The Bucs are expected to release left tackle Donovan Smith by March 15 in a move to clear some salary cap space and are exploring moving Tristan Wirfs, a two-time Pro Bowl right tackle, to the left side to replace him. Smith, who has been a starter since being drafted in the second round in 2015, has started 124 games in Tampa Bay. He turns 30 years old in June and has a cap value of $17.9 million this year, according to OverTheCap.com.
Tampa Bay is currently $56,531,921 over the 2023 salary cap, which is the highest overage in the league. The Bucs will have to make some hard decisions in the coming weeks, and releasing Smith, who helped the Bucs win Super Bowl LV and back-to-back division titles, is one of them. Smith will still hit the Bucs’ cap this year for $7.95 million worth of dead money, but his release will save the team $9.95 million in cap space.
Wirfs is the Bucs’ best player, earning an 83.1 overall Pro Football Focus grade, including an 89.1 pass protection grade in 2022. Meanwhile, Smith had his worst year as a pro, evidenced by a 59.3 overall grade from PFF, including a woeful 40.8 run blocking grade. Smith was coming off his best season with the Bucs in 2021, but he hyperextended his elbow in a Week 1 win at Dallas and wound up missing four games. The eight-year pro was also affected by some tragic off-field issues last year.
Tristan Wirfs Played Some Left Tackle At Iowa, Could Replace Donovan Smith
Wirfs does have some experience at left tackle dating back to his junior season at Iowa, when he started three games on the left side. One of the most athletic tackles in the league, Wirfs has the Bucs hopeful that he can make a smooth transition to the left side.
Before entering the league as the Bucs’ first-round pick in 2020, Wirfs talked about playing both left and right tackle in college.
“I feel most comfortable at right tackle, but I’ve played both,” Wirfs told 850 ESPN Cleveland. “It doesn’t really matter to me. Coach [Kirk] Ferentz, he always says he doesn’t see a big difference between right and left. He says tackles are at a premium. People are always looking for tackles. I’ll play wherever the team wants me to. I’ll play safety if they need me to.
“When I first started flipping back and forth, I think I was trying to look for a big difference. Honestly, the only thing different is you got your other hand down. It just feels awkward at first but once you settle in it feels fine. . . . It kinda feels like wiping your butt with your other hand. It just feels a little awkward at first, but you get used to it.”
In Week 2 of the 2022 season, Wirfs talked about reserve swing tackle Josh Wells playing both sides of the line.
“Technique-wise, it’s the exact same thing, it’s just flipped,” Wirfs said. “I’ve said multiple times, it’s like wiping your ass with the other hand. Josh says it’s like driving your car on the other side of the road. You can do it, you just got to get used to it. For him (Wells) being our swing guy, throughout the week he flips back and forth. It’s nuts. Technique-wise it’s the exact same, it’s just getting comfortable.”
Luke Goedeke To Get A Look At Right Tackle If Tristan Wirfs Moves To Left Tackle
If Tristan Wirfs were to replace Donovan Smith at left tackle, who would replace Wirfs on the right side? Luke Goedeke, who was a two-year starter at right tackle at Central Michigan, would get a shot. Goedeke, who was last year’s second-round pick, was moved to left guard in 2022. He started eight games last year before injury and ineffectiveness prompted the team to turn the position over to Nick Leverett.
Goedeke started in place of Wirfs at right tackle and played 55 snaps in a Week 18 loss at Atlanta. That was his highest-graded game of the regular season, earning a 63.6 grade, including a 70.2 pass protection grade, from Pro Football Focus. The Bucs also concurred that Goedeke’s lone game at right tackle was better than any of his games at left guard. However, Goedeke did play well in his return to left guard for the Wild Card loss to Dallas, earning a 67 PFF grade, including a 76.6 pass protection game.
Goedeke was moved inside to guard due to his less-than-ideal arm length (32.5 inches) and wingspan (80 inches). But Cincinnati left tackle Jonah Williams, a former first-round pick, also has shorter-than-average arms (33.5 inches) and has succeeded in the NFL.
The Bucs will likely select an offensive tackle at some point in the 2023 NFL Draft, but having Wirfs and Goedeke as options to start gives the team security to at least have a plan a place. Longtime swing tackle Josh Wells will be an unrestricted free agent and suffered a severe knee at Arizona in Week 16, so he likely won’t be able to play until midseason of 2023.
Robert Hainsey Could Compete At Left Guard If Luke Goedeke Moves To Right Tackle
Nick Leverett, who is an exclusive rights free agent and is expected to return to Tampa Bay, took over at left guard against Baltimore in Week 8. He will get some competition for the starting job this year with Robert Hainsey and possibly from a rookie, as the Bucs could draft another guard if Goedeke moves to right tackle.
Hainsey started every game last year at center in place of Ryan Jensen, who missed the regular season with a knee injury. Jensen’s return in 2023 will move Hainsey to the bench unless the third-year lineman can win the starting left guard job.
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