Buccaneers Impose Strict Restrictions on Media as Baker Mayfield & Todd Bowles Pivot Offensive Plans

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers‘ communications department routinely publishes a ‘Game Release’ to help the media in its coverage of the upcoming game. The release, which contains the week’s depth chart, among other documents, allows the media to report on any possible changes in the lineup, be it in terms of the pecking order or starting positions. However, a recent request from the Todd Bowles-coached team to media outlets has caused a stir. 

Fox Sports’ Greg Auman took to X to share the update. He wrote, “Bucs are asking media to follow protocols in place and not report which OLs are working where at practice today, which is why we aren’t.”

The depth chart for Week 4, however, was made public on Tuesday.

Charlie Heck and Elijah Klein were listed at right tackle and right guard, respectively—positions they played in for the Buccaneers for the first time in the win over the New York Jets in Week 3. Meanwhile, Tristan Wirfs, who is still recovering from the knee surgery he had in July, was listed as left tackle, indicating that he could return in Week 4 and line up at his usual spot.

That’s less surprising than it sounds, considering Todd Bowles didn’t rule out the possibility. “They started practicing last week,” he said on Monday, referring to both Wirfs and wide receiver Chris Godwin Jr.. Godwin Jr. suffered an ankle dislocation in Week 7 of last season and hasn’t played since. “We’ve got to see the progression of how they handle everything, and then we’ll make that decision at the end of the week.”

What was interesting, however, was a rather cryptic but telling tweet that Auman followed up the initial update with. “Not confirming or denying, but if you had one of the very best in the NFL at his position, would you move him to a lesser position under any circumstance?” he wrote, possibly referring to Wirfs.

Either way, it’s safe to assume that the strict media protocol is a strategic move. By withholding information about who is practicing where and how the line is being configured, the Buccaneers can maintain an element of surprise for their Week 4 opponent, the Philadelphia Eagles. And that’s not surprising considering how the sheer number of injuries has forced them to adapt continuously. 

Todd Bowles sheds light on the upcoming offensive plans for the team 

“When you lose your entire offensive line pretty much, you’re playing with new guys each week at different spots, so that’s going to take some work to get everybody on the same page, so we’ve just got to be sharper there,” Bowles said on Monday. While neither Wirfs nor Godwin has played this season, the Buccaneers have also lost Mike Evans for the next few games because of the hamstring injury he sustained in Week 3.

Credit to the Buccaneers for getting off to a 3-0 start despite the grocery list of absentees and the constant changes. And while Bowles confirmed that his conversation with QB Baker Mayfield has been “100% positive,” challenges remain, and the Buccaneers cannot be blamed for keeping their cards close to their chest.

“It’s going to affect play-calling wise because they all do different things,” Bowles said. “So we’ve got to make sure we’re on top of it offensively, making sure our guys can do what they made the team to do, as opposed to doing, you’re not going to get guys that can do things that Tristan can do, or do what Luke [Goedeke] can do, or even do what Cody [Mauch] can do, so we’ve got to make sure the run and the pass plays marry up with what the guys do well.”

Both Goedeke and Mauch have been placed on IR, with the Buccaneers signing offensive lineman Dan Feeney off the Buffalo Bills’ practice squad and offensive lineman Luke Haggard off their own. Sua Opeta has also joined their practice squad. They’ll sure have their work cut out for them against the likes of Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis, and Za’Darius Smith.