Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 5 To Watch vs. Bengals

Aug 15, 2015; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers guard Ali Marpet (74) stands along the sidelines in the preseason NFL football game with the Minnesota Vikings at TCF Bank Stadium. The Vikings win 26-16. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports

RG Ali Marpet

Left tackle Donovan Smith, who had a subpar performance in Week 1, is also worth watching closely on the Buccaneers offensive line, but Marpet is the rookie OL that I’d like to keep my eyes especially peeled on. He isn’t guaranteed a starting job with Garrett Gilkey looming, but, well, Gilkey is dreadful, and after last week’s performance, I can’t see Marpet on the bench in favor of a player he’s thoroughly outplayed.

So it’s all about seeing if Marpet can have another strong performance, and many of us will be directing our attention to his work as a pass protector tomorrow night. I don’t think an offensive lineman has generated anywhere near the type of buzz Marpet has, so that’s probably the biggest reason to check out his work at right guard against Cincy. This is a guy whose strength and explosiveness make him an ideal run blocker, and Marpet looked more polished than most Hobart. At 6’4″, 307 pounds, he is a monster of a guard.

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