2019 Bucs in Review: Offensive Line
If there is one unit on the Buccaneers' offense that catches the most grief from fans, it has to be the offensive line. The thing is, the offensive line really was not that bad in 2019. In fact, they collectively played their best football in recent memory.
Offensive line has been a perpetual problem in Tampa Bay. It would be difficult for anyone to point to any given season and say, "that was the best ever Buccaneers offensive line." Though quality players like Paul Gruber and even Donald Penn have come and gone, cohesion and quality have never been partners in the unit.
General manager Jason Licht identified this issue early in his tenure and set to remake the offensive line, drafting left tackle Donovan Smith and left guard Ali Marpet in the second round of the 2015 draft. He also took right guard Alex Cappa in the third round of the 2018 draft.
The Bucs made Ryan Jensen NFL's tge highest paid center in 2018 (and the fifth-highest in 2019), and their longest tenured player is 34-year-old right tackle Demar Dotson. As a whole, they were the most expensive unit on the Bucs' roster and the third-highest paid offensive line in the NFL in 2019.
Perhaps the issue some fans have with the offensive line is that despite being the third-most expensive offensive line in the league, they do not quite play like it. However, they aren't nearly the hapless unit they appeared to be in recent memory.
The strength of the line begins in the middle, or better yet with the center. Ryan Jensen joined the Bucs as the highest-paid center in the NFL, and in 2019 he all but earned his contract (via the Athletic's Brandon Thorn):
Jensen was the Bucs' most consistent and often most physical offensive lineman this season. He set the tone for the unit, bringing a fire that may be unprecedented among Tampa Bay offensive lines. His anchor in pass protection and agility when run-blocking out in space stood out in particular (via Thorn):
Along with Jensen, LG Ali Marpet deserves far more accolades than he gets. He might be the Bucs' best pass protector and one of the best three left guards in the NFL in that regard especially. He has a knack for neutralizing stunts and even multiple rushers at a time (via Pro Football Focus' Gordon McGuinness):
Jensen and Marpet may not have been named to the Pro Bowl or the All-Pro team, but there is recognition of their impact. Football Outsiders named them to their 2019 All-NFC South Team, and Jensen was named Pro Football Focus' most improved player in Tampa Bay, ranking him their third-best center in 2019.
The rest of the line is where things start to get a bit dicey. The tackle position remains a weakness for the line, and RG Alex Cappa is still developing as a pro player.
The Bucs signed LT Donovan Smith to a three-year, $41 million contract last year, leaving many scratching their heads. Smith is aggressively average. Though he moves well for being 338 pounds, he is still prone to losing on inside moves and to pure speed and bend (via PFF's Austin Gayle):
Smith's occasional protection issues aside, the Bucs do not have any viable options to replace him. When he missed a game for the first time in his career with an Achilles injury following Week 14, Smith was replaced by Josh Wells. Though he played admirably, he was lucky to face a depleted Detroit Lions pass rush as he had been abused by the Carolina Panthers and New Orleans Saints earlier in the season.
On the right side, Demar Dotson is clearly on the downslope of a long and under-appreciated career. Early in the season, the 11-year veteran looked as though just being out on the field was painful and generally was not the same reliable pass protector he has been over the past decade.
Dotson also led the team in penalties with 10, including five false start penalties and five offensive holding calls. Given his age and deterioration in production, it is likely the Bucs will be looking at drafting or signing Dotson's replacement this offseason.
The line's youngest starter continued to experience growing pains but at the same time, Alex Cappa's growth is apparent. Coming from Humboldt St. in Division III college football, Cappa's jump to the pros was rocky. He did not start a game in 2018 and missed three games this season due to an elbow injury.
However, that injury is a testament to Cappa's toughness. Despite breaking his arm in the second quarter of the Bucs' Week 5 loss to the Saints, Cappa did not miss a snap the rest of the game and was back in the starting lineup just four weeks later.
Cappa still needs some work on his awareness and anchor in pass protection, but for a D-III prospect, he is paying some dividends for Tampa Bay.
The core of the offensive line will remain in place in head coach Bruce Arians' second year with Tampa Bay. Jensen, Marpet and Cappa aren't going anywhere any time soon, and as Smith's 2020 salary is guaranteed, he will certainly continue manning the left tackle position.
The only question remains whether Dotson stays for another year, or if he's replaced with a high draft pick, like Iowa's Tristan Wirfs, or a free agent like Tennessee Titan RT Jack Conklin. It is possible the Bucs re-sign Dotson for one more year while also drafting his replacement, given the general lack of pro-readiness in offensive line prospects recently.
By nature, the offensive line does not get the due it deserves despite rendering success by the rest of the offense possible in the first place. Tampa Bay's top-three offense in 2019 was only possible because Jensen, Marpet and the others largely provided solid pass protection and overall consistent play.
