Wirfs Not A Starter — Yet

July 28th, 2020

Bucs RT Tristan Wirfs

Just about everybody and their brother presumed Bucs rookie right tackle and first-round draft pick Tristan Wirfs would start right away.

Hold up, partner.

With such a wacky/non-football offseason, Arians said today in a Zoom conference call today he has no rookies starting for the Bucs.

At least not yet.

Arians was asked about the rookies and he admitted the newbies in this wild offseason will be swimming upstream.

“All the rookies lost 400 snaps in the spring,” Arians said. “We’re trying to catch up and [use] two fields of practice, in 90-100 minute practices. We will likely do a lot of two-field stuff like we [normally use in a regular session] of OTAs

“It is going to be very hard for [the rookies]. I don’t have anybody penciled in as starters until I see them play and not make mistakes.”

Is Wirfs a starter yet? No. Neither is Antoine Winfield nor Ke’Shawn Vaughn.

But who here believes, if healthy, Wirfs won’t be starting when the Bucs travel to the Superdome to open the season?

13 Responses to “Wirfs Not A Starter — Yet”

  1. Blogtalkfootball.com Says:

    I really love when you cover press conferences and Q&A sessions! We always get a flurry of good stories from you!

  2. Jaymiss Pick6 Again Says:

    He’ll start if for no other reason…who is he competing against?

  3. Joe Says:

    Blogtalkfootball:

    Thank you!

  4. zzbuc Says:

    He is starting…..No doubt

  5. Anonymous Says:

    He’s not a sure-fire starter based on his tape at Iowa!!!! He has all the tools in the world, but I’d imagine Joe Haeg or Brad Seaton even may very well begin the season ahead of him given the situation. Physically he is superior, of course, but mentally he needs some work. Watch his tape against Penn State. He struggled mightily with 2-man stunts consistently. Hopefully they can clear that up and his technique ASAP!

  6. Buccaneer Bonzai Says:

    Yeah. Right. Because we have someone else to start at right tackle, lol.

  7. Hodad Says:

    Arain’s just making the kid feel like he earns the spot. There’s no preseason games, so there will be plenty of time to study, and practice. That’s why you draft guys who played the position in college. He’s our first round pick at a position of need. He’s either a stud, or a dud, average won’t cut it. If he doesn’t start, it’ll be because he’s a bust, which by the way I don’t think he is. Fingers crossed, he balls out.

  8. mark2001 Says:

    I think if he isn’t starting, it will be to motivate him, and let him grow in the system. Until then, they will implement schemes to protect that side for Brady until Wirfs is ready to step in during the early part of the season.

  9. Buc50 Says:

    No way he starts the first game with no preseason and an almost non-existent off-season.

  10. Roy T. Buford Says:

    He’ll start. But no coach in his right mind will give him that job before camp starts. It’s not like he’s the #1 overall pick QB guaranteed to lead the Bucs into winning ways and be a guy locals can be proud of for decades.

  11. gp Says:

    When OTA’s were cancelled I considered that Haeg might start before him. I suspect it won’t be for more than two games. And he will get reps in game one to be sure.
    Remember the primary job of the line this year.
    Keep Tom Standing!

  12. SOEbuc Says:

    gp…yeah. I hope Anthony Nelson telling him what NFL is like on the outside.

  13. JimbobBucsFan Says:

    I too won’t be shocked if Haeg starts at right tackle against New Orleans.

    I saw no consensus among the pre-draft analysts and pundits that Andrew Thomas, Jedrick Wills, Tristan Wirfs or Mekhi Becton were guaranteed starters on the first day of the season no matter who drafted them. The lack of rookie camp and OTAs has done nothing to enhance the expectation either.