Todd Bowles: There Is No “Backup Center” Position
August 5th, 2025
Explains backup OL desires.
Bucs coach Todd Bowles made one thing clear this morning:
The Bucs do not have a roster spot for a “backup center.” Rather, Bowles said, they have contingency plans for guys to play center if Graham Barton ever goes down.
“It’s a lot of competition,” Bowles said of what the Bucs will do if they have to play games without Barton. “The preseason games will tell a lot, and practices against other people.
“We know [Elijah] Klein can play guard. We’re looking at [Jake] Majors as well, seeing if he can [be a] dual role and do some of that. [Ben] Bredeson can play some center as well.
“Backup center is a tricky position – you have to be able to multitask. You can’t just be a backup center, you’ve got to have something else to you.”
So in other words, it sounds to Joe that backup offensive linemen better be able to play multiple positions if they want to stick after Aug. 30, when teams have to whittle down their rosters to the mandatory 53 players.
The idea that Ben Bredeson could play center in a pinch reminds Joe of 2020. Then, left guard Ali Marpet went down for three games with a concussion. The Bucs flipped Pro Bowl center Ryan Jensen from center and left guard and added A.Q. Shipley to the starting lineup at center.
August 5th, 2025 at 3:46 pm
Is Shipley still doing well. He is a good man.
August 5th, 2025 at 3:48 pm
That’s the main reason why Jake Majors wasn’t drafted
GMs was saying that his arms are too short to play Guard
They say he can play Center only
August 5th, 2025 at 3:49 pm
Makes sense, also shows you need position versatility to be kept on as depth piece. OL is the team within a team, every offense needs 5 and we can’t waste reserve depth on guys who can only play the 1 position. When we can use that spot on another player at a skill position
August 5th, 2025 at 3:49 pm
Truth be told, I seem to remember that a guard usually steps in.
August 5th, 2025 at 4:39 pm
Here’s a Question: Why is Culp a TE and not a WR?
Mike Evans: 6’5, 231lbs, 4.53
Devin Culp: 6’4, 237lbs, 4.47
Devin is a very talented WR. Why not let Mike groom him? We’d have Evans and CG replacements with Culp and Embuka ready to take over in a couple of years.
August 5th, 2025 at 5:08 pm
You’ve heard the saying “When you have two Centers, you don’t have any”
Oh wait…..that’s Quarterbacks…..
August 5th, 2025 at 5:14 pm
It has always been like that. Backups and OG usually can play both sides and center if needed. Have to do it like that because carrying 10 O-Linemen is not an option.
August 5th, 2025 at 5:17 pm
I like Majors. I’ll bet you he can play some guard. Just have the 5 best linemen on the field. That ain’t rocket science. Mayfield has short arms too. Give me a break.
August 5th, 2025 at 5:34 pm
Kenton Smith,
I didn’t say it, the scouts said it
I always thought he was a great college center
Especially when Bijan Robinson was running behind him
August 5th, 2025 at 6:27 pm
“Mayfield has short arms too.“
lol we know
August 5th, 2025 at 6:38 pm
It seems to me that a position that touches the ball on every snap would be a higher priority.
August 5th, 2025 at 8:22 pm
@Fred McNeil
Fred, A.Q. suffered a neck injury the season after we won the super bowl.
BA was still the head coach and put it succinctly when he said “Shipley’s career is over, but he’s gonna make an awesome coach”.
As for the backups on our O-line, I’m a little concerned. No one on the coaching staff or in the press corps seems to be getting fired up about any of them.
I wish Skule was still here. Detroit aside, he did a great job filling in last year.
Jake Majors had some buzz going on back around draft time, but I’m not hearing anything glowing from OTA’s or training camp.
Same with Charlie Heck, Elijah Klein snd Sua Opeta.
August 5th, 2025 at 8:42 pm
Breds started some games at center for the Giants so he’s my choice for backup. Backup LG? Last year Klein was at RG and this year he’s been moved to LG. I’m not sure I like that move but that’s what Joes meaningless preseason games are for. Too bad Opeta is still hurt – or can he play better than Klein? Majors looks tiny on the field in practice, but maybe he can do it
August 5th, 2025 at 9:01 pm
Jason knows. Trust Jason.
August 6th, 2025 at 3:36 am
Sounds like Majors is the player most effected by this statement…
August 6th, 2025 at 11:52 am
That’s how it has been for years now. It works.