Bucs Gameday

BREAKING: Buccaneers Pro-Bowl Center, Ryan Jensen, Expected to Return to Lineup

It looks like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are about to get a massive upgrade at a position, and point of the season, where they desperately need it.

Collin Haalboom

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There’s no denying that the injury status of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Pro-Bowl center, Ryan Jensen, has been mysterious. After suffering a serious knee injury early in training camp, no specific details ever really emerged regarding the specifics of the injury.

There’s also no denying the fact that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have dearly missed his presence in the lineup.

Combined with Ali Marpet’s sudden retirement, the Jensen injury has forced the Bucs to thrust two unproven interior offensive linemen into the starting lineup. Second-year player, Robert Hainsey, and rookie, Luke Goedeke, are the two players who have been tasked with the challenge. No small feat, considering neither player had ever started an NFL game at the positions they are currently occupying for the Bucs.

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Of the two, Hainsey — who is filling in for Jensen at center — has been the more reliable option, which isn't meant to paint Goedeke in a negative light, it's just the reality of the situation. 

The report was first published by Jason Cole. 

And if it's true, and Jensen does in fact have the potential to return to the lineup as early as November, then the entire Tampa Bay Buccaneers offense is about to get a serious upgrade, in an area, they desperately need it — the interior offensive line. 

When Jensen is ready to go, there's no question that he will immediately resume his position as Tom Brady's center. Which begs the question, what will happen at left guard?

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My first instinct is that Todd Bowles, offensive line coach, Joe Gilbert, and the rest of Tampa Bay's coaching staff would need to seriously consider sliding Hainsey over to left guard — allowing Goedeke to shift from the starting lineup to the sidelines — for now. Goedeke would then inevitably become an asset on the depth chart, providing valuable insurance at the offensive guard position. 

But Hainsey, being the versatile lineman that he is, has already had to learn an entirely new position once. Not to mention, he was an offensive tackle at Notre Dame. This proposed change would require him to learn another new position... in the middle of the season.

Although that's not the perfect scenario for Hainsey, he's put the work in, and proven to be adaptable enough to adjust on the fly. More importantly, it would immediately bolster the overall quality of the Bucs' offensive line. An area that has undoubtedly been a weak spot for this team. 

There's no denying that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers need a jolt of energy at this point. I can't think of anyone better to provide it than one of the best centers in the league, and one of Brady's most trusted, reliable teammates, Ryan Jensen.

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Collin Haalboom
COLLIN HAALBOOM

Prior to joining BucsGameday and Sports Illustrated, Collin's written content was provided through Bucs Banter, and NFL Draft Lounge. He is also the creator and host of the Bucs Banter Podcast. He is a graduate of the Communication Studies program at McMaster University, where he was also a varsity basketball player, and later an advanced scout. He lives with his wife and two children in Hamilton, ON. You can follow Collin on YouTube and Twitter.