Aug. 20, 2008

The depth on the left side of the Bucs’ offensive line took a hit when OLT Luke Petitgout was recently released, and the right side suffered an even more devastating blow Aug. 18 as ORG Davin Joseph underwent surgery on his broken foot, which he suffered in a preseason game the previous day. There is no set timetable for his return, but it has been estimated the injury will keep him out 4-8 weeks and he could miss the first couple of games of the regular season. Tampa does have some depth at guard, unlike at tackle, and the coaching staff would like rookie Jeremy Zuttah to take over for Joseph. Although Zuttah has shown versatility and can play anywhere on the line, word is he can be overmatched on the right side and would be a better fit at center. Another option to fill in for Joseph is veteran Dan Buenning, but he may be better off as a backup at guard and center. Joseph’s absence will likely have the biggest impact on the ground game, where the third-year veteran excelled at run blocking. The early part of the season should be much tougher for RBs Earnest Graham, Warrick Dunn and Michael Bennett with Joseph out.