Graham Barton: Offensive Line Must Stay On The Field
April 21st, 2026
Center Graham Barton said the Bucs’ offense can play at a higher level if the starting offensive linemen can stay healthy.
The Bucs’ offensive line last year was a mess. That’s likely because the Bucs never had one game in which the preseason starting-five actually started.
Tristan Wirfs opened the sidelined with a bad knee. Then Luke Goedeke got hurt. Then Cody Mauch. Then Ben Bredeson.
The offensive lineman who had the best year last year was center Graham Barton. Why? Because he answered the bell, even if he had to play out of position at left tackle.
As a result, the offense slowly crumbled. Baker Mayfield got beaten up and was a shell of himself after the bye. The Bucs never could get a running game going.
Joe is convinced all of that was residue of the offensive line being a trainwreck of injuries.
Barton said Monday, Day 1 of the 2026 offseason program, that he and his front-line teammates must stay on the field for the offense to succeed, and for the Bucs to win.
“Continuity is such a strong thing,” Barton said. “You look at 2024 and the success we had running the football and protecting the quarterback. We stayed healthy for most part.
“I missed a game, I believe Tristan [Wirfs] missed a couple, Luke [Goedeke] missed a couple early, but throughout the year we stayed healthy and there was a lot of continuity there.
“I think that helps no doubt about it. Again, it’s about trying to improve, and I think if everyone looks within themselves and gets to that point, we’ll be in a lot better of a spot this year. No doubt, health plays a part in it.”
But how does one stay healthy in football? Offensive line is such a physically taxing game. The Bucs, prior to last year, had relatively good health from their offensive linemen for years dating back to when Dirk Koetter was head coach.
Last year, the Bucs had to pay the piper for so many years of healthy offensive linemen.
Joe isn’t sure how you avoid injuries in the trenches. Whoever can figure out a way will make a mint.
So Joe guesses the football gods have to smile upon the Bucs.
One way Bucs suits could fix this would be to have at least one competent backup guard.
April 21st, 2026 at 12:03 am
Excuses are all Bowles has left.
April 21st, 2026 at 12:18 am
Have practices that aren’t walk through every day.
Iron sharpens iron.
April 21st, 2026 at 12:38 am
Aqua, what’s the difference between an excuse and a reason? Serious question. I know my answer. What’s yours?
April 21st, 2026 at 12:55 am
Barton is stating the obvious: if the offense is on the field then Bowles defense will not be on that field allowing the opposing offense to converd 3rd and 28 making backups, 7th round draft picks and has beens look like they are All Pros and ready to be enshrined in Canton.
I still wonder about that Wirfs injury, that started things off poorly for the OL and I wonder if we will evr find out if it were the Bucs’ medical staff or Wirfs’ personal physician who dropped the ball on not diagnosing his right knee injury so late into the summer when it should have been taken care of much sooner.
April 21st, 2026 at 1:35 am
Yeah we need good football players and coaches to play and coach on the field. Sorry we don’t have that
April 21st, 2026 at 4:41 am
Barton is right. We have tons of salary cap money invested on the offensive line. And lots of draft capital. So when 40-60% of the starters are almost always out that’s a huge amount of talent not in the games.
April 21st, 2026 at 5:35 am
Won’t be able to get him but the big Penn State OG with the unspellable name would be a nice addition.
April 21st, 2026 at 6:01 am
It all starts in the trenches … on BOTH sides of the ball.
April 21st, 2026 at 6:03 am
Excuse after excuse after excuse. Sounds like a Bowles team to me. No one mentioning the lack of consistent execution on offense down the stretch. When this offense crashes and burns this season what will be the excuses then? Oh thats right…injuries! Smh…its a Bucs life.
April 21st, 2026 at 6:12 am
Expanding on what DR said. If we don’t get JRod then we better get McDonald. McDonald, we could call him Trenchman. I’m sure he would like playing with Vita. We could call them the Trenchmen. I’m thinking our OLine is coming in with foul attitudes. Trenchmen with attitudes? I’m thinking that this season might just be alot of fun.
April 21st, 2026 at 6:18 am
so did Baker have a quantifiable injury or he just didn’t feel good? he played so bad down the stretch
April 21st, 2026 at 6:38 am
“”so did Baker have a quantifiable injury or he just didn’t feel good? he played so bad down the stretch””
The only one who has publicly addressed that is Lavonte on some podcast. He said Baker had multiple lingering injuries that caused his poor play. I sure hope that was the case. The alternative is pretty ugly.
April 21st, 2026 at 6:45 am
BucU. Lavonte Never once said Baker had “poor play”. Why don’t you go back to bed, say to yourself “I’m gonna make an effort not to be a lying twit today” and then get back up and go outside and get a breath of fresh air. Take a walk, do something worthwhile.
April 21st, 2026 at 7:01 am
Getting rid of all that dead cap money cost us in depth–We could afford decent STARTERS, but all the depth came off other teams’ practice squads (those 2 guards prime example)
April 21st, 2026 at 7:47 am
It’s a mix of inferior guards playing the position and then the lack continuity. So you get a guy who’s not as good a guard as say Cody Mauch playing his position, so that’s bad enough. Then this guy has zero continuity with Barton and Goedeke… no chemistry there. And now you have that going on to the left of Barton as well. Then earlier in the season you have Bredeson on playing in the middle and Barton out to the left. It was wild… not good wild.
That’s kind of why I’ve been thinking if we drafted 15, we go ahead and get Ioane from Penn State to take Bredeson’s. Add some nasty that we’ve been missing since Jensen has been gone and then we have Bredeson able to back up all three spots in the middle with Skule able to back up either tackle position. Much better depth than last season. This article already stated how important the trenches are. Plenty of depth for solid players in this draft.
Day 2 = ILB, edge, DT, or CB… one of the four.
April 21st, 2026 at 7:49 am
not sure what you guys think of Tristan Wirfs but imagine having 2 Tristan Wirfs starting on our OL lol….
thats exactly what could happen if we draft Kadyn Proctor-OL from Bama…..
Kid is from Iowa just like Tristan, models his game after Tristan and scouts are saying his comp is Tristan Wirfs lol….
One way to “fix” the OL issue is to draft Kadyn Proctor
GO BUCS!!!!!
April 21st, 2026 at 7:54 am
KABucs Says: That’s kind of why I’ve been thinking if we drafted 15, we go ahead and get Ioane from Penn State
BINGO!!!!!!
he’d work too!!!!!
I’d rather go Kadyn Proctor because he could provide position flexibility since he’s played tackle at BAMA but most teams project him to kick inside to OG…
Ioane could probably cross train to play Center in emergencies….
OL is the way to go with our first pick
GO BUCS!!!!!
April 21st, 2026 at 8:19 am
813,
That wouldn’t suck one bit. He can play guard and also provide depth at OT. He would instantly turn the Bucs oline into the best in football.
Not the sexy pick everyone thinks they want, but a smart pick.
Then defense the rest of the way.
My money is still on 1 of these 3:
Mesidor
J Rodriguez
Proctor
Picks I would hate:
Sadiq
Faulk
CJ Allen
April 21st, 2026 at 10:26 am
Reason – a legitimate explanation for comparative results against like competition
Excuse – a groundless attempt to absolve someone of inept performance
Someone needs some FDS.
April 21st, 2026 at 10:43 am
3.28 all you do is whine. Tough in up snow flake.
April 21st, 2026 at 10:52 am
#1bucsfan. I don’t believe he needs to “Tough in up”. Years of disappointment has hardened 3.28. He needs to “Soft in up”. I reckon.
April 21st, 2026 at 1:10 pm
We’re getting him….yall know whats up 🙂
April 21st, 2026 at 1:12 pm
Driving drunk the wrong way down a narrow one way street with a semi coming the other way is no way to be a fan.
April 21st, 2026 at 3:11 pm
“Why work for a bust in Canton when you can be a bust right here in Tampa?” – Graham Barton
April 21st, 2026 at 5:12 pm
This was one of your better ‘takes’ until the last sentence. Almost every offensive lineman the bucs have can play another line position. No other position can say that, except if you split the slot/wr position, but that is a stretch (pun).
April 21st, 2026 at 7:40 pm
I actually thought Luke Haggard played pretty well untill he got hurt he must of not been close to 100.when he came back because they left Mike Jordan in who was horrible I guess Freeney was alright for being a backup pulled off another team during the season learning in the fly height actually be a good backup with a whole camp.undet his belt but I still think the Bucs need to bring in another guard Incase the Tackle depth is good toe with Ben Chuk an Skule actually Alot of positions got the depth upgraded this off-season an most off all I’m really excited to see what Walker can bring to the pass rush i wish he got to get a year of exp under his belt last year but hopefully he can bring some juice to the pass rush an I might be the only one but I’m still.holding out hope Braswell will be something it takes some guys a cpl years to deyi mean it took Hendrickson 3-4 years to do anything an now look at him
April 22nd, 2026 at 7:48 am
You mean the spaceman hats aint the answer Joe?
Go Bucs!