The need for depth and experience on the offensive line was put into stark focus during training camp for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
When veteran offensive lineman Sua Opeta went down with a season-ending knee injury on July 31, it was clear to outsiders how important investing in the offensive line during free agency and the draft in the offseason had been for the Buccaneers.
Bleacher Report’s Maurice Moton singled out one free agent in particular that is already looking like one of the NFL’s “steals” in free agency thanks to a 1-year, $3 million contract signed by guard Ben Bredeson after he started 16 games for the New York Giants in 2023.
“At left guard, a position of need for Tampa Bay this offseason, Ben Bredeson has shown he can immediately help a rushing attack that accumulated the fewest yards last season,” Moton wrote. “… Tampa Bay signed Bredeson to a one-year, $3 million deal. If he starts, the fifth-year veteran would be one of the lowest-paid starting guards leaguewide. Nonetheless, he could be the key that turns on the engine for the Buccaneers’ ground game.”
Bredeson Turning Heads Before Opeta’s Injury
Bredeson entered training camp in a battle for the starting left guard spot with Opeta, who signed a 1-year, $1.37 million contract with the Buccaneers in March 2024 after spending 2023 on the practice squad for the Philadelphia Eagles.
According to Buccaneers.com’s Scott Smith, Bredeson may have already established himself as the starter in training camp before Opeta’s injury. Bredeson was atop the first depth chart released on Aug. 6.
“This is the one position that has lost a contributor to a season-ending injury during camp, as veteran guard Sua Opeta suffered a torn ACL in practice roughly a week ago,” Smith wrote. “He is now on injured reserve and won’t play in 2024. Opeta was a candidate for the open left guard spot, though it seemed even before his injury that Ben Bredeson had taken the clear lead in that battle.”
Bredeson could be one of two new starters on the offensive line for the Buccaneers in 2024 alongside rookie center Graham Barton, who is also at the top of the depth chart headed into the first preseason game at the Cincinnati Bengals on Aug. 10.
The Buccaneers selected Barton out of Duke with the No. 26 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft.
Bredeson Could Be Coming Into His Prime
Bredeson was one of the nation’s most sought-after high school recruits in the country out of Arrowhead (Wis.) High School and was a three-time All-Big Ten pick at Michigan before the Baltimore Ravens selected him in the fourth round (No. 143 overall) of the 2020 NFL draft.
He spent one season with the Ravens before he was traded to the Giants before the 2021 season. After starting just one game through his first two seasons, he started 8 games for the Giants in 2022 and started 16 games in 2023.
Bredeson’s versatility is also a plus for Tampa Bay — he played center, left guard and right guard for the Giants in 2023 and gained invaluable experience with over 1,000 offensive snaps.
