Buccaneers Veteran Gives Major Praise to Rookie Center After First NFL Game

Tampa Bay Buccaneers backup lineman likes what he is seeing from his successor.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving (7) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers center Graham Barton (62) react after he scored a touchdown in the second quarter of the NFL preseason game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati on Saturday, August 10, 2024. / Albert Cesare/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK

Third-year offensive lineman Robert Hainsey has spent the last couple of seasons as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers starting center after being thrust into the role after the team was struggling to find bodies to place along the offensive trenches.

Hainsey, the Bucs third-round pick of the 2021 NFL draft out of Notre Dame, began his career playing limited snaps at the tackle position, but since his rookie year, he has seen over 95% of the snaps taken at the center position.

The Buccaneers made it a potent point to address some of their concerns along the offensive line this offseason by bringing in competition to compete for the LG spot in free agency and drafting versatile OL out of Duke, Graham Barton, with their first-round draft pick in 2024.

The thought process from what we have seen at training camp is that Barton will eventually become the team's starting center over Hainsey who will now slot into a backup role after Ben Bredeson was able to secure the LG spot after Sua Opeta went down with a season-ending injury in camp.

When speaking to the media following the Bucs' preseason win over the Bengals, Hainsey commented on how he thought his successor performed in his first NFL action.

"I thought Graham played really well. Graham is a great player, a good dude. We have a good relationship. Seeing any young guy grow, no matter what the situation, that's what it's about – these relationships we have with each other. It's important. Everyone remembers what it's like when they came in as a rookie. You've got a lot to figure out and you've got a lot to learn, a long way to go. I was really happy for him and the way he played and the way he jelled with the group, too."

After watching with our own eyes it is easy to agree with Hainsey's comments on Barton's first NFL action. Learning the center position is one of the more difficult positions to learn at this level, but Barton has shown that he has picked things up quickly and is trending in the right direction to be ready for week one against the Commanders.

Barton didn't play a ton this past weekend, but he looked to fit in nicely with the OL unit and created space in the running game - including a play where he blocked for fellow rookie RB Bucky Irving paving a way into the endzone. If Barton can continue to develop at the pace we are seeing there is no doubt the Bucs' OL should be ready to improve off their 2023 season.

Absolutely nobody asking for these, BUT

Bucs rookie C Graham Barton highlights pic.twitter.com/gb1Nu4YarW

— Hayden Winks (@HaydenWinks) August 11, 2024

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