TAMPA, Fla. — Between injuries and inexperience, the Bucs offensive line is a cause for much concern among fans.
But the pulse rates aren’t nearly as high for the coaches and those in the front office.
Sure, they would feel much better if center Ryan Jensen had not suffered a significant knee injury on the second day of training camp, one that could cost him the season. Jensen was the first free agent to re-sign with the Bucs after quarterback Tom Brady announced he was returning.
Robert Hainsey, a third-round pick from Notre Dame in 2021, has moved to center.
The Bucs hate that guard Aaron Stinnie tore two knee ligaments in a 13-3 loss last week at Tennessee. But the truth is that Stinnie probably was not going to find a spot on the 53-man roster, anyway.
They drafted Luke Goedeke out of Central Michigan in the second round knowing they could lose a player or two to free agency, such as guard Alex Cappa. Ali Marpet surprised everyone by retiring at age 28 after making his first Pro Bowl.
John Spytek, the Bucs’ director of player personnel, and his scouts get paid to prepare for every scenario.
“It’s our job in the scouting department to build as deep of a roster as we can, and we intentionally used the third-round pick on Robert (Hainsey) because we didn’t know the outcome of (Ryan) Jensen’s free-agency last year,” Spytek said. “And, obviously with Ali (Marpet) retiring and Cappa leaving, we made the intentional decision to get Luke (Goedeke).”
The Bucs also like what they’ve seen from tackle guard/tackle Brandon Walton and guard/center Nick Leverett, Spytek said.
“Anytime you start losing a lot of players at a position like we did at corner(back) last year, it gets tough, because there’s only so many guys who can do it at a high level. You know, we’re happy with the progress of the guys in there, they’re competing their tails off, and we’ll see how it shapes up.”
Entering Saturday night’s preseason finale at Indianapolis, the Bucs are pleased with Hainsey. He has held up physically, while mentally he has been sharp at calling protections and reacting to the various twists and stunts.
Right guard Shaq Mason has been solid. Leverett has versatility and is in the mix for a starting job. Right tackle Tristan Wirfs should be back from an oblique injury in time for the opener at Dallas on Sept. 11.
“I’ve seen a bunch guys that just compete,” Spytek said. “It’s one of the things we stress around here. We understand that they’re rookies, you know, they’re going to learn, they’re going to make mistakes. But, I think from a teaching-coaching standpoint, we have a great staff that way that, ‘Hey, you know, it’s good to go in the games and make mistakes, right?’ ”
Goedeke, who had a couple of holding calls against him in the Titans game, is one example.
“He doesn’t have to do that,” Spytek said. “But in that, there’s a lesson, you know, and as long as you have the right person that will listen, will understand and learn from it, and can also bounce back from it, I think those mistakes end up becoming really valuable, and I think we’ve seen that with all of our guys.
“The fact that they’re going to make mistakes, they’re going to compete and they’re just going to keep doing it day after day. They’re starting to stack days, and it’s been really good to see. I mean, really, it’s what we expected.”
Like any NFL team, it’s hard to sustain a lot of injuries at one position group the way the Bucs did at defensive back a year ago. No team has three quality centers or four starting-caliber tackles.
But this is a franchise that in past seasons hasn’t been afraid to play rookies such as Marpet, Donovan Smith, Wirfs or Cappa on the offensive line.
So, how does it all shake out? From left to right: Smith, Goedeke, Hainsey, Mason and Wirfs. Leverett will back up at center and guard. Josh Wells can play either tackle position, and Walton, the former Seminole High School star, can swing between guard and tackle.
The loss of Jensen was a big one, no doubt. But the Bucs had planned for it long before Brady returned.
Brady still in sync
Brady was gone from camp for personal reasons for 11 days, but in reality he missed about three practices.
Since he wasn’t going to play in the Dolphins or Titans games, he would not have participated in the walk-throughs the Fridays before those games.
You also have to factor in a natural day or two off for veteran maintenance.
What Brady missed was one joint practice with the Dolphins and two with the Titans.
In the meantime, he had built up some chemistry during the two-week install period of training camp with players such as wide receiver Julio Jones and tight end Kyle Rudolph.
“I think it was built up before he left,” coach Todd Bowles said. “It’s just having everybody intact, practicing at the same time. His days were falling the same days Julio (Jones) was off, and obviously Mike (Evans) being injured. We didn’t have a full slate there, either. But they got to see a lot of things from the side and got to talk a lot, and I think the chemistry is good.”
