Gabbert Glad To Be A Backup
May 18th, 2020
Bucs backup QB Blaine Gabbert opens up
Joe gets this question a lot:
“Why don’t the Bucs find a capable backup quarterback?”
This question usually happens when Bucs fans look at a depth chart and see the notorious Blaine Gabbert as the No. 2.
The answer is simple: Bucs coach Bucco Bruce Arians doesn’t want any backup to challenge a starting quarterback. He wants his quarterback roles well-defined with no confusion.
The starter is clearly park-violating, home-invading Tom Brady. Gabbert is his backup and no one in their right mind will ever think Gabbert should start, short of Brady getting hurt.
Basically, it’s Arians’ version of the old football axiom, “If you have two quarterbacks, you have none.”
In a story published yesterday in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Gabbert spoke to Ben Hochman of Gabbert’s hometown newspaper (Hochman’s from St. Louis, too). And yes, Gabbert said he’s quite happy being Brady’s backup.
He has coaches who trust him, and he can contribute to a winning football team, just not likely on Sundays.
When it’s all over, maybe he’ll be a trivia answer: Who was Brady’s backup when he won his first Super Bowl in Tampa Bay? Or maybe he’ll be a Matt Cassel, who valiantly filled in for an injured Brady in 2008. But if the former is going to happen, it’s going to be because Gabbert mastered being a Brady asset and ally.
“It’s been great, I’ve had the chance to be with him a few times, and you know, his reputation precedes himself,” Gabbert said of Brady, the New England legend who joined the Bucs this offseason. “He’s the best in the business for a reason. Everything he does is at a first-class level and you wouldn’t expect anything else. But he’s a great dude. He’s fun to be with. And he’s going to be fun to work with.
The way Gabbert described it in the column, Gabbert expects to be sort of a player-coach this summer if there is a training camp.
Gabbert noted he’ll be helping Brady and new tight end Rob Gronkowski learn the nuances of Arians’ playbook.
There’s a lot of playboook study via FaceTiming between the two quarterbacks, Gabbert admitted. And Joe’s confident Gabbert is going to get in trouble because he said he much prefers iPads to the NFL’s Surfaces. (The NFL is very sensitive when people refer to the tablets used on the sidelines as “iPads” because the NFL has a contract with Microsoft, the maker of Surfaces.)
Oh, and Gabbert said he’s throwing the ball around with Brady as well. Joe hopes it’s not at the same park where one of Jane Castor’s goons ran off Brady.
May 18th, 2020 at 9:31 am
Does he have any choice? I mean let’s be real here. He lucked OUT. Will be a millionaire clipboard holder. What’s not to like or be happy about?
May 18th, 2020 at 9:44 am
ChanEpic most backup QBs, unless they are a rookie learning, are just clipboard holders. Would you really want Cam Newton here, chomping at the bit to play, perhaps causing a divide in the locker room?
May 18th, 2020 at 9:53 am
Who wouldn’t be happy being an NFL back up QB. They make more money then most players at any position who kill themselves on Sundays. Not only do they make a nice living without actually playing, they have very long careers no matter how much they suck. Who wouldn’t be happy with a gig like that.
May 18th, 2020 at 10:47 am
Buc fans love to hate Blaine Gabbard. I honestly don’t get it. BA likes him and trusts him to run this offense efficiently if our starting QB goes down. Are there other backups that are probably better? Yes. But he is not a bad backup QB.
You know there is this thing called the salary cap – How many teams are carrying two starting QBs?
If you say the Saints I’m going to vomit…
May 18th, 2020 at 11:02 am
Gabbert will be money if he has to step in. not worried about qb depth at all!
May 18th, 2020 at 11:17 am
Robert you must be crazy Gabbert is trash and always will be trash. Brady goes down this team is done …. lol lol lol
May 18th, 2020 at 11:20 am
I will be glad when this Brady and the fraud Bruce Airans thing is over . So we can start really building our team .
May 18th, 2020 at 11:29 am
Somebody here says they are not worried about our QB depth. Obviously
They are only..surface football fans. We have no depth at QB. Better hold on to your prayer beads and hope Brady does not go down.
May 18th, 2020 at 11:41 am
Could this be what Jameis Winston meant when he said Brady will he challenged. That the experience in BA’s offense will help Brady learn faster.
May 18th, 2020 at 11:42 am
*learn the offense faster
May 18th, 2020 at 11:45 am
ho hum. I love being called a surface fan and another joker says they’ll love it when Bray is gone….etc, etc….
I was right about crabby, been right 95% of the time, but hey………. I’m an idiot.
carry on you football gods and fellow buc fans (that part is sarcasm)
May 18th, 2020 at 11:46 am
Wish the best for the guy but one article I read said he was the biggest bust for the Jacksonville Jaguars. They drafted him in the 1st round in 2011, 10th overall so the fact that he’s a millionaire carrying a clip board despite his nfl record isn’t too shabby for him. As my father used to say “ Let’s not run out and make a tag day for him” (what ever that exactly means…lol).
May 18th, 2020 at 11:54 am
This old school approach of 2 QB’s equals zero is about the dumbest thing I’ve seen in a long time. Competition is a good thing but more importantly, if your starter gets hurt, then you need a competent backup. We are relying on a 43 year old QB. Why wouldn’t we want a good QB as our #2 just in case. God forbid he gets hurt.
May 18th, 2020 at 11:57 am
He certainly did “luck out”. His nfl record is 48 TDs- 47 Int are Jameis type numbers.
May 18th, 2020 at 12:17 pm
These same people weren’t ever concerned about the backupQB. Until they’re chosen 1 became a backup now it’s all the rage. But what you expect they’re grasping for straws.
May 18th, 2020 at 12:21 pm
blaine will learn a lot and be good if called upon(hopefully never)…
just look at jimmy g, brissett and apparently stidham….
GO BUCS!!!!!
May 18th, 2020 at 12:43 pm
I wonder if Ryan Griffin will be able to retire, without starting a Game.
No that is an illustrious career!
Paid multimillions, without ever doing the job you are paid for!
Not gonna be any health issues for him, in his old age!! Lol
May 18th, 2020 at 2:08 pm
Gabbert is an awful NFL QB. I’d literally rather have Mike Glennon — and I don’t like Mike Glennon. Anyone who thinks Gabbert is a solid backup should be force fed ebola.
May 18th, 2020 at 2:19 pm
Blaine Gabbert was clearly overdrafted…as was Jameis Winston btw.
And first impressions are hard to shake. And as the Jameis lovers enjoy pointing out when you are a top draft pick at QB it generally means you’re going to a crappy team.
So Gabbert was a bust. However just like folks here think JW could be a backup Gabbert played well enough in 2015 for a crappy San Francisco team to show that he is capable. He only played a half year. Project his numbers for the year and he would have thrown for over 4,000 yards most impressively for him he smashed his usual yard per completion with an over 7 yard average.
Gabbert went 3-5 on a horrible Tomsula coached Niners. If he went 3-5 in Brady’s abscence that would leave a major hill for Brady to climb…7-1 to assure a playoff.
Bottom line…The Bucs are FAR..FAR better than the 2015 Niners…BA is a much better coach than Tomsula…two pro bowler WR’s an HOF TE an improved OL and hopefully running game…if Gabbert wins just ONE more than he did in Frisco…4-4….500 while filling in should be adequate. There is no reason if our D plays as we hope that Gabbert couldn’t squeeze 5-3 which of course is halfway to the playoffs.
I see why BA is satisfied. Gabbert is right on the cusp of being an actual starter. When QB’s have a certain ability they no longer are backups…see Teddy Bridgewater…Ryan Tannehill and others.
Gabbert is not starter material but he is an adequate and PROFESSIONAL NFL QB.
May 18th, 2020 at 7:00 pm
I have 0 issue with Gabbert being a third string qb/player coach, but he should never touch the football during the regular season. Not having a legitimate backup quarterback who is capable of winning a few games in a pinch is beyond dumb.
I like Arians, but his philosophy on backup qb’s makes me question his sanity. His offense gets the qb hit more than most others. Brady is freaking 42 and can’t move half as well as Jameis (who got pounded anyway) and we are good at backup qb? Lol, maybe I’m the crazy one, but this makes no sense to me.
May 18th, 2020 at 7:30 pm
Please StPeteBucsfan, I implore you..Give me the name of your supplier. I would luv to have some of that great stuff you are smoking. Gabbert on the cusp of being a starter? Puff puff..pass..please.
May 19th, 2020 at 1:19 am
Look at the other 31 teams and please tell me how good there QB situation is.
Gabbert knows the offense and doesn’t have to learn anything. I rather have him and Griffin fight for the number 2.
May 19th, 2020 at 12:23 pm
Gabbert is a waste. He proved that last year after RG out played him in preseason.
May 19th, 2020 at 1:27 pm
Ryan Griffin is much better than Gabbert.
I know Griffin hasn’t started a game, but the team would be better off keeping him on the sidelines. His preseason games were great. Just a thought Bruce.