ALL TWENTY-TUESDAY: BUCS OFFENSIVE LINE

Last week we looked at J.R. Sweezy’s tape from a few years ago to recall the kind of player the Buccaneers are hoping they get back in 2017. 

In the days of Marshawn Lynch when Sweezy was present, the Seahawks were very much a power running team. Knowing that the style of guards usually tell what kind of scheme an offensive line is going to take on, let’s observe some of the better Bucs run plays from this season and identify what scheme and run plays they were best at, and whether or not Sweezy should be a good fit upon his return.

Tampa Bay is known as a power blocking team, which is true, but even in Week 1 versus Atlanta you saw them get versatile. In the play above, Martin was paired with a Zone Blocking Scheme. Each of the offensive linemen’s first step was in the same direction, and they picked out their assignments, either by immediacy or, if none were there when they shifted, immediately went to the second level. This allowed Martin to be just as much of a thinker as he was a runner – remember, in a ZBS, there isn’t a designed hole, just a point of attack, that’s where some quick thinking is needed.

But, a few plays later, the Bucs got back to their roots with a Power run play from a Gap Scheme. The way we knew it’s a Gap Scheme and not a Man Scheme is because each of the offensive linemen were moving to the shade side of where the ball was going, except for the pulling guard Ali Marpet, who was swinging to the play side.

The final play I’m using from that Atlanta game completes the three tress of blocking, not only one game, but one quarter. Here, the Bucs had all of their offensive linemen step forward with a drive step and had the tight end as a lead blocker up the middle on an Iso play. 

So, that meant we saw all three schools of blocking pretty quick right off the bat for Tampa Bay. On the previous page I mentioned that being versatile is okay, but playing an even number of blocking schemes rather than mastering one or two can sometimes be self-harming when it comes to the progress of a run game. Let’s look at few games later in the season to see if we can find an identity the team should lean towards.

When Martin was heathy, his most effective runs seemed to come from ZBS, which was contrary to what most would think is ideal for Tampa. 

In the play above, the two guards, Ali Marpet and Kevin Pamphile, did a good job of getting themselves on the correct shoulders of their assignments to really push them one way and open up a hole somewhere along the line. Martin had the patience to wait for it and the vision to get through it.

But, here’s the flip side to that, and the reason many don’t think Tampa has what it takes to be a main ZBS team – they don’t have all the *right* pieces.

In the play above, Donovan Smith and Kevin Pamphile just were not able to get to their spots in time or with enough balance and power to seal off their defender. Both are big body players, but it doesn’t mean anything in a Zone Blocking Scheme if they can’t get that strength while shifting.

Here again we saw Smith struggle in the ZBS. Think back to the first page. When explaining the Zone Blocking Scheme, the whole execution comes down to where the defensive assignments are lined up. If there isn’t an assignment that is otherwise being occupied to the direction you’re shifting, you have to get to the second level, and fast.

In the play above, Smith moves to his left, but there was clearly a tight end taking on that defensive end. So, Smith shouldn’t have side stepped horizontally, he should’ve lead stepped at a 45 degree angle to both chip the defensive end and make it out to the linebacker so he couldn’t get around the line. I’m not sure Smith has the agility to be reliable as a tackle in a ZBS because of situations like the one above. It’s just not the type of offensive lineman he is (or has shown to be).

Pamphile, on the other hand, though he struggled in the first clip against the 49ers, has shown that he *can* be effective in a ZBS, as long as he’s not asked to be the guard that has to travel the furthest.

In the first play I showed from the 49ers game, Pamphile was the back side guard pulling all the way over to the play side. On this play, he was the play side guard who showed that he could burst in short areas and get into two assignments. Marpet was the main mover on the play, and those two getting to their spots and blocking well is what sprung the touchdown.

Now that we’ve referenced it a few times, let’s get into the real centerpiece of Tampa Bay’s offensive line: Marpet.

If you’ll recall from the first page, running the Counter Trey play from the Gap Scheme is probably the toughest blocking concept to pull off because of the moving parts it takes. In the play above, it was blocked to perfection with Marpet as the pulling guard and one of two tight ends as the second lead blocker behind him.

This was also good evidence when people talk about the Buccaneers wanting to take a tight end who is both athletic and can block. Ideally, Tampa would love to be able to send two tight ends on the field where either a passing play, or play like the one above where they can act as a lead blocker, can be called interchangeably and without notice from a defense. With Marpet, all of that is possible.

Here’s another look at Marpet pulling on a Gap Scheme. All of the other offensive linemen are trying to pinch and double-team one way while Marpet moved behind the line and into the designed gap. Because the play was too cluttered, it didn’t end up with positive yards, but you can see the tendencies of what the team was trying to do.

Quickly, let’s talk Sweezy. Marpet has only played right guard in Tampa Bay. Right guard is the same position Sweezy plays. The question then is what you do with both of them? You could move Marpet to the other side, assuring you have two athletic guards who can really move their feet and get from point-A to point-B, but perhaps there’s a better starting five.

The play above is an example of something the Buccaneers could run a lot more – and more comfortably – if Marpet were to be moved to center. This play is a Counter play from a Man Blocking Scheme with a tweak of Hawley as the pulling lineman instead of the guard. If we remember that Pamphile had success in both Zone and Gap Schemes as long as he wasn’t asked to pull too far, the question then becomes if his value on the field is worth more than Hawley’s relative to where Marpet would be *best* used, knowing he can play every interior spot, if needed?

My final point will help bring us around into where the Buccaneers may be in terms of running identity.

When Martin was hurt, the team called a considerably higher percent of Power plays with Jacquizz Rodgers. The thought behind it was simple: you block him, you block him, etc. etc., and Rodgers, you run forward. It involved a lot less thinking with the ball in his hand.

He was quite effective with these runs, but the switch in tendencies from giving Martin patience and not putting Rodgers in that same spot makes me wonder what kind of back they prefer. With Rodgers on the roster, and knowing he can hold his own on power runs, do they go with similarity, or would they rather add a different kind of back, one more with Martin’s type of patience? After all, the team called less ZBS with Rodgers as the primary back and he ended up with the most total yards and yards-per-carry. Does that hint at the ideal blocking scheme for this team?

To recap all of this, there’s a difference between being a versatile offensive line and being an offensive line without and identity, and unfortunately I think Tampa Bay is teetering that line now with the running back situation they have.

Big runs are often created by perfect movement along the offensive line. The more moving pieces you can have that perform their duties well, the better chance you have at really catching a defense on their heels and confused. Tampa Bay has those players to run both Zone and Gap Scheme at the guard positions with Marpet, Sweezy and even Pamphile. However, they don’t have those players at their offensive tackle positions. Demar Dotson is 6-foot-9 and is over 30 years old, so it’s understandable that quick movements aren’t his thing. But they aren’t Smith’s either. Both of the offensive tackles are not only built for power and Man Blocking Scheme, but are almost limited to them. Thankfully, the guards are man-movers for that type of base scheme as well.

Bucs RB Jacquizz Rodgers – Photo by: Mark Lomoglio/PR

They also seem to have clashing styles with their running backs. Martin is clearly more effective when he can be a thinker and a runner. Rodgers seems to be the opposite, just wanting to get the ball, go and run through contact. Peyton Barber had his best plays from ZBS, and Sims’ shifty play style favors that, too, if he could develop the patience. So the Buccaneers seem to have three running backs on the roster who prefer zone blocking, and one back (the most effective one last season) who thrives from more of a power scheme. 

The team is going to take a big step in one direction or the other with their offensive line come draft time depending on who they select, if in fact they selected one of the top three running backs in round one.

Next week we’ll breakdown each of the three top backs – and perhaps a few others – and identify which blocking scheme they would be moving the Bucs toward, if selected.