The Bucs’ offensive line has been a hot topic of conversation all year, but especially this week.

Much has been made about Tom Brady laying into his linemen on the sideline during Sunday’s loss to Pittsburgh.

There’s also been a lot of talk about the struggles of rookie left guard Luke Goedeke, though it looks like no changes will be made at the position right now.

And there’s even been some chatter about the Bucs hoping to get an earlier-than-anticipated return from injured Pro Bowl center Ryan Jensen.

So, yeah, there’s a lot going on regarding the Bucs’ offensive line entering the team’s Week 7 matchup against the Panthers in Carolina.

Bucs Get A Boost To Their Offensive Line Depth

Bucs OT Josh Wells – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

At the very least, Tampa Bay is close to getting one of its depth offensive linemen back. The team announced Wednesday morning that it has designated backup tackle Josh Wells to return from injured reserve.

Wells was injured during the Bucs’ Week 2 win over the Saints, suffering a calf injury while playing in place of Donovan Smith at left tackle. That led to third-stringer Brandon Walton’s first NFL action, and then his first NFL start the next week against Green Bay. Smith ultimately returned to the lineup in Week 4 and has been playing his normal stalwart role ever since.

With Wells back and eligible to begin practicing with the team again starting Wednesday, he will presumably step back into his backup tackle role. Whether that means anything for Walton, who can also play guard and center, remains to be seen.