Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
Mike Evans, who is set to hit the open market, had his best season in years under new Panthers HC Dave Canales.
With new head coach Dave Canales leading the transition, the Carolina Panthers have completely overhauled their offensive staff this winter. And with new faces comes new connections for the organization.
Here are 13 pending offensive free agents, in areas of particular need, with ties to Canales’ staff:
There is still a QB contest to be had and an LT to sign, but things are getting clearer in Tampa Bay.
Despite entering free agency with less cap space than any team in the NFL, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have actually managed to not only keep their team intact but add pieces to round out the roster. In fact, very few of the Bucs’ starting spots on offense should be much of a mystery.
Many of last year’s offensive starters are set to return, but not all. The most obvious subtraction is quarterback Tom Brady following his retirement, but it was the offensive line that saw the greatest attrition. The Bucs cut left tackle Donovan Smith and traded right guard Shaq Mason. This created much of the cap space the Bucs desperately needed, but left the offensive line in a rebuild mode.
Most of the likely starters are already on the roster. General manager Jason Licht clearly had a plan in mind before the offseason began to not only get the cap under control but also ensure the Bucs largely had a workable roster.
Here are the Bucs’ likely starters on offense following the start of free agency:
The Bucs are set to retain a 10-game starter on the offensive line with the move.
The Bucs have extended a tender offer to G Nick Leverett, an exclusive rights free agent. Leverett started 10 games at left guard last season. https://t.co/dFknUoB8BT
— Scott Smith (@ScottSBucs) March 10, 2023
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are working to retain one of their offensive starters from the 2022 season.
The team announced Friday that it had extended a tender offer to left guard [autotag]Nick Leverett[/autotag] to make him an exclusive rights free agent.
The move prevents Leverett from negotiating with other teams, so Tampa Bay will look to go with Leverett’s experience as a starter on the offensive line as it heads into the 2023 season with a new quarterback behind center.
Because Leverett has not accrued three NFL seasons, he becomes an exclusive rights free agent instead of a restricted free agent, which would have allowed other teams to give him an offer that the Bucs would have had a chance to match.
Leverett joined the team in 2020 and got his first playing time in 2021, where he appeared in three games, and now it appears as if the 10-game starter in 2022 will stay in Tampa Bay for the time being. Leverett will get the opportunity to take the field in a Buccaneers uniform again after missing the team’s most recent playoff matchup against the Dallas Cowboys due to a knee and shoulder injury.
With Leverett taken care of, the Bucs will only have cornerback and special teams player Dee Delaney as its last remaining player eligible for the ERFA tender.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have their Pro Bowl center back, but a huge question mark at left guard for Monday night’s wild-card game
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers delivered some big news Monday morning, activating Pro Bowl center Ryan Jensen from injured reserve.
Jensen is expected to start Monday night’s wild-card playoff game against the Dallas Cowboys, giving the Bucs offense a massive boost heading into their most important game of the year (so far).
But while Jensen’s return clears up the center position for Monday night, what about the left guard spot?
Nick Leverett has held that job down for most of the season, and acquitted himself well, but he’s listed as doubtful for Monday night’s game due to multiple injuries.
The next option would seem to be Robert Hainsey, who has started at center all season long in Jensen’s stead, but he’s also dealing with a hamstring injury, and is listed as questionable on the Bucs’ final injury report.
That could force the Bucs to go back to rookie second-round pick Luke Goedeke, who was the Week 1 starter at left guard, but struggled mightily every time he’s been in the lineup so far this year. The transition from playing right tackle at Central Michigan to left guard in the NFL has been a rocky one for Goedeke, and might not inspire a ton of confidence from Bucs fans if he’s thrust back into the starting lineup for a playoff game.
Jensen’s return is obviously a huge boost for this unit, but if Goedeke has to start at left guard Monday night as a last resort, the Bucs still might have to deal with some problems up front unless the rookie steps up his game in a big way.
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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers plan to rotate Luke Goedeke and Nick Leverett at left guard again this week
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers had an odd strategy in Sunday’s game against the Carolina Panthers, rotating rookie Luke Goedeke and Nick Leverett at left guard throughout the game.
Goedeke got the start, as he has all season up to this point, with Leverett alternating on certain drives.
Speaking to the media Monday, Bucs head coach Todd Bowles confirmed that will be the plan again Thursday night, when the Bucs host the Baltimore Ravens.
Goedeke is dealing with an injury, but Bowles said if he’s healthy enough to play the second-round pick out of Central Michigan will get the start, but rotate throughout the game with Leverett again.
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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers couldn’t afford any more serious injuries to their offensive line
The worst part of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ preseason finale against the Indianapolis Colts wasn’t the ugly 27-10 loss.
No, it was suffering two more injuries to key members of their offensive line, center Robert Hainsey and do-it-all swingman Nick Leverett.
Hainsey (ankle) and Leverett (shoulder) both left the game and didn’t return, sending the blood pressure of Bucs fans through the roof. With Hainsey already replacing Pro Bowl center Ryan Jensen, and Leverett competing for the left guard spot thinned by the loss of Aaron Stinnie, losing either of them would have been another massive blow for the Bucs up front.
Instead, it looks like both players have dodged major injury, and they’re trending toward being available when the Bucs kick off the regular season against the Dallas Cowboys next week.
“They’re both trending in the right direction,” Bucs head coach Todd Bowles said Wednesday. “If they continue to heal, they’ll be ready to practice next week and should be available for the game.”
Hainsey is expected to start at center, while Leverett will provide valuable depth with his ability to play any of the five positions along the offensive line. Having them both as close to full strength as possible is a huge boost for Tampa Bay’s most banged-up unit.
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Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive lineman Nick Leverett appears to have avoided a major shoulder injury
Buccaneers center-guard Nick Leverett sustained an AC joint injury in his shoulder with X-rays determining it's not considered a long-term injury and could be managed going forward, per a league source @PFN365
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) August 28, 2022
It appears the Tampa Bay Buccaneers may have dodged multiple bullets in the injury department.
Not only does center Robert Hainsey appear to have avoided a major ankle injury, but it looks like the same is true for fellow offensive lineman Nick Leverett.
Leverett’s shoulder injury isn’t considered long-term, per NFL insider Aaron Wilson.
Both players sustained their injuries during Saturday night’s preseason finale against the Indianapolis Colts.
With Pro Bowl center Ryan Jensen likely to miss most if not all of the season, and guard Aaron Stinnie already on injured reserve with a season-ending injury, both Hainsey and Leverett will be vital to keeping Tom Brady upright this season.
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Get the latest on the injuries suffered Saturday night by Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive linemen Robert Hainsey and Nick Leverett
Head Coach Todd Bowles said it’s too early to tell about the severity of injuries to OLs Robert Hainsey and Nick Leverett. They will get X-rays in the next couple days.
— Scott Smith (@ScottSBucs) August 28, 2022
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers didn’t just lose their preseason finale Saturday night; they also suffered two more injuries to their already banged-up offensive line.
Robert Hainsey (ankle) and Nick Leverett (shoulder) both left Saturday night’s game and neither returned.
After the game, Bucs head coach Todd Bowles told the media that it’s still too early to tell just how severe the injuries are, and that X-rays in the coming days would give a more specific update.
Hainsey is already replacing Pro Bowl center Ryan Jensen, who suffered a serious knee injury on the second day of training camp. Leverett was battling for the starting left guard spot, a competition that’s now missing Aaron Stinnie, who was placed on injured reserve earlier this week with a season-ending knee injury of his own.
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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have lost yet another offensive lineman to injury
G Nick Leverett (shoulder) is out for the remainder of the game. pic.twitter.com/UL20aSxGNZ
— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) August 28, 2022
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have lost yet another offensive lineman to injury.
Nick Leverett suffered a shoulder injury in the third quarter of Saturday night’s preseason finale against the Indianapolis Colts, and has been ruled out for the rest of the game.
The Bucs have already lost Pro Bowl center Ryan Jensen and guard Aaron Stinnie to knee injuries. Jensen’s replacement, Robert Hainsey, was ruled out of Saturday night’s game after suffering an ankle injury in the first half.
Losing another blocker, especially a versatile one like Leverett who can play all five positions, would be a huge blow for Tampa Bay.
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