National outlet gives Tampa Bay Buccaneers some very deserved credit in a key area for 2024
Tampa Bay Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht has managed to help build the Buccaneers into a perennial playoff team. However, it's in one particular area that he's excelled, and that's in building a solid offensive line, particularly at the tackle spots. Licht drafted Tristan Wirfs with the 13th overall pick of the 2020 NFL Draft. […]
Tampa Bay Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht has managed to help build the Buccaneers into a perennial playoff team. However, it's in one particular area that he's excelled, and that's in building a solid offensive line, particularly at the tackle spots.
Licht drafted Tristan Wirfs with the 13th overall pick of the 2020 NFL Draft. Wirfs has since developed into one of the best tackles in the entire league in his first four years.
That sentiment was shared by Pro Football Focus, who included not just Wirfs, but also right tackle Luke Goedeke in its list of the top 32 tackles in the NFL ahead of the 2024 season.
Regarding Wirfs, who they have as their #2 overall tackle, PFF had this to offer:
The Buccaneers' decision to move Wirfs from right to left tackle before the 2023 season raised questions about whether his performance would decline. However, Wirfs recorded the second-highest pass-blocking grade among all offensive tackles and finished with a top-five overall grade for the first time in his career (83.0).
The move indeed worked out for Wirfs. There are some who expressed a concern about the move from the right side to the left, but Wirfs' pass blocking skills are so incredibly sound that he was able to make the move and remain at an elite level.
And the other reason that move worked out is because of the guy who took his old spot. Goedeke struggled in 2022 at guard, but he shifted back outside last year where he played in college, and he looked like a different player. PFF had this to say in listing him as their #25 overall tackle:
When it was announced that Goedeke would move from left guard to right tackle after a somewhat disappointing rookie season, few would have bet that he would appear on this list a year later. However, the Central Michigan product put together a really impressive season, as he ranked eighth among right tackles in pass blocking grade (72.5).
The Bucs will have to pay Wirfs, who is currently set to play his final season on the fifth-year option of his rookie contract. It would be a surprise if Licht hadn't locked in a contract by the time the preseason arrives.
Provided they ink Wirfs to a new deal that he richly deserves, the Bucs appear to be in as good a shape on the outside of their offensive line for years to come as any team in the league.
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