No, The Bucs Don’t Need A Guard
April 17th, 2025
Chuckles at some draft clowns.
Joe smells the PFF tribe.
Some of the weirdest Bucs analysis always seems to be hatched by that outfit. Joe remembers years ago so many fans were clamoring for Donovan Smith to get flipped to right tackle from the left side.
That seemed odd. Smith had never played on the right side. Why were folks so sure he could do this? Joe spoke with Smith about this and he busted out laughing. He was adamant to Joe that he would have been a full-blown disaster on the right side.
Smith went into detail and Joe then found out more about how difficult it is for linemen to flip sides (Joe had an NFL offensive line coach tell him in February he thought the Bucs initially hung Luke Goedeke out to dry when he was a rookie. Not only were the Bucs asking Goedeke to play guard when he played tackle in college, but the Bucs asked him to play the left side when he was a right tackle in college. And as we all know Goedeke struggled mightily. Sure enough, he goes back to his old position on the right side and Goedeke has balled out since).
Joe did some digging about where the groundswell came from that Smith should be flipped to the right, and sure enough, it was some clown with the PFF tribe — perhaps the last outfit to get offensive line analysis from. He threw out the notion with zero evidence to support his claim.
Somehow, against the PFF tribe’s always astute directives, the Bucs won a Super Bowl with Smith at left tackle. Imagine.
Joe brings this up because Ian Valentino at the soon-to-be-shuttered 33rd Team (they plan to cease editorial operations next week and go full-time into stats and business-to-business consulting) believes guard is a need for the Bucs along with safety and linebacker.
Well, Valentino is dead-on about safety and linebacker. But guard? Here again is a guy who doesn’t pay attention.
Cody Mauch is a solid starter and is on a rookie contract. Ben Bredeson (who the PFF tribe has a bug up their arse about) just signed a three-year deal.
If the Bucs needed a guard, they sure as hell wouldn’t have re-signed Bredeson. The Bucs would have let him walk.
Sometimes Joe thinks Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht is right. National media ignores the Bucs because they are not in the sacred NFC East. Or don’t play in New York, or don’t play in the NFC North or the AFC North, or they don’t play on the west coast.
The Bucs play on the Gulf Coast in Florida. “Eeewww. The only thing down there are bugs, humidity, rednecks, strip malls, strip clubs, lizards, hurricanes and Florida Man. Who wants to think about that?”
April 17th, 2025 at 12:43 am
I never understood why teams (some teams) will take a player who played his whole career at one position, and switch him to a totally different position. Wouldn’t it make the most sense to just leave him at the position he’s used to? You’re just stunting his continued growth at that position. If they needed a left guard, why draft a guy that played RT? Why not just draft a LG?
April 17th, 2025 at 1:10 am
A full time defensive coordinator and a pass defense assistant coach would be the best picks, but those aren’t available.
April 17th, 2025 at 1:31 am
..and you even forgot alligators…
April 17th, 2025 at 1:43 am
lol, always good with us white folk, calling them rednecks (well some of them i guess)….nuts…thats all im gonna say
April 17th, 2025 at 1:45 am
They’ll draft a G or T in the late rounds if possible, just for depth.
Need
CB and/or S
ILB
Want
another edge
WR
April 17th, 2025 at 1:45 am
And no Guard, i agree….but a udfa C would be nice unless Klein is working there
April 17th, 2025 at 2:16 am
“Lizards.”
April 17th, 2025 at 2:29 am
I think they will take one of these 3 in the first round and I’d be good with any but really want Jihaad. Playmaker who can do everything very well
ILB Jihaad Campbell
or
CB Will Johnson
or
S Malaki Starks
April 17th, 2025 at 6:15 am
Jackson Slater is a strong NFL prospect out of Sacramento State. A four-year starter with 44 games under his belt, he earned First-Team All-Big Sky honors three times—proof of both consistency and dominance at the FCS level.
He made waves at the Senior Bowl and backed it up with a standout performance at the NFL Combine, posting a 5.01-second 40-yard dash, a 1.78-second 10-yard split, and 31 bench press reps at 311 pounds.
Primarily a guard, Slater brings the strength, mobility, and natural leverage to line up anywhere on the interior. He’s plug-and-play depth with the upside to develop into a starter could take Bredsons job this year he’s that good from the tape. He feels like a classic Jason Licht pick—tough, small-school, versatile, and likely available in the 5th round.
April 17th, 2025 at 7:06 am
jackson slater – round 5
April 17th, 2025 at 7:08 am
Valentino was just looking at the stat boys numbers and he said we need a …Punter too. 🙂
Yeah Joe where in the heck do they find these folks. The guy that fell off his barstool at the bar from last weekend could do better.
Go Bucs!
April 17th, 2025 at 7:30 am
they need a backup center though, and it would be sensible to find one who can play at least guard in a pinch. tankathon.com has us taking USC’s Jonah Savaiinaea, the fifth OL on their board, in the second round (partially because they went Mike Green in the first and the best guys available in the second were mostly EDGE, but there was a good corner and a good safety available)
April 17th, 2025 at 7:56 am
These national guys don’t know that Opeta and Bredeson were going head to head for LG in camp. So the Bucs have depth there, and who knows if Opeta is healthy and beats out Bredeson? I really liked Luke Haggard in preseason so maybe he can blossom and get elevated for ST snaps, or come up with an injury.
April 17th, 2025 at 7:57 am
Queuing DR, Going DT in the early rounds (1-3). Can never have enough beasts in the trenches!
April 17th, 2025 at 8:03 am
Licht can’t help himself. He loves to draft OL and most likely will do so again in the later rounds.
April 17th, 2025 at 8:14 am
Despite the success of the offensive line, how could anyone not notice Bredeson struggle. Was he horrible- no, absolutely not.
But Wirfs, Barton, Mauch, and Goedeke are soooo good, that they could cover any of Bredeson’s struggles.
Is replacing him a priority? No. But it’s an area that needs an upgrade.
But there are many more pressing needs.
And Bredeson could be signed for depth, if the Bucs dis stumble across an up grade. He is very versatile.
“I’ll play you, until I can find someone better”
To stay on top- you always keep an eye open for upgrades.
April 17th, 2025 at 8:15 am
Spot on, Joseph: “Cody Mauch is a solid starter and is on a rookie contract. Ben Bredeson (who the PFF tribe has a bug up their arse about) just signed a three-year deal.”
Every player can’t be a 10. The cap. The cap. The cap. (Apocalypse Now). Wirfs is a 10. Winfield was a 10. Mayfield is a 10. David is a 10. Evans and Godwin are an 11 (This is Spinal Tap).
So they have to make do with some Yeoman Johnsons.
April 17th, 2025 at 8:23 am
This is a surpisingly bad and perhaps lazy take. LG is a 100% a need. Bredeson is AWFUL. What you’re doing is making the association that because the Bucs OL as a unit was very good that everyone on the unit must be adequate and that’s just not true. Wirfs is a generational LT in his prime and Goedeke is a borderline elite RT. Mauch is good, sometimes excellent. Then you get to the other two. Barton struggled but should improve year 2 because the talent is there. But there’s no hope for Bredeson because he’s so unathletic. Baker was able to navigate around his poor play, which is a real credit to him. Bucs offense made plays inspite of him, not because of him. Just because he was re-signed doesn’t mean it’s right and it’s really only a 2 year deal. Kelvin Banks would look great next to Wirfs.
April 17th, 2025 at 8:23 am
If they get a guard, just for depth… But only OT & QB are lower needs IMO.
I think a lizard is something kind of small but a gator is a gator.
I was looking at your list AS things you really just can’t avoid living in Florida. Stay away from a body of fresh water and you pretty much avoid gators. They’re not a bother if you don’t swim in the Myakka River or own a Chihuahua (or dog of comparable size). But if you live in any Florida community and drive our streets… yes … you will have to deal with bugs, humidity, rednecks, strip malls, lizards, hurricanes and Florida Man… you’ll drive past strip clubs… but like Gators, you don’t have to actively be involved with them. There’s a choice there… LOL.
Funny with all the terrible stuff Florida has, how many people keep moving here & vacationing here. It’s a conundrum.
April 17th, 2025 at 8:45 am
Husted WR … obviously you know the real story. We should get rid of Carberry and sign you to the coaching staff. The team pretty much has no idea what they’re doing, right?
Honestly, I don’t think Bredeson graded out much differently than Barton. I think they’ll improve together. One more year with the line together. I don’t disagree that Bredeson is the weakest link of the five but like I’ve seen earlier in these comments, you can’t have five All Pros on your offensive line and afford them all. Wirfs is the All Pro, Bartrton could get there. Two positions where you would love to have an All Pro. If Bredeson ever gets to be above average, we’ll be set because I think Mauch and Goedeke are pretty much there. As good as our line was last year, I think they have a chance to be the best Oline in the league in 2025 (barring injury).
April 17th, 2025 at 9:01 am
You’re going to have to point out in detail how Bredeson was “awful” when the Bucs had one of the best offensive lines in football.
And, if you believe Bredeson is so awful, and you also believe Licht knows what he is doing, why did re-sign Bredeson just a few weeks ago to a three-year contract? “Awful” players don’t get paid. And the guy who signed him has now built two winning offensive lines.
Or, it could be your concept of awful is far different from Joe’s. Garrett “Whoops” Gilkey was awful. Oniel Cousins was awful. Bredeson is nowhere near as awful as those guys.
Is he a Pro Bowl player? Doubt that. But Bredeson answers the bell each Sunday and gets the job done. The Bucs are fine at guard.
The Bucs did not lose a playoff game, or maybe not even one game last year, because of Bredeson. They lost because they couldn’t rush the passer from the edge and couldn’t defend the pass.
April 17th, 2025 at 9:08 am
If there is a OL guy there at 4 or later then take him but I would like to wait until 5th unless we trade back and add picks 2-3 to shore up the D. Licht has the history as someone said earlier.
April 17th, 2025 at 9:09 am
Joe tries to tell people that and they think Joe is a liar. Just hit the 27-year mark of being a Florida resident and not seeing a gator.
Animals that Joe has seen in Florida: armadillo, bear, turtle, shark, deer, barracuda, hundreds of geckos (those rascals are a chore to corral when they sneak into the house), cranes.
Animals Joe hasn’t seen in Florida (yet): turkey, hog, gator.
April 17th, 2025 at 9:11 am
Cats near ponds and lakes are to gators what Doritos are to stoners.
April 17th, 2025 at 9:29 am
I’ve been to Florida 4 times in my life and I’ve seen gators every time I’ve been there. I’m thinking we’ve got a Joe that doesn’t get out enough. All work and no play… you know what I’m saying?
April 17th, 2025 at 9:38 am
Joe, I did explain it. The OL has a HOF LT in his prime, an excellent RT and good RG. Barton was a mix of positive plays and negative plays and Bredeson was just there messing things up. When Bredeson gets beat clean and Baker escapes up the middle for 15+ yards everyone is celebrating and not realizing Baker bailed out Bredeson. The film is there, do you need a Bredeson bad film cut up?
Licht knows what he’s doing but that doesn’t mean he’s always right. Awful players get paid all the time. Swaggy Baker anyone?
And the Bucs lost the playoff game for multiple reasons, including not effectively running the ball in the 4th, which was actually a reason they lost multiple games and would have lost the Lions game if not for the defense.
April 17th, 2025 at 9:40 am
KABucs,
Bredeson is not going to get better. He can’t move. You don’t get more athletic as you get older.
April 17th, 2025 at 9:47 am
A late-round developmental swing tackle is needed after the Bucs add a DT, EDGE, ILB and CB/S
Guard is one of the strongest positions with solid depth having Sua Opeta and Elijah Klein on board
April 17th, 2025 at 11:31 am
I was lucky enough to live on the coast in Dunedin. No gators, hogs, bears, mosquitoes, and after a bought a couple of Tokay geckos no cockroaches. Schools of mullet in my backyard and snook 15 minutes away by boat. I absolutely loved it. Political so toxic (no such thing as climate change and rising seas) I doubt I could put up with. Fortunately (??) there is a football team there that I hooked on. My pick (drum-roll please) Mike Green!
April 17th, 2025 at 4:10 pm
It must be pointed out that a family of Gators just won the NCAA basketball championship.
April 18th, 2025 at 2:56 am
Live in Thailand and have a pool. Grew up in Tampa and used to sit by the river and watch a family of otters mess with the gators (always at least five) as I sipped on my after work brew daily.
Tokays? First night here I learned about those. Midnight, sleeping and then wide awake to a loud voice saying…. GIGIGI ..UCK YOU… Google was my friend the next morning..but lets just say it freaked me out!
No gators here but we have crocs and monitor lizards that get just as big and are largely harmless. Had a four or five foot lizard of some sort scurry out of the pool the other day. I think he was just as freaked as I was. Do not like lizards. Even the little jinkjos.
Go Bucs!
April 20th, 2025 at 9:41 am
“what Doritos are to stoners.”
“Bad food” around this shanty, when I can hang out in the kitchen making something good to eat. Joe, remember to take time to smile a bit before you let it go…
Kline, Opeta are still on our roster. No need for a Guard. Maybe as depth.
GO!!!!!BUCS!!!!!