5 players Buccaneers should target to replace Sua Opeta after torn ACL

On Wednesday, the Buccaneers received the news that Sua Opeta, one of their free-agent signings on the offensive line, suffered a torn ACL, and will miss the entire 2024-2025 season. With that, Tampa Bay loses significant depth at left guard and on the offensive line, and will likely have Ben Bredeson slot in as the new starting left guard.

Outside of Bredeson, the Buccaneers only have 2024 sixth-round pick Elijah Klein and undrafted free agents Lorenz Metz and Xavier Delgado as active guards on the depth chart, leaving Tampa Bay without much depth at either guard position.

That said, Tampa Bay still has over a month until the 2024 season, giving them ample time to find a replacement for Opeta at guard. Between free agency and the trade market, these are the top five replacement options Tampa Bay can add to their offensive line in the wake of Opeta's injury.

5 players Buccaneers should target to replace Sua Opeta

Mark Glowinski

Last season, the Giants' offensive line was the worst in the NFL, allowing a league-high 85 sacks with Daniel Jones, Tyrod Taylor, and Tommy DeVito splitting time under center. Per Sports Reference, the three quarterbacks were hurried 52 times, hit 41 times, and were pressured on 26.3% of all drop backs.

Overall, it was a collection of poor performances from the majority of the Giants' offensive line, as four of New York's five starters on the line finished with a PFF Grade lower than 53. While left tackle Andrew Thomas was a bright spot for New York, allowing just two penalties and four sacks on 576 snaps for a 76.1 PFF Grade, he missed eight games with a lingering hamstring injury.

For his part, Glowinski wasn't exempt from the poor play on the offensive line, allowing four penalties and six sacks on 521 snaps for a 64.8 PFF Grade. After getting benched midseason, Glowinski filled in nicely as a reserve, finishing the season with a 92.8 pass block win rate, which would have ranked 21st among all guards had he played enough snaps to qualify.

Before signing with New York two years ago, Glowinski was an integral piece on Indianaoplis' excellent offensive line. In 59 starts on the Colts' offensive line, Glowinski allowed just 21 penalties and seven sacks on 3610 snaps in four seasons. Collectively, Glowinski earned PFF Grades of 77.7, 60.5, 67.3, and 70.1 dating back to 2018, and was among the top guards in the league.

While Glowinski's 2023 campaign was disappointing, the nine-year veteran could offer Tampa Bay important depth at guard, and is more than capable of filling in as the team's starter in 2024. At 31 years old, Glowinski would be best used as a one-year rental on the offensive line until Opeta is healthy next year.

Mason Cole

While Cole has played center the majority of his NFL career, the six-year veteran has the size and intangibles to move inside to guard at this stage in his career. While at Michigan, Cole made 25 straight starts at left tackle prior to switching to center in 2016, a college career that later resulted in being a three-time All-Big Ten honoree.

Since being drafted with the No. 97 pick in the 2018 draft by Arizona, Cole has spent time with the Cardinals, Vikings, and Steelers, and has built a solid NFL career. In 94 games (73 starts), Cole has played 4720 snaps and has allowed just 12 penalties and 11 sacks for a cumulative 60.0 PFF Grade.

In 2019, Cole's second in the league, the center allowed a career-best one penalty and two sacks in 1114 sacks for a stout 67.1 PFF grade. The next season, Cole posted a career-high 69.1 PFF Grade after allowing zero penalties and two sacks on 471 snaps, but did miss time with a hamstring injury.

Over the next three seasons, Cole has been a decent starting center for Minnesota and Pittsburgh, earning grades of 54.4, 58.4, and 53.6 from PFF with four penalties and five sacks in 48 games (31 starts). Even so, Cole was released by the Steelers this offseason to save $4.75 million in cap space, even after playing in 94 of a possible 99 regular-season games thus far. Cole's durabilty and play would be a great fit in Tampa Bay after the loss of Opeta.