Doug Farrar of USA Today and TouchdownWire is one of the best in the business when it comes to identifying, and ranking NFL talent. As I've said in the past, I have great respect for Doug's objective analysis.
On Thursday, Doug released his ranking of the best offensive guards in the NFL. Outside of Quentin Nelson (Colts), Zack Martin (Cowboys) and Joel Bitonio (Browns), identifying which other guards belong in the conversation for best in the league can be a challenging (and contentious) endeavor.
Meanwhile in Tampa, the Buccaneers' offensive guard positions have undertaken some serious re-shuffling. With Ali Marpet retiring suddenly, and Alex Cappa signing with the Bengals as a free agent, Bucs' GM Jason Licht found himself in a precarious situation having to fill both guard spots earlier this offseason.
It's been a wild offseason for Licht and the Bucs front office, and their acquisition of veteran guard, Shaq Mason from New England – in exchange for a fifth round pick – is a move that slid somewhat under the radar, with big names like Brady, Godwin, Jensen and Davis all in limbo at the time.
The general consensus at the time, however, was that the Bucs got an absolute bargain of a deal.
Based on the reactions by well respected NFL analysts on social media, it immediately became clear to anyone who wasn't familiar with Mason's body of work during his time in New England, that he was a very talented player. But as an offensive guard, he wasn't exactly a household name outside of New England.
The offensive line guru himself, Brandon Thorn, even made a point of planting his Shaq Mason flag shortly after the trade was consummated.
Mason is also a player who has earned extremely impressive PFF grades over the course of his career.
So where exactly did Shaq Mason find himself ranked within Doug Farrar's list of best offensive guards in football? He just missed the top five, earning the title as the sixth best offensive guard in the league.
Not a bad exchange for just a fifth round pick, if you ask me.
Here's what Farrar had to say:
"Mason has developed into a consistently fine guard since the Patriots selected him in the fourth round in 2015, and last season, he allowed two sacks, three quarterback hits, and 11 quarterback hurries on 589 pass-blocking reps — with a rookie quarterback in Mac Jones who was still figuring things out at times."
"Mason’s experience and chemistry with Brady is a plus, but he’d be a major asset in any offensive line."
Replicating Ali Marpet's impact on the left side of the Buccaneers' offensive line is not going to be easy. But all indications are that the Bucs have significantly upgraded their right guard position, by acquiring Shaq Mason in a trade with New England, to fill the void left by Alex Cappa.
There's no denying that Mason has earned the respect of offensive line experts, and NFL analysts alike. It feels like it's only a matter of time before he earns the respect of the all the Bucs fans in Tampa, too.
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