Center Graham Barton moves to left tackle, Ben Bredeson starts at center, and Michael Jordan is the left guard.
Offensive linemen Ben Bredeson, left, and Graham Barton are in different positions to start the season.
Offensive linemen Ben Bredeson, left, and Graham Barton are in different positions to start the season. [ JEFFEREE WOO | Times ]
ATLANTA — The loss of All-Pro left tackle Tristan Wirfs has now caused a major shake-up on the Bucs offensive line to start the season.
With Wirfs not expected to recover from a knee injury for another three to four weeks, the Bucs had played Charlie Heck at left tackle during training camp and the preseason.
But when they arrived at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Sunday, the Bucs revealed a revamped offensive line.
Ben Bredeson moves from left guard to start at center. That means center Graham Barton is making his first NFL start at left tackle, a position he played his final three years at Duke.
Bredeson is replaced at left guard by Michael Jordan, a player who was signed a week ago and just elevated from the practice squad on Saturday.
Typically, teams don’t like to make multiple changes to the offensive line when they can avoid it.
Heck, who was signed in the offseason as a swing tackle who could play either the left or right side, started all three preseason games and took the majority of the first-team reps at left tackle. But the Bucs clearly didn’t feel comfortable he was the best option to protect the blind side of quarterback Baker Mayfield.
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