“Kind Of Like The Brains That Kind Of Holds It All Together”
August 24th, 2023
Center Robert Hainsey.
Tampa Bay offensive coordinator Dave Canales was talking offensive line today.
Canales very much is as a coach as Jon Gruden was as an announcer. He loves everybody and gets excited about every one of his players. As former Bucs head coach Dirk Koetter used to say, “Your guys are your guys.”
Canales raved today about the nastiness and athleticism of rookie right guard Cody Mauch and right tackle Luke Goedeke, and he noted how well they’re adjusting. He then switched to the massiveness of his left side with veterans Tristan Wirfs and Matt Feiler.
Next up was center. No mention of Ryan Jensen. (No surprise, since he won’t play Week 1, as Joe reported Tuesday). But Canales did seem to declare Robert Hainsey the starter center.
“Hainsey is kind of like the brains that kind of holds it all together,” Canales said.
It’s another huge opportunity for Hainsey, who started every game last season and is viewed by many in the stats crowd as a quality starter.
He’s added weight this offseason, and Joe was encouraged to hear Canales apparently to reference Hainsey’s mastery of the offense. That can only help Hainsey’s training camp suitemate, Baker Mayfield.
August 24th, 2023 at 11:14 am
Does he have push on the run-blocking though?
August 24th, 2023 at 11:24 am
That group is the key to how the season will go.
The lights will be shining on them brightly.
August 24th, 2023 at 11:41 am
It would be nice if he worked on his push during the off-season.
He was really solid last season in pass rushes, but needed a little, maybe a lot, more push to move people during run blocking.
He did seem smart last season and tried to point other linemen, and backs, towards free pass rushers. Sometimes he got faked by fake rushers, but it is better safe than sorry.
August 24th, 2023 at 11:48 am
For the record… as much as some of you hate Hainsey…he is leaps and bounds better than Jensen was in his first three seasons in the league. Jensen wasn’t officially named a starter until his 4th season in the league. Hainsey is in year three. Offensive linemen usually take years to develop… which as Arians said, why do i want to draft offensive linemen for the guy that’s going to replace me? Jensen didn’t become the nasty big-time center until he went to the Bucs in season 5.
August 24th, 2023 at 12:43 pm
Hainsey held down the center position last year so he should only get better.
lets hope he has improved his run blocking a bit and the center spot should be fine. He should also exhibit a bit more nasty like Jensen which is a great tone setter for the offense.
August 24th, 2023 at 12:48 pm
Mauch in preseason game 2 had a some AWESOME blocks. Just stoned walled a DT for 4 seconds. Dude couldn’t even get a foot upfield. He pancaked a DL on another play. This guy (Mauch), when he gets going, OMG, gonna be great!
August 24th, 2023 at 12:50 pm
We must draft a center in round 1 or 2 next year.
Hainsey is a great human being.
But he’s not a starting NFL center by any means.
He’s a career backup.
August 24th, 2023 at 1:14 pm
I like Hainsey as our center.
August 24th, 2023 at 1:24 pm
I think Hainsey would be an adequate guard in this league. I dont like the push he gets up front, and he HAS been the consistent piece in an offense that gets bad push. He is smart enough to play the position. I do respect how flexible he has been since drafted. Totally different line with different plans, and then he has to play 17+ with the GOAT. The guy that eventually succeeds Jensen has to be the baddest man on the field. Hainsey has his work cut out for him. Hoping for the best.
August 24th, 2023 at 1:49 pm
looks as if we didn’t fix the O-Line issues from last yr …. Licht just seems to refuse to trade for proven NFL linemen ??
August 24th, 2023 at 1:50 pm
This OLine is bad besides Wirfs. Jensen is hurt & who knows when he’ll play. It’s a bad OLine and will be the reason the Bucs won’t win many games. That’s fine by me, they need to draft a quality QB this is the deepest QB draft I can remember.
August 24th, 2023 at 2:03 pm
hainsey gets blown up too often….
i’d like to see us trade for q.nelson
GO BUCS!!!!
August 24th, 2023 at 2:23 pm
good thing it’s a zone blocking scheme. Hainsey should do well.
August 24th, 2023 at 2:35 pm
If Jensen doesn’t have surgery,he won’t last a whole season… The coaches know it… he probably going on pup list… Open up a roster spot.
August 24th, 2023 at 2:37 pm
We need to watch the waiver wire especially on cut down Day and look for depth at center and across the line that’s all there is to it.
August 24th, 2023 at 2:38 pm
All those starts last year prepared Hainsey for this year like nothing else could have.
Its sink or swim time for Hainsey. Hopefully he swims, stays healthy and has a big 2nd year as a starter – because no one else on the roster is any good at Center and it looks like Jensen ain’t coming back.
August 24th, 2023 at 3:29 pm
Rick … ‘Good thing it’s a zone blocking scheme.’
I agree with you, but that’s a big change for some OLinemen who never operated in a zone blocking scheme. Once our guys get more experienced in zone blocking, our run blocking SHOULD improve.
Personally I think we’ve made the right long-term moves, but that it’ll probably take half a season to get all the kinks worked out. Ultimately Wirfs will be a better LT than Donnie was. Moving Goedeke from LG to RT had to be done because he wasn’t a LG. And I think putting a bigger, more experienced Feiler next to Hainsey will do wonders for Hainsey. Mauch still concerns me only because he’s just a rookie, and we’re asking a lot when we opt to start a rookie. Others seem to be excited about his prospects though, and I hope it pans out.
August 24th, 2023 at 4:59 pm
Captivajim: The trick is to get other teams’ GMs to part with their proven O-linemen. Those other teams want to win Super Bowls, too.
August 24th, 2023 at 6:06 pm
Captivating, Licht traded a 4yh rounder to the Pats last preseason for Shaq Mason. He was pretty good, but we traded him for cap reasons.
August 24th, 2023 at 7:27 pm
Hainsey should have learned a lot last year about making calls by working with Brady (I hope!) While Hainsey is still learning, he’s our only good option on the roster. as Leverett was terrible vs. the Jets. Joe talks about Jenson watching from the sidelines, but we need way more than that from Jensen. Jensen may never play another snap, but he can still contribute by getting in the faces of Hainsey and the entire OL and light a fire under them! We need Jensen now to help and push these guys.
August 24th, 2023 at 7:50 pm
Some world class boot licking
Don’t shoot the messenger yall
We have an awful line
I wish it wasn’t so
August 24th, 2023 at 10:33 pm
Oh dear god. It’s nice to have a motivated and motivating guy. I like Canales, really excited about him. But raving about dudes who are as physically able as a dead yak with the brains of a jellyfish while displaying expert matador capability aren’t gonna do much with that praise, other than “thanks, duh-uh, coach” while they continue to whiff.
August 25th, 2023 at 5:58 pm
I think this Oline could be better than people think. The left side is absolutly monstrous. Cody Mauch looks like a good fit for a zone scheme. If Hainsey can make the right calls for adjustments and hold his own. This line will be fun to watch.
August 26th, 2023 at 3:38 am
Even more Rah Rah from Rah Rah!
Geez! Hainsey has looked like a below average center and yet… Rah Rah.
Go Bucs!
August 26th, 2023 at 8:29 am
Young and inexperienced guys up front. Takes time to develop o lineman and we’re trying to develop three starters. There’s no blame here, just where we are and the tab for winning a SB. Give these guys a break while they try to figure it out.