Tampa Bay Buccaneers Get Good News on a Pair of Offensive Linemen

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers can breathe a little easier as they prepare for the first game of the regular season. Concerns mounted after offensive linemen Robert Hainsey and Nick Leverett left Saturday's preseason finale against the Indianapolis Coltswith injuries, but Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times reported today that the two players should be ready for the opener:

Preliminary exams on the ankle injury to C Robert Hainsey and the shoulder injury to G Nick Leverett sustained in Saturday’s preseason game at Indy were good and both players should be able to practice and prepare for the Sept. 11 opener at Dallas.
— Rick Stroud (@NFLSTROUD) August 31, 2022

Hainsey is expected to start at center, and Leverett is competing with rookie second-round pick Luke Goedeke for a chance to start at left guard. The Bucs had already had a brutal offseason when it came to injuries along the offensive line and could hardly afford two more hits to their already precarious depth.

Hainsey was drafted 95th overall out of Notre Dame in the 2021 NFL Draft and has long been celebrated for his versatility after playing tackle and guard in college. Leverett joined the Bucs in 2020 as an undrafted free agent out of Rice, and has been lauded for his effort and smarts. Should the two end up starting, they'll have mighty big shoes to fill: retired left guard Ali Marpet and injured center Ryan Jensen were both Pro Bowlers last year.