The Buccaneers got one of their biggest pieces back on the field this week, and it showed during joint practices with the Jaguars. Tristan Wirfs, who had mostly been working off to the side during camp, took part in 11-on-11 work and actually went head-to-head with Jacksonville edge rushers, even if it was only for a few snaps at a time.
That matters because Wirfs isn’t just another body easing back into action. He’s the final piece of Tampa Bay’s offensive line getting back to full strength, and he sounded like a player who knows exactly what that means for the unit’s ceiling.
“Yeah, that’s definitely the goal - to be one of the top units in the NFL,” Wirfs said. “We want teams to turn on the tape and say, ‘Those are a bunch of badass guys that finish plays.’
It’s nice to have us all back out there. I know we went through a big reshuffle throughout the whole season last year.
At the same time, guys stepped up and came in and did their best and gave us everything they had.
“I think that’s just a credit to our room. Guys that come in and there’s a standard that we all want to uphold, and we all want to play for each other. It’s nice to have the whole gang back.”
The Bucs have had Ben Bredeson, Graham Barton, Cody Mauch, and Luke Goedeke working together throughout training camp, and Wirfs’ return gives the group the look of a unit that’s finally coming together the way it was supposed to. Tampa Bay is hoping that translates into a line that can control the line of scrimmage and keep Baker Mayfield upright.
“I know we want to move the line of scrimmage, and I know we want to keep ‘6’ safe,” Wirfs said. “If we do that, I think we’re going to win some ballgames.
Let him go be the dawg that he is and let our running back room eat. We’re just trying to be great.”
For Wirfs, the return hasn’t been simple. He has spent much of camp watching from the outside after a hamstring injury popped up when the team reported back, and that followed a stretch in recent seasons where he also missed time. He said seeing camp from that perspective was not something he enjoyed, but it did give him a different view of the team.
“I think we’re a very tight-knit team [on] both sides of the ball,” Wirfs said. “I mean, I got to see that last year.
I missed training camp, that sucked. But to see it through that lens like just on the outside, it was weird.
I mean, I wasn’t a fan of it, I didn’t like that point of view. To see guys step up and to see guys take on that leadership role has been really cool to see.
“Just the guys, you know, going out there everyday grinding, you know, not complaining no matter what the weather is, how hot it is whatever, not making excuses just going out and doing their job.”
The Bucs have handled his ramp-up carefully, and with Todd Bowles set to sit the starters in the final preseason game, practice is where Wirfs can keep stacking reps before Week 1. He said the next two weeks are especially important as he gets back into a full rhythm.
“I think we’re trying to be smart,” Wirfs said. “A little bit early on in camp I was [thinking] I’ve never really [hurt] a hamstring before.
I was like, ‘What is this?’ I [had] a couple of plays [on Tuesday], and then kind of just keep doing that moving forward.
I think these next two weeks will be big just to get as many reps as I can. But, yeah, really, really happy to be back out there with the boys, just grinding with them.
We got blessed early in camp with the weather, so I didn’t feel too bad. But no, I’m really happy to be back with them.”
Wirfs also said he has added muscle and now checks in at 345 pounds. He explained the work that went into getting there, and it was plenty.
“I was like, ‘Guys, I want to come back and be in shape,'” Wirfs said. “The bike, the versa climber, I was in the pool.
A lot of cardio, the ski erg. It sucked, the prowler [pushes]… I feel like I’m in damn good shape from what they were putting me through but that was the plan.
Let’s do everything I can to come back and just start rolling.”
In Other News...
Buccaneers Have One Last Roster Battle Fans Need To Watch
The Buccaneers head into their final preseason game against the Jaguars with the roster picture still carrying a few loose ends, and those fringe battles are often where the most attention is earned in late August. For Tampa Bay, the game is less about the scoreboard and more about which players can turn a strong summer into a legitimate case for one of the last spots before cutdown day.
Jalon Daniels is among the names worth tracking as he tries to make a push for the backup quarterback job, while Ayden Garnes has helped himself with his play on defense throughout the preseason. Kam Johnson also remains in the mix by doing the kind of special teams work that can tip the scales for players who need to stand out in more than one phase, which is exactly the sort of detail that can decide these final roster calls. [Read more 🡒]
Jaguars Take Control As Buccaneers Backup Battle Gets Messy
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The more uneasy part of the evaluation came elsewhere, where running back Tucker had only limited success after an early run and quarterback Jalon Daniels never really settled in. Daniels finished 7 of 14 for 54 yards and added a turnover, leaving Tampa Bay with more questions than answers as the backup competition plays out. For a team trying to sort through the edges of the roster, these are the kinds of snaps that tend to matter most. [Read more 🡒]
Buccaneers Backup QB Battle Just Put One Roster Spot In Focus
The Buccaneers quarterback room has become one of the more interesting parts of their preseason, with Jalon Daniels and Jake Browning competing for the backup job behind Baker Mayfield. Todd Bowles has kept the final-game plan close to the vest, leaving open the possibility that both quarterbacks will get work against the Jacksonville Jaguars as Tampa Bay continues sorting out its depth chart.
What makes the situation notable is that this may not be a simple winner-take-all battle. Tampa Bay could keep three quarterbacks on the active roster after final cuts, which would allow the team to hold onto both Daniels and Browning if it decides the room is too valuable to trim. The preseason finale should help clarify the pecking order, but the bigger roster question may linger a little longer. [Read more 🡒]