Tampa Bay Buccaneers ignored offensive line, must suffer consequences
By Cory Kinnan
The struggles of Alex Cappa have opened a dark alley that shows the negligence the Tampa Bay Buccaneers showed during the offseason that impacts beyond 2019.
The signing of interior offensive lineman Josh LeRibeus has unlocked the doors to a multitude of discussions surrounding the state of the offensive line of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. After the signing, ESPN’s Jenna Laine tweeted that last year’s third round pick Alex Cappa is not where the team needs him to be and may not be an option to start, leading to another potential addition to the interior offensive line.
One thing is for certain: The Buccaneers turned a blind eye towards one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL last season, and now as a result, must suffer the consequences that are upon them. It is understandable that Bruce Arians and the rest of the organization would want to see what they had in Cappa, but preparing as if he would not be ready should have been a priority.
Instead, they signed a journeyman guard and former Arians’ draft pick in Earl Watford, have added LeRibeus, and hope that Evan Smith gets healthy. Pushing all of the chips in on Cappa has certainly backfired on the Bucs, and they not only will bear the repercussions this year, but have also not set themselves up well in the future.
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Right guard was not the only area of weakness along the offensive line either, as Ryan Jensen straight off of a massive deal, did not perform well last year either and is in need of a bounce-back year. Should Jensen not rebound, he will likely not be back for the third year on his deal as his guaranteed money dries up after 2019, thus creating another gaping hole along the offensive line.
Demar Dotson is also on the last year of his deal and nearing the end of his career, yet the Buccaneers did not look for his heir-apparent this offseason either. It is highly unlikely the Buccaneers bring Dotson back after this year; yet another hole along their offensive front that could have been better prepped for.
Tampa Bay could go out after this season when they see a bump in cap space and sign some offensive lineman, sure. But how often do offensive lineman changing systems on a big payday work out? Ask Jensen, ask Nate Solder and the New York Giants.
Regardless if they address the holes on the open market or through the draft next offseason, where does that leave them for 2019? Are they prepared to wave the white flag in such a make-or-break year, a year where the reset button could be hit by week-six if the Buccaneers do not get off on the right foot?
Should the season take a downward spiral early, the Buccaneers will then need to turn their attentions to not only the offensive line, but at quarterback and general manager as well. Jameis Winston and Jason Licht will not survive another losing season in Tampa Bay, and fielding a shaky offensive line does not give them a great foundation for which to stand.
Next. 3 offensive lineman for Buccaneers to target. dark
Not only does Tampa Bay have to scramble to plug a massive leak at right guard for 2019, but they could be looking for replacements at right tackle and center as well next year. The negligence that the Buccaneers showed during free agency and the 2019 NFL Draft will not only hurt them in 2019, but has not set them up well for the future either.