Cohesion Is Key for Buccaneers O-Line After Major Changes in 2014

Any success the Tampa Bay Buccaneers experience during the upcoming season will rely heavily on the performance of their offensive line. The play of the team's guards is particularly vital. 

When the Buccaneers take the field Sunday against the Carolina Panthers, four offensive linemen not on the roster at the beginning of last season will be counted among the starters. The projected starters at guard weren't even the team's appointed starters at the beginning of training camp. 

The Buccaneers overhauled the trenches and decided they needed all the help they could get at guard. 

Most NFL teams keep eight offensive linemen on the 53-man active roster. Tampa Bay general manager Jason Licht and head coach Lovie Smith decided to keep 10 with six guards on the roster. 

Position	2013	2014
Left tackle	Donald Penn	Anthony Collins
Left guard	Gabe Carimi	Logan Mankins
Center	Jeremy Zuttah	Evan Dietrich-Smith
Right guard	Davin Joseph	Patrick Omameh
Right Tackle	Demar Dotson	Demar Dotson

The organization was clearly rattled after Oniel Cousins and Jamon Meredith couldn't block anyone during the first preseason contest against the Jacksonville Jaguars. 

Patrick Omameh was inserted into the starting lineup at right guard a week later. The second-year offensive lineman played well when given the opportunity. Omameh was far more physical and committed fewer mental mistakes than Meredith. Meredith was released two weeks later.

Smith refrained from naming Omameh a starter as the season approaches, but it's pretty clear the right guard spot is his. 

Meanwhile, left guard was addressed, via trade. The Buccaneers acquired five-time All-Pro guard Logan Mankins on Aug. 26. The team sent tight end Tim Wright and a fourth-round pick to the Patriots in return. 

Mankins, 32, is on the wrong side of his career. He graded negatively as a pass-blocker in 2013 by Pro Football Focus (subscription required) for the first time in five years. And Mankins' vaunted run-blocking skills weren't as dominate as they were earlier in his career. Mankins may not be the same player today as he was earlier in his career, but he's the right fit for the Buccaneers at this particular time. 

All questions about the left guard spot are now moot. Mankins is a proven commodity, and the Buccaneers' coaching staff knows exactly what to expect of him each day. 

Mankins' professionalism instantly made an impression on his teammates. 

Quarterback Josh McCown told Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com, "We inserted him on the first day and he was on top of everything with minimal study time or preparation time relative to the rest of us. He’s been awesome."

Buccaneers running back Doug Martin said, "Logan came in and he's picking up the offense pretty quickly. He asks questions. He doesn't act like a vet, he acts like he's a rookie trying to learn the offense and he's picked up on it very well. I can't wait to see what he's capable of."

The Buccaneers drastically improved at guard within a three-week period. The organization made it perfectly clear it wasn't done at the position, though. 

The team also completed an Aug. 21 trade which sent safety Kelcie McCray to the Kansas City Chiefs in exchange for offensive lineman Rishaw Johnson. Johnson is 25 years old and played in three games during his first two seasons. He also has some experience snapping the football to provide depth at center too. If Omameh stumbles in the starting role, Johnson will quickly assume the position. 

Garrett Gilkey was claimed off of waivers on Aug. 31. Gilkey, a seventh-round pick by the Cleveland Browns in the 2013 NFL draft, played under Buccaneers offensive line coach George Warhop last season. Warhop apparently liked what he saw in the brutish 6'6", 315-pound interior blocker. Gilkey opened training game as the Browns' first-team right guard, while veteran John Greco was injured. But the Browns decided to move in a different direction due to the revamped offense under new offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan.

Gilkey primarily played guard for the Browns, but he's currently listed as the Buccaneers' backup center. 

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Despite these acquisitions, the Buccaneers decided to retain Cousins and rookie Kadeem Edwards—a fifth-round pick in May's NFL draft. Cousins can play either tackle spot or guard if needed, while Edwards improved during each preseason game. 

Gilkey, Johnson and Edwards add flexibility to the Buccaneers roster. Each maintains practice squad eligibility. Thus, it's highly unlikely all six guards currently on the active roster will remain so. It's far more likely the Buccaneers will eventually attempt to sneak one of their young blockers onto the practice squad.

With Anthony Collins and Demar Dotson at offensive tackle and veteran center Evan Dietrich-Smith, the Buccaneers' worst unit at the start of the preseason quickly improved by making the right moves and adjustments at guard.

How good can this Buccaneers offensive line be? It all depends on how quickly five men, who were complete strangers less than a year ago, can get on the same page. It won't be an easy transition. The Buccaneers offense faces a trial by fire when it hosts the Carolina Panthers and their highly regarded defensive front seven to open the season. 

Brent Sobleski covers the NFC South for Bleacher Report.