Graham Barton Thinks He’s A Smarter Player
August 14th, 2025
Tougher, bigger, smarter.
One cool thing about covering training camp practices is access to people Joe would otherwise not get a chance to talk to.
Let’s just say Joe spoke with a guy employed by the Bucs whose name is familiar to all Bucs fans. Joe was talking to him after a practice and asked for some input on players Joe may be overlooking.
Specifically, Joe asked this man for bubble players he thinks may legitimately challenge for a spot on the 53-man roster.
Joe was told that question was premature. However, Joe was told of a starter who is playing top-shelf football.
The name? Graham Barton.
Now Chucky (Jon Gruden) thinks Barton may be the best center in the league. Chucky was a huge fan of Barton in the draft last year and Chucky is even more of a fan of Barton now, per his recent NFC South preview.
Chucky is confident that Barton is the best center in the division.
Chucky may be onto something.
Barton, from an intelligence standpoint, is far and away smarter than he was last year, Joe’s source said. He’s now reading defenses like Joe used to devour John Feinstein’s college basketball books or Norman Chad’s columns.
So Joe asked Barton this week if he really was that much smarter than he was last year.
“I sure hope so!” Barton laughed.
To hear Barton, a lot of becoming a smarter player is experience.
“I’m just trying to continue to get better,” Barton said. “See different things and understand defenses a little better. I’m still working on it. I definetly think I’ve made some strides.”
The way Barton sees it, he is in the perfect incubator for learning NFL defenses. Head coach and mastermind of the Bucs defense Todd Bowles is known for having a complex and diverse defense with many surprises. Barton has had to learn how to decipher one of the more difficult defenses in the league.
As a result, other defenses can be a piece of cake to figure out, Barton said.
“Obviously, with a Coach Bowles’ defense, there are so many complex looks and stuff like that,” Barton said. “Absolutely, the main thing is when your mind moves a little slower, you have more time to think about what you are seeing and break down what you are seeing.
“I think that is part of [the growth process] too.”
Barton noted just seeing where a defensive back is lined up can tip off an offensive lineman.
“Seeing where safeties are and why they are where they are … I’m just understanding the structure of a defense more,” Barton said. “I’m just getting more acclimated to the NFL level.”
And while Barton is quick to praise Bowles’ defense for his mental growth, Barton said trying to stop some of his defensive teammates boosts his knowledge and abilities daily.
“Yeah, [facing Bowles’ defense] it has helped a ton,” Barton said. “Whether it is different looks and the structure of the defense, the variety we see all the time, that’s a big part of it.
“And I think personnel, too, when you [are facing Vita] Vea and Calijah [Kancey], SirVocea [Dennis] and obviously Lavonte [David]. Having those guys in there, we get better every day.”
Before training camp started, Bucs types were giddy with what a full offseason in an NFL weight room has done for Barton’s physique. Combine that with how much smarter Barton allegedly is, and perhaps this is Barton’s breakout season.
If it is, Chucky will look equally smart as well.
August 14th, 2025 at 7:27 am
I love Joe’s softball questions! “Graham are you any smarter this year” or ” Graham, does playing against a complicated defense and great players in practice help you?” š š
On a serious note, I just hope that Graham gets the recognition he deserves from the national media as he’s probably a top 3 center. Too bad Cam Heyward won’t test him today.
August 14th, 2025 at 7:32 am
This Offense has no holes. Itās that putrid pass defense thatās gonna dictate where this team goes this year. Go Bucs!
August 14th, 2025 at 7:35 am
This year will be his first pro bowl of many.
August 14th, 2025 at 7:35 am
Here are the guys who should be near or in their prime and have breakout seasons:
Defense: SVD. Kancey. Diaby. Winfield. Smith. Dean. Reddick. LVD is still in his prime, and is still one of the best in the NFL. How many of these guys were injured last year? If they just stay healthy, their contributions go up considerably.
Offense: Mayfield. Barton. Mauch. Wirfs. Goedeke. Irving. Tucker. Evans is still in his prime.
What the Coach needs to convince them about is that this is not a year of growth or maturity. Instead: This is THE year they win the SB. They need to be reminded that collectively they are that good.
Detroit is flaming out. Philly is hungover. Dallas is still a joke. Rah is incompetent. Carolina and NO are bottom quartile teams. The Rams have huge holes. SF is in a major downslide.
The Bucs are solid in every position and superlative at WR, RB, interior line and QB. The Defense has potential, but itās time to show it. Dean and Reddick deliver or find a new home next year. SVD and Winfield stay healthy or become labeled as unreliable and relegated to backup.
This is a no excuses season.
August 14th, 2025 at 8:14 am
All in on Graham. He learned from his rookie mistakes last season.
Hodad Says: “This year will be his first pro bowl of many.” Most definitely!
August 14th, 2025 at 8:15 am
Todd Bowles drops Vea into coverage. That is not a mastermind moment. Sadly, Barton wonāt benefit much from sparring against a clueless Todd Defense.
August 14th, 2025 at 8:50 am
What the Coach needs to convince them about is that this is not a year of growth or maturity. Instead: This is THE year they win the SB.
August 14th, 2025 at 8:51 am
^^^
This is not a “this” or “that sceanrio, we’re a relatively young team, growth can lead and a clean enough bill of healthy could lead to an SB run. Ya’ll be thinking too hard man lol
August 14th, 2025 at 9:19 am
We will see how much these players have improved
September 7th, at Mercedes -Benz stadium
August 14th, 2025 at 9:24 am
Hope he has polished the snaps some , difficult transitionā¦ā¦ā¦ Heck of a player !!
Above avg performer but bad snaps will def kill a bucket of good performancesā¦.. Def on the cusp of a Pro Bowl blocker but will he be a Pro Bowl snapper !! I Think So !!
Go Bucs !!
August 14th, 2025 at 9:34 am
still worried about cody mauch…he’s still getting pushed around too much imo…his balance is horrible…
GO BUCS!!!
August 14th, 2025 at 9:52 am
That pic makes him look like a road grader!!! LFG!
August 14th, 2025 at 10:00 am
Hey, itās 3rd and 1 in a playoff game – Iām gonna snap the ball early to try to catch the other team offsides! Nevermind that my teamās not expecting it and that my HC is a coward and wonāt go for it on 4th and 2.
Brains are one thing. Common sense is another. The latter can be coached, in the category of situational awareness. That obviously didnāt happen last year.
Hope is alive!
August 14th, 2025 at 10:08 am
Jason Light be like
Who needs Jalen Ramsey when we can draft an injury prone corner in the 2nd round
Who needs Micah Parsons when we just took Braswell in the 2nd round
Why draft Sheduer Sanders when we already got Baker as QB1
Who needs Saquon Barkley when we can draft a running back
Is Jason Light ever gonna make a Big Move to bolster this roster before the season ???
This is Lavonte David last season most likely and our 50th season
August 14th, 2025 at 10:28 am
The football Gods once again were kind to us and allowed him to be there at our pick….we’re very lucky
August 14th, 2025 at 10:32 am
Most of the players ModHairKen names canāt have breakout seasons. Wirfs? You kidding us??? Kinda hard to break out from All-Pro. Same with Dean, Reddick, and Winfield on defense and Goedeke, Irving and Mayfield on offense. Sure they can play better or come back from a substandard years but each of them is already high on the radar of knowledgeable fans.
More interesting would be to say the POSITIONS that the Bucs need to step up. Like RILB (looking at you, YaYa). RDE (Logan was better but not impressive). CB depth (Dean and Zyon were a fine pair but injury and the void behind them was gruesome). Safety play, especially FS (weāre hoping for Smith to do well and for AJW to recover, but you know what Joe says about hope).
On offense itās TE (have we maxed out production?), the left side of the OL (can we hang on till Wirfs gets back? Will Bredeson remain adequate?), and the WRs 3 and lower (will JMac come on? Is EE the bomb? Can the other backups contribute talent and production?).
Sure, a 50/10 season from Mayfield would put the Bucs in the NFC driverās seat. And a 60+ sack attack would as well. But a key to coaching is making the backups and average guys play well, not just getting the top players to be superb. Weāll see the real coaching job if the bottom of the roster can RAYS UP.
August 14th, 2025 at 11:06 am
Jarrett Says:
August 14th, 2025 at 10:08 am
Jason Light be like
Who needs Jalen Ramsey when we can draft an injury prone corner in the 2nd round
Who needs Micah Parsons when we just took Braswell in the 2nd round
Why draft Sheduer Sanders when we already got Baker as QB1
Who needs Saquon Barkley when we can draft a running back
Is Jason Light ever gonna make a Big Move to bolster this roster before the season ???
This is Lavonte David last season most likely and our 50th season
——————-
Wow, dude. you’re really onto something… probably crack. You do know that none of those players were actually available to us, right? Instead of one guy he got us Evans, then he got us Godwin, he got Wirfs, Winfield, Vea, Bucky, Barton, Goedeke, he got Kancey, he went and got Mayfield out of the bargain bin, keeps David coming back for more every year. How clueless are you?
August 14th, 2025 at 11:53 am
Players must have Barberās 2002 mindset:
PROBOWL MY A$$$, IM GOING TO THE SUPER BOWL!!!!!!
LFG!!!!
August 14th, 2025 at 12:11 pm
JimBobBuc Says:
I love Joeās softball questions! āGraham are you any smarter this year?ā
^^^^^
It would have been better if he responded, “No. Way dumber, in fact. I can’t even comprehend how much dumber I am. I can’t ‘comprehend it’ because that’s how dumb I’ve become. Obviously I have no idea how it happened.”
Football players need to work on their sarcasm, especially with softball questions.
August 14th, 2025 at 12:32 pm
it just turns in to one big self reinforcing bubble after awhile. everyone gets sore arms patting each other, and themselves, on the back.
August 14th, 2025 at 12:44 pm
I just canāt wait for the opener against Atlanta, when Michaelās Penix averages 6 yards a completion on the opening drive, completes them all, scrambles for two first downs and scores the touchdown.
Who thinks it wonāt happen?
August 14th, 2025 at 12:57 pm
^ if they’re winning then whats the problem negative nancy?
August 14th, 2025 at 1:06 pm
Coach Bowles says, ” Yea Graham is smarter this year. Hey just needs to learn the scheme and learn to communicate better. He doesn’t really know either yet.”
August 14th, 2025 at 1:28 pm
“Just because I have poorly worded my thoughts does not make me an idiot”
LOLOL Fear and Loathing In St Pete.
August 14th, 2025 at 3:30 pm
I like it Joe, I think he was pretty good last season,, I think Cody bailed Barton a couple times, but he damn sure helped the team by being as good as he is and continues to learn every day. He’s a good kid.
August 14th, 2025 at 3:55 pm
Can’t wait for the opener…. Making note of the predictions š
“Chucky will look equally smart as well.”
Ummm, NO. Chucky will still look like a loudmouth idiot to at least some of us. Haven’t forgotten his prediction last year for Cousins and Atlanta to be in the NFC championship game š¤”