Fresh off their 17-14 preseason win against the Bengals in Cincinnati, there’s reason for optimism with the Bucs’ run game.

Bucs RB Ramon Jefferson – Photo by: USA Today

Head coach Todd Bowles was encouraged by how the team’s running backs did, whether that was Bucky Irving, Sean Tucker, or undrafted rookies D.J. Williams and Ramon Jefferson.

Tampa Bay was successful in picking up 136 rushing yards off 32 carries, but a main factor in that success was the performance of the offensive line creating holes and space for the backs to hit in stride.

While right tackle Luke Haggard and rookie right guard Elijah Klein graded out highly by Pro Football Focus with each playing 64 snaps on Saturday night, rookie first-rounder center Graham Barton stole the show in the 18 snaps he received.

NFL Network’s Brian Baldinger delivered a very complimentary “Baldy’s Breakdowns” on Barton’s solid NFL debut.

But how did the Bucs’ center think he fared? He spoke after the game at his locker about how things went in his first live NFL action.

Graham Barton Is Trying To Be The Bucs’ “Center Of Communication”

Bucs C Graham Barton – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Asked about his initial impressions after seeing the field and making the most of his opportunities, Graham Barton admitted that the feeling of being in an NFL game is unlike any other, and he is looking forward to building on his performance.

“Just surreal being out there,” Barton said. “Surreal putting on a Bucs uniform and getting out there with my teammates. Excited for what the future holds, I think it was a promising first week. Coach [Todd] Bowles said we got a lot to clean up. Everyone, especially me. Just continuing to get better and continue to come out each day and work on what we need to improve on. I think this is a good first step, but I think we got a long way to go.”

Known for his maturity and leadership going back to his days anchoring the Duke offensive line, Barton has been adjusting to the center spot after playing the last three seasons at left tackle for the Blue Devils. It is a testament to his mental fortitude that he has handled the position switch as well as he has, especially now playing at a higher speed against NFL-caliber defensive linemen.

Bucs RB Bucky Irving and C Graham Barton – Photo by: USA Today

The center is responsible for making calls and identifying how the defense is attacking at the line of scrimmage, and Barton is learning how to be the center of communication for the rest of the Bucs’ offense. One of Barton’s biggest attributes is his football I.Q.

“I felt pretty good tonight,” Barton said after Saturday’s game about playing at a higher speed. “Obviously, I only played a couple of drives, but felt good. We didn’t do a ton tonight, but felt good with what we did do and felt good out there with the guys.

“Working on communicating and trying to be that center of communication for our team and for our offensive line. I think I did a good job tonight, I [have] a lot of things, like I said, to continue to improve on. Continue to sharpen up, and just continue to be more consistent and chase that every day.”

Graham Barton Will Only Help Improve Bucs’ Run Game, Like On Saturday

Bucs C Graham Barton, QB Baker Mayfield and C Robert Hainsey – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

With Graham Barton battling the incumbent Robert Hainsey for snaps throughout the offseason and alternating between him in the preseason opener, Todd Bowles spoke on Sunday about how each performed.

“I’m still in the process of looking at that, but I saw some good things … I’ve got to finish looking at the tape – but from a run-game standpoint, I thought they did a decent job of getting up to the second level,” Bowles said.

In particular, Barton displayed his nastiness and getting push at the point of attack. The way he performed exceeded expectations, and if he is as successful on Sundays, it will only make the running game that much better.

Say goodbye to the days of a 32nd-ranked Bucs’ run game.

Offensive coordinator Liam Coen’s scheme already appears to be a noticeable upgrade over last season’s offense – especially in the way it marries the run and pass. Graham Barton will play a critical role in Tampa Bay establishing its offensive identity and taking things to the next level, as evidenced on Saturday night.

“We really take pride in our rushing attack,” Barton added. “We take pride in being more physical than our opponent. That’s got to be the identity of our offensive line, we’ve got to be violent at the point of attack. We’ve got to move people off the ball and be able to set up our passing game. I think we showed glimpses of that tonight that we’re going to be able to do that hopefully. That’s going to be something we’re going to continue to build on and we’re going to continue to make a point of emphasis.”