
Bucs fans have been been gripping like Joe has never seen before in the wake of the awful news that All-Pro left guard Carl Nicks is out for the season with a bum toe (which Joe has seen before and it’s gross) and placed on the injured reserve list.
The offensive line, which figured to be the Bucs’ strongest unit in training camp, has been wracked by injuries, including All-Pro right guard Davin Joseph, who was lost for the year in the preseason with a blown knee.
The Bucs are now down three starters from the start of the season, including former starting right tackle Jeremy Trueblood, who was benched for subpar play.
The Bucs offensive line is currently a shambles. Happy Halloween.
Bucs fans have panicked as a result and Joe understands. The Bucs running game was just starting to rumble and now, well, good luck. Joe has read comments, received e-mails and heard calls on sports radio from Bucs fans wondering if this guy is available, if that guy is available, can the Bucs trade for so-and-so?
Bucs fans are so desperate that Joe was even asked about the possibility of Arron Sears returning to the Bucs fold.
For those who aren’t aware of the sad story of Sears, a promising young Bucs guard, Sears developed mental disorders and last Joe heard, was unable to take care of himself as he bounced from jail to institution for a bizarre string of incidents.
No, there is no magic potion to replace Nicks. The Bucs are not the only team in the NFL with offensive line issues. The Steelers, for example, have been ravaged by offensive line issues and they are making a go of it.
This is what the Bucs will need to do. Suck it up. Find a way to win.
This saga reminds Joe of a conversation he heard between Pat Kirwan and Tim Ryan, co-hosts of “Movin’ the Chains,” heard exclusively on SiriusXM NFL Radio. Back in September when NFL teams locked in their 53-man rosters, Kirwan and Ryan discussed guys walking the streets who, in an emergency, could be signed by a team and contribute.
Both co-hosts found a name or two of an unemployed player who could come off the street to play at just about every position until they came to offensive line. When Ryan asked Kirwan for an out-of-work offensive lineman who could help out in an emergency, Kirwan, after a long pause, simply said, “No one.”
Ryan agreed, that offensive lines across the NFL were so thin, that no one could walk into a team’s locker room and be expected to be able to stop a cool breeze.
This is the pinch the Bucs find themselves in. Rally behind (likely) Ted Larsen, who to be honest is better at left guard than right guard, and hope for the best.
There is no savior to come in and replace the irreplaceable, Nicks.