Greg Van Roten And The Bucs
August 22nd, 2022
A soothing thought these days at JoeBucsFan.com world headquarters is the success of the 2015 Bucs with two starting offensive linemen that weren’t on the team in mid-August.
Back then, in the heart of The Lost Decade of Buccaneers football, general manager Jason Licht plucked right tackle Gosder Cherilus off the street and center Joe Hawley.
The result was the Bucs had the fifth-ranked offense in 2015 behind a punishing rushing attack and a decent passing game.
Today the Bucs sit with a messy mystery at left guard and an inexperienced center set to play in front of the greatest quarterback in history of the human race. That’s why Joe was up all night studying options around the league.
One guy Joe thinks could be a potential Bucs signing is Bills guard Greg Van Roten. The undrafted veteran is one of those grimy, worked-my-way-here dudes that Licht seems to appreciate.
How dedicated was Van Roten? He forged a Canadian Football League career after things didn’t work out for him in Green Bay and Seattle.
Plus, Roten is a smart guy out of the Ivy League (U. Penn). He should be able to pick up the Bucs’ offense quickly.
Joe has a ton of respect for the Bills’ front office, and Joe suspects they wouldn’t have signed Van Roten if his film with the Jets over the past two seasons looked awful. Still, in Buffalo he could be a late-August casualty on a deep Bills roster.
And remember, Licht has a history of trading with Buffalo.
Van Roten, 32, has made 50 starts over the past four NFL seasons with miserable Panthers and Jets teams. But he may be good enough — and experienced enough — to give the Bucs some peace after Aaron Stinnie’s season-ending knee injury.
August 22nd, 2022 at 10:37 am
Trettor…nough said. Tampa needs to quit playing and get him now!
August 22nd, 2022 at 10:38 am
JC Tretter
Eric Fisher and then move him to guard
We are talking Tom Brady and a chance to win another Super Bowl. Let’s give him the proper tools
August 22nd, 2022 at 10:39 am
I’m with you Joe–don’t panic.
Until I the Bucs play poorly in regular season games (plural), I’m trusting Licht & TB12.
Not the first time Brady has had a janky O-Line.
Suh.
August 22nd, 2022 at 10:40 am
Exactly the kind of signing I would expect. It makes sense to wait at least until the Tuesday 4pm cuts to sign anyone.
August 22nd, 2022 at 10:43 am
Bring in Van Rotten! Good name.
August 22nd, 2022 at 10:46 am
I agree @george.
The Bucs should not mess around (I doubt they will). Make a move to at least solidify the depth on the interior even if Jeson is coming back late in the season
August 22nd, 2022 at 10:46 am
Erick Flowers
August 22nd, 2022 at 10:47 am
Not a bad option….I thought you were gonna say 2nd round of JR Sweezy (who was just released) 😂
This is where I’ve landed as my fave/most sensical option for an IOL…
Get one of the IOL the Ravens are gonna have to cut out of the group of: Kevin Zeitler, Linderbaum, Trystan Colon, Tyre Phillips, Ben Powers, Ben Cleveland & Patrick Mekari
They can’t keep them all and their LG competition has been the best battle for all of Ravens’ Training Camp.
You will have to trade for the one they would plan to cut though, because they won’t make it to us through Waivers.
They also just so happen to need WR help (which has been our deepest position and battle of TC) in the worst way and an affordable one to fit their salary cap at that (like say a receiver on a rookie 4th or 6th round contract situation 👀)
Lastly, Jensen worked out pretty well for us and I think they liked Zuttah pretty well. We have a pretty good little OL rapport going w/ them in somewhat recent history it sure seems.
Go Bucs and in JL I trust….but dang if that don’t make sense and we get a talented IOL w/ playing experience, whilst still young in age, from a top 5 talented OLine in many NFL experts eyes AND at a good contract to fit under our current salary cap. But one of those guys is coming free and it’s sensical all the way around for both teams IMO.
Now who do you give up to get that?! (Unfortunately as we all know, you have to give up something valuable to get something valuable in return :/)
…but we need IOL in a bad way 🙏
p.s. and welcome back Tom Brady….shew!
August 22nd, 2022 at 10:48 am
UPenn? Well if he screws up at Center we know he can get a job with Licht as a financial analyst.
August 22nd, 2022 at 10:55 am
No need to panic…..Jason’s got this!!!
August 22nd, 2022 at 11:01 am
It’s Licht Time ….
August 22nd, 2022 at 11:03 am
Go Bucs!
August 22nd, 2022 at 11:04 am
I’ve never seen people more in love with a busted up and expensive center as this group of supposed o-line experts. Moves will be made, no doubt. And it will almost certainly be an option like the one Joe presented here. There will be many offensive lineman available within the next week and a half. And certainly trades are also an option. I’d like to think the brain trust here has a bit of experience with this kind of thing. They know what’s at stake.
August 22nd, 2022 at 11:05 am
Tretter is being punished by the league due to being an outspoken critic as President of the NFLPA. NFL has a long history of blacklisting players that do not comply with the company line.
August 22nd, 2022 at 11:08 am
Good suggestion Joes. Hope Jason reads your columns.
August 22nd, 2022 at 11:12 am
That guy sounds rotten
I think licht will make the right call.
August 22nd, 2022 at 11:12 am
For those that keep saying Tretter, the Bucs are not looking for a center. Jensen injury, IMO, upgraded the Center position and Hainsey is going to start there this year, and will be a starter there for the next 10+ seasons. He’s that good, just watch. If anything, if Jensen works his way back, and the LG position is still a problem, put him there.
August 22nd, 2022 at 11:13 am
I’m chill Jason will get it right. tretter there is a reason no one picked him up yet….
August 22nd, 2022 at 11:27 am
Logan Mankins was BIG part of that OL in 2015 but he was a draft day trade iirc
August 22nd, 2022 at 11:38 am
Relax, Jason Licht will figure it out.
August 22nd, 2022 at 11:52 am
They’re not getting tretter because Jensen is coming back at some point this season , they will however add a guard or 2 … Jensen will be back late November knowing him
Gobucs!
August 22nd, 2022 at 12:32 pm
@Maniac Buc
Sorry, but I’m not buying that Hainsey is an upgrade over Jensen. Hainsey might look adequate during very limited action during preseason games, but that doesn’t tell the whole story. For example, Jeffery Simmons owned the IOL during practice, but didn’t play last weekend. While Simmons is pretty good, there are better interior rushers and DTs that the Bucs will face, most notably the Rams and Saints.
August 22nd, 2022 at 12:43 pm
Van Roten had a PFF of 68 last year, not too shabby (if you put any stock in that) 700 snaps last year, 3 sacks, 2 penalties… Not too shabby
August 22nd, 2022 at 12:46 pm
Hainsey didn’t play center at Notre Dame!!
WTF are we doing?
We need a center and guard.
But thank god we have 18 small WR’s.
August 22nd, 2022 at 2:39 pm
Ereck Flowers or J.C. Tretter
August 22nd, 2022 at 5:33 pm
Bills just traded a guard to the cardinals for a 5th rounder. Cody Ford. Ford was a former 2nd rounder. So it looks like they are probably sticking with Kyle Van Roten.
August 22nd, 2022 at 5:36 pm
**sorry- Greg Van Roten:). Not Kyle.
August 22nd, 2022 at 6:07 pm
Why not Johnny Rotten? Oh yeah, he’s dead!
August 22nd, 2022 at 6:07 pm
Bills traded a tackle, not a guard ^
August 22nd, 2022 at 7:56 pm
Ford plays tackle and guard. He is not good at playing tackle. The Bills wanted him to be better at playing guard. He wasn’t, so he is gone. Meaning, more likely they will be keeping Van Roten, so I would cross Van Roten off the wishlist.
August 23rd, 2022 at 12:50 am
^ ah you’re right!
My bad.
August 23rd, 2022 at 1:37 am
gotta wait until tuesday before the mad scramble…
meanwhile, maybe brady can work a little of his magic locating potential linemen and team defectors…
#TeamDefectorsIsTheMove
#CauseTroubleGetBootedAndComePlayWithTommyB 🙂