Obviously, player injuries are never good. But injuries to key players on a team at the start of training camp? That’s a real ouch. This happened to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday, when center Ryan Jensen went down with a knee injury during practice. All indications point so a severe injury, sadly, which leaved the Bucs in a real jam as they prepare for the 2022 season. Backup Robert Hainsey took over for Jensen to get through practice, and perhaps Hainsey — a 2021 third-round pick from Notre Dame — can step in for the long term, however long that term may be.
However, Hainsey was a right tackle for the fighting Irish, so he’s relatively new to the position. That might be suboptimal when you’re dealing with the best defensive disruptors in the world, and your quarterback (that Tom Brady guy) has always struggled against pressure right up the middle. Keep in mind that after Ali Marpet’s retirement and the Bengals stealing Alex Cappa in free agency, the Bucs will be breaking in two new guards. Tampa Bay traded for Shaquille Mason, Brady’s former Patriots teammate, and that’s a great deal for Brady and the Bucs. We ranked Mason as the NFL’s sixth-best offensive guard this year, so right guard should be sewn up. Left guard seems to be a battle between former reserve Aaron Stinnie and rookie Luke Goedeke.
Still, replacing Jensen will be tough. Not only has Jensen been the ideal power center for the Bucs’ run game, he’s also pressure-proof. Last season, Jensen allowed just four sacks, five quarterback hits, and 18 quarterback hurries on 886 pass-blocking reps. To earn Brady’s trust as a shot-caller with protections at such a high snap volume is no mean feat.
Still, this is where the Buccaneers are right now. Here are the most obvious possible replacements for Jensen should the news be at its most unfortunate.
J.C. Tretter
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https://touchdownwire.usatoday.com/gallery/buccaneers-ryan-jensen-injury/
Matt Paradis
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