The Bucs And Trevon Wesco
June 18th, 2024
“Remember, Jason, anyone the Jets cut is worth another look.”
So Buccaneers backup tight end Ko Kieft missed the entire spring training at One Buc Palace with an injury the team didn’t disclose.
That’s a lot of lost time for a guy known as a hungry, lunchpail player.
Kieft doesn’t bring a lot of skill or experience to the position. So that has Joe wondering if the Bucs might be keeping an eye on a run blocking tight end that’s had success in the role for brutal teams.
Veteran Trevon Wesco was drafted by the Jets in 2019 (poor guy), and built a reputation there for run blocking. Then he was waived by the Jets after their 2022 training camp and NFL Network reported the Browns, Colts, Bengals and Bears entered claims for him, making Wesco the most sought after released player during that post-training-camp wave.
He landed with the messy Bears and signed as a free agent last season with the Titans to help block for Derrick Henry.
Tennessee subsequently blew up its team and now Wesco, 28, is on the market. He doesn’t appear to be hurt, so it’s unclear why he’s still on the street. Perhaps he wants a little more cash than the league minimum — and wanted to avoid spring workouts?
Joe’s not down on Kieft, but his mysterious injury has Joe taking pause.
Everyone wants an improved run game at One Buc Palace. Perhaps adding an experienced run blocking tight end could help make that happen.
June 18th, 2024 at 5:56 pm
Has any person on this site watched even one Trevon Wesco snap?
Apparently, his high snap count with the Jets was 240.
I wonder if Warren Sharpe’s guys had him rated as an effective run blocker.
My guess is that guys playing less than 50 percent of snaps as just run blocking TE’s are just hoping that Joe (as his long-lost cousin) can convince someone from the Bucs that he has value.
June 18th, 2024 at 6:05 pm
To be honest I had to look him up.
June 18th, 2024 at 6:28 pm
I guess I’d rather have the Bucs use a backup O-Lineman as the “blocking TE”, since they can block far better than most TE’s, and it saves a roster spot (I’d rather the Bucs go with 3 TE’s this year, and 1 stashed on the practice squad).
June 18th, 2024 at 6:36 pm
Another “mysterious” injury at One Buc. I just would prefer not to see Ko Kieft taking “mental reps” and standing next to the GM on floppy hat duty in public, much like Easy Money Sweezy. It’s bad optics for a young team, and it would bring back bad memories.
June 18th, 2024 at 6:38 pm
Wesco was a glorified swing tackle that was eligible for a catch once or twice a season. Pass.
I’m sorry to hear about Kiefts injury, but if anyone can get production from the TE position it’s the new coach. I have high hopes for Otton & Durham. Beyond that it’s a toss up. Devin Culp flashed with some acrobatic catches in college but he’s been inconsistent, it seems, through out camp catching the ball. This years training camp will define Keift’s career who at this point is just an average blocker and offers no real threat in the passing game. He is a highly replaceable player at this point.
June 18th, 2024 at 6:43 pm
P.S. given Ko’s late season shoulder injury… I’d speculate a rotator cuff tear
June 18th, 2024 at 6:45 pm
Just use 6th o line from time to time.
June 18th, 2024 at 6:50 pm
Ko isn’t even that that good of a run blocker either. Don’t think he makes the team this year
June 18th, 2024 at 6:56 pm
Coen likes to use 12 personnel in the run & play-action game…Otton + 1 TE needs to be proficient at blocking & slipping out for quick strikes.
Kieft (when healthy) is a sufficient for what Coen wants from a #2/3 TE that will not get a ton of targets. Payne seems like the guy that could become a real asset in the pass game. But he’s no there yet as a blocker, IMO.
If Wesco makes sense…Hope the FO does it’s due diligence.
June 18th, 2024 at 7:01 pm
I think he gets cut before the season as well.
June 18th, 2024 at 7:10 pm
He will be on the practice squad anyways. We have 3 top notch TEs ahead of him.
June 18th, 2024 at 7:12 pm
Belonzo Chagranting could’ve played TE too but gave up football for cricket.
June 18th, 2024 at 7:21 pm
Don’t forget that sometimes picks up guys all the way up to the early season. I am sure that a blocking TE will be in the mix by season start.
June 18th, 2024 at 7:30 pm
Off topic a bit – but wouldn’t running Vea on short yardage downs be a media boost to the Bucs and help us get first downs? ‘85 Bears style with the Fridge…. Seriously- you don’t think the media would take off with that? Sounds fun to me. Yeah I know he might fumble or whatever, but come on. Give a D coordinator a bit of heartburn and play some serious smash mouth ball!
June 18th, 2024 at 7:31 pm
Licht sometimes picks up
June 18th, 2024 at 8:18 pm
74 Bucs fan I hear what you are saying problem is he’s had trouble staying on the field to play his position never mind coming in on offense. Big fan of his but stamina hasn’t been his strong suit. Big expectations for him this year though so we will see.
June 18th, 2024 at 9:14 pm
Uh why thig guy and not Geoff Swaim who is both a good pass and run blocker?
June 18th, 2024 at 9:27 pm
You go with the hand you have. The bucs are thick at wr and thin at the so they go more 11 personnel….just win baby
June 18th, 2024 at 9:30 pm
Thin at TE…
June 18th, 2024 at 11:03 pm
Can Devin Culp block? Can he double as a blocking FB?
June 18th, 2024 at 11:29 pm
Are we really taking about Ko Kieft like he is some savior run blocking tight end. I mean I like the guy and all but I just don’t think that if Ko doesn’t play all of a sudden we are doomed at run blocking. It seemed like the guy barely saw the field last year. If memory serves me we used to run pretty well when we brought in an extra O-lineman lining up at tight end to block. I mean when you line up with three tight ends the defense knows it’s a pretty safe bet you are running the ball. It’s one of those statement things. You are saying to the other team, we are going to run the ball and there isn’t a damn thing you can do about it.
June 18th, 2024 at 11:35 pm
Who?!
June 19th, 2024 at 4:45 am
Sign him already Jason. We got nothing in the TE room.
Go Bucs!
June 19th, 2024 at 6:44 am
The first two passes to start Mayfield’s career as a Buc last year were to Ko. Both dropped or at least fell incomplete. I wonder if it was just game planning for that particular opponent or did they think he was a sneaky good option coming out of the backfield? Either way, it was short-lived.
Mystery Injury. Rotator cuff injury is a good guess. I’m of that belief too.
June 19th, 2024 at 10:12 am
Might just as well sign a true fullback who can catch. In other words, I’m not down on a tight end who can only block. Those days in the NFL are pretty much gone.
June 19th, 2024 at 10:28 am
WiseCrack Says:
June 18th, 2024 at 7:10 pm
He will be on the practice squad anyways. We have 3 top notch TEs ahead of him.
Wow! Three “top notch” on our roster. I didn’t think we had ANY top notch TEs. It’s the weakest position on the roster. What group is worse? None!
June 19th, 2024 at 10:57 am
GREAT FIND! We sign Westcox and we locked up the Super Bowl! Travis is the Lebron James of blocking TEs. Huge fan of Trevias Westercob.
June 19th, 2024 at 11:05 am
Sly, you might be right. Personally, I favor Tranofus Wystersbreth.
June 19th, 2024 at 7:22 pm
catcard202 Says
“Coen likes to use 12 personnel”
Wouldn’t that be a penalty?