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The first phase of Tennessee’s 2023 offseason is winding down with the Vols closing winter strength-and-conditioning workouts this week and taking a brief break before hitting the practice field for the start of spring drills on March 20. The Vols are hoping to prove it has staying power and perhaps go one or two better coming off an 11-win breakthrough season in 2022, and the seeds of that memorable campaign that asserted Tennessee back into national relevance and championship contention were sown in the earliest parts of the offseason. Ahead of the Vols starting spring practice, it’s a good time to assess the state of Tennessee’s roster and the outlook at each position.

That’s exactly what GoVols247 will do in its annual Offseason Outlook series, which will break down each position on the roster by examining who the Vols lost and who they have, plus the players who need to step up and the pressing question for each group.

Having rolled through the quarterbacks, running backs and wide receivers and tight ends, we now wrap up one side of the football with the offensive line.

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WHO’S GONE

Tennessee will have a couple of starters to replace on its offensive line in 2023 with 43-game starter Carvin and 42-game starter Wright leaving voids at left guard and right tackle.

Wright was an All-SEC first-team performer in 2022 and has positioned himself to be a first-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft next month after backing up the film with strong showings at the Reese’s Senior Bowl and the NFL Scouting Combine. Carvin provided valuable leadership and consistency off the field and was as dependable as it gets on the field, where he also was a bit of an enforcer willing to step in and protect his teammates after the whistle. Wright did not allow a sack over his final 19 games at Tennessee dating back to midway through the 2021 season (when he played left tackle) and Carvin allowed just two sacks over his final two seasons – he also started five games at center in 2021.

Though Perry was part of the protection unit for field goals and extra points, he and Parker were outside of the two-deep at the tackle spots and left to seek better opportunities for playing time – Perry at USF reunites with former Tennessee offensive coordinator Alex Golesh and ex-Vols graduate assistant Tyler Hudanick

WHO’S HERE

Tennessee will go into spring practice very healthy in terms of the numbers on the offensive line – 16 scholarship players plus some walk-ons, most notably among those being Parker Ball, the second-team center the past two seasons. Glen Elarbee has done a solid job flipping this position as well as he brought in Crawford late in the 2021 cycle, five offensive linemen in the 2022 cycle and six in the 2023 cycle, including transfers Campbell (Miami) and Karic (Texas) and summer-arriving signee Ayden Bussell. There remain just five holdovers from the previous staff: Lane, Lampley, Mays, Spraggins and Davis, the former walk-on.

The Vols return starters at three positions up front: Mays (23 career starts) and Spraggins (26 career starts) will be third-year starters at center and right guard, respectively, and Mincey and Crawford return after splitting the starts (Mincey made seven and Crawford six) at left tackle. There’s veteran depth returning, too, in Lane (five starts at left guard in 2021), Lampley (195 career snaps) and Davis (three starts in 2021, 541 snaps the past two seasons). Transfers Campbell, who started all 12 games at left tackle for Miami in 2022, and Karic, who made five starts and played more than 500 snaps in three seasons at Texas, add experience to a position where it’s perhaps most needed.

There’s a young core on the offensive line, too, with Elarbee overseeing the development of the second-year quartet of Nichols (former Top247 prospect), Grant, Clipper and Reddick and newcomers Umarov (former Top247 prospect), Lang and Johnson, the junior college transfer.

WHO COULD STEP UP

Tennessee didn’t make the biggest splash when it brought in Mincey from SEC East rival Florida a little more than a year ago, and Campbell and Karic certainly weren’t the headliners of the transfer class the Vols brought in this year – both are rated as high-three-star prospects by 247Sports. However, Mincey went from a backup who played sparingly for the Gators to winning the starting left tackle job and playing serviceable football for the Vols, and this year’s transfer duo has more experience, so it’s not a stretch to see them being plug-and-play additions who ultimately get the job done under Elarbee. They also are older players who afford the 2022 and 2023 prospects a little more time to develop and be truly ready to play.

Campbell was Miami’s starting left tackle last season and his addition creates an interesting dynamic, because he and Mincey are primarily left tackles – does one flip to right tackle and get a full offseason to settle in there or are they battling head-to-head for the left tackle job? Crawford and Davis have played right tackle, so their adjustment would be easier. Karic played both right and left tackle at Texas, but could kick inside to guard at Tennessee – his potential versatility opens up options for him and Elarbee and gives the Vols needed flexibility.

PRESSING QUESTION

Can Tennessee’s offensive line improve or at least maintain its level of play despite losing two starters like Carvin and Wright?

COMMENTS

Player development is the name of the game on the offensive line and Tennessee has a proven commodity on that front in Elarbee, who is now the second-highest-paid coach on the staff and got a two-year extension when the other non-promoted returning assistants got just one. The Vols lost Trey Smith and starting at two other positions and still made a big jump from 91st to 17th nationally in yards per play in 2021, and the individual improvement in the likes of Wright, Carvin, Mays and Spraggins was noticeable over the past two seasons. Tennessee went from allowing 44 sacks in 2021 to 27 in 2022, the offense improved in short-yardage situations and red-zone efficiency and four starters were named SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week at least once.

Now the challenge is maintaining the standard without a potential first-round pick and another 40+-game starter, two players whose consistency provides a target for the rest of the group now to chase. Tennessee’s scheme and style on offense create some built-in advantages for the offensive line, but it’s still on this group to ensure the run game is effective enough to keep the Vols from becoming one-dimensional, protect a new quarterback who might not have the magical escapability Hendon Hooker had and deliver in those gotta-have-it moments on third- and fourth-and-short and on the goal line. It’s a high standard to maintain or improve, but the Vols appear to have the coach and culture to find a way to accomplish it.

Tremaine Edmunds is going to get paid this week as free agency begins. The question is, how much?

ESPN has a thought, and it’s bad news for the Buffalo Bills. Their projected answer: A lot. So much so, Edmunds might end up pushing to be the highest-paid linebacker in the NFL when it’s all said and done.

ESPN’s group of NFL insiders put together a pre-free agency “buzz” list. Edmunds was mentioned and in section via analyst Jeremy Fowler, it was questioned whether or not Edmunds could push for “$20 million annually? Some teams think he might get close.”

While the phase “highest-paid” is not dusted off, that’s what they’re getting at.

Edmunds’ fellow 2018 NFL draftee Roquan Smith, now with the Baltimore Ravens, fetched that price tag this past year: $20M per season. That is the highest for all inside linebackers in the league.

The trouble for Buffalo is that they have salary cap constraints. The Bills will get under the 2023 salary cap by Wednesday at 4 p.m. when the new league year starts, but technically, they still haven’t announced exactly how they plan to.

Most believe it’s going to happen through restructuring more contracts, which is what the Bills already did in signing linebacker Matt Milano to an extension.

Bills Wire will provide updates on how, who, and when those changes are made.

For the time being, here’s Fowler’s breakdown on Edmunds and his free agency bid:

A spotlight should be on Tremaine Edmunds, who will test the linebacker market in a big way. His age (24), impressive size (6-foot-5, 250) and Pro Bowl background prompt the question: Will he push for $20 million annually? Some teams think he might get close. Not everyone agrees. But those who are high on him are really high on him, and Buffalo is bummed that a blue-chip player it drafted and developed isn’t staying due in part to cap constraints. The consensus is Indianapolis’ Bobby Okereke is somewhere behind him, but very high on the list. And a player whose market might surprise is Philadelphia’s T.J. Edwards. He could get more money than people think. He racked up nearly 300 tackles and 12 pass deflections in two seasons with Philly.

The linebacker market is saturated with really good players, so teams that stay patient will get great value.

Report: 'Number of teams' including Bills will target Tremaine Edmunds

Bills, Tim Settle agree to renegotiate deal for 2023

Town established by 12 emancipated slaves 158 years ago remains one of Florida's oldest Black communities

In 1865, Mary Reddick, along with the families of 11 other newly freed former slaves, settled about 7 miles south of Plant City. At the time, the area was known as Howell's Creek. A year later, the families applied for property through the Southern Homestead Act of 1866. Before ownership of the land was granted, homesteaders had to clear and successfully farm the acres allotted to them. This was challenging work, considering the plot sizes ranged from between 40 to 160 acres.

Mary Reddick's son, Alfred Beal, excelled at farming and was able to hold onto his land when others in his community faced hard times. After his neighbors were forced into foreclosure, Beal purchased their lots and later resold them - under generous terms - back to the original owners or their families.

In 1923, the residents of the community renamed the town Bealsville, in Alfred's honor. Bealsville still has many descendants of the original 12 families that established it. It is home to the historic Glover School, which was built in 1933 and is listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.

Historical Marker Inscription

The community that became known as Bealsville was settled in late 1865 by former slaves from nearby plantations in Hopewell, Springhead and surrounding areas. The original settlers were Steven Allen, Issac Berry, Peter Dexter, Neptune Henry, Mills Holloman, Bryant Horton, Samuel McKinney, Roger Smith, Mary Roddick, Abe Segenger, Jerry Stephens, and Robert Story. After emancipation, they were assisted by former slaveholder Sarah Howell, and the settlement was originally known as Howell's Creek. The settlers then homesteaded property that they acquired through the 1866 Southern Homestead Act. The name of the community first evolved from Howell's Creek to Alafia. In 1923, it changed to Bealsville in recognition of Alfred Beal, the son of Mary Reddick. After several freezes led to bankruptcy for some of the original settlers, Beal acquired the property and sold parcels of the land back to them, thus ensuring the continuity of the community.

Bealsville stands as a legacy of the emancipated slaves who sought to remake their lives in a new community of their own. Many citizens of Bealsville are descendants from the first settlers; others have moved here. All recognize and respect the original for founding one of Hillsborough County's oldest and noteworthy communities.

Marker Location The marker is at the intersection of Nesmith Road and Joe King Road, on the right when traveling west on Nesmith Road. It is in front of the Bealsville Recreation Center.

The Bealsville historical marker was erected in 2013 by the Hillsborough County Historical Advisory Council.

Learn more about Bealsville Learn more about Bealsville in a Hillsborough County produced video Timeline: Bealsville.

NASCAR practice results from Daytona International Speedway

This morning, the NASCAR Cup Series is back on track in Daytona Beach, Florida. It’s the final round of practice ahead of tomorrow’s Daytona 500.

View Daytona 500 final practice results below.

Daytona 500 MenuARCA: Prac | Qual | RaceTruck: Prac | Qual | RaceXfinity: Prac | Qual | RaceCup: Qual | Duels | Starting Lineup | Prac 1 | Prac 2 | Race

Daytona TV Schedule

Brad Keselowski wins final practice with a time of 47.071 seconds.

Pos | Driver | Best Time

1. Brad Keselowski47.071

2. Joey Logano47.072

3. Ryan Blaney47.076

4. Ryan Preece47.076

5. Harrison Burton47.077

6. Chase Briscoe47.105

7. AJ Allemendinger47.167

8. Justin Haley47.174

9. Noah Gragson47.353

10. Riley Herbst47.358

11. Zane Smith47.367

12. Corey LaJoie47.062

13. Conor Daly48.817

14. Austin Cindric49.922

15. Jimmie Johnson50.417

16. Todd Gilliland50.539

17. Tyler ReddickNo Time

Note: Only 17 cars took to the track.

NASCAR practice results from Daytona International Speedway

This morning, the NASCAR Cup Series is back on track in Daytona Beach, Florida. It’s the final round of practice ahead of tomorrow’s Daytona 500.

View Daytona 500 final practice results below.

Daytona 500 MenuARCA: Prac | Qual | RaceTruck: Prac | Qual | RaceXfinity: Prac | Qual | RaceCup: Qual | Duels | Starting Lineup | Prac 1 | Prac 2 | Race

Daytona TV Schedule

Brad Keselowski wins final practice with a time of 47.071 seconds.

Pos | Driver | Best Time

1. Brad Keselowski47.071

2. Joey Logano47.072

3. Ryan Blaney47.076

4. Ryan Preece47.076

5. Harrison Burton47.077

6. Chase Briscoe47.105

7. AJ Allemendinger47.167

8. Justin Haley47.174

9. Noah Gragson47.353

10. Riley Herbst47.358

11. Zane Smith47.367

12. Corey LaJoie47.062

13. Conor Daly48.817

14. Austin Cindric49.922

15. Jimmie Johnson50.417

16. Todd Gilliland50.539

17. Tyler ReddickNo Time

Note: Only 17 cars took to the track.

A 46-year-old Reddick man was arrested after he was accused of threatening a male victim with a knife and attempting to steal the victim’s window air conditioning unit.

On Tuesday, a Marion County Sheriff’s Office corporal responded to the 11300 block of NW 8th Street in Ocala in reference to a burglary incident.

Prior to the corporal’s arrival, MCSO was advised that the male suspect was hiding near the intersection of NW 8th Street and NW 112th Avenue. According to the MCSO report, the suspect was described as a Hispanic male in his mid-40s who was wearing a green shirt, red hat, and jeans.

The corporal approached the intersection and observed a Hispanic man who was wearing a neon green shirt and jeans. The man was sitting in the yard of a residence on NW 8th Street.

The front gate to the property was open and the corporal pulled the MCSO patrol vehicle into the yard. The man stood up and began to walk towards the back of the residence, and he was detained in handcuffs.

While the corporal was conducting a pat-down search of the detained individual, a second man matching the suspect’s description walked onto the property, and he was wearing a green shirt, red hat, and jeans. This second man was later identified as Gustavo Trejo Vargas, and he was detained by an MCSO deputy and sergeant who were also on scene.

The corporal responded to the location where the alleged burglary incident occurred. Upon arrival, contact was made with the male victim who did not speak English. According to the MCSO report, the corporal used a translation app on an agency-issued phone to interview the victim.

The victim stated that he was inside his residence on NW 8th Street when he heard a noise from the back window. When the victim walked to the rear side of the property, he advised that he saw Vargas attempting to remove the window air conditioning unit with a pocketknife.

The victim stated that Vargas then turned toward him and said, “Leave me alone.” According to the victim, Vargas then pointed the knife at him and began approaching him.

The victim advised that he felt threatened, and he returned to the inside of his home and called 911. He told the corporal that he last saw Vargas running down the road towards the intersection of NW 8th Street and NW 112th Avenue.

The victim provided a sworn written statement describing the incident. He also positively identified Vargas as the man who had allegedly attempted to steal his air conditioning unit and threatened him with a knife.

The MCSO report indicated that the air conditioning unit was valued at $300.

An MCSO deputy read Vargas his Miranda rights, and Vargas told the deputy that he did not want to answer any questions.

Vargas was arrested and transported to Marion County Jail where he is currently being held on $4,000 bond. He is facing felony charges for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill and grand theft of a dwelling (over $100 but less than $750).

A court date has not been scheduled yet, according to jail records.