Before training camp begins, we examine the Buccaneers’ roster and highlight games to watch.
Training camp inches ever closer for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and there are still a lot of uncertainties that will need to be answered when players report to the Advent training facility.
Roster spots are up for grabs as well as key battles for starting positions along the offense and defense. A new offense is also being installed that will take time to learn the intricacies. And rookies who are set to have key roles on the team will need to show they can handle the first obstacle in their inaugural season.
Throughout this series, we’ll examine the battles for starting jobs, backup positions, and players vying for final roster spots. Up next is the guard position.
Wirfs move from right tackle to the left side wasn’t without hiccups but he still was elite and should be even better this year. However, there are questions surrounding whether the All-Pro tackle will practice once training camp begins after holding in throughout OTA’s and Mandatory Minicamp as he seeks a new contract. Whether Wirfs reports and practices is one of the top stories no one is talking about as training camp approaches.
Luke Goedeke
Goedeke was virtually unplayable during his rookie season as the team tried to move him from college right tackle to left guard. After realizing their mistake, they went into the 2023 offseason with Goedeke moved back to his natural position and the results were more than they could’ve hoped for. While there were some rough spots and he will need to clean up his pre-snap penalties, Goedeke finished as a top-25 tackle in the league and should improve going into his third season in 2024.
Backup
Justin Skule
Skule signed with the team’s practice squad in September of 2022, finishing the season there. He signed a futures contract and won the swing tackle job out of training camp last season. He enters camp as the top backup behind Wirfs and Goedeke after re-signing with the team in March.
READ MORE: PFF Identifies Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Best Offseason Decision in 2024
Vying For A Spot
Brandon Walton
Walton signed with the Bucs in 2021 and spent most of the season there before re-signing with the team in 2022 and making the final roster out of training camp. He ended up starting two games at left tackle that season and also had snaps at left guard. Walton again made the team last season and brings versatility to the offensive line with the ability to play both tackle and guard spots and has also spent time training at center. He should make the roster again this season due to his versatility but he will have to fend off some challengers.
Silas Dzansi
Dzansi signed with the Bucs in 2023 as an undrafted free agent, and while he didn’t make the active roster he was signed to the practice squad. He spent the year there, though he had a stint on the practice squad injured reserve list. Bucs brass is high on his potential and rewarded his time as a scout team tackle with a practice squad elevation in the Buccaneers’ divisional game against the Lions. He is likely Walton’s biggest threat to overcome his roster spot but his lack of flexibility could see him land back on the practice squad for continued development.
Luke Haggard
Haggard also signed with the Bucs as an undrafted free agent in 2023 and spent the year on the practice squad. He is likely headed back to that role in 2024 unless he plays lights out in camp and can overcome the competition ahead of him.
Lorenz Metz
Metz is a giant among men at 6’9, 310 pounds. The international player hailing from Germany has given the Bucs an exempted roster spot throughout the offseason and has some flexibility playing some games at guard in college as well. The 27-year-old rookie faces an uphill battle to make the team but they could stick him on the practice squad depending on how he performs in camp to continue to develop him. After all, you can’t teach size and he has it in droves.
Summary
All eyes will be on Wirfs once training camp begins as a “hold-in” could disrupt the chemistry along the offensive line, especially when incorporating a rookie at center and a new left guard. The Bucs have been steadfast that they want to extend him but have often let their players play out their fifth-year options and final years of the deal. Goedeke looks poised to continue to progress and Skule gives them a solid option with plenty of starting experience in a similar system if either misses time with injury. Walton is my pick to claim the final spot due to his versatility, but Dzansi will push him in what will be a lower-level battle to watch throughout training camp.
