The Buccaneers’ offensive line has become one of the safest bets on the roster, and one of the best bargains in the league.
That starts with Tristan Wirfs, the anchor on the left side and possibly the NFL’s best left tackle. With Wirfs setting the tone, Tampa Bay’s front should be among the top line units in football again, assuming it can keep its key pieces on the field.
The group showed exactly how dangerous it can be in 2024. Tampa Bay finished with the fourth-most rushing yards per game at 149.2, and rookie running back Bucky Irving looked every bit like a breakout star. He piled up 1,122 yards and eight rushing touchdowns while averaging 5.4 yards per carry.
Baker Mayfield’s best season came behind that line, too. He threw for a career-high 4,500 yards and 41 touchdowns, and he would be the first to point to the men in front of him as a major reason that year took off.
But the year before told a very different story. Four of the five starters up front, Wirfs included, missed at least five games.
Cody Mauch’s season was wiped out after a knee injury in Week 2. The result was predictable: the offense lost its rhythm, Mayfield’s production dipped, and Irving dealt with injuries of his own while averaging just 3.4 yards per carry when he was available.
That’s why Steven Ruiz of Fox Sports pushed Tampa Bay’s line beyond the usual “good unit” label. In his team-building rankings, he placed it among the best positional groups in the NFL, not just the best offensive lines.
His reasoning wasn’t only about talent. It was also about cost.
The Buccaneers’ projected starters are Tristan Wirfs, Luke Goedeke, Graham Barton, Cody Mauch and Ben Bredeson, and the total price tag for that group is $66.4 million. Ruiz also noted that eight offensive linemen played at least 250 snaps in 2025, per FTN’s Football Almanac 2026, and that Barton was the only starter to play the full slate.
With the unit battered and incomplete, the offense collapsed. With everyone back and healthy for 2026, Ruiz believes the group can show why it belongs near the top of the league.
The appeal here is simple: there are no obvious weak links. Wirfs is a premium player, and the other four starters all do their part. That kind of balance is what makes the line so difficult to beat, and so valuable.
If Tampa Bay can keep this group intact, it should be dominant again. The only catch is that the bargain may not last much longer. Mauch is entering the final year of his rookie deal and is set up for a major payday.
In Other News...
Buccaneers May Already Regret Letting Jack Pyburn Get Away
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For a team always hunting for young pass-rush help, that kind of departure can linger. Todd Bowles had already singled out Pyburns work ethic and production, which only sharpens the question of whether Tampa Bay gave up on him a little too early, or whether the Chiefs simply got there first and saw enough to make the gamble worthwhile. [Read more 🡒]
Buccaneers Suddenly Have A Real Path Back To The Top
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Baker Mayfields motivation in a contract year sits at the center of that optimism, but it is not the only reason Tampa Bay is drawing notice. The Buccaneers have added talent on offense and defense, and if the health picture improves, they should have a real chance to separate themselves from what is expected to be a weak division. The bigger question is whether all of those pieces come together quickly enough to make the path back to the top look as clear as it does on paper. [Read more 🡒]
Falcons Quarterback Battle Just Put New Pressure On Atlanta's Roster
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Across the division, the Falcons are juggling a different kind of quarterback conversation, with general manager Ian Cunningham talking through the teams current situation and the roster moves that have come with it. The broader NFC South picture also includes Carolina, where Dan Morgan has been addressing roster commitments, injuries and practice squad decisions, a reminder that every team in the division is still sorting out the same basic question: who is ready now, and who still has more to prove before the picture settles? [Read more 🡒]