Tag: wirfs bucs

Tristan Wirfs sounds up to the challenge of protecting Tom Brady

Buccaneers rookie offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs sounds like he’s ready to protect prized-investment Tom Brady.

NFL rookies selected in round one of the draft already feel the pressure upon entering the league. Franchises can invest millions of dollars and structure their entire organization around a player they deem to be a foundational talent only to watch them struggle to meet expectations.

Perhaps no rookie from the 2020 class will have more pressure on him this season than offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs. While a guy like Joe Burrow will be given time to develop in Cincinnati with a rebuilding Bengals squad, Wirfs will be looked upon to provide immediate protection up front for six-time Super Bowl champ Tom Brady, who will lead a revamped Bucs squad with championship expectations.

The Buccaneers allowed 47 sacks last season on former quarterback Jameis Winston, while Brady was only sacked 27 times in New England with the Patriots. Tampa Bay moved up in round one to get Wirfs, who was the last remaining of the four top tackles.

Wirfs is a monster athlete and a gym rat, both of which will come in handy in the NFL. And, from the sound of it, he’s ready for the challenge of helping protect the future Hall of Fame quarterback.

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Tristan Wirfs hit the field this morning with a few other rookie linemen

Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs hit the field for a morning workout today with a few other rookie linemen.

Buccaneers rookie offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs has a big reason to smile today, after he and the team agreed to terms on a contract. The former Iowa Hawkeye can now set his sights on helping shore up Tampa Bay’s offensive line and keep quarterback Tom Brady upright.

Wirfs has been keeping himself in shape all offseason, from on-the-field workouts to pool jumping, and this morning he was at it again, hitting the field with a few other rookie linemen on the Buccaneers — John Molchon, Nick Leverett and Zach Shackelford.

Take a look at some screenshots from Wirfs’ latest Instagram story.

Suffice it to say, I think only one of these four guys is guaranteed a roster spot. Want to guess which one?

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Mel Kiper had Tristan Wirfs as his second-ranked OT

The Bucs walked away from round one with Iowa OT Tristan Wirfs, a player many draft analysts were high on.

The Bucs snagged Iowa’s Tristan Wirfs with the 13th pick in last night’s NFL draft, trading up one spot to make sure they got one of this year’s top tackles.

Wirfs will fill an immediate need for the Bucs along the line and provide much-needed protection for Tom Brady. It was a surprise that Wirfs fell as far as he did, as many mock drafts had him as a top-10 pick. Even Mel Kiper of ESPN was high on the super athletic Wirfs, which is likely why he named the Bucs as one of his big winners from Day 1 of the draft.

Per Kiper:

“We said all along that the Bucs really needed an offensive tackle in Round 1. It was the biggest hole on an offense that no longer has many. And as Wirfs dropped a bit — I thought he might go to the Giants at No. 4, and he is my second-ranked OT — general manager Jason Licht moved up one spot to get him, throwing in a fourth-round pick to the 49ers to do it. While that’s a high price to move up one spot, Wirfs is worth it. He can step in and start immediately in front of Tom Brady, and he can manhandle defensive linemen in the run game. It’s a great get for a Bucs team that has Super Bowl aspirations.”

The Bucs are all-in on Brady right now and drafting a guy like Wirfs only adds to their hand.

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Draft Wire’s newest mock draft has a prized offensive lineman coming to the Bucs

Find out who Draft Wire thinks will be the top pick by the Buccaneers in April’s NFL draft.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are in a great position heading into the offseason. With cap room to play with, the Bucs will hopefully be able to bring back a few of their prized free agents, while also restocking in the NFL draft in April.

After a 7-9 finish, the Bucs hold the 14th pick in the draft, much lower than last year when they held the fifth pick and used it to take linebacker Devin White. So, who would be a viable option at 14 for Tampa Bay? They’ve held the 14th pick just once before in the draft, and used it to shore up the offensive line.

And, according to Draft Wire’s latest mock draft, the Bucs will look to snag another prized lineman in the 2020 draft in Iowa’s Tristan Wirfs.

Here’s the reasoning:

“This is an ideal scenario for the Bucs, who need to upgrade at least one of their tackle spots this offseason. Regardless of who is playing quarterback in Tampa Bay next season, the protection needs to improve in a big way if that player is going to succeed. Wirfs is ready to start from Day 1, and would be a bargain at this spot.”

The Bucs used last year’s draft to rebuild their defense. It’ll be interesting to see if that trend continues come April.

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