One 2026 Objective: Depth At Guard
June 18th, 2026
Helps shore up guard depth?
Toward the end of last season, it was clear to one NFL.com reporter that the Bucs just had to improve their backup guards for the team to return to the playoffs.
Eric Edholm was horrified watching the matador blocking of [not that] Mike Jordan and former Buffalo practice squad lineman Dan Feeney.
When Cody Mauch went down for the season in Week 2 and Ben Bredeson later in the season, the Bucs’ offensive line went from banged up to a shambles.
Baker Mayfield subsequently got beat to hell and we know what happened after that.
Pass protection let the Bucs down. Baker Mayfield has to take responsibility for his un-pressured interception in the fourth quarter [at home against Atlanta], but he was under fire for most of the night. Mayfield was sacked five times, and that number would have been higher had it not been for Atlanta penalties wiping out other sacks. The Bucs’ interior OL trio of Mike Jordan, Dan Feeney and Graham Barton really struggled to handle the Falcons’ rush inside all night, creating some muddy pockets on a field that looked pretty chewed up to begin with.
And those two rotten guards dragged Graham Barton down.
Joe’s not killing Barton here. Late in the season, Joe saw Barton block two guys by himself, one with each arm, like a 1970s blocking scheme where dudes used their forearms and not their hands, because the turnstiles on either side of him were nowhere to be found.
As you can see from the graphic at this link, (not that) Mike Jordan and Dan Feeney were horrific.
No wonder Mayfield was so banged up.
Jordan is out of football; Feeney was re-signed by the Bucs.
But yeah, Joe believes the drafting of Notre Dame guard Billy Schrauth will be a big help. Hopefully, one of the beer truck drivers or maybe even Feeney himself can take a step up this summer and prove to be a little bit better than a traffic cone.
June 18th, 2026 at 12:17 am
Feeney was worse than a traffic cone. Also, both were so bad at run blocking almost every single down there would be penetration into the backfield stopping the run.
June 18th, 2026 at 12:18 am
Said it last offseason that I really hoped we didn’t regret letting Hainsey walk… and boy did we ever.
For what it’s worth, Mike Jordan was actually really good — for about 2 games very early in the season, then he fell off a cliff… yet was still better than the backups. Although, with that said, Klein actually looked OK vs the Jets, then got hurt, and we never saw him again for some reason, despite the terrible play of others.
But while Licht hasn’t hit a ton of homeruns trying to pick guys off the waiver wire, he has a remarkable record of drafting, and Schrauth was one of the guys I hoped the Bucs would take. A lot of times Licht takes tackles, often from small schools, and it takes them a year to get NFL strong while learning to play guard – Schrauth doesn’t have ither of those issues and I think he has a good shot of being able to play early if needed.
June 18th, 2026 at 12:19 am
It’s surprising how little Licht did to improve the IOL this offseason. Drafts a guy in the fifth and re-signs the tomato can that got us in this mess. That’s it.
June 18th, 2026 at 1:41 am
Didn’t Mike Jordan get hurt
June 18th, 2026 at 2:15 am
I’m not sure Licht has a plan right now.
He was trying to build the defense in the image of the 2000 Ravens. Ngata – Vea, Lewis – White, Reed – AWJ. I worked great. We won the SB. Then, White went nuts and forgot how to play football.
Since then, he’s just floundered.
We have no franchise players, no passion, and no identity. We need a reboot.
June 18th, 2026 at 3:47 am
@SlyPirate
This article literally explains what happened.The offense didn’t fall apart because the Bucs lacked an identity. It fell apart because the interior offensive line became a revolving door.
When Mauch and Bredeson were healthy, Baker was playing some of the best football of his career. When Mike Jordan and Dan Feeney were forced into major roles, the pocket collapsed from the inside out. That’s not a franchise problem, that’s an injury problem.
And “no franchise players?” Are you ok?
Wirfs is elite. AWJ is elite. Vita is elite. Baker has become one of the NFL’s best value contracts. Barton looks like a future cornerstone, and the front office just spent premium picks fixing a soon to be pissed pass rush.
A reboot is for teams drafting in the top five every year looking for a quarterback.
Our Bucs aren’t searching for a foundation. They’re replacing a couple of weak links. There’s a difference between needing a tune-up and declaring the engine dead brother. The only thing that needs a reboot is the narrative.
LFG!!
Ring Me
June 18th, 2026 at 5:50 am
I don’t understand why Feeney was resigned this year. He was terrible at RG last year.
Never understood why they kept starting Feeney over Haggard once Haggard was back from injury last year either.
Haggard had shown at least some promise in the 1 1/2 games he played – Feeney NEVER looked good at any point last year – yet they kept trotting him out there week after week after week. I guess the rationale was because Feeney had “experience” and Haggard didn’t….. So what? Feeney sucked out loud and it was a good chance for Haggard to get some of that valuable ‘experience’. We probably could have eeeked out an extra win at the end of last year with Haggard on the field instead of Feeney truth be told….
Elijah Klein apparently isn’t cut out for the NFL either so Licht needs to go find a serviceable veteran Guard to pair with Schrauth so we can have adequate depth for the inside OLine this year.
June 18th, 2026 at 6:31 am
i went back and watched a video on youtube of Baker highlights the last three years- it didn’t show his game losing pics but man he’s made a lot of plays for us, he’s been an above average qb for sure he’s just got to stop throwing picks in the 4th qt no matter who is playing on the o line, check out that vid
June 18th, 2026 at 7:02 am
Last year, the Bucs had eight OL players in the 53 man. There’s going to be a battle for backup guard this preseason.
Last year:
Tristan Wirfs
Ben Bredeson
Graham Barton,
Cody Mauch,
Luke Goedeke,
Benjamin Chukwuma,
Charlie Heck,
Elijah Klein
I’m guessing that Dan Feeney, Elijah Klein, and rookie Billy Schrauth will be battling for the 8th spot. My guess is that Feeney will win out – only based on his experience. Billy then might go to the practice squad with Klein. However, I think Schrauth is darn good and could make the 53. I hope Joe can get some eyes on Billy when the pads go on
June 18th, 2026 at 7:26 am
Feeble Feeney? Please no, he was bounced off the turf so many times, and that in real time. No need to watch replays. Need Merle’s grandson, Luke to continue to develop.
June 18th, 2026 at 7:53 am
El Hefe Bucc Says:
June 18th, 2026 at 1:41 am
Didn’t Mike Jordan get hurt
BINGO!!!!!
only baker gets the injury excuse lol…..
imo, jordan was better than haggard and freeney
GO BUCS!!!!
June 18th, 2026 at 10:22 am
Klein still on the team? Why? He was so bad they had to sign Feeney. Klein is not, and will never be an NFL linemen.
June 18th, 2026 at 10:28 am
It’s coaching, chickens. Some teams get good coaching.
Todd Twocoach likes his slow walkthroughs and thinks they’re already gelling, cancels practice.
June 18th, 2026 at 1:06 pm
Schrauth and Lutovsky both could be improved depth.
June 18th, 2026 at 3:04 pm
The savior of the offensive line is back! Drule has rejoined the team. Maybe he can be a matador at guard, too.
June 18th, 2026 at 3:04 pm
The savior of the offensive line is back! Skule has rejoined the team. Maybe he can be a cape waver at guard, too.
June 19th, 2026 at 12:54 am
Hearty, Jason had to address the Defense early in the draft. Yes, I suppose he could have taken OL instead of picking Hurst (I wanted him to, so I get you), but I also don’t have too much confidence in Godwin. I think he will bail after this season (I think this is a contract year).
If Hurst is as good as the other players are saying, between EE and him we won’t miss Today n next year…might even be able to save money. And I also think the other young WRs are getting better.
But yeah…Defense was a must.
June 19th, 2026 at 1:04 am
SlyPirate, addressing your first comment (I haven’t read further yet), I think you are waaaay off.
First off, last year was not the new norm. It was an outlier year. The odds of having all that went wrong happen again are slim.
Secondly, I disagree on the team not having an identity. The fans are a ‘What have you done lately’ bunch. They, and you, are judging by after the bye week…which is when the injuries really started piling up. It got so bad we were using 3rd and 4th stringers at some points (and I firmly believe THEY we the players not giving it 100%).
But many people do not account for before the bye week. This team was playing lights out then.
That’s their real identity. The only reason they didn’t keep it up were all injury-related.
June 19th, 2026 at 1:30 pm
Nailed it Joe! Baker had happy feet most of the year because of it. I am also convinced he called his own number a few times because of it. Some of those scrambles were just him Ad-Libing. Don’t really blame him.
Go Bucs!