The Buccaneers rebuilt their offensive line, which backfired

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers seem to run into offensive line problems every season, and every year they try to fix the line with a piecemeal approach. That never really worked, and this year they took a different tack: they replaced everyone, except for right tackle Demar Dotson. And boy, did that ever not work.

Davin Joseph was cut because of his exhorbitant salary and his horrible play in 2013. He hasn't been a world-beater in 2014, but he has started nine games for the St. Louis Rams. Donald Penn was cut as soon as they signed Anthony Collins -- but Collins has  been a massive disappointment, and Penn has been okay in Oakland, albeit at a fairly hefty $4.6 million salary.

Jeremy Zuttah was traded to the Baltimore Ravens for a future fifth-round pick, clearing up some cap room but simultaneously robbing the Bucs of a capable center. Granted, Zuttah didn't look that good in 2013, but he's been very solid for the Ravens and would certainly have been an improvement over Patrick Omameh at right guard this year. And probably even over Evan Dietrich-Smith at center.

The one lineman the Bucs did re-sign, Jamon Meredith, was cut before the season even started. Finally, the Bucs traded for Logan Mankins in what was effectively a desperation move in the preseason. They're paying him $6.25 million this year to be slightly better than replacement level, and he'll earn $6.75 million in each of the next two seasons -- if the Bucs decide to keep him, which given his salary is far from a given.

Each of those moves looked fairly logical when they were made. And yet, they've all backfired. The Bucs have the worst offensive line in the NFL, which is never acceptable, but is especially disastrous when you don't have a quarterback capable of compensating for terrible offensive line play.