The Pewter Plank
FanSided

Buccaneers: Identifying the Team’s Biggest Flaws

By Alan Schechter

Dec 11, 2016; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Dirk Koetter looks on during the second half against the New Orleans Saints at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 11, 2016; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Dirk Koetter looks on during the second half against the New Orleans Saints at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 9
Next
Aug 31, 2016; Tampa, FL, USA; The Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive line gets set during the second quarter of a football game against the Washington Redskins at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 31, 2016; Tampa, FL, USA; The Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive line gets set during the second quarter of a football game against the Washington Redskins at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports /

The Guys Up Front

The weakest part of the Bucs has been several different things over the course of this season. For the first couple of games it was blatantly safety play but slowly Chris Conte and Keith Tandy began making plays. In the back half of the season the offensive line has transitioned to become the weakest part of the team. Aside from Ali Marpet there aren’t any players on the line that have consistently shown progress and Jason Licht will need to make this group a priority over the off-season.

The Bucs are likely to keep Donovan Smith for another season and will have J.R. Sweezy returning from injury to fill the left guard void. That means that Jason Licht only needs to invest in two positions, right tackle and center. Demar Dotson just received a new contract, so it’s not likely the Bucs invest highly in a right tackle, but don’t rule out the Bucs selecting a center in either the first or second round this year and allowing Joe Hawley to become one of the most solid back-up centers in the league.

Home/Bucs News