Is there trouble brewing in Tampa Bay? The Buccaneers are rolling into Week 1 with surprisingly thin offensive line depth. With key players recovering and limited backups, are the Bucs truly ready for the rigors of an NFL season? It might be a bumpy start!

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are heading into the crucial Week 1 of the NFL season with significant concerns swirling around the depth and resilience of their offensive line. Despite finalizing their 53-man roster and practice squad, a critical vulnerability exists in a position group vital for protecting the quarterback and establishing the run game, which could severely impact their performance.

Currently, the Buccaneers possess only seven healthy offensive linemen on their active roster, a number many observers find alarmingly low for the physical demands of professional football. This limited availability is partly due to the ongoing recovery of star tackle Tristan Wirfs, who underwent offseason knee surgery and is not yet at full strength, casting a shadow over the unit’s immediate future.

Beyond the starting five, the depth chart reveals a precarious situation. The primary backups include Elijah Klein, a sixth-round pick from last year, and undrafted rookie Ben Chukwuma. While Klein has demonstrated versatility by cross-training at center, guard, and even briefly at right tackle during camp and preseason, his lack of actual NFL regular-season snaps presents a considerable risk.

Relying heavily on players with zero professional game experience to step into crucial roles, especially at tackle where football injuries are common and impact is immediate, is a gamble. The team’s decision to trust Klein to potentially fill a void if a starter goes down early in the NFL season highlights the perceived lack of ready-to-play options within the existing Buccaneers roster.

To mitigate this player depth issue, the Buccaneers signed four offensive linemen to their practice squad. However, only Michael Jordan, a guard, brings actual NFL experience to the group. The challenge arises as Jordan, despite his experience, has never played a down at tackle in the league, forcing the team to attempt cross-training him at a position he is unfamiliar with under game-day pressure.

This reliance on converting players to unfamiliar roles underscores the systemic Offensive Line depth problem. While head coach Todd Bowles has publicly downplayed these concerns, the potential ramifications for the team’s season-long aspirations, particularly if multiple football injuries occur, are significant and warrant closer scrutiny from analysts and fans alike.

Expectations are that Michael Jordan will likely be elevated from the practice squad for Week 1 to provide an immediate boost to the Offensive Line. However, should the Buccaneers face any substantial injury setbacks, especially at the crucial tackle position before Tristan Wirfs fully returns, there appears to be no robust, ready-made plan in place to maintain adequate protection for the offense.

The team is optimistically hoping for Tristan Wirfs to make a full return as early as Week 3, but the initial weeks of the NFL Season will test the resilience of this thin Offensive Line. The lack of proven player depth leaves the Buccaneers vulnerable to any unforeseen circumstances, making their opening games a critical period to monitor the true strength of their front five.