One X-factor we simply can’t ignore for the Buccaneers in 2020
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers enter the 2020 season as one of the favorites to compete not only for a spot in the playoffs, but for a championship.
While there has been plenty of discussion surrounding new Buccaneers QB Tom Brady and his plethora of talented skill-position options, there is one spot that simply hasn’t been discussed enough.
The Buccaneers drafted OT Tristan Wirfs in the first-round of the 2020 NFL Draft.
While there are many X-factors when looking at this offense- and we will discuss all of them in long-form here in the offseason- Wirfs may be the greatest X-factor of the season and we simply can’t ignore the impact the rookie is going to make on this year for the Buccaneers- for better or for worse.
The Buccaneers need Wirfs to perform at a high level
There’s no questioning that Tristan Wirfs has the talent to come in and compete right away, but the question is to what extent.
While it’s a basic guarantee that Wirfs will be the starter at right tackle for the Buccaneers this season, there’s much more to this than seeing him listed as the first-stringer on the depth chart. Tampa Bay needs Wirfs to be successful against some of the top edge-rushers in the league this season.
He won’t have to protect Tom Brady’s blindside– which is a plus that will lead to less pressure being placed on the rookie- he is the missing piece to make this offense work.
If Wirfs can’t do a good job in both pass-protection and in the running game, the offense fails. It’s as simple as that.
While none of our eyes will be on the rookie after the first couple of games in the season, there’s no doubt that he is the true X-factor that we all simply can’t ignore.