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It’s official — [autotag]Tristan Wirfs[/autotag] is set to play LT in 2023.
In fact, if HC Todd Bowles is anything to go by, this was the plan right from the start. Wirfs spoke to the media on Tuesday as the last week of OTAs kicked off, and when asked at what point he began preparing himself for the switch, he gave a surprising answer.
“The day after the season ended, when I had my meeting with Coach Bowles,” Wirfs said. “He said this is probably what we’re going to do, so that’s kind of when I started thinking about it.”
It seems that this was a plan all along, and it could be a reason why the Bucs didn’t make a bigger effort to draft a LT in the 2023 NFL draft. On one hand, it’s encouraging — it means that Wirfs has likely been preparing for this switch for quite some time. It also wouldn’t be the definitive first time he’s played on the other side, as he started at LT in very few games at Iowa as well.
On the other hand, this experiment could be a big mistake, and I don’t think it’s worth it.
While the old adage “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” has been driven to the ground, it certainly applies in this case. Wirfs is one of the best right tackles in the NFL and, consequently, one of its best linemen, and he’s proven year in and year out that he’s a force to be reckoned with at the position. He was an instrumental part of Tampa Bay’s Super Bowl run, and he’s earned two All-Pro nods for his talents in the three years he’s played football at the highest level (First-Team in 2021, Second-Team in 2022).
Now, though, the Bucs are throwing him out of his element. Wirfs is set to play LT on the other side of the line after the departure of LT Donovan Smith, which requires a shift in thinking and how you use your body. It’s a difficult change that takes almost a complete rewiring to adjust, and Wirfs himself mentioned to media that the change has taken a great deal getting used to.
“It’s just that everything is backwards – getting used to throwing my left hand instead of my right and not throwing with my right and opening up,” Wirfs said. “Or my weight distribution – I always used to keep my weight in my left leg, now I want to keep it in my right. It’s so similar – you’re doing the same stuff – but it’s all just flipped.”
If Wirfs can truly play as well on the left side as he did on the right, the move would obviously be worth it. But I think that’s unlikely, given how notable the adjustment is and how frequently he’s played RT since college, and if this move turns Wirfs from a top tackle in the league to an average one, the Bucs could ruin one of their generational players. Even if he’s simply good, a good LT does not have more value than a world-class RT.
Wirfs is arguably Jason Licht’s finest draft pick. It would be a shame if a move made in desperation after the departure of Smith resulted in a shining star dimming — even a little.