Bucs Keeping Nick Leverett
March 10th, 2023
Bucs LG Nick Leverett.
It seems the offensive line puzzle may be coming together.
With left tackle Donovan Smith gone, it is a mystery how the Bucs offensive line will look. Joe spoke with several Bucs types during the combine, both on and off the record, and basically was told they didn’t know how the line would look because players may be added in the draft and in free agency.
As a result, it was premature, Joe was told, to start plugging in guys at positions, other than Ryan Jensen at center, of course.
Well, it looks as if another piece of the puzzle has been decided. Jenna Laine of ESPN reports left guard Nick Leverett has been tagged by the Bucs as an “Exclusive Rights Free Agent. So he’s coming back.
What is an exclusive rights free agent? Pro Football Network explains that when a team does this to a player, “All they have to do is extend a qualifying offer to the player, and he will be unable to negotiate with other teams. A ‘qualifying offer’ is a one-year contract at the league minimum salary based on the player’s experience level. If an exclusive rights free agent is given a qualifying offer, he has no recourse other than to play for his current team. His only other option would be not to play football.”
So Leverett will be back. And Joe is going to guess Leverett will remain at left guard and Jensen at center.
Now the rest? Who knows. Shaq Mason, the Bucs’ right guard, was rumored to be a possible cap casualty. Does the signing of Leverett signal the Bucs will try to move Tristan Wirfs to left tackle and then have short-armed Luke Goedeke play right tackle?
March 10th, 2023 at 2:41 pm
Decent depth guy, no reason to get rid of him, just hopefully they need to him to start. But he’s still young, has playing experience, is super cheap, that’s a valuable guy.
March 10th, 2023 at 2:41 pm
Good move. Leaverett and Hainsey should be battling for the starting LG gig.
March 10th, 2023 at 2:43 pm
Leverett needs to go visit Dr. Feelgood and gain about 15-20 pounds…
March 10th, 2023 at 2:44 pm
Makes sense young (26) and cheap……that will be the ticket going forward.
March 10th, 2023 at 2:54 pm
Most of new additions or resigns will be cheap…..
This is exactly how it looks when you have to pay the bills for a very big party!!!!
When Free Agency begins, we will only receive bad news, our FA´s playing somewhere else, and the best players available signing somewhere else to….
Sun will be shinning again, don´t get depressed,
March 10th, 2023 at 2:55 pm
Goedeke going to beast up this year bet… short arm lmao that’s such a bs thing
March 10th, 2023 at 2:59 pm
Solid depth at Guard. Like his personality and always gives great effort.
March 10th, 2023 at 3:04 pm
short-armed Luke Goedeke? Is that why he struggled so much last year? Hopefully a full offseason of training and that little experience he had will help him develop into a quality starter. I don’t think Alex cappa started off that well either
March 10th, 2023 at 3:05 pm
No brainer played good, cheap and should get better and better
March 10th, 2023 at 3:06 pm
Leverett 100% earned it
March 10th, 2023 at 3:15 pm
Glad he’s back. Hope he gets a better contract next year.
I really don’t see how signing Leverett has any bearing, whatsoever, on where Wirfs plays next year. It seems pretty independent. or more likely a shot in the dark to generate comments. Well played, Jose, well played.
March 10th, 2023 at 3:21 pm
This move is unsurprising and not really even news. Extending an offer to an exclusive rights free agent who started 10 games and played decently is a no brainer.
March 10th, 2023 at 3:22 pm
A step in the right direction. Bucs need all of last years depth linemen back, some will be starters this season.
Even a stud O-lineman from the draft is going to need a year or two to mature. Another Wirfs will not fall into their hands again.
March 10th, 2023 at 3:29 pm
Hainsey will most likely be a starting guard this year. Leverett gives them depth in the interior.
March 10th, 2023 at 3:37 pm
Solid decision, the kid plays hard and to the whistle very down – with Jensen next to him could see a much better inside run game
March 10th, 2023 at 3:58 pm
Good move, we’re gonna need him.
March 10th, 2023 at 4:13 pm
Maybe his arms will get longer in camp this year.
March 10th, 2023 at 4:19 pm
Good.
He’s not nearly as bad of a matador as Goedonkey who could make a house mouse look like El Toro.
March 10th, 2023 at 4:21 pm
So
March 10th, 2023 at 4:21 pm
Wirfs LT leverett LG Jensen C Hainsey RG Luke RT
Let the young guys fight it out and continue to learn together
March 10th, 2023 at 4:57 pm
@Bojim, stop wishing your private appendage hopes onto others please
March 10th, 2023 at 5:08 pm
Short armed Goedeke. Haha For some reason I’m picturing Chet from the movie Weird Science after being turned into a pile of crap. Remember he was waving those tiny arms around. Anyway, Nick did a decent job at LG relative to Chet. I think he will be better this year whether that’s as a started or backup. Either way, you can’t beat the price.
March 10th, 2023 at 5:10 pm
It is time to jettison Jensen. How much does he make? How mangled is his knee?
March 10th, 2023 at 5:31 pm
They should have used that tag on Dean
March 10th, 2023 at 5:34 pm
Ouch!!!!! Panthers just traded for the #1 pick in this yes draft!
March 10th, 2023 at 5:37 pm
Wow…. Talk about the Bucs not being invited to the party!…What’s next? Lamar to Atlanta???
March 10th, 2023 at 5:40 pm
Wow Panthers going all in….not sure who that QB is going to throw the ball to without Moore. That’s just bad asset management, panthers don’t have enough of a foundation to build around a rookie QB to be throwing away 1st and 2nd rounders like that let alone a WR1
March 10th, 2023 at 5:45 pm
Cheap teams usually have cheap losing records. Just sayin…….
March 10th, 2023 at 5:48 pm
Back to the basement
March 10th, 2023 at 5:49 pm
Young and cheap players equal long, losing seasons. Without saying it the Bucs have to go into rebuild mode because they are in cap hell this year.
March 10th, 2023 at 6:16 pm
The guy is just a backup, chill out ladies.
March 10th, 2023 at 6:48 pm
As long as Bowles is not a deciding factor in evaluating our new players from the draft, we should be ok there. I have faith in Licht and our scouting team, although I am somewhat surprised that JTS hasn’t panned out yet.
March 10th, 2023 at 7:59 pm
Dang they didn’t trade or release Jenna Laine??? Sorry Joe, but she’s not a very good reporter!!! I guess since we aren’t going to relevant for years let monster teeth or St Pete’s good girl keep going. Its not like anyone listens to her anyways
March 10th, 2023 at 9:46 pm
The line is not as far off as people think. Mason is a good RG. Jensen is back at center. This guy did pretty darn good at LG. He is obviously not a back up tackle though.
They already have an all pro at RT. As much as I do not think they should move Wirfs, it’s easier to find an RT than it is an LT, so if they’re going to experiment, this is the year to do it.
I fully expect them to sign cheap back ups and draft OL early and another one late. They need quantity and depth.
March 11th, 2023 at 2:41 am
I see we are reading tea leaves again!
Geez! He played well for us last year and this is a no brainer.
March 11th, 2023 at 6:52 am
Mike Says:
March 10th, 2023 at 2:59 pm
Solid depth at Guard. Like his personality and always gives great effort.
_________
Absolutely.
I wish we had more guys with his attitude, effort and energy.
March 11th, 2023 at 8:25 am
Leaverette give us a good backup, for cheap!
March 11th, 2023 at 3:35 pm
I think they draft a T in this draft. Wirfs has earned the LT role. Go get a decent RT in the draft.
If I’m drafting I’m going
Lukas Van Ness – can’t miss at a position of need
Cody Mauch – Versatile T with a mean streak (be tempted if Musgrave was available here)
Daiyan Henly – Speed LB with great instincts vs the run – Bucs love these guys.
Josh Whyle – Big rangy TE who breaks tackles. Instant upgrade great value at this pick if he’s there in round 5 (no 4th round pick).
Maybe after this you address the secondary or just go BPA – Bucs secondary isn’t as bad as people advertise with Dean’s impending departure, but some depth is needed. I think McCollum takes a step up this season.
March 11th, 2023 at 4:02 pm
Leverett is a JAG backup who was awful last offseason and preseason. He improved enough to play during the season, credit to him for that. He is depth, and not much more. Nothing to get excited about one way or another.
The OL should never have been in the shape it was in for Tom Brady’s final season, with JAGs in front of him.