounder for him, trade him.
March 2nd, 2023 at 1:25 pm
Gotta say the negative Nancies on this site are grating. For all those who post useful comments on here, I appreciate, but the negativity is overwhelming from these monkeys.
March 2nd, 2023 at 8:34 pm
PewterPride Says:
If Mason won’t restructure, let him go. We need to draft a guard and tackle in the early and mid rounds.
Pipe dream! There is ZERO chance the Bucs will draft two offensive linemen. Just ain’t gonna happen.
It’s ludicrous to get rid of Mason. He is worth far more than he is being paid. If anything, you need to get him to sign a contract extension and try to suck up some of that dead cap money over 2024-2026 into the deal.
March 3rd, 2023 at 12:41 am
I like BA personally. But I hope he retires and is not in the Bucs organization anymore.
I want Todd Bowles to succeed. But if he is bad in 2023, I don’t want BA (protecting his protégé) and keeping them from moving on.