The Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ offensive line in 2024 has struggled to protect Pro Bowl quarterback Baker Mayfield and support one of the NFL’s worst rushing offenses. During Tampa Bay’s 3-2 start, Mayfield has been sacked in every game, including 7 times in a home loss to the Denver Broncos on September 22 and 5 times in a road win over the Detroit Lions on September 15.
One major issue has been the absence of right tackle Luke Goedeke, who suffered a concussion in the season opener against the Washington Commanders on September 8 and hasn’t played since. Goedeke, a key player for the Buccaneers, started all 17 games in 2023 after being drafted in the second round in 2022.
Bleacher Report’s Matt Holder has suggested the Bucs consider signing veteran offensive tackle La’el Collins to strengthen the offensive line. Collins, who has experience at both tackle and guard, could provide depth in case the team’s struggles persist. However, Collins hasn’t played since 2022 when he started 15 games for the Cincinnati Bengals.
Once projected as a first-round pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, Collins went undrafted after being questioned in a murder investigation, although he was eventually ruled out as a suspect. He signed with the Dallas Cowboys, where he had a solid career before injuries and a suspension in 2021 for violating the league’s substance abuse policy.
Collins later signed with the Bengals but was released in 2023 following a knee injury. He briefly joined the Buffalo Bills in 2024 but was released before the season began.
