Buccaneers GM Jason Licht confirms there will be competition for one certain position in 2022
The Buccaneers returned all 22 starters after winning Super Bowl LV, but that's certainly not the case this year. The 2021 offseason was all about the draft once free agency ended. That's because all of the starting positions were already filled. The only open competition for a starting spot was at running back between Leonard […]
The Buccaneers returned all 22 starters after winning Super Bowl LV, but that's certainly not the case this year.
The 2021 offseason was all about the draft once free agency ended. That's because all of the starting positions were already filled. The only open competition for a starting spot was at running back between Leonard Fournette and Ronald Jones II. And even then, Bruce Arians frequently said the starting role would be split between the two players. Therefore, it technically wasn't a competition.
This year is different. Ndamukong Suh and Rob Gronkowski are currently free agents and gone are the likes of Jordan Whitehead, Alex Cappa, Antonio Brown, and Ali Marpet. The quartet of Whitehead, Cappa, Brown, and Marpet is one made up of former starters/heavy contributors and one in need of reconstruction in 2022.
Jason Licht has already replaced three of the four aforementioned players in Whitehead, Cappa, and Brown. But he still needs to find someone to take over for the recently retired Marpet.
Aaron Stinnie is widely to be considered the frontrunner for the job, right now. But at the same time, he's definitely not considered the solution. Licht confirmed as much Monday when he said second-year player Robert Hainsey will compete for the starting left guard spot.
“He’ll [Hainsey] definitely compete for that, and we love versatility,” Licht told the media Monday. “We’ll work those guys at multiple spots throughout camp, and it’s always good to have somebody who can do multiple roles. He’ll definitely be in the mix.”
The Buccaneers drafted Hainsey in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft with the plan to eventually replace Ryan Jensen, but said plan took a bit of a detour after Marpet's retirement. Now, Hainsey will compete with Stinnie and possibly a 2022 draft pick. Hainsey will likely still serve as the team's backup center, as well.
Whomever wins the job has big shoes to fill. Marpet was a top-3 guard in the NFL and was considered by some to be the best at his position.
And let's not forget they'll be blocking for the best quarterback to ever play the game.
The NFL is all about competition and legacies, however, so these guys are undoubtedly ecstatic to get the opportunity to make a name for themselves.
And that in itself should make for an exciting competition at the end of the day.
Featured image via Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
