When Buccaneers starting center Ryan Jensen went down on the practice field last week, there was a collective gasp. He was then carted off the field and taken for X-Rays. Jensen is out the majority of the season with the possibility of being out the whole year. With that result, the backup center Robert Hainsey is the next man up and expected to become the starting center.
He’ll have to prove himself
Hainsey is a second year player out of Notre Dame and spent his entire rookie year behind Jensen. He played in nine games his first season in reserve time and spent the year learning. Quarterback Tom Brady praised Hainsey’s work ethic but emphasized “he’s got to go earn it.” He also said, “It’s not what you did, how hard you worked in the offseason, it’s how good of a football player are you.” With five weeks left until the season opener, Hainsey must be on his A-game.
Hainsey will have the rest of training camp to prepare himself for the season and gain reps with the first team offense. Hainsey will also have plenty of practice blocking talented defensive lineman as well. During camp, he will have to block Vita Via and Akiem Hicks. It does not get much better than that, so he will have plenty of practice leading up to the first game.
Many Injuries
The Buccaneers have had a plethora of injuries in the past couple of months. Jensen just got injured last week and Chris Godwin tore his ACL last season. Right Tackle Tristan Wirfs also had to be carted off the field a couple of days ago after suffering from severe cramps. The Bucs hope they will not have any other injuries in the next five weeks.
The Buccaneers are hoping to make another Super Bowl run but the loss of Jensen certainly makes the chances harder. With Robert Hainsey the next man up, there is hope that he will rise to the occasion and become that type of caliber center by the time the season starts.
