The last in our series on the status of the Bucs and how they will look fwd to the 2011 NFL Draft focuses on yet another weak point going into the ’10 season that is now considered a strength again.
2010 saw the emergence of Jeremy Zuttah as the heir apparent at Center (Maybe sooner than anyone thinks) and James Lee winning over the right tackle spot from Jeremy Trueblood who has been cemented there since taking that over from Kenyata Walker in 2006. But it was much more so than that. The Bucs developed a chemistry on the line even though there were changes, and time was awarded to Josh Freeman (QB) to throw the ball, all the while opening up nice holes for LeGarrett Blount who also exploded onto the scene last year with his 1,000+ yard season despite missing most of the first 1/3 of the year.
LEFT TACKLE- last year at this time, the Bucs were in the middle of a contract dispute with LT Donald Penn. No one knew if Penn was going to turn out to be some fat slob who just wanted a contract, or the answer to the LT position that hasn’t been filled since the days of Paul Gruber. Turns out it was the later.
Penn signed on day 1 of camp, and was the only player on the line to start all 16 games at his position. He played well at Tackle in both pass and run techniques, as evidenced by the only telling stat there is:
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were NO. 10 is least amount of sacks allowed, with Josh Freeman only getting dropped 30 times all year. Donald Penn was a discovery of Mark Dominik who took Penn off the Vikings practice squad back in Oct. 2006.
LEFT GUARD- Keydrick Vincent won the starting LG position from Jeremy Zuttah, but when Center Jeff Faine went down with another arm injury, it was Zuttah who was installed in his spot. That left open an opportunity for No. 62 Ted Larsen who was playing at North Carolina State the year before! Larson was drafted by the New England Patriots, but the Pats lost him to the Bucs because, you guessed it, Mark Dominik decided to go raiding! He is also a local native, playing at Palm Harbor University High School!
Joining the team on Sept. 5th, he didn’t have to wait long to prove himself. He is now projected to start at Left Guard for the foreseeable future.
CENTER- Jeff Faine is the man here, make no mistake about it. Faine was considered one of the top two Centers in the game when he was picked up by the Gruden/Allen regime as a top free agent of 2008. But Faine is a little injury susceptible (don’t want to use ‘prone’ just yet) and once again he missed significant time. This time however, the Bucs found an answer, and he was sitting just next to the problem. Jeremy Zuttah took over in October, and never looked back.
The Bucs responded with the new look O-line in 2010 by rushing for the 8th best run attack in the NFL; cracking the 2000 rushing yard mark (2001). Considering the Bucs did not have their backfield defined until after week 6, that is some accomplishment. While Faine will more than likely going back as the starter, its obvious Zuttah will take over one day, its only a matter of time.
RIGHT GUARD- Derek Hardman played the end of the season after Davin Joseph went down with an injury, but the job is Joseph’s when 2011 starts. He has played his spot at a Pro Bowl level, although sometimes inconsistent, his size and frame is ideal for the position. Its only a matter of time before Joseph gets the invite to Hawaii as the starter, not alternate.
RIGHT TACKLE- Jeremy Trueblood came into the RT spot the same year Joseph did at guard, and it was always considered the two would solidify the right side for the better part of a decade. Joseph did his part, Trueblood did not. He has been plagued with inconsistent play, evidenced by his record for false start penalties, usually always at the worst time during a drive. When Trueblood went down, James Lee stepped in.
Lee ended up starting 9 games, making his wait worth his while. He joined the Bucs in 2008 signed off Waivers via the Cleveland Browns and got some action at Atlanta on 12-14 of that year. Seldom did QB Josh Freeman get pressure as a result of a Lee error, and his run blocking is very good too. The Bucs line is pretty much set on the Tackles thanks to some clever scouting.
OVERALL- The Bucs may invest a draft pick on the O-line, but don’t look at Tampa Bay spending anything lower than a 3rd or 4th there. If a high pick is spent, someones job is on the line immediately.
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