If the Buccaneers offense had one Achilles heel in 2023, it was the offensive line. For whatever strengths the line displayed, it could not escape its faults, particularly its utter inability to run block.
The Bucs made a series of gambles heading into the 2023 season. They moved All-Pro tackle Tristan Wirfs to the left side after letting Donovan Smith walk in free agency. They traded their best interior lineman from 2022, Shaq Mason, to the Houston Texans and drafted Cody Mauch to replace him. They bet on center Ryan Jensen returning from a major knee injury without surgery.
They believed that returning Luke Goedeke to his college position at right tackle would salvage his NFL career after a disastrous rookie season. They thought all of these moves would give them enough on the line that adding veteran guard Matt Feiler would be the finishing piece of the puzzle.
Two of those gambles paid off. Wirfs remained the cornerstone of Tampa Bay’s offensive line and remained one of the NFL’s best pass protectors. Goedeke also excelled in a return to tackle, allowing just six sacks and 44 total pressures per Pro Football Focus. Together, Wirfs and Goedeke formed one of the best and most reliable tackle tandems in the league.
Tampa Bay’s moves along the interior were considerably less successful. Mauch struggled mightily transitioning not just from FCS-level football to the NFL but from tackle to guard. Jensen’s knee, despite largely recovering from multiple ligament tears, could no longer hold up in the NFL, leading to an early injured reserve designation and his eventual retirement. Feiler was the weak link on a weak line and led to a carousel at left guard all season.
The interior line lacked cohesion and consistency and was largely responsible for the worst run offense in the NFL by yards (1509), yards per attempt (3.4) and success rate (32%). A change in offensive scheme and coaching could help remedy the issue, but ultimately the surest fix is an improvement in talent.
Jensen’s replacement, Robert Hainsey, has been an adequate center, but adequate is clearly not cutting it. The Bucs have not had an answer at left guard since Ali Marpet retired in 2022.
The Bucs are not going to give up on Cody Mauch after one season, particularly given the significant difference between his current baseline and his upside. A full offseason spent transforming his body for NFL guard play could give his career the kind of boost Alex Cappa experienced between his first and second NFL seasons.
That leaves potential upgrades at center and left guard. At least one of those positions will be addressed in the draft. A first-round pick spent on the line would not be out of the question. Oregon’s Jackson Powers-Johnson or Duke’s Graham Barton would be immediate and substantial upgrades to Tampa Bay’s interior.
The Bucs could also wait a little later in the draft for guys like Michigan C Zach Frazier, Boston College G Christian Mahogany or Kansas State G Cooper Beebe. It would be hard to imagine the Bucs letting the first three rounds of the draft pass without adding talent at guard or center.
Though the Bucs are not likely to rely mainly on free agency to improve the offensive line, it is likely they will add some cheap veteran help to bolster depth and even compete for starting reps. An obvious candidate is former Rams C Brian Allen, who was with Los Angeles in 2022 when new Bucs offensive coordinator Liam Coen held the same job for the Rams. Allen would not move the needle much for the Bucs line overall, but he would push Robert Hainsey for the starting job if they don’t draft a center.
At guard, the Bucs have a few options in free agency. Bills G David Edwards was a part-time player in Buffalo but has played plenty of snaps through five NFL season. Though he is an inconsistent pass protector, Edwards could be an immediate upgrade to the Bucs’ run blocking.
Another option is Lions G Halapoulivaati Vaitai, who was hurt in 2023 but has been a steady player most of his career. “Steady” has been hard to come by on Tampa Bay’s offensive line so any semblance of it would be a welcome change.
