Newsletter

2009 Offensive Line Analysis - Tampa Bay Buccaneers

2009 Projected Starters:
Left Tackle: Donald Penn
Left Guard: Arron Sears
Center: Jeff Faine
Right Guard: Davin Joseph
Right Tackle: Jeremy Trueblood

2008 Injuries:
G Davin Joseph: Weeks 1-4
G Arron Sears: Week 9

2008 Statistics:

ALY (Adjusted Line Yards): It is an alternate measure for yards per carry developed by Football Outsiders that takes into account various factors including down, distance, situation and opponent.
Source: www.footballoutsiders.com

Overview:
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers started rebuilding their offensive line in 2006 and now have one of the youngest offensive lines in the NFL. The problem however is that last year they did not perform as expected ranking 16th in sacks allowed and 18th in yards per carry. Their numbers were quite similar to 2007 despite the addition of Jeff Faine and the additional year of experience for the younger linemen.

Former undrafted free agent Donald Penn started all 16 games in 2008 after replacing Luke Petitgout as the starter in 2007. Penn surprised many people and surpassed expectations in his first year as a starter but unfortunately the second year wasn’t as good. He allowed 8.5 sacks which ranked him 28th in the NFL and the Buccaneers were one of the worst in the NFL when running to the left. He is better in pass protection than in run blocking but he still lacks the athleticism to keep up with quicker defensive linemen. The right side is in better shape with the 26 year old Jeremy Trueblood. At 6’8” and 320 lbs, Trueblood is a very powerful run blocker and uses his long wingspan to keep pass rushers in front of him. He is entering his fourth season in the NFL so he still has plenty of time to improve his footwork in order to be better in pass protection against speedy rushers. The Buccaneers also selected Jeremy Zuttah in the third round of the 2008 NFL Draft; a player that many think will be the left tackle of the future for the team. Zuttah has the versatility to play any position on the line but will have to build-up his strength to be effective in the NFL. He is a very tough lineman and an excellent pass protector because of his quickness but will likely struggle to open holes in the running game until he becomes stronger. Last year Zuttah started four games at the guard position. The Buccaneers also drafted Xavier Fulton in this year’s draft and signed Anthony Alabi to add depth to the position.

At left guard, the Buccaneers are in good shape with the young Arron Sears. Sears was the most consistent lineman for the team in 2007 and was rewarded by being named to the NFL All-Rookie team. Sears showed some good improvement in 2008 but he suffered a concussion which slowed him down slightly. Sears has good footwork and is a very smart blocker with versatility to play the tackle position as well. Sears still has things to learn as a pass blocker but his strength and mobility make him an excellent run blocker who will open up holes play after play for the running backs. On the right side, the Buccaneers have another very young guard in Davin Joseph. The former first round pick Joseph has the physical attributes to become an excellent guard in the NFL and showed great improvement last season. He showed much more willingness to learn, made fewer mental mistakes and played with more intensity. Joseph definitely has the potential to be one of the best guards in the NFL in the next year or two. The seventh year veteran Sean Mahan will provide depth at guard. Mahan started his career with the Bucs before signing as a free agent with the Steelers and being traded back to the Bucs last off-season. Mahan has started 52 games in his career and although he is not in the team’s plans to start, he remains a very good backup to have.

At center, the Buccaneers will be counting on the 28 year old Jeff Faine who was signed as a free agent from New Orleans a year ago. Faine is a smaller sized center at only 290 lbs but his excellent footwork and technique make him a good pass blocker. However, Faine is a below average run blocker who is unlikely to create holes by himself in the running game. He is the leader of this line and has found a perfect fit in Tampa Bay with two very strong guards surrounding him and all three seem to complete each other very well.

2009 Outlook:
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have one of the best “inside three” in the NFL but the line as a whole was disappointing in 2008. In the 11 games that this group of five played together, the Buccaneers averaged only 3.8 yards per carry and allowed 28 sacks including five against the Lions. New offensive coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski, former head coach at Boston College, will install a new zone-blocking scheme. It remains to be seen how the players will adjust to this new scheme but the transition should be pretty smooth considering the five starting linemen are young. The Buccaneers have all the tools to succeed as a run-first team but this group of five will have to step up their game compared to last season.

See all of our 2009 Offensive Line Analysis Articles