Righting Offensive Line Critical For Bucs
July 24th, 2010
Davin Joseph and the Bucs offensive line should be better this season.
Prior to last season, Joe was confident the Bucs had a damned good offensive line and the unit was on the verge of becoming a dominant force.
Instead, the line greatly regressed amid the nightmare of a 3-13 campaign.
Part of this was likely due to the fact the Bucs were trying to implement some zone blocking, which is difficult to learn and takes time. The Bucs struggled as a result.
But eye-RAH! Kaufman of the Tampa Tribune points a finger at the firing of former Bucs offensive coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski prior to the start of the 2009 season, a move Kaufman suggests the Bucs never recovered from.
Jagodzinski’s abrupt dismissal as offensive coordinator of the Buccaneers on the brink of the 2009 season opener left a young line dazed and confused. The results were predictably disastrous as the Bucs went 3-13, failing to establish an offensive identity under Greg Olson, hastily promoted from quarterbacks coach to replace Jagodzinski.
With Tampa Bay players due to report to training camp Friday, the offensive line has new focus.
“We’ve got our offense in now,” line coach Pete Mangurian said. “It’s our offense … it’s not this guy’s or that guy’s. It’s our offense, and we’ve spent a lot of time doing that. Greg and I have spent a whole year together. My job is to make happen what Greg Olson wants to happen.”
Joe cannot believe the Bucs offensive line won’t be better this season. As Joe has pointed out several times, he’s very much underwhelmed with the Bucs rushing attack and that cannot be pinned on the Bucs offensive line solely.
Like Joe wrote yesterday, if Donald Penn, Jeff Faine, Davin Joseph and Jeremy Trueblood found themselves unemployed this morning, they’d be with another team by nightfall.
July 24th, 2010 at 2:30 pm
Did i miss something?
Kaufman of the Tampa Tribune points a finger at the firing of former Bucs offensive line coach Jeff Jagodzinski.
oh yeah here it is..
Jagodzinski’s abrupt dismissal as offensive coordinator of the Buccaneers on the brink of the 2009 season opener
Offensive line coach is a little different than Offensive Coordinator…
Must have been a typo…
July 24th, 2010 at 3:06 pm
Freeman will be throwing too manny picks for the offensive line to get any consistency.
That’s it. My scapegoat this year will be the truth. Freeman throws picks and takes sacks and can’t convert on 3rd down or complete passes on 2nd and long… then he will be the scapegoat and i will surely remind everyone.
When Barber gets burned, he will also be the scapegoat.
When Raheem makes the usual boneheaded call to ruin the 1st half, he will also get called out.
It is on! And I’m going no-holds barred on your saviors.
July 24th, 2010 at 3:14 pm
RustyRhino:
Thanks for catching that. That’s what happens when Joe writes a post at 3 a.m. 🙁
July 24th, 2010 at 3:50 pm
I think signing Vincent will prove to be a huge upgrade to the Oline. I think the loss of Sears set the line back alot. And contrary to some things I’ve read here, Zuttah was a major weakness. I also expect to see improved line play this year
July 24th, 2010 at 4:30 pm
I agree Capt.
It’s funny though when Zuttah filled in for Davin as a rookie on the right side, he was good, very good. As you say though he had issues last year on the left side. Another thing about Zuttah is Gruden drafted him in part as a backup center to Faine. They say in that 1’st camp he was pretty good at center too. So with Sears gone, Zuttah had to fill that void and could only stay where he was, at LG, when Faine went down again. Zuttah is real real smart and could play better after a year under his belt in the same position, but I hope they move him. I don’t see him as the LG and I think they should look at Zuttah to back up Faine and or try him at RT where Idiot Boy now plays. I would like to see him get another shot, but I don’t think LG is the place and hopefully Vincent becomes the Left Grader for us.
July 24th, 2010 at 4:35 pm
I agree the line is pretty good. One of the more difficult areas of the team to develop, and one of the most important. Thankfully, the bucs expended considerable time and energy toward developing a good young o-line.
rah is fortunate to have inherited an above average line.
July 24th, 2010 at 5:34 pm
I think they have above average talent. Don’t believe they’ve played up to their billing yet! Meybe Vincents vet presence will kick them up a notch
July 24th, 2010 at 5:49 pm
What I can’t figure out to this day is why they played one of their best offensive games against Dallas, basically using the Jag guys offense.
How was the dream able to determine that lack of precision in the offense? I still think something else was up there that never became public. Cause if the dream, who is a defensive coach, could determine Jags offense sucked before the season, why could he not tell that about Bates?
It’s all a little fishy if you ask me.
water under the bridge i guess.
July 24th, 2010 at 6:17 pm
Eric — I hope you are jokng, but the reason is no film. Every team after Dallas had film. That’s the way it works in the NFL.
See, no conspiracy just a simple answer.
July 24th, 2010 at 7:03 pm
The O-line should be better for several reasons. First, they play at a different weight for zone blocking. They are lighter, more agile. When they switched, they had to bulk up (Penn didn’t have a problem with that). They hadn’t been practicing power man blocking in the offseason, so weren’t “in tune” with each other and where they were supposed to be. When Faine went down, the O-line seemed to be in chaos. He is truly the leader of the line. Josh Johnson and Josh Freeman were too young to make the reads and calls for the line, leading to added responsibility for each guy on the line making reads.
This year, they should be at the proper playing weight. If Faine stays healthy, he can keep things together. If Zuttah is moved to “backup” G/C, he can step in if Faine goes down and Vincent can play LG. It’s already been reported Freeman is making more of the line reads this offseason, which should also help, no matter who plays Center. All these should add up to better O-line play this year. Now, just to get Penn in camp to have all 5 returning guys.
July 24th, 2010 at 7:14 pm
JimBuc Says:
July 24th, 2010 at 6:17 pm
See, no conspiracy just a simple answer.
JB, can you do that same thing with the Economy?
July 25th, 2010 at 6:56 am
@eric
Rah was indeed fortunate to have inherited an above average line.
But like all the other chaos of last year, he found a way to muck it up. And this year will be no better. Putting Zuttah or Vincent in Penn’s slot will put the “Rah” stamp of failure on the O-line. At least we do not have to endure any “rigged” QB battle this year. Nor do we have an injured kicker that Rah orders to play or be cut! The season will start very soon. And even the most ardent Raheem lover will have a hard time making excuses for him. Until we get a real head coach in here we are doomed to failure.
July 25th, 2010 at 7:39 am
Tampa2 — the king of all conspiracy theories
1. I guess Morris is responsibl for Faine’s injury and Sears conditon?
2. Penn will play
3. McCown did not win and had trade value. Goodbye. (He’s still on a bench, right?)
4. Where is that injured kicker?
Many you waste a lot of your life focusing on fiction
July 25th, 2010 at 10:28 am
oops “many” should be “Man,”