The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have a problem with their offensive line. There is one team the Buccaneers can call to try and fix the problem however.
It’s no secret that there is any love lost between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Philadelphia Eagles. They have played each other in the playoffs five times, and it’s lead to some bad blood among some fans, particularly on the Buccaneers. It is weird when you think about it though, considering they aren’t division rivals and the Bucs closed down Veteran Stadium. They then of course turned around and opened up Lincoln Financial Field in style. Due to that, Bucs fans will pretty much always win, so it is strange that there is still a complex here, but that’s neither here nor there.
In 2021, the Buccaneers ran the Eagles off of the field in the wildcard round. Fast forward to 2022, and both teams are going in opposite directions. The Eagles are soaring to an undefeated start, while the Bucs are free falling and potentially losing their grip on the NFC South, a prospect many thought inconceivable given the make up of the rest of the division, and the fact that the Bucs have Tom Brady.
This all doesn’t mean the Buccaneers and Eagles can’t do business though.
The Buccaneers biggest issue on offense (among many) is arguably their offensive line. If they can get some consistency there, there’s a chance the ship can turn around out of the rough waters. It’s just so happens to be one of the biggest strengths in Philadelphia, to the point where they have an abundance of wares to shop through. After all, games are won and lost in the trenches.
Eagles have a plethora of versatile offensive lineman that do not even start for their unit that’s the best in the NFL. These reserves could potentially be had, namely former first round pick in 2019 Andre Dillard who, while listed as a tackle, has lost some weight and has the athleticism to potentially kick down to guard, which of course could help the Buccaneers. They also have guys like Sua Opeta who has starting experience and has seen ample time this season, along with Jack Driscoll who has played, and started, just about everywhere along the line.
Again, these are guys that do not even start for the Eagles. This means they may not require the Buccaneers to break the bank in order to bring them in, and it’s no secret that Philly general manager Howie Roseman loves to wheel and deal. Jason Licht should get in the phone yesterday. Brady needs protection, in what very well could be his swan-song, at least in Tampa Bay.
This is all just speculation, and even a bit of wishful thinking on our part of course. That said, if the Tampa Bay Buccaneers wish to fix the interior of their offensive line, the Philadelphia Eagles are the first team they should call.