Fixing the Offensive Line

by Sam Joxer on Sep 19, 2010 7:09 PM EDT

Its something that has been talked about recently, and I think it would be interesting to get most peoples thoughts before we have a slew of articles on the subject. How would you fix our offensive line?

I think the biggest areas that we could conceivably replace people on our line are the draft, free agency next year, and trade targets. Certainly areas that are available more during the off-season. Before you can do that, we need to come up with what is wrong with our line currently. And this is where I think the biggest discussion will occur, because we've wanted to believe for a very long time, that our offensive line is talented.

Two of the biggest investments in the team are probably Donald Penn and Davin Joseph. Jeff Faine and Jeremy Trueblood are experienced linemen who are often said to know what they are doing. However, can you really say that all of the lines problems stem from a poor left guard?

So who do you think is the problem Tampa Bay? Is it that Trueblood constantly gets penalties(almost one a game it seems) or is it the poor play of Vincent/Zuttah? Or perhaps Faine is just undersized for the type of line that we want to run. OR possibly, even more horrifying, maybe Davin Joseph and Penn arn't all their cracked up to be!

I really want to hear other peoples opinions because our offensive line seems to be a major weakness so far, one that we need to improve before we can take the next step.

Poll

Who needs to be replaced?

Donald Penn

1 votes

The Left Guard (Vincent/Zuttah)

31 votes

Jeff Faine

3 votes

Davin Joseph

1 votes

Jeremy Trueblood

36 votes

72 votes | Poll has closed

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Comments

Where's the "all of the above" option?

Maddon's Mission
Make you want to kill him, then make you want to love him. Sly.

by Jonah Keri on Jun 19, 2010 10:31 PM EDT

by Doug09 on Sep 19, 2010 9:00 PM EDT reply actions

Just pick

The one you think is the worst then.

by Sam Joxer on Sep 19, 2010 9:03 PM EDT up reply actions

All of them, they all suck. Seriously.

Maddon's Mission
Make you want to kill him, then make you want to love him. Sly.

by Jonah Keri on Jun 19, 2010 10:31 PM EDT

by Doug09 on Sep 19, 2010 9:07 PM EDT up reply actions

But even

in your negative view, one surely sucks more than the others, correct? Or you could just not vote and we could discuss.

I think left guard is obviously the weak point, but getting a quality right tackle would be a good move. Trueblood has been “meh” for his career, and doing that next to one of the more talented players on the line. When we got him he was a Gruden stop-gap essentially that just kind of stuck. He’s not terrible, but he certainly isnt good, and its far easier to find someone to play left guard than it is to find someone to play right tackle.

by Sam Joxer on Sep 19, 2010 9:10 PM EDT up reply actions

It's not a "negative view" when it's a solid observation. And I'm not going to pick one because that would mean I think the rest are better than one of them, and I'm not going to do that because they are all terrible.

Maddon's Mission
Make you want to kill him, then make you want to love him. Sly.

by Jonah Keri on Jun 19, 2010 10:31 PM EDT

by Doug09 on Sep 19, 2010 9:12 PM EDT up reply actions

No.

I didn’t mean to offend you with that, but it’s a negative view because you arn’t looking at it in a very positive light. A more positive view would be that we don’t need to change anything and it will work itself out. I expected some responses like that. I think the negative view in this case is correct, that the line does need to get reformed and re-worked. However, to say you don’t think any of them are worse than the other is avoiding the question here, and that question is which one do we need to replace first.

by Sam Joxer on Sep 19, 2010 9:16 PM EDT up reply actions

Replace Trueblood and Joseph first.

This is like asking me who’s more of an ass… Hussein, Bin Laden, or Hitler.

Maddon's Mission
Make you want to kill him, then make you want to love him. Sly.

by Jonah Keri on Jun 19, 2010 10:31 PM EDT

by Doug09 on Sep 19, 2010 9:20 PM EDT up reply actions

Joseph?

by bucs24fan on Sep 19, 2010 11:03 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions

He's not good.

Maddon's Mission
Make you want to kill him, then make you want to love him. Sly.

by Jonah Keri on Jun 19, 2010 10:31 PM EDT

by Doug09 on Sep 19, 2010 11:12 PM EDT up reply actions

Hussein is clearly the bigger ass.

Imagine all three were at a dinner party. Hussein would be the one getting drunk and trying to organize a game of beer pong.

If you will it, dude, it is no dream.

by Kilgore on Sep 19, 2010 11:13 PM EDT up reply actions

Would like to see Vincent moved to RG...

and trade for OG Logan Mankins. He is the mauler that we need who also excels in his pass blocking. then upgrade the RT and C situation via draft or F/A in the off-season.

The OL is the key to any offensive success we will ever have.

by Cracker Ball on Sep 20, 2010 10:39 AM EDT up reply actions

Jeff Faine is one of the highest paid paid Centers in the league, I don't see him going anywhere.

Perhaps someone smarter than me can break this down since I think it means that he can walk after this year if he triggers certain milestones, but I’m not sure:

2/29/2008: Signed a six-year, $37.5 million contract. The deal contains $15 million guaranteed, including a $12 million signing bonus. It can void in 2009 if certain triggers are reached. 2009: $1 million (+ $1 million roster bonus), 2010: $5 million (Voidable Year), 2011: $4.575 million, 2012: $5.925 million, 2013: $7 million, 2014: Free Agent

I don’t think he’s going anywhere and what do you propose we trade for Mankins? I like having our draft picks since we still do have quite a few holes to plug, especially if we rightfully get rid of Barrett “Tackle 10-yards downfield” Ruud.

The great thing about baseball is that it requires careful observation not simply attendance and it rewards the analytical person while consistently befuddling the superficial.

Help others while helping yourself by purchasing this Trade Deadline Primer:
http://dockoftherays.com/2010/07/03/2010-trade-deadline-primer/

by Andy Hellicksonstine on Sep 20, 2010 12:42 PM EDT up reply actions

A 2011 third rounder with a conditional 4th rounder in 2012...

if he performs like a Pro Bowler – that is a bargain.

by Cracker Ball on Sep 20, 2010 2:22 PM EDT up reply actions

If that makes you an ass then prepare to watch me poop on everything.

The great thing about baseball is that it requires careful observation not simply attendance and it rewards the analytical person while consistently befuddling the superficial.

Help others while helping yourself by purchasing this Trade Deadline Primer:
http://dockoftherays.com/2010/07/03/2010-trade-deadline-primer/

by Andy Hellicksonstine on Sep 20, 2010 12:37 PM EDT up reply actions

Davin Joseph is good

The caller said the boy, after removing the bulb from its socket, left the building and threw the bulb on the ground. When the bulb broke, the caller said the boy screamed "To be the best, you have to beat the best…"

by Top Gun Numba 1 on Sep 20, 2010 1:14 PM EDT up reply actions

Trueblood is awful and one of the worst pass-protecting tackles in the NFL. How many times was Carolina able to

crash his side and take away the rollout before Josh could even look to that side?

The great thing about baseball is that it requires careful observation not simply attendance and it rewards the analytical person while consistently befuddling the superficial.

Help others while helping yourself by purchasing this Trade Deadline Primer:
http://dockoftherays.com/2010/07/03/2010-trade-deadline-primer/

by Andy Hellicksonstine on Sep 20, 2010 12:36 PM EDT reply actions

Interesting

People dislike Trueblood a lot more than I thought.

Is this more due to the penalties he has, which are very visible, or is it due to him being the obviously inferior lineman. The line seemed to be a lot better with Sears at left guard, so I would assume that it was the biggest hole.

by Sam Joxer on Sep 21, 2010 12:58 AM EDT reply actions

There is a lot of hate here for Trueblood (not me, but tired of defending him). But then again, there are people here who think we're going to the playoffs too.

If an optimist had his left arm chewed off by an alligator, he might say in a pleasant and hopeful voice, "Well this isn't to bad, I don't have a left arm anymore but at least nobody will ever ask me if I'm left-handed or right-handed" but most of us would say something more along the lines of "Aaaaaa! My arm! My arm!" DANIEL HANDLER (as Lemony Snicket)

by bucnut1 on Sep 21, 2010 2:09 PM EDT up reply actions

This O-line is missing continuity

That is something considering this unit has been together for a long time, they are missing a glue guy some one who completes the package. Aron Sears was that player, but we will need someone else to emerge. I don’t think talent is the problem with this group, they just have no Identity and every good or great O-line does.

by keysersoze19 on Sep 21, 2010 9:23 PM EDT reply actions