It Might Be Time For Jason Licht To Pick Up The Phone
August 27th, 2022
Bucs GM Jason Licht.
Joe and Bucs fans have far, far, far different standards when it comes to blocking on the offensive line. Joe came to that conclusion long ago.
Joe is convinced fans believe it is a failure unless a guy pancakes his opponent. Joe believes linemen only need to create a crease or a crack for a running back to expose. Pass blocking? The objective isn’t to own a defender, it’s to keep him away from your quarterback.
So when Joe had just about every person in the Bucs organization, suits, coaches and players tell him that Robert Hainsey deserved a shot after Ryan Jensen went down with a knee injury in July, Joe was content.
After all, the guy calling the shots at One Buc Palace, Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht, is a former offensive lineman who built the best offensive line in football from a total laughing stock to elite in just five years.
Additionally, those guys saw Hainsey practice against Vita Vea each week during the season last year in closed practices. So when Licht stood pat and actually said they were training Hainsey to take Ryan Jensen’s spot if Jensen left the team in free agency this spring, who was Joe to start banging the table for Licht to panic?
In other words, Licht has street cred.
Now it seems as if Licht may be cornered, pending tests on Hainsey’s ankle. Hainsey injured his ankle in the first half tonight and though he needed help getting to the sidelines, Joe saw hilm walk by himself to the trainers’ table.
Speaking to Chris Myers and Rondé Barber in the second half of the broadcast, Licht gave an update on Hainsey. Though Licht was careful to qualify his statements that Hainsey had to go through an MRI and tests in the morning, Licht said of Hainsey, “We are optimistic it’s not a major injury.”
But how long will he be out? The Bucs have two weeks to prepare for Dallas. Barber guessed from the video that Hainsey may have a high ankle sprain. That’s not a two-week recovery.
Then, to add salt to the wound, No. 3 center Nick Leverett was knocked out of the game in the second half with a shoulder injury.
So the Bucs are down, for who knows how long, their top three centers.
Joe doesn’t think Licht has much of a choice now. Good timing. In the next three days a ton of decent players will be out on the street. Teams have to get down to a 53-man roster Tuesday afternoon.
Joe would be surprised if the Bucs didn’t bring a center in for a workout.
August 27th, 2022 at 10:21 pm
I did not know Leverett went down 🙁
August 27th, 2022 at 10:25 pm
Finally pre-season is over. Time to evaluate and eliminate. Though the play calling was so vanilla type, i hope its not the reflection of what we might see in regular season. GOBUCS!!!
August 27th, 2022 at 10:27 pm
Talk Tretter out of retirement.
August 27th, 2022 at 10:30 pm
No doubt in my mind they bring in a center/guard for back up but Godecke and Hainsey looked pretty decent.
Leverette…. I don’t like bashing players, it’s their livelihood, but wow, how does he have a job still? Most the plays that were blown up in the first half on the line were him.
August 27th, 2022 at 10:30 pm
So the plan was based on no more injuries to the oline for the rest of the year
August 27th, 2022 at 10:32 pm
The Bucs shouldve done what the Rams did this preseason…..which is to play absolutely 0 starters.
August 27th, 2022 at 10:32 pm
So hard to watch that boring mess
August 27th, 2022 at 10:32 pm
Just a hunch that is the same plan for all 32 teams.
August 27th, 2022 at 10:33 pm
I am guessing it is a ding he will be able to play with and his condition will be downplayed, he’ll be running with the ones when they practice going into the first game
August 27th, 2022 at 10:39 pm
Bucs have, from what I saw, $6m in cap space. Yes, they can do void years, etc, to get someone, but the Bucs have done just about every trick in the book to free up money. Not saying they can’t get someone, but even if they do get someone, you still need money left for future injuries as well. Just something to keep in mind. It doesn’t limit Licht on getting one guy, but the Bucs will have more injuries, and you have to account for those as well, and as far as I know, it’s not the NHL and you don’t get back salary cap space because a guy is injured (if I’m wrong on that let me know).
August 27th, 2022 at 10:40 pm
Who needs an O Line? We have Brady.
Just shaking my head at some of the crazy running commentaries we’ve had the past few weeks.
August 27th, 2022 at 10:42 pm
So now Licht is going to go dumpster diving for bargains. I was hoping for Frugal Fannie’s, but instead the team is shopping at thrift shops.
August 27th, 2022 at 10:45 pm
@MadMax
It’s a bad sign when you have to talk a player out of retirement.
August 27th, 2022 at 10:47 pm
@Lesko_Brandon
That’s what preseason is for all 32 teams, just basic play-calling. There’s no game planning either, just for evaluation.
August 27th, 2022 at 10:50 pm
No worries. Normal stuff. Guys get tweaks.
August 27th, 2022 at 10:53 pm
Everyone including Hainsey said he’s fine especially when they kept him on the sidelines the remainder of the game. He’s gonna be good for Dallas but we still need to sign O-line depth.
August 27th, 2022 at 10:53 pm
True Joe, but its Brady. Cant protect him its over. Its what did the bucs in vs the rams. It has that feel of what happened with cornerbacks last year.
August 27th, 2022 at 10:54 pm
Really nice way for Leftwich to develop Trask…….handoff to Laird….time after time…..Last drive was an opportunity for 2 minute drill and we let the clock run and ran it on every play…..nice
August 27th, 2022 at 10:59 pm
“Tampabaybucfan – Last drive was an opportunity for 2 minute drill and we let the clock run and ran it on every play…..nice”
Don’t forget in the 1st half, under 2 mins left, on 2nd down they run up the middle, then on 3rd down they come up short, line-up like they’re going for it and just run the clock down so they can punt. I mean that’s the right thing to do in the preseason, you want to get your punter get over 300 yards in the game and you do not want to see your young QB work under pressure and with a limited clock.
August 27th, 2022 at 11:10 pm
Bucs need to sign at least 2 Olinemen. This is getting ridiculous. Hainsey has shown he cannot last 17 games much less the preseason, and there’s no quality depth on the Oline. This is Brady’s last year with the Bucs and the last year the Bucs will be relevant for a while. Do whatever it takes to protect him.
August 27th, 2022 at 11:32 pm
BL coaches his offense as if he has about an 85 IQ..
August 27th, 2022 at 11:54 pm
All i know is its never a good thing when you lose two players at 1 position. Thats how we got to saw Pierre Desir last year.
August 28th, 2022 at 12:29 am
I don’t think they have a choice anymore.
Prob need to bring in 2 lineman just in case.
August 28th, 2022 at 12:41 am
Should never have played any starters in the pre season. What’s the point really? Players just get hurt for no reason. Glad they took Tom out as quickly S they did. I knew when Ryan went down in practice that’s it’s going to be tough. Tom looked good but he has to have good protection.
August 28th, 2022 at 1:32 am
licht painted himself into his corner…….
August 28th, 2022 at 4:19 am
Sorry Joe,the negativity in the comments of most of your articles is unbelievable. If most of you guys/people where such experts they why are any of you all coaching or a GM someone other than you stupid a– fantasy football league. I am done with this site thank you and God bless Joe
August 28th, 2022 at 4:53 am
kgh4life … ‘It’s a bad sign when you have to talk a player out of retirement.’
Maybe not in JC Tretter’s case. Have read a couple of articles now that at least make it sound like he retired more because no one opted to sign him. He never made All-Pro or anything like that, but he looks to be fairly solid. Played his first 3 years with Packers as starting Center, then got replaced by Corey Linsley when he got injured midway in the 2016 season. Went to Browns & started for them for 5 years, but wasn’t re-signed & ultimately retired. Still, he’s ‘only’ 31 & doesn’t have much of an injury history so might have some more tread left on those tires.
August 28th, 2022 at 5:47 am
Honestly i think we need to add a solid vetrean Guard. I m all for give Goedecke and Leverett a chance but in both the TEN and IND games they were beaten often and badly. Also i do not understand leaving Hainsey so long in the match with all the injuries in OL. I get he needs the reps but Jensen is out, Stinnie is out and is a risk to leave him out there when all the other starters are out.
Another important note is Special teams are so below average. We alomost never get a good return and the other team always have a 10,15,20 yards return on us. This happening a lot in the last years. The team talks a lot about accountability and Armstrong units are subpar to put it mildly. Should have been a change there.
Go Bucs
August 28th, 2022 at 7:17 am
Bowles bad move by playing Hainsey after the First series
Need two offensive line men
August 28th, 2022 at 7:29 am
So when Tretter was available before he retired , Licht showed zero interest in signing him after losing Jensen????? Licht has painted himself into a very small space by neglecting his Oline. We will see what happens , but Brady will put his foot down and TELL Licht to get a decent Oline pick up.
August 28th, 2022 at 8:12 am
Got two weeks to right the ship!!
August 28th, 2022 at 8:48 am
Treater’s 1039 snaps last year yielded only 1 sack…Brady would love that kind of protection. Call him, Jason!
August 28th, 2022 at 10:01 am
The most important thing is to give Tom a clean pocket as much as possible, the Bucs have provided the offensive weapons on the offense but that said light needs to include the o-line as part of the offensive weapons process. I agree it’s time for lights magic stealthily to pull some o-line moves asap
August 28th, 2022 at 1:56 pm
come on, we all know he has been on the phone since Jensen went down. That is the only reason it has not fully been announced on Jensen to try to salvage a little leverage. He will make at least 2 deals and 1 to 2 late cut pickups.
Tom will tell them who stays and who goes on OL
August 29th, 2022 at 3:25 am
Every team go through it