Attitude is key to Bucs young offensive line

TAMPA (FOX 13) - In front of Jameis Winston is the second youngest offensive line in the NFC South.

Rookie Donovan Smith protects his blind side. At right guard, is another rookie in Ali Marpet.

There's no other way around it, the O-line is young. They're inexperienced. 

But when it comes to any football team's offensive line, it's about attitude, and that's what these five guys want to bring on gameday. 

"Oh yeah, definitely," said Smith. "It's definitely something we're working on to establish something in the room. You know it's not only being big and nasty, but being smart as well."

"The one identity is we want to be a smart offensive line," said center Evan Smith. "We're working towards that because the smart offensive lines, you know, all that stuff will come natural to you if everybody knows each other and everyone's on the same page."

So how does this line become smart, how do they develop the attitude? It all starts out on the practice field. It's in how they work in the days before each game.

It's how physical they are and how much they get after it.

"We like to run the ball, be physical, be good in pass (protection), that's what every offensive line wants to be," said Smith.

New Buc Joe Hawley knows a thing or two about attitude. As a Falcon, he wore his emotion on his sleeve.

It's a process developing that rapport.

"Being a young guy, it's difficult," said Hawley. "(My) first year in the league, I definitely had to learn."

Now in his 6th season, he wants to show his new teammates his approach to defending against the opposing team.

"Bringing the attitude I like to play with, definitely show them how I like to play."

Attitude is one thing. It's one of many things that offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter hopes the offensive line develops into.

"Tough, intelligent, nasty, you could use a lot of different words," said Koetter. "Productive would be the word that I think we would be voting for right now."

Productivity from the entire offense -- not just the line -- is needed after last week.