Buccaneers Make ‘Emergency’ Position Switch for First Round Pick

One of the reasons the Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected Graham Barton in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft was his versatility. Barton started all over the offensive line at Duke, where he was a Freshman All-American at center and 2-time All-ACC pick and All-American at left offensive tackle.

That versatility might need to come into play in his second season after Barton started 16 games at center as a rookie in 2024 and has taken reps at left offensive tackle the last few days with NFL All-Pro Tristan Wirfs out for an indefinite period of time after arthroscopic knee surgery at the beginning of July.

Tampa Bay head coach Todd Bowles called the move an “exercise in emergency,” to have Barton at center and guard Ben Bredeson at center.

The emergency, in this case, would be Wirfs missing games.

“I don’t think you want to lose Graham Barton at center,” Tampa Bay Times reporter Rick Stroud said on the “Sports Day Tampa Bay” podcast on August 3. “I think that communication and trust and how he’s evolved and what he has learned from year one to year two is amazing. I think he’s going to be an All-Pro center, I really do. However, the goal of any football team I’ve ever been around … is what? When we have injuries, when we have to make some changes, we’re going to find the right combination … we’re going to find a way to put our best five offensive linemen on the field.”

In this case, that might mean Barton at left offensive tackle for an extended period of time. Wirfs is currently on the active/PUP list but if he’s but on the reserve/PUP list at any point before the season he will miss at least their first 4 games.

Wirfs Missed Career High 4 Games in 2022

Wirfs also missed a career high 4 games in 2022 but still earned Pro Bowl and NFL All-Pro honors.

The 6-foot-5, 320-pound superstar has only missed 5 games, total, through his first 5 NFL seasons, where he’s been a 3-time NFL All-Pro, 4-time Pro Bowler and Super Bowl champion. Wirfs is also the only player in NFL history to earn NFL All-Pro honors at both right offensive tackle and left offensive tackle, his current position.

The Buccaneers showed Wirfs exactly what they thought of him when they made him the highest paid offensive lineman in NFL history when they signed him to a 5-year, $140.6 million contract extension in August 2024.

Wirfs’ extension included almost $90 million in guaranteed money.

“It’s a big blow for the Bucs,” Stroud wrote on his official X account on July 9. “Wirfs protects the blind side of quarterback Baker Mayfield, one of his closest friends on the team.”

Heck Seemed Like Possible Wirfs Replacement

Journeyman Charlie Heck is currently listed on Tampa Bay’s depth chart as Wirfs’ backup.

Heck was a fourth round pick (No. 126 overall) by the Houston Texans out of North Carolina in the 2020 NFL draft and spent his first 4 seasons there, but is now on his fourth team in 3 years after stints with the Arizona Cardinals and San Francisco 49ers.

In 5 seasons, Heck has 23 career starts, including a career high 13 starts with the Texans in 2021.