The offseason has been a tale of two separate events for Buccaneers right tackle Luke Goedeke.
Last season, Goedeke moved back to his natural position at right tackle after struggling to move to left guard during his rookie year, looking to prove he could be a starting NFL offensive lineman. But instead of playing average, he exceeded nearly everyone’s expectations. Reinvent yourself and Blocks out outside noise.
Everyone’s expectations except his own.
Looking ahead to next season, the promising right tackle is still looking for ways he can improve and grow.
Despite last year’s improvement, Buccaneers RT Luke Goedeke is ‘never satisfied’
Luke Goedeke made big strides last season, but speaking to local media at the Buccaneers’ mandatory minicamp earlier this month, he wasn’t satisfied with just getting better.
Goedeke is working to become one of the best tackles in the NFL.
“Like I said, I’m never satisfied,” Goedeke said on whether last year’s experience helped him. “Obviously, last year is last year. It helps knowing I can play at a high level in the NFL, but I don’t feel like I’m playing to my full potential. I’m just going to continue to grow and develop as an offensive tackle in this league. That’s what I’m most looking forward to, and then just continuing to work hard, especially with my guys, and continue to grow as an individual and as a football player.”
His work with players has included working with left tackle Tristan Wirfs.
Since being selected with the 57th overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, Wirfs has been protective of Goedeke and publicly voiced his support for him when he struggled during his rookie year. The two have not only become best friends after spending a lot of time together since then, including a fishing trip last offseason and plenty of intense weight training sessions, but also one of the best offensive tackle duos in the league.
Luke Goedeke wants to get better in pass protection and the run game.
When Luke Goedeke thought about how he could improve his game in 2024, he made it clear that there’s more than one way to improve his game.
He wants to become more versatile in all areas.
“Honestly, all of them,” Gaudeke said. “In pass protection, [being] “My hand movement is better, I’m able to calm my eyes and concentrate on where I want my hands to be and stuff. And my footwork in the passing game. In the run game, I’m just raising my pad level a little bit and fitting my hands a little bit better.”
Watching Gaudeke play last season, it was clear he had improved by leaps and bounds.
In the passing game, he had to go up against some excellent pass rushers, but he won most of them with ease. Danielle Hunter, Haason Reddick, Cameron Jordan and Aidan Hutchinson were all things he was able to contain and trouble.
In the run game, he was much more poised and tenacious, and his matchup with Pro Bowl defensive tackle Kenny Clark was a perfect example of that.
Luke Goedeke, one of the most improved players this season, ended the game by forcing Kenny Clarke out of the B-gap.
I think this is a duo with some interesting footwork by the RB to keep the LB fluid. pic.twitter.com/GxP2U25prm
— Ted Nguyen (@FB_FilmAnalysis) December 18, 2023
Looking ahead to this season, he’s excited to play for new offensive coordinator Liam Cohen’s offense, which has already emphasized the importance of an established run game predicated on hard-fought contests.
“I’m looking forward to getting after guys with the run game,” Gaudeke added. “We’ve added a lot of different elements, wide zone, outside zone, running, off the ball, downhill runs, duos, power, vertical attacks. It’s just a tenacious run game.”
Continued improvement could solidify Luke Goedeke’s Bucks future.
Luke Goedeke is still not happy with his current situation, but there is new optimism about his future in Tampa Bay.
Josh Quapo of the Pewter Report recently wrote: Buccaneers have financial flexibility ahead of next seasonIf Gaudeke can improve his play from last season, he could command a large salary.
In particular, Keipo commented on how quickly things happen:
As the Buccaneers are well aware, the market for offensive tackles is booming: Penei Sewell just reset the market at a $28 million annual salary, and Tristan Wirfs will likely reset sometime next year, possibly as early as late this summer … If Goedeke has another season similar to the one he will have in 2022, he could solidify himself as a top-10 right tackle in the NFL.
The team still has plenty of time to ponder this possibility, which speaks to how much the perception around him has changed in just one season, but as Gaudeke acknowledged, he still believes he has room to further develop and blossom as the Buccaneers’ long-term right tackle.