Buccaneers left guard Ali Marpet’s retirement surprised a lot of people, including his coach.
Tampa Bay coach Bruce Arians told reporters at the Scouting Combine today that he was surprised but not shocked to learn that Marpet was retiring. Marpet is just 28 years old and was chosen to the Pro Bowl last season, so his retirement is certainly eye-opening.
Arians also said the Bucs now see the offensive line as an even bigger need in free agency and the draft than they did before. Right guard Alex Cappa and center Ryan Jensen are set to be free agents, so the Bucs definitely have some holes to fill on the line.
And, of course, Tom Brady retired, so there are going to be even more significant changes to the offense. Given all that, the Buccaneers may be in for a more significant rebuild than is typical for a team coming off a season as good as the one Tampa Bay just had. Whether Arians has the patience for such a rebuild remains to be seen.