Price For A Tackle Just Went Up
July 29th, 2025
Trade/signing competition.
This is for the people still freaking out over the possibility of Charlie Heck starting Week 1 at left tackle.
If — and right now that’s a huge “if” — Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht is moved to sign a tackle to temporarily replace Tristan Wirfs, who had knee surgery this month, the price just went up.
The Bucs believe Wirfs may avoid being placed on the PUP list on Aug. 30. If Wirfs is placed on the PUP list, Wirfs will have to sit out a minimum league-mandated four games.
Why is Joe bringing this up? Well, Cowboys left tackle Tyler Guyton just trashed a knee on Monday, suffering a bone fracture and a sprained knee, per Jon Machota of The Athletic. Guyton is expected to miss as much as six weeks.
So like Wirfs, Guyton’s availability for Week 1 is in question.
Per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, some in Dallas fear Guyton may have blown out his ACL. If so, then a price for a left tackle just skyrocketed.
Let’s say both Licht and Jerry Jones want to go get a left tackle. It’s likely will come down to money, as it often does. So Joe suspects the price to lure someone to Tampa (if it comes to that) is going to cost Licht more because now he has competition (Jerry Jones).
This story is not intended to run Heck out of town. Joe has zero idea if Heck can handle the task. There’s only been one Bucs padded practice and Heck wasn’t horrible.
It’s still way early — July.
July 29th, 2025 at 4:06 am
Be glad Licht is choosing targets for the Bucs. If he doesn’t get the price he wants, wait & see as Jones selects for Dallas. Chances are, on the side of Licht, is where we want to be when needing a short term OL.
July 29th, 2025 at 5:28 am
Joe, we need to start looking at cheap USFL guys that just played all Spring
July 29th, 2025 at 5:28 am
Why not make Ben Chukwuma practice as Hecks back up for now. He only has a little experience playing football but has a super hero physique.
The more he learns how to play left tackle the better he’ll get overtime. I’m comparing him to The Eagles LT Mailata who has a similar story coming from Australia.
July 29th, 2025 at 6:39 am
Is there some outstanding left tackle sitting on the sidelines without a team that I don’t know about? I sure haven’t seen him! You’re not going to get anything better than Heck when the player knows he will be replaced immediately when Wirfs is able to play again. The Bucs just need to sit tight, see what they have and maybe scavenge a bit from the cuts made by other teams (although I find it hard to believe there will be starter quality left tackles being cut by any team – let alone any that will immediately gel with our other four linemen).
July 29th, 2025 at 6:57 am
Donovan Smith will be a Cowboy
July 29th, 2025 at 7:01 am
Maybe Skule gets cut. He was serviceable after Detroit. As the ever eloquent Emmitt Smith would say, “he got debacled cause he failed to carouse Aidan Hutchinson”.
July 29th, 2025 at 7:32 am
Tristan will be back week 5. Would be idiotic to rush him back.
July 29th, 2025 at 7:36 am
Have you been in consultation with the team doctors? Oh, you’re speculating.
July 29th, 2025 at 7:45 am
Left tackle Paris Johnson was drafted by Arizona so the old but solid tackle, Kelvin Beachum, is available.
Since the end of last year, Arizona lost both, Sean Murphy-Bunting (non football injury in May) and Star Thomas V (ACL last week) their starting cornerbacks with over 1400 snaps between them.
maybe a trade candidate
July 29th, 2025 at 8:04 am
no worries…if all else fails, licht will say the heck with it, and suit up himself
July 29th, 2025 at 8:10 am
it’s not early. he should have gotten one already. isn’t that why he saved cap space? waiting to see who’s a likely cut is the lazy way to do it. figure out who those guys are and be proactive. waiting can only hurt you. at cut time, get ANOTHER one. you just got a warning from the big man upstairs – depth at this position can kill your season as fast as Keyser Souze. Then POOF it’s gone.
July 29th, 2025 at 8:15 am
Price may be a non-factor, Joe.
Or a very minimal one.
Players talk to each other, They watch, they read, they listen.
They know that if they come to Tampa they aren’t going to get the kind of money they’ll get from another team.
They come for the culture and to play on a squad that’s working to build playmakers and solid talent across all positions offensively, defensively, and on ST.
Baker, Mike, Chris, Hassan, …I know I’m forgetting a few.
They all took team-friendly deals. TB12 resigned for $25M at a time when other QBs were already in the upper 30’s and I think a couple had crossed the $40M threshold.
I’ll also simply say this: No offense to Jerry Jones, but look at how much he’s been willing to spend in recent years. It hasn’t gotten him into more playoff games than us.
There also always seems to be some sort of strife every year in Dallas…. drama, whatever you want to call it, with a player or two.
@Scotty Mack
Frankly, Scotty Mack’s point stands out to me more than the concern about any potential price/cost.
Realistically, what are the chances of a starting-caliber LT being cut at this time of year. And why would that person want to come here only to sit after the first four weeks of the season?
Every player wants to get paid.
But, there are some out there who get that you win or lose as a team, and want to go to a team that’s in a position to contend for the next few years, even if it means they make a little less.
July 29th, 2025 at 8:30 am
he’ll wait till cut time – also to give “D” coaches a better look at the players we already have taking more snaps.
July 29th, 2025 at 8:58 am
Sign Donnie to a one year deal and call it a day. Oh and bring Shaq back at vet minimum as a back up.
July 29th, 2025 at 10:13 am
PRICE FOR AN LT
Just to be clear this is NOT about money pe se, it’s about the Cap.
Again I wish players were reported as how much Cap they earn. Millions have now become totally meaningless.
Jason’s big challenge is keeping the Cap under control with so many young guys and a stud QB and WR with little time left on their contracts.
I’ve read some people talk as if “spending money” is something the Glazers control. The NFL cap and the CBA have changed the way Culverhouse could do business. I love what the Glazers have done with the Bucs and with their community responsibilities. They are among the best owners in football. But I do not give them credit for spending money on players because they have to spend it just like the rest of the owners.
HOW they spend it, which players, which positions interests me but AGAIN not in millions that means nothing, other than perhaps to compare to other players around the league. What REALLY counts is does a GM/Ownership believe in a player to spend enough % of cap space. That’s where this LT scramble comes in.
July 29th, 2025 at 10:44 am
Guyton didn’t tear anything, so good news if we need to sign one
July 29th, 2025 at 10:57 am
There aren’t exactly LTs just waiting for a call. Bucs haven’t made a move yet, don’t think they will. Jones won’t pay his starting players, don’t see him paying a LT sitting on his couch for good reason. Ther just aren’t any out there. Best thing the Bucs can do is accelerate the development of Chukwuma. We have a great O line coach. Get him all the reps he can handle. We have two joint practices coming up, and three preseason games. Maybe he’s the best option, we’ll soon find out.
July 29th, 2025 at 11:01 am
“Hope” heck plays well! Go Bowles!
July 29th, 2025 at 1:00 pm
On August 27 the price will come down.
8 OT were drafted in the first two rounds. That likely means 8 vet OT will not have spots when cuts occur on 8/27. Patience.
July 29th, 2025 at 1:13 pm
I don’t understand why people are so doubtful of Heck as a capable starter while Wirfs is recovering. Is it the film in SF last year ? Actually we have all preseason & camp to get ready. The line in SF was light years less talented than the BUCS o-line . So Bucs fans don’t lose sleep worring if Heck &or Chukwama can hold up , Heck wants too stay in the NFL so believe he & the line coaches know what they need to do & they will be ready. Let the plow boys panic w h o the Heck cares ,the BUCS will be good!! BANK it!!!!
July 29th, 2025 at 1:27 pm
Donavan is trash, too stiff too old and not a complete Tackle anymore.
These young DE would run circles around him.
Give Heck a positive chance here, he’s 100% better than Skule was in his first few games with very limited practice reps.
The fact that Heck has all of training camp to adjust puts him in a great position for success.
LFG BUCS!!!!
July 29th, 2025 at 2:09 pm
My opinion BuccaDAWG:
The tackle position is a position of mostly of failure in the NFL.
If Heck was good at the position, he would not be available for so little money this offseason. He has played 4 seasons and is not securing a bigger contract. It means he has failed more than succeeded as an NFL tackle.
Lots of past Bucs and future Bucs will fail at left tackle. For me, it is not as simple as suggesting we have enough time to get the guy in camp ready.
About 20 of 32 teams are looking to upgrade their tackle situation going into every offseason.
July 29th, 2025 at 2:36 pm
We need a 3rd DT also.
We need to trade a WR