The Bucs are not like other teams.
Not only does Tampa Bay give rookies significant playing time under Todd Bowles, the team steadily has quality rookies, guys relied upon heavily.
And that means a relatively high percentage of key players slamming into the heralded “rookie wall.”
Look at last year, Graham Barton, Tykee Smith, Jalen McMillan and Bucky Irving all got a lot of playing time and Joe would argue all but Irving hit the rookie wall.
Five rookies were relied on heavily in 2023, including starting right guard Cody Mauch, who recently told the Beyond The Spolight podcast that he hit a rookie wall that season.
Could this phenomenon be a significant part of why the Bucs’ have endured midseason nosedives the past two years?
Joe’s not sure, but with the Bucs playing so many rookies, the rookie wall sure seems like something Bucs leadership must account for in a serious manner.
Perhaps the good news is the Bucs, as of today, are not built to rely on rookies this season as much as in past years.