Tag: graham barton

The Bucs 2024 rookie class is producing on a grand scale

That isn’t a projection either; this rookie class is performing on a grand level that can be put into numbers to further the argument. 

The 2024 NFL Draft could be looked back on whenever this Bucs season ends as the turning point for this franchise. The team had some pieces coming into 2024, but the draft picks by Jason Licht and his staff have this team already stepping up and carving out a meaningful place on this team.

That isn’t a projection either; this rookie class is performing on a grand level that can be put into numbers to further the argument.

According to the Bucs Communications Team, “Tampa Bay’s 1,624 offensive snaps by the 2024 draft selections are the fourth-most in the NFL and are the most among division leaders. Their 10 touchdowns scored are tied for the most in the NFL and their 1,455 yards from scrimmage ranks second.”

The production they are getting out of the likes of Jalen McMillan and Bucky Irving is not to be forgotten. However, they also owe first-round pick Graham Barton a lot for securing the middle fo the offensive line for them and Baker Mayfield to create.

This is an all-time class for Jason Licht and his front office staff.

Where does Pro Football Focus have Chandler Rivers on its NFL draft rankings?

The end of the college football season means draft takes are on the horizon. Where does Duke’s star defensive back start on the PFF board?

There are only two regular-season games left on the Duke football schedule, and the end of November means most fans will start to keep an eye on the NFL draft.

Last year, former Blue Devils offensive lineman [autotag]Graham Barton[/autotag] became the school’s third first-round pick of the century when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers took him 26th overall. While no current Duke stars seem to match Barton’s pre-draft hype, one member of the defense could play on Sundays in the near future.

As of November 22, cornerback Chandler Rivers sits 118th on the Pro Football Focus NFL Draft Big Board. That fits the junior firmly into the fourth round of any projected draft, and he’s slotted as the 14th-ranked player at his position.

Rivers intercepted a pass in three straight games from Weeks 8-10, including one he returned for a touchdown against the Florida State Seminoles. In three seasons with the program, he’s intercepted five passes and broken up 22 more. His 12 passes defended so far in 2024 are tied for ninth among FBS defensive backs.

Ravens vs. Buccaneers: Top photos from Baltimore’s 41-31 win on Monday Night Football

We’re looking at the top photos from the Baltimore Ravens 41-31 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday night in Week 7

The Ravens started the game down 10-0, then scored 41 unanswered points, jumping out to a massive lead before allowing 21 late points to the Buccaneers in the fourth quarter. Even with the defensive letdown, Baltimore’s performance won’t overshadow Lamar Jackson’s five-touchdown pass performance, as the Ravens moved to 5-2 on the season with a 41-31 win over Tampa at Raymond James Stadium.

Baltimore amassed 508 yards of total offense but had a dominant performance ruined as the defense allowed over 430 yards of offense for Tampa.

With preparation for the Browns in Week 8 set to begin, here’s an instant analysis of the big win on Monday Night Football.

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Bucs vs. Saints Inactives: Rachaad White and Graham Barton out

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will face the New Orleans Saints on Sunday without two key offensive starters.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will face the New Orleans Saints on Sunday without two key offensive starters. Rachaad White and Graham Barton have been ruled out for their Week 6 matchup on the road.

Rachaad White was on the injury report all week with a foot injury, and after being limited in practice, the team decided to play it safe. In his place will be rookie Bucky Irving, who has flashed whenever he touches the ball this season.

Another rookie, Graham Barton, will be inactive after appearing on the team’s injury report after their Week 5 loss to the Falcons. He will miss the game due to a hamstring injury, and Robert Hainsey will start in his place.

Other inactives for the game include Trey Palmer, Kameron Johnson, Christian Izien, and Devin Culp. The wide receiver group missing both Johnson and Palmer means the Bucs will rely on the Oklahoma connection of Sterling Shepard and Baker Mayfield to Gardner results for a third straight week.

Former Duke football star Graham Barton to miss Sunday’s game against the New Orleans Saints

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers ruled out center Graham Barton, their first-round pick from Duke, for Sunday’s game against New Orleans.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers travel to New Orleans for a divisional matchup against the Saints in Week 6, but the defending NFC South champions will play without rookie center [autotag]Graham Barton[/autotag].

Head coach Todd Bowles confirmed on Friday that Barton, who had not practiced all week with a hamstring injury, won’t play on Sunday.

Tampa Bay picked Barton, a two-time All-ACC lineman with the Blue Devils, with the 26th overall pick in April’s NFL draft. The former tackle became the third Duke football player taken in the first round since 1987, and the Buccaneers moved him back to the position he played as a freshman.

Barton, who earned the highest Pro Football Focus grade of any rookie offensive lineman in the preseason, played all 298 snaps of Tampa Bay’s first five games. He finished Week 5 with a 58.0 offensive grade, 22nd among qualifying centers around the league, and he’s credited one sack and nine hurries allowed to start the season.

Eagles limp into bye week after a 33-16 loss to the Buccaneers in Week 4

The Philadelphia Eagles suffered a disastrous 33-16 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday.

With A.J. Brown (hamstring), DeVonta Smith (concussion), and Lane Johnson (concussion) out with injuries, the Eagles didn’t have enough depth in key positions. They suffered a disastrous 33-16 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday.

Jalen Hurts was sacked six times on the afternoon, and the star quarterback committed another turnover (fumble), as Philadelphia could not sustain any offensive consistency without the big three in the lineup.

Saquon Barkley had ten carries for 84 yards (8.4 avg). Still, with the Eagles playing from behind all afternoon, the running back was unable to get the Philadelphia offense over the hump against a motivated Tampa defense.

An Eagles defense that shut New Orleans down in Week 3 was gashed to 445 total yards for the Buccaneers offense, including 111 rushing yards and a twelve-minute advantage in time of possession.

Baker Mayfield was on fire early, and even after an inefficient second half, he still was 30-40 passing for 347 yards, two touchdowns, and a 100.2 rating.

Philadelphia (2-2) will now have a week off, during which questions about Sirianni’s job security and the Eagles’ playoff hopes will dominate the airwaves.

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Sights and sounds from first half of Eagles matchup vs. Buccaneers

Jalen Hurts was 7-15 passing for 49 yards and one touchdown, and the Eagles offense was non-existent in the first half as Tampa jumped out to a 21-0 lead before finishing the first half with a 24-7 lead. The Buccaneers dominated time of possession, …

Jalen Hurts was 7-15 passing for 49 yards and one touchdown, and the Eagles offense was non-existent in the first half as Tampa jumped out to a 21-0 lead before finishing the first half with a 24-7 lead. The Buccaneers dominated time of possession, holding for 20:14 seconds, compared to Philadelphia’s 9+ minutes with the football.

With the second half set to begin, here are sights and sounds from the first half.

Week 2 features a matchup between two of the youngest teams in the NFL

Jason Licht has been praised for his ability to build and maintain rosters, which he does by bringing in a steady flow of younger talent.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been praised for their ability to adapt to whatever is thrown their way on and off the field. General Manager Jason Licht has been praised for his ability to build and maintain rosters, which he does by bringing in a steady flow of younger talent.

It just so happens another general manager has the same approach, Brad Holmes of the Detroit Lions.

Both men’s approaches to roster building and maintenance have Sunday’s matchup between two of the youngest rosters in the NFL. The Bucs’ average age on opening day was 25.49, while the Lions’ opening roster was 25.38.

Only the Packers and Rams have younger rosters right now in the NFL.

This points to Sunday’s matchup being the second of many as the two teams are poised to compete in the NFC for years to come. Tons of storylines will follow from the playoff rematch, the competition between two number one overall pick quarterbacks, and now which younger roster outduels the other.

Graham Barton was PFF’s highest-graded rookie offensive lineman in the NFL preseason

Graham Barton, the former Duke football star and first-round pick, finished the NFL preseason as the highest-graded rookie offensive lineman.

He hasn’t played a regular-season snap yet, but former Duke offensive lineman [autotag]Graham Barton[/autotag] seems to be living up to the hype for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Pro Football Focus gave the former Blue Devil an 84.6 overall grade for the preseason, the highest mark of any rookie offensive lineman and the second-highest grade for any center.

Barton didn’t give up a single pressure, and he finished with a run-blocking grade of 82.5 and a pass-blocking grade of 82.2.

Barton’s preseason performance gets even more impressive when you remember he moved to a position he hasn’t played since his freshman year of college. After multiple All-ACC seasons as Duke’s left tackle, Tampa Bay moved him back to center.

At 6-foot-5 and 315 pounds, Barton is one of the most athletic center prospects ever recorded, and he seems to be fitting right back into his old spot. For a team like Tampa Bay, which struggled mightily between the tackles in 2023 despite making the playoffs, Barton could be a game-changing presence.

https://twitter.com/PFF_Buccaneers/status/1831364256198963617

Barton makes his regular-season debut against the Washington Commanders on Sunday.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers post TikTok video introducing fans to Graham Barton

Duke alum Graham Barton, now the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ starting center, answered some questions on TikTok to introduce himself on Tuesday.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers fans are about to get very familiar with former Duke star [autotag]Graham Barton[/autotag], but it’ll take time for the rookie to ingratiate himself with Bucs faithful.

The social media team sped up the process with a quick social media post on Tuesday, letting their newly declared starting center answer some questions about himself for a proper introduction.

Barton offered some fun insights into his personality, saying he enjoys leg day in the gym and loves listening to popular country music artist Zach Bryan. The most entertaining answer might be how much food the offensive lineman thinks he eats in a week.

“I’d say probably about 15 to 20 pounds a week,” Barton, who is listed on the Tampa Bay roster at 314 pounds, estimated.

Barton hasn’t played center since his freshman season with the Blue Devils, but he made his way onto the All-ACC First Team at left tackle in 2022 and 2023. The Buccaneers selected him with the 26th pick in the NFL draft this past April.

@bucsnfl

Get to know your starting center, Graham Barton 🏈 #buccaneers #nfl #grahambarton #trivia #qanda

♬ original sound – Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Barton will make his NFL debut against the Washington Commanders on September 8.