If Nothing Else, Tristan Wirfs Will Be Prepared
March 14th, 2023
Leader.
Depending on what happens in the draft and in the remainder of free agency, it sure seems like in the wake of left tackle Donovan Smith getting released, Bucs All-Pro right tackle Tristan Wirfs will get a spin at left tackle to see if he can succeed there.
(“This Joe,” is vehemently against moving such a stud to a new position, perhaps weakening two positions with one move. Leave well enough alone! Don’t fix something not broken!)
But we don’t know that for sure. What Joe does know is that with the Bucs trying to find a quarterback to go along with competing Kyle Trask, Wirfs is taking no chances.
Wirfs, speaking to Kenny Morales of Bay News 9, said he began following quarterbacks Baker Mayfield and Lamar Jackson on Instagram hoping they would tag/follow him back so he could start a dialogue.
That, Joe’s friendly readers, is what you call being proactive and being a smart team leader.
Bucs OL Tristan Wirfs on the Bucs being linked to @bakermayfield:
“I don’t pay too close attention to it. I did follow Baker on Instagram, maybe tag him, he didn’t follow me back. I also followed Lamar. I don’t know…just in preparation if something does happen I’m ready.” pic.twitter.com/UIKYTFJNHn
— Kenny Morales (@KennyMoralesTV) March 13, 2023
March 14th, 2023 at 4:57 am
I hope the Buc FO, whomever is in charge in the future, makes certain that Wirfs is a Buc for life. I’ve been a fan from the beginning & Wirfs has a good chance to claim my favorite Buc ever. I also hope that Wirfs never loses what I perceive as a bit of childlike love of life.
March 14th, 2023 at 5:47 am
(Joe is vehemently against moving such a stud to a new position, perhaps weakening two positions with one move. Leave well enough alone! Don’t fix something not broken!)
^^^^^^^^^^
A few reasons why I’d like Wirfs to move to Left Tackle:
1) He’s athletic enough to do it
2) It’d set up the Bucs draft to take a PASS RUSHER in the 1st Round, a desperately needed pass rusher
3) As we’ve seen this year, you can’t pay all of your O-Linemen a king’s ransom, which Wirfs will get whether he’s at RT or LT
March 14th, 2023 at 6:09 am
Hopefully if Licht picks a tackle or guard he examines the rankings instead of picking an o lineman from bum fock Egypt he got lucky with Ali Marpet.
March 14th, 2023 at 6:30 am
Letsbucinggo Says:
March 14th, 2023 at 6:09 am
Hopefully if Licht picks a tackle or guard he examines the rankings instead of picking an o lineman from bum fock Egypt he got lucky with Ali Marpet.
^^^^^^^^^
Alex Cappa, too.
March 14th, 2023 at 6:50 am
Take CB off the 1st round draft board with Dean coming back. If Wirfs plays LT, Goedeke moves to RT, take tackle off the 1st round list. My dream would be for Jalen Carter to fall far enough to trade up. Carter would be the only player I’d trade up for. The Wirfs move gives Licht more flexability in the draft.
March 14th, 2023 at 7:07 am
@Michigan
If this draft isn’t heavily focused on drafting defense the Bucs are in serious trouble.
Vea, Hall, JTS, Shaq post surgery, White, Davis and Dean are the only returning players with starting or game experience.
JTS creates zero faith in me based on his past performance that he can be a force as a pass rusher.
Shaq is post surgery so he’s a huge question mark.
Hall looked like he was on roller skates against NFL offensive lineman.
White has really regressed from his amazing 2020 season.
Vea is only on the field for roughly 50% of the snaps.
The defensive line has no depth, the Bucs need to probably replace LVD, LB needs depth, the Bucs need to probably replace SMB, and the secondary needs depth.
The Bucs draft must be all about defense.
March 14th, 2023 at 7:07 am
Prepared to be paid lol
March 14th, 2023 at 7:20 am
Still waiting for that hot commodity Durable Donnie to get scooped up by someone……..
Lots of OL signings yesterday, but he wasn’t one of them.
All I can figure is that there’s a bidding war going on for his outstanding and consistent talent.
March 14th, 2023 at 7:40 am
^^^
Seek help, this is borderline obsessive.
March 14th, 2023 at 7:51 am
I’m somewhat in the ‘Don’t fix something that isn’t broken” camp…..but in this case something is broken and that’s LT.
Depending on the draft, we may find it difficult to find one….we certainly don’t have enough money for a FA LT.
Moving Wirfs solves that problem….i’m very confident he will excel at LT.
Our draft picks should replace exiting expensive starters……with Dean now signed, our draft should be RT, LB & DT to replace Hicks/Gholston/RNR
March 14th, 2023 at 8:07 am
Dooley Says:
March 14th, 2023 at 7:40 am
^^^
Seek help, this is borderline obsessive
__________
Borderline?
Hardly, I’m all-in.
The disdain is real.
The disbelief that so many on here think he’s good is real.
It boggles the mind.
March 14th, 2023 at 8:08 am
Doosh, it’s not enough that your nightmare is over and he’s not on this team anymore? Are you really that concerned about his future employment? I think your point was made. When he does get picked up, and he will, will you then crow about his lack of contract? Turn over a new leaf. Your lovable boy toy is gone.
March 14th, 2023 at 8:20 am
BelleGladeBuc: Agreed.
March 14th, 2023 at 8:24 am
Wirfs will be fine left tackle. He is dedicated to his craft and his athleticism is off the charts. He’s at the bottom of the list of Buc players you have to be concerned about.
Ryan Jensen was once a guard, Ali Marpet was once a center. Wirfs will pick up the nuances of going from right to left.
Not worried about him at all. If the Bucs do sign Mayfield at least they can design more plays to move Mayfield around. Tom Brady is the best pocket passer who every played but moving him around wasn’t something that BL did.
March 14th, 2023 at 8:34 am
No, Rod Munch is still very much here Steve.
March 14th, 2023 at 8:48 am
Doosh, ha, “literally”…
March 14th, 2023 at 8:56 am
Mayfield is a retread whose career passer rating is worse than Jameis Winston and he has never thrown for 4000 yards. Find a QB in 5th or 6th round-there are very serviceable guys selected in those rounds every year-Stetson Bennet comes to mind and he is a proven winner. Mayfield is unwilling to take the hits that will be necessary to win with this Oline.
March 14th, 2023 at 9:45 am
TampaBayBucsFanSince1976 Says:
March 14th, 2023 at 8:56 am
Mayfield is a retread whose career passer rating is worse than Jameis Winston and he has never thrown for 4000 yards. Find a QB in 5th or 6th round-there are very serviceable guys selected in those rounds every year-Stetson Bennet comes to mind and he is a proven winner. Mayfield is unwilling to take the hits that will be necessary to win with this Oline.
^^^^^^^^
Do you remember Jim Plunkett with the Raiders? Retreads sometimes work out.
March 14th, 2023 at 11:22 am
The previous coaching regime played Ali Marpet as RG first. Then they tried him at Center for one year. Finally they moved him to LG. That’s where he stayed for the rest of his career. He performed well for us.
Ali flashed greatness as a lead run blocker on the right. He was missed over there in my opinion as we have sucked in our running game to some degree for many of the years since then. These are the kinds of things we need to think about when pondering what moving Wirfs to the left side could mean. Not fixing what is not broken has merit.
March 14th, 2023 at 4:52 pm
Marpet was to guard, what Wirfs is to tackle. The team moved Marpet from guard to center, and then, back to guard. He wasn’t a worse player because of that. If Wirfs isn’t a top flight LT, then you just move him back, he’s not going to forget how to play RT. It’s not like the team is going to be in the playoff hunt in 2023, so you might as well know if Wirfs can be the best LT in football since you’re going to have to pay him that way, regardless of if he’s on the left side or right side.