Todd Bowles names top position battle for the Buccaneers in 2022
TAMPA BAY – The Buccaneers' 2022 offseason is vastly different when compared to the 2021 offseason. For starters, there wasn't three retirements and one un-retirement. Secondly, all 22 starters returned from the 2020 roster. Outside of depth positions, the Buccaneers' 2021 roster was set. That certainly isn't the case, this year. The Buccaneers lost starters […]
TAMPA BAY – The Buccaneers' 2022 offseason is vastly different when compared to the 2021 offseason.
For starters, there wasn't three retirements and one un-retirement. Secondly, all 22 starters returned from the 2020 roster. Outside of depth positions, the Buccaneers' 2021 roster was set.
That certainly isn't the case, this year. The Buccaneers lost starters at multiple positions and there will be plenty of new faces in the starting lineup when the season kicks off in Jerry World.
Who will start opposite Antoine Winfield Jr.? What about Ndamukong Suh's potential replacement? Can Joe Tryon-Shoyinka take the needed step forward?
Those are just a few of the questions surrounding the Buccaneers this offseason.
What happens during rookie minicamps and OTAs will kickstart the process of finding the answers to the aforementioned questions.
On Saturday, Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles made it clear who he's eager to see when OTAs begin on May 17.
"I wanna see Luke Goedeke," Bowles told reporters. "That'll be a good battle at that guard spot all summer. So, between [Aaron] Stinnie, Luke [Goedeke], and [Robert] Hainsey, that'll be one of the better position [battles] to watch."
The left guard battle is easily one of the top position battles to watch this offseason. One could even argue it is the No. 1 battle due to the paramount importance of making sure Tom Brady gets hit as little as possible. When you add in the second layer of replacing a Pro Bowl, top-5 guard in Ali Marpet, it raises the stakes just a bit higher.
Plus, Goedeke is a mean, nasty player on the field who likes to play with a "controlled rage", as he likes to put it. That type of personality, especially in the trenches, always adds a bit of spice to the equation, as well.
And don't forget about one of 2020's playoff heroes in Stinnie. He replaced Alex Cappa midway through the Wild Card matchup against the Commanders and played exceptionally well all the way through the Bucs' Super Bowl run.
The ever-versatile Nick Leverett and Hainsey, last year's third-round draft pick, round out what is exactly what Bowles said – a tough, tough group that is going to battle like crazy for the starting left guard position.
Featured image via Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
