No Need To Panic
July 29th, 2019
Secure — for this year.
Earlier this month, Joe brought word that a nimrod on a popular football podcast actually believes undrafted free agent Nick Fitzgerald will start at quarterback for the Bucs before the season ends.
Joe thought that was completely asinine. And it seems Albert Breer of theMMQB.com thinks that’s a load of rubbish as well.
Breer, who runs theMMQB.com, is of the mind that America’s Quarterback, Pro Bowler Jameis Winston, could start the season horribly and still there wouldn’t be any scenario in which the Bucs would bench Jameis this season.
Breer, however, isn’t as confident the Bucs will bring Jameis back for 2020 season unless he earns it.
This is the first year we’ve seen a first-round quarterback play out his fifth-year option (those went into play in the 2011 CBA), and now we’ve got two—Winston and Tennessee’s Marcus Mariota. Both players have a lot on the line this season. The Buccaneers surrounded Winston with good talent—he’s throwing to Mike Evans, O.J. Howard and Chris Godwin—and with a good offensive coach that fits him, in Bruce Arians, we should get at least get answers on who Winston is this year.
So is he on thin ice? Yeah, his future is on the line, but looking at the Bucs’ depth chart, and knowing that Blaine Gabbert and Ryan Griffin are behind him, it’s fair to assume that Winston will be given time to work out the kinks if he struggles early. There just isn’t a real reason to play a journeyman over him that you don’t think you can contend with.
So there you have it. If Jameis struggles early, Breer is confident the Bucs will stick with Jameis come hell or high water to see if Jameis can bounce back.
Notice Breer never even mentioned Fitzgerald? That’s because he’s a rotten quarterback, and now he’s injured.
July 29th, 2019 at 9:04 am
Bucs fans…..enjoy Jaboo’s last year in Tampa…….he won’t be back in a bucs uniform next year.
July 29th, 2019 at 9:06 am
I just hope he doesn’t have a terrible first half of the season, ruining our playoff chances, then turns it on in the second half of the season, giving an impression that he’s improving under Arians. Then we would have to franchise him or something. All I really want from Winston at this point is consistency. Good or bad. Help make the decision at the end of the season a little easier.
July 29th, 2019 at 9:07 am
Why did they sign Vincent Testaverde?
July 29th, 2019 at 9:17 am
Nick Fitzgerald was never an option … scout QB (same as Testaverde). I agree with you Joe that BA will stick with Jameis … this year … come he11 or high water. All bets are off for next year though if he pees the bed.
July 29th, 2019 at 9:23 am
Well, it’s basically been four years of Hell, as far as the win-loss column goes and there hasn’t been much high water because Tampa has been suffering through a long and infamous playoff drought without a whole helluva lot of wins…..
July 29th, 2019 at 9:28 am
No need to panic, that comes later…
July 29th, 2019 at 9:32 am
No way in hell Fitzgerald is starter for Bucs.
That’s crazy talk.
Arians came here for a few reasons and Jameis was one of them
He will get the entire year (fair or foul)
I’m not worried about practices at this point.
This may be Bucs best receiving And tight end group ever. No more excuses. Jameis has every chance to throw for 5,000 yards.
Let’s see what happens in games that matter. 1st preseason game next Friday.
“Can’t wait “…. – Bart Scott
July 29th, 2019 at 9:36 am
16 game try out to see if he can be better than an average to below average QB
The last 56 games has been a mixture of good play to him looking bad for long stretches. Time to see how he plays with the QB Whisperer who isn’t calling plays or coaching the QB…
July 29th, 2019 at 9:37 am
This is not exactly big breaking news since we all already know that this is Winston’s make it or break it year. The Bucs, under Jason Licht’s command, will give Winston every opportunity to live up to his #1 draft status which he has not come close to doing yet. Hopefully the Winston that we have seen the last few days will not be the Winston that goes into the regular season. If it is, the Bucs need to start making their future QB plans.
July 29th, 2019 at 9:47 am
“There just isn’t a real reason to play a journeyman over him that you don’t think you can contend with.” CONTEND???? BWAHAHAHA!!! #winstonslastyear
July 29th, 2019 at 9:52 am
There’s no one behind Winston worthy of starting now that “The Beard” moved on. He doesn’t need to look over his shoulder and feel threatened. You know now if the backup Gabbert comes in and were to outplay Winston, then Winston really does suck.
July 29th, 2019 at 10:58 am
Look for Fitz to make the team as the third QB and Griffin to be waived and then picked up by the Falcons. Dirk loved the kid and the Falcons would benefit by gaining knowledge of the Bucs playbook. Fitz was one hell of a running QB in college and I can see them bringing him in on situational downs to run the spread offense. He averaged over 1,100 yards rushing in his three full seasons and rushed for 45 TD’s. He is no way a starter at this level but most certainly a change of pace QB.
July 29th, 2019 at 11:16 am
You know realistically Winston might struggle the 1st half of the season with learning a new playbook 1st time since being drafted. Also the O-line might not help with it either.
July 29th, 2019 at 11:27 am
‘No need to panic’ – Because Winston induces apathy!
July 29th, 2019 at 12:03 pm
So, Fitzgerald is a rotten QB?…….I guess that means he better be a good “mattress mover, UPS driver, Insurance Claims Adjuster” or whatever.
July 29th, 2019 at 2:13 pm
I see a bunch of losers who wanted Mariota. Don’t worry…he can be the Bucs emergency, 3rd string, BEHIND JAMEIS, next year!!!! 😂😂😝😝😝👍👍👍
July 29th, 2019 at 2:32 pm
YES, my friend, I mean friendS, plural, as in more than one, keep doing the Lord’s work!
WE wise Bucs fans know that the ONLY QB to ever start a career with back to back 4,000 yard seasons and the youngest Pro Bowl QB in the history of football and the only other QB other than Drew Brees to finish top 5 in Raw QBR on a losing team since 2015 and the guy who was #1 in the entire NFL in passer rating under pressure and was #1 in the entire NFL in 3rd down conversion % … WE wise Bucs fans know that that guy is a total bust!!!!!!!!!!
We want a QB that will be WORSE under pressure and WORSE on 3rd downs and have a WORSE Raw QBR because that will lead to more wins for sure! Our logic is flawless for we are all-wise!
JAY-MISS is garbage, trash, and we don’t want his kind in Tampa and we won’t stop bashing him until we run him out of Tampa!
STATS ARE FOR LOSERS! WE know that Trent Dilfer and Jeff Hostetler and Earl Morral were better QBs than LOSERS like Dan Marino and Dan Fouts and Warren Moon, who might have ended up in the Hall of Fame but never won a Super Bowl like all good QBs like Trent Dilfer do!
WE ARE THE WISE FANS & WE WILL RUN JAY-MISS OUT OF TAMPA!
WE would rather see the Bucs lose without JAY-MISS than win with JAY-MISS!!!!!
You’re doing great kid, I mean kidS, plural, as in more than one … you’re doing great kidS, no one can touch you, yeah!
WE will win for WE are legion!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
July 29th, 2019 at 3:38 pm
The only reason Gabbert starts is if Winston is hurt or suspended again. There are so many other larger issues on this team that Jameis is the least of our worries.