O-Line Gains More Depth

Some Bucs fans believe that Jason Licht and company need to upgrade the offensive line which they might do but don't expect a big overhaul. The Bucs offensive line had their fair share of up and downs as they were a big reason for the 5 game winning streak, but also had a big part in the Bucs last two losses vs the Cowboys and Saints. The unit has a good young nucleus with Ali Marpet, Donovan Smith, Kevin Pamphile, Caleb Benenoch and the return of JR Sweezy.

With Sweezy being cleared to resume football activities that gives the Bucs O-line more depth and versatility. Bucs Gm Jason Licht likes drafting O-lineman that are versatile and have potential to be great which he has done the last three years by drafting Pamphile, Smith, Marpet, and Benenoch. The team has a good coach in George Warhop who does an excellent job of developing the players technique but also to have them cross-trained at multiple positions.

What Jason Licht has done is build quality depth across the unit and it should only get better as the young core gains experience. Plus Licht has already added young talent in center James Stone from the Falcons, and guard Jarvis Harrison who was a former draft pick of the Jets. Add in Leonard Wester who the Bucs are very high on that gives the Bucs depth for the foreseeable future. Hopefully Sweezy can bring the kind of impact that he was signed on for and add more physicality to the unit.

The Bucs have options now to truly play the best five lineman with Sweezy on board along with other pieces that are entering their 2nd and 3rd years. Look for Licht to keep a similar approach when comes to adding lineman through free agency and the draft. I think their main weakness is at center (click on center) which is where Licht could put his focus at if he is going to add a lineman this off-season. Overall, I think the Bucs are going to stay put at O-line as they will try to re-sign Joe Hawley and perhaps use a draft pick on a right tackle or a center prospect. Then they will let the best five rise to the top and roll with it. Again this off-season is all about adding weapons for Winston, so expect the Bucs to do that while to hope that the O-line lives up to their potential. However, if they don't I fully expect the Bucs to address the unit in the 2018 off-season.

Jason Licht Most Important Position Decision This Off Season

by Douglas O'Connor
follow me on Twitter @Ren_Daxt

     The Tampa Bay Buccaneers General Manager Jason Licht has a lot of decisions to make this off season in the personnel department. The Bucs are looking for speed and weapons to aid in the development of now 3rd year quarterback Jameis Winston. Upgrades for safety, wide receiver, and running back positions are also in the mix. Not to mention overall depth at tight end, defensive line, and corner back need to be addressed as well. All in all a full plate for Licht and his staff. However, no starting position has more question marks surrounding it as does the Bucs situation at center.

     I'm going to cover what the Buccaneers could do with the players they have on their roster now, possible solutions in free agency and finally options in the 2017 NFL draft. First up, prospective scenario's if Jason Licht decides to stand pat with the players the Bucs have under contract.

What The Bucs Have
     If the Buccaneers ultimately decide to not to bring in a free agent center or pick one up in the draft, they still have plenty of options. Evan Smith, the 2015 opening day starter, Ben Gottschalk, a UDFA that made the team during training camp and saw some playing time at center this season because of injuries and Josh Allen another UDFA that spent most of last year on the Buccaneers practice squad.

     Smith has seven years in the league and can also play guard which makes him a valuable player to have but he's not an NFL caliber starting center. When Smith went down with injury in 2015 the Bucs went and found Joe Hawley who took over and never relinquished the starting job. If all else fails is the only way I think Buc fans see number 62 snapping the ball to Jameis in week one. 

     Gottschalk and Allen stories are almost the same. The Bucs like their upside and are willing to put in the time to develop their particular skill sets but unless they have the training camps of their lives, they are both looking over Smiths shoulder as the Buccaneers starter in 2017. 

     However there is one narrative that is gaining steam in which the Bucs put their best three interior lineman on the field. Only problem is that they are all guards.

     Since the Buccaneers moved back up into the second round in the 2015 draft and selected division three guard Ali Marpet, Buc fans have been speculating that Ali was taken to be the center of the future. Marpet has been seen delivering snaps to various quarterbacks at One Buc since his first OTA's. With the possible return of 2016 free agent signing, guard JR Sweezy and guard Kevin Pamphile playing himself into a starting job, now is the time for the Marpet move. This scenario greatly depends on the return of Sweezy. A back injury kept him out all of last year and has never even played a snap in a Buccaneers practice. If Sweezy can't make it back, it almost forces the Bucs to look at free agency or the draft for their center need.

The Free Agents
     Since Jason Licht fully took over the free agency process players over thirty are no longer off the table. CB Brent Grimes, DL Roberts Ayers, and LB Daryl Smith are all into the second half of their careers and played important roles this year for the Buccaneers. Licht has gone on record as calling these "bridge" players. Veterans that though productive aren't the long term solution. If the Bucs feel that Gottschalk or Allen is the future there are a couple of older free agent centers that can come in as a "bridge" to either one. 

     Joe Hawley:  It became apparent during the second half of the season that the Bucs need an upgrade at center. Hawley was constantly losing his 1 on 1 battles and was tossed around most of the season. Love the beard, not the player. Having said that, Licht is familiar with Hawley and he knows the system. I'd be surprised to see Joe back in pewter but not shocked.

     A.Q. Shipley:  A five year veteran that is possibly looking for his fourth team. Spending his last two seasons in Arizona, Shipley started all sixteen games for the Cards in 2016. With the recent super stardom of RB David Johnson teams are going to take a look at the players who helped him get there. Add the fact that Arizona runs a deep route passing game similar to the Buccaneers, Shipley could be good fit.

     There is one young center that could start in the middle of the Bucs line for years to come, if Licht decides to go with youth in free agency.

     J.C. Tretter:  Spending all four years of his career in Green Bay, Tretter slowly moved up the depth chart until he won the starting job in 2016. Seven games in he suffered a scary knee injury against Atlanta. December 9th the Packers announced that Tretter had returned to practice in a limited role. Now it has been released that J.C. underwent knee surgery January 17th. If Tretter can prove to Licht and his staff that he is healthy and the Bucs are looking for a long term answer J.C. Tretter could be their guy.

The Draft
     The 2017 NFL draft is a terrible draft if your team needs starting offensive linemen. The player that has the best chance to be a week one starter at the center position is Ethan Pocic, LSU. Pocic is a good run and pass blocker but isn't excellent at either. Projected by most mock drafts to go in between round one to round three. If Pocic is available to the Buccaneers near the bottom of the third round, the temptation to possibly shore up the center position for the next four years might be to great for Jason Licht to pass up. 

What I Think Will Happen*

     It all depends on J.R. Sweezy. If Sweezy can return to his 2015 playing ability I think the Bucs keep Sweezy at right guard, where he played in Seattle, move Ali Marpet to center and keep Kevin Pamphile in the left guard spot. I also think this new interior trio will be given every chance to succeed. 

     If Sweezy's back isn't healthy enough at the beginning of training camp, look for Licht to bring in a "bridge" center and the Pamphile, Marpet and Sweezy interior will have to wait. Maybe as long as 2018.

     *Right before posting the Buccaneers announced another center signing, James Stone. Further proof that it is a position weighing on Jason Licht mind. That makes four centers on the Bucs roster, Licht is leaving no stone unturned. 

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Thanks for reading and as always Go Bucs!     

   
                
     

     

     

     

   

Bucs Looking to Add More Depth at WR?

It's no seceret that the Bucs receiver depth could use some upgrades as there is not much there after the top 3 guys. Adding a proven commodity makes a lot of sense as it would add to the group and provide more weapons for franchise Qb Jameis Winston. Enter 6th year receiver Cecil Shorts who was just let go by the Texans, has been very consistent in his career and is a reliable veteran. The Bucs are expected to bring him in for an visit within the next 24 hours according to Adam Caplan.

#Buccaneers are expected to have former #Texans WR Cecil Shorts in for a visit within next 24 hours, source said.

— Adam Caplan (@caplannfl) September 6, 2016

Shorts is only 28 years old and has average over 40 receptions over the last 4 years. He is consistent and would give this receiver group much needed depth. Shorts can also push Adam Humphries for that slot position and make Humphries a better player at the same time. Coach Koetter and Shorts also have crossed paths when they were in Jacksonville as Shorts was a rookie in 2011 which was Koetter's last year with the Jaguars.

Hopefully Shorts has a great visit and is on this team by tomorrow as he is an instant upgrade over Russell Shepard and Evan Spencer. Shorts is a hard worker and great teammate which would allow him to fit right in with this football team. If the Bucs make this move, I think it could have the same impact that Joe Hawley brought last year when the team signed him.

Offense Will Go As The O-line Does

A pleasant surprise from last year was how much the oline had improved. The line had 4 new starters as rookie 2nd round picks Donovan Smith and Ali Marpet were plug and play players to go along with additions Joe Hawley and Gosder Cherilus. The line was pretty much was patched together and still played well enough to clear paths for a 1400 yard season by Doug Martin and a 4000 yard season for rookie QB Jameis Winston.

This year the bucs will have returning starters in Smith, Marpet, Hawley and Dotson to go along with new prized free agent pick up J.R. Sweezy whom seems to be a classic mauler. The O-line is where it all starts for this Buccaneer offense as Winston needs time to throw and Martin needs holes to run through and it seems as if they will have that with this group. Smith and Marpet with a year under their belt will only continue to grow as players and build on their great rookie campaigns.

The O-line may be the strongest group on this team as not only do they have a strong starting 5, they have depth to go with it in Evan Smith, Kevin Pamphile, Gosder Cherlius and now 5th round pick Caleb Benenoch. O-line coach George Warhop had the line gelling last year and they were just slapped together. Lets see what the line can do with a year of continuity and added talent. Before you think about how Winston, Evans and Martin are doing, remember that it all starts up front and they benefit from the big uglies in the trenches.

More Moves Still on the Horizon

Yes the Bucs could use another receiver, defensive tackle, or a safety but there is still time to add to the roster. Gm Jason Licht never sleeps on the roster as he and his staff are always looking for ways to improve the team. Licht did this last year when he added guys like Godser Cherlius, Joe Hawley, and Howard Jones whom all played a big part on last years team. He will look to do the same this season, as good veterans will be let go along with some promising young players whom are just bad fits with their current team.

It will be interesting how the rest of the off-season plays out, but one thing is for certain the Bucs are much better than they were at this time last year. Tons of competition at most positions, and lots of young talent that are just going to get better as they mature into their own. I expect Bucs Gm Jason Licht to add a few more Howard Jones types before the season starts which if he can then this team will be that much more dangerous.

Draft Prospect:Graham Glasgow

The Bucs offensive line was much improved in 2015 but could still use some upgrades on the interior part of the line. This could be the year the Bucs draft a young center to pair with Jameis Winston as the Qb-Center relationship is very important for the team. Last years center Joe Hawley did a great job but was inconsistent with his play so I think the Bucs could use some size in the middle.

Enter former Michgan center Graham Glasgow who is 6'6 306lbs and did very well in the east-west shrine game and the senior bowl weeks. He provides good punch and has a solid base which makes him good in pass protection, but also showed good movement in the run game. Glasgow is projected to go sometime in the 3rd to 5th round, would be a good value pick in any of those rounds. He would be another solid addition to the young core already on the offensive line.