OL Should Be Fine (Barring Injury)
August 31st, 2020
“Ali, you are not gonna gets hurt this year, are you?”
A lot of Bucs fans like to gripe about the Bucs offensive line. They shouldn’t.
Most of the kvetching about the line is, in Joe’s eyes, unreasonable. Just what line in the NFL’s current offensive line crisis has five pancake blocks on every snap and offers running backs consistent five-yard wide holes to run through?
Joe would suggest none.
Joe is of the opinion that the Bucs may have the franchise’s best offensive line in the post-Chucky era. Albert Breer of SI.com thinks the Bucs have a chance of being fairly decent this fall.
@AlbertBreer: The one area to watch is OL depth. Tristan Wirfs has turned a corner the last week at RT, and Alex Cappa looks ready to break through at guard, giving the Bucs a solid starting 5. But if one of those guys go down, it could be a problem (the team did sign AQ Shipley on Monday).
The Bucs have been extraordinarily fortunate to have very few injuries in the trenches. The Bucs’ five starters on the offensive line last year missed a total of five starts. Alex Cappa missed three of those five with a broken arm.
In 2018, the starting offensive linemen missed a total of one start. One! So in the last two seasons, all five starters on the offensive line missed a total of six starts in 32 games.
Just the law of averages suggests that streak should end this year. And the way offensive lines are in the NFL, Joe isn’t aware of many if any teams with great proven depth up front.
August 31st, 2020 at 12:16 am
Keep it coming Joes much appreciated! Paul please go away
August 31st, 2020 at 12:47 am
Anyone remember how Dan Marino made his O Line’s life alot easier, because of his quick accurate release. From 1983-90 Dan was not sacked 20 times in a season. Alot of that was simply because of how fast Dan got the ball out. This is another effect of Brady being here. So on large percentage of plays, the O Line will only have to hold their block momentarily and Brady will get the ball out. Then another Brady effect on the O Line is they will be springing the Running backs into a light box, no more loading up the box against Tampa Bay until Brady says C Ya! The O Line barring injury, is going to be just fine. GO BUCS!!!
August 31st, 2020 at 12:55 am
The o-line has been somewhat average over the past few years. Considering the talent we have built there we should be a “little” over that average in coming years… Hopefully
With a slightly above average line, and a true game managing quarterback, plus the weapons accumulated over the years… I anticipate a truly strong season coming.
I would even possibly label it a “perfect storm” type of offense!
August 31st, 2020 at 4:11 am
I hope someone is working on that field at RayJay.
August 31st, 2020 at 4:45 am
Hey Joe,
Now that camp is basically over (for the media anways) will you be writing up a story about how things were different with Winston vs Brady? I’d really love a non-hyperbolic article that just goes over everything, from practice habits, to performance in practice, accuracy, deep ball, playmaking, how quick to make adjustments, etc. I’d really love to hear how the offense is running different, this year from last, when it comes to the QB and what exactly is the difference. Just please, no hyperbole – just a regular old sports story would be great. I don’t hate Winston, I’m hoping they resign him this offseason to sit behind Brady for a year before getting his job back, but I’m also happy Brady is the current QB. So I’m not looking for an article trashing anyone or an article trying to score points with the idiot brown man bad crowd either. Just a simple, Tommy does this better, Winston did this better – that type of thing!
August 31st, 2020 at 5:50 am
Resign Winston? That chapter is closed. They can’t afford him and he’s not coming cheap. We already know what we’re getting with him.
This is the 2nd time I’ve heard someone say the Bucs should resign Winston. Ludicrous. Makes 0 sense.
Habits don’t die, homey. It doesn’t matter who he learns from.
August 31st, 2020 at 5:55 am
Jameis is going to play the waiting game and wait for Drew Brees to retire or get hurt. He’s not going to go anywhere after this season unless some bonehead organization overpays.
August 31st, 2020 at 5:58 am
gp-“Perfect storm offense”! I like that. We have an explosive offense, and that was before we added the GOAT and Gronk.
The real “issue” with the OL for the last few years has been run-blocking, or the lack thereof. When you blend that with lack of vision at the RB position, you end up with a pass-happy, unbalanced offense.
If we develop anything resembling a run-game, it could very well be the “perfect storm.”
August 31st, 2020 at 7:05 am
I wish we could find out where the Bucs had Whirs ranked on their draft board? Many mock drafts had him as the first OT going in the draft.
August 31st, 2020 at 8:16 am
I think with Sipley and Haeg, we actually do have depth and vetran depth at that.
August 31st, 2020 at 8:16 am
*Shipley
August 31st, 2020 at 9:11 am
Saying something is fine “barring injury” is dicey in a regular year. Saying the line is fine “barring injury” during the Age of Rona is a whole other.
Depth is going to be everything this season.
August 31st, 2020 at 10:35 am
“There is nothing between my ears”
Dope Smith
August 31st, 2020 at 10:41 am
Joe Haeg is proven depth. Shipley is as well. Josh Wells has played a little and not embarrassed himself.
August 31st, 2020 at 10:37 pm
Yeah and Brady will be great until he gets touched. Then he will start to go into full 🐢 mode!!!!!