Friday, 4 a.m.
You remember things about a champion.
You remember the quarterback, the best there ever was. You remember the running back and the cool nickname. You remember the relentless pass rush.
And, perhaps, you remember a solid but effective offensive line.
The Tampa Bay Bucs took a step toward rebuilding that Thursday night when they drafted Graham Barton of
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Duke, who they immediately proclaimed as a center. It was a well-received pick, an accomplished player in an area of need.
"He's a very athletic guy,'' Bucs' general manager Jason Licht said. "He plays with great base. He plays with a nasty temperament. It's all the ingredients we look for in our offensive line."
In recent years, the Bucs’ line has been patched together. Think of the starting offensive line from the Super Bowl — center Ryan Jensen, guards Ali Marpet and Alex Kappa and tackles Donovan Smith and Tristan Wirfs.
But Marpet retired.
And Jensen got hurt.
And Kappa left as a free agent.
And Smith didn’t live up to his contract.
And Wirfs moved from right to left tackle.
Rebuilding that line hasn’t happened overnight. But if Barton can handle the middle, the team has a chance at its best line since that Super Bowl.
"I think part of this whole process has been m positional flexibility," Barton said. "I think center (or) guard is what works best for me."
Yeah, the Bucs need a better pass rush still. They could use another receiver, another corner, another tight end. But Barton seems like a safe spot to start.
The second round of the draft begins at 7 p.m. tonight.