Too Early To Know How Bucs Replace Bodies On Offensive Line
September 19th, 2025
Bucs OC Josh Grizzard.
Man, Joe remembers once upon a time when Demar Dotson tore up his knee in training camp and was lost for half the season. People around One Buc Palace were about to freak out.
Since Joe launched this here website back in August 2008, the Bucs mostly have maintained an excellent record of keeping offensive linemen healthy.
That sure is not the case this season. The Bucs are down their starting two tackles, right guard Cody Mauch, and have two linemen playing out of position, Graham Barton and Ben Bredeson at left tackle and center, respectively.
When the Bucs face the Jets in the home opener on Sunday, it is possible none of the projected five starters on the line will be in the starting lineup in their normal positions.
Tristan Wirfs is getting close to returning but that’s not a sure thing for Sunday. Luke Goedeke and Mauch were placed on injured reserve yesterday. And the news got strange yesterday when left guard not-that Michael Jordan didn’t practice but wasn’t on the injury report.
The Bucs signed Dan Feeney off the Bills’ practice squad. Will he start at guard or will the Bucs have a backup/practice squad guy fill the gap(s)? The offensive line is in such a state of flux, Bucs offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard said yesterday he doesn’t even know.
“Yeah, it’s still a little early with some of the things that have happened to try to hash that out at this point,” Grizzard said. “We’ll have to get through watching the tape today, [Friday is] install [day], the red area, and get into Saturday before we really have a feel for exactly what that’s going to look like on game day.”
So we are two days from kickoff and the offensive coordinator is still unsure. How in the heck can one craft a gameplan if one doesn’t know who will be on the line?
Joe is pretty confident Grizzard doesn’t want to call plays that may get blown up because they expose an offensive lineman’s weakness.
Outside of possibly lousy Lovie Smith’s first season with the Bucs (2014), Joe has never seen the Bucs’ offensive line in this much of a mess. Certainly not before the Bucs have even played a home game.
September 19th, 2025 at 12:23 am
MJ is injured too???
Man WTF is going on that’s 4 lineman now?
September 19th, 2025 at 12:25 am
Changes to Bucs Medical were obviously made. This is so improbable statistically, it cannot be a coincidence.
September 19th, 2025 at 12:51 am
This sniffs of nutrient deficiencies and lack of proper supplementation, also lack of proper stretching might also be a contributing factor.
But truth be told, having MD’s in charge who know next-to nothing about nutritional supplements for ligament and tendon health is most-likely the culprit/cause.
We should have a holistic nutrionist on staff, not ignorant doctors who only know about drugs and surgery. 💯
September 19th, 2025 at 1:40 am
2-0 has never felt so bad. I would rather be 0-2 with the Oline intact.
September 19th, 2025 at 1:49 am
Aqua, I mentioned it at an earlier post. Football players get hurt playing football. Medical staff has nothing to do with it. And even afterwards, the onus is always on the patient to do what they need to do. Do. The staff guides them and assists them in that but they don’t stay with them 24/7. It’s not the medical staff. It’s just bad luck.
September 19th, 2025 at 2:15 am
They barely play tag football all camp and then go full tilt to start the season. Doesn’t take a genius to figure out that’s a bad idea.
September 19th, 2025 at 2:38 am
Here we are, the week they are going to wear those crappy winless unis, yes 0-20 (14 reg 6 preseason), that I and many others had the “wonderful experience” of as fans of the team. Its like those are are really cursed.
The 2025 Bucs are beginning to actually resemble the 1976 Bucs in one aspect. 17 players ended up on the IR that year.
September 19th, 2025 at 2:48 am
i heard on the radio the line from left to right sunday will be…
barton jordan bredeson haggard heck
doesn’t klein step in before haggard…?
whaaaoow the line is a hot mess
September 19th, 2025 at 3:29 am
Total disaster on the Oline. Grizz better be installing a game plan that protects Baker. QB bootlegs, rollouts, WCO type passes. Every read is going to be a hot read. Oh and there are those stupid uniforms….another jinx.
September 19th, 2025 at 3:40 am
Added to the OLine problems no Godwin, no McMillan and Egbouka may be out also. I heard there are a few unsigned camp guys we could still pick up for our 53 man roster that are fry cooks, waiters and moving guys at Hooters, Ruth Chris and Good Greek. Can we get Dave Moore out of the radio booth to play again? Or maybe Gramattica to come back?
September 19th, 2025 at 4:12 am
So Joe I have a Question I was asking about why Jordan wasn’t on the injury report an.Greg Aunum said that they didn’t have to put practice squad players on the injury report is that true I never heard that before I was saying that maybe he just had a rest day today because yesterday was just a walk through is it a for sure thing that Jordan is injured ?
September 19th, 2025 at 5:18 am
it doesn’t have to be anyone in particular, but can someone please teach aqualung about bad luck?
September 19th, 2025 at 5:25 am
Need to start thinking about bubble wrap uniforms to go with the bubble wrap helmets!
September 19th, 2025 at 5:48 am
I’m wondering if Grizz is “blowing smoke” just to keep the Jets guessing.
In this situation, we all know the “local pen and mic club”, as Joe calls it, would have screamed for a full-tilt Stop The Presses, if Grizz had come out and said “so-and-so will play here, such-and-such will play there”.
And that, obviously, would give the Jets more intel on how to gameplan.
Ronde Barber gets referenced a lot here as a front-office insider who knows what’s going on.
He stated publicly a couple of weeks ago that the team quietly began drills with Ben and Graham switching positions, at least a month before the season began.
I wouldn’t be surprised if that included some back-up options on the right side of the O-Line.
I could also be completely wrong about that.
Given the short turnaround time, waiting until the last-minute and looking at all the options to see which one might work best, seems like a smart move to me. Grizz may be speaking the truth.
I want to see us go 3-0 on Sunday, and believe we can.
But, there’s a larger-picture, more important question in my mind.
Others have started asking it here, too.
We appear to suffer a… what’s the right word… “noticeable” number of training camp injuries every year.
And week after week during the season, our injury report more often than not, has more names on it than our opponents’ report does.
What is going on with our pre-season/training camp, and in-season practice regimens, that we appear to have so many injuries compared to other teams, every year?
Is, or at what point, does the coaching staff, training staff, medical team, and front office start paying attention to this and actually address it?
It’s football and guys are going to get hurt or injured. I get it.
But, I’ve noticed this trend for the past couple of years and how it puts another obstacle in front of us every year that we have to overcome.
Just my two cents…
September 19th, 2025 at 6:44 am
This is surreal now. Who’s next? It seems every single practice or game we’re losing somebody else. It’s almost embarrassing. Something is very wrong here.
2 F’n games in and our entire Oline is wiped out. Not to mention the brittle Kancey being gone for the year on a play that seemingly nothing happened you can see. Disgusted.
September 19th, 2025 at 6:49 am
Didn’t Klein make the final 53 as a back up guard? He’s taking a roster spot for a reason I’m guessing? Doesn’t make sense bringing Haggard up from the PS to start at RG over Klein. Klein did win the roster spot, he should be next man up. He played RG in college, this should be a no brainer. If Klein don’t start, what does that say about winning roster spots? If Klein is making back up money, he should be ahead of the guy making PS money. Not a good look if they think Haggard is better than Klein, but gave the roster spot to Klein anyway.
September 19th, 2025 at 7:13 am
“Outside of possibly lousy Lovie Smith’s first season with the Bucs (2014), Joe has never seen the Bucs’ offensive line in this much of a mess.”
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That gave me chills… But lets keep it in perspective. We only have one Oline change from the end of the Houston game at RG for Mauch. AND with all the make shift changes, the Bucs ran the ball down the throats of a very good D-front with the game on the line.
As long as we can do that against the Jets and Baker plays like Baker, we are fine
September 19th, 2025 at 7:15 am
run the ball, quick passes, keep it simple
September 19th, 2025 at 7:54 am
a little less weights, a little more yoga. increased range of motion gets you more power than a bit more strength. fulcrums. science.
September 19th, 2025 at 7:55 am
the interior should be okay at least. i’d put everyone back in their natural positions if possible this time.
September 19th, 2025 at 8:00 am
@Hodad, there must be something they like in Haggar’s ability to play all 5-spots. I’d trust the coaching staff knows better than any of us vs this idea that Klein won anything. Remember Klein is draft pick, and I think most teams covet draft picks more than free agents, DOES NOT mean that they are necessarily better and or more ready to play in case of an injury. They try to stash Klein on the PS and most likely he’s getting picked up by another team. Still doesn’t mean he’s ready to start.
The next couple of weeks will be a true test of what type of coaching staff Bowels/Licht has assembled.
September 19th, 2025 at 8:05 am
Relax guys, it’s just 3 players – one we knew about all along (Wirfs), one that misses time every year (Luke), and one surprise at RG with Mauch. I see lots of Payne and Ko coming to help. The left side of the line is typically pass focused, the right side typically run focused, and the guys we have on the bookends right now are suited for those roles. We’ll probably see lots of screens and short passes to the left side with the backs and Mike, inside runs with Baker, and right side runs and quick passes to Cade and Shep. Maybe 3-4 deep shots all game.
Mek is the injury that’s most alarming right now since he can play all over the field and keep the defense honest from all angles and without being able to double up Mike.
Griz and the offensive coaches definitely have a plan and they definitely know who they’re about to call up on, and how, and when.
This will be another ugly, low scoring, last possession game.
September 19th, 2025 at 8:13 am
Cfl?
September 19th, 2025 at 8:20 am
This is what happens when players are NOT IN FOOTBALL SHAPE.
They all should play a few series in pre-season. There is the risk of getting injured in practice too. Going from standing around to full go is taking its toll.
September 19th, 2025 at 8:26 am
trusting the staff!!!!
3-0!!!!
GO BUCS!!!!!
September 19th, 2025 at 9:34 am
ourlads has jordan on practice squad now with other spots updated, dunno if they know something we don’t yet
September 19th, 2025 at 10:22 am
From a study on NFL injury rates”players were 69% more likely to suffer non-contact foot and ankle injuries on turf fields than on natural grass”
Both Atlanta and Houston use turf and a LG has a foot injury. Hmmm.
September 19th, 2025 at 10:38 am
It’s time for the defense and special teams to really step up. Points will be at a premium. 12 personnel, pound the rock with all THREE backs, quick-short passing attack, field position, kicking game, defense. Bucs need to go old school in every facet.
September 19th, 2025 at 11:53 am
Bucs fans…stay calm….the Jets wins this game and the Bucs start 2-2. That’s OK. Reinforcements coming. Replacing guards is not a huge challenge. The Carriers of the O-line are safe, a la Pearl Harbor.
September 20th, 2025 at 5:21 am
Keep those late game daggers comin Bake!!! Late game daggers!!