Kyle Trask And Tom Brady’s Motivation
May 16th, 2022
“Kyle, just wait your turn.”
What originated from One Buc Palace last week may be the weirdest thing Joe has seen since Austin Seferian-Jackwagon got thrown out of an underwear football practice and quickly thereafter engaged in a Twitter fight with a Tampa fireman.
On Tuesday, Bucs quarterback coach Clyde Christensen confidently confessed Blaine Gabbert had the No. 2 quarterback gig locked up without any chance of competition. This was not because he’s the next Steve Young just waiting on a chance for the king to fall off his throne, but because the Bucs’ coaching staff couldn’t find a way for former second-round pick Kyle Trask to get enough snaps in practices to mount any sort of threat of unseating Gabbert.
The whole snaps thing did not make any sense to the thinking public, especially when within minutes of Christensen saying this, Bucs offensive line coach Joe Gilbert crowed with enthusiasm how four offensive linemen were in the mix to battle it out and fight for the starting left guard position.
So one assistant had no problem finding enough snaps for four players to determine which would start, but another coach couldn’t find snaps to allow a second-day draft pick a chance to compete for a backup job.
Bucs coach Todd Bowles three days later quickly threw cold water on Christensen’s declaration saying Trask will indeed get the chance to push Gabbert.
It almost sounded to Joe like Christensen didn’t clear his comments with the right people at One Buc Palace before he stepped to the podium. Not that there is anything wrong with that. Joe embraces, respects and strongly encourages candor.
Given that Trask was the only quarterback drafted last year to not take one single snap in a game, and Trask was never on the active gameday roster, Joe won’t scold any Bucs fan for wondering out loud why the Bucs may have drafted Trask in the first place (though rear-view mirror logic will always drive you nuts).
Albert Breer of SI.com may have accidentally tripped over the answer.
Breer, in his weekly Monday Morning Quarterback column, had this throwaway line.
We’ve seen how quarterbacks being drafted motivated Tom Brady (Jimmy Garoppolo) and Aaron Rodgers (Jordan Love) in recent years…
FYI: Tom Brady led the league in passing in Trask’s rookie season.
At face value, Joe can understand how readers will scoff out loud, “Tom Brady is not threatened by Kyle Trask!” He shouldn’t be.
But you have to remember folks in the NFL, players, coaches and suits alike, are absolutely wired differently than the vast majority of civilians. They are all looking for an edge. Always. Daily. It’s one reason why Brady is so maniacal about the highest standards.
No, Joe won’t sit here and claim the Bucs burned a second-round pick solely as a motivational ploy to make sure Brady stayed sharp after winning the Super Bowl and going on an avocado tequila bender. That’s a ridiculous idea. But after reading Breer’s line, it would not surprise Joe that one, albeit very minor factor, in drafting Trask was to make sure Brady the perfectionist stayed that way.
Given how NFL folks are always searching the cracks of the floorboards for motivational edges, Joe thinks this may have crossed the minds of shot-callers at One Buc Palace.
How could they not wonder about Brady’s reaction? Every personnel move made, especially on offense, has some undertone of “How will this fly with Tom?”
May 16th, 2022 at 11:06 am
Practicing against Suh would motivate the offense.
May 16th, 2022 at 11:30 am
You left out ASJ taking a dump at 4am on I-275……you spared us but I won’t.
As far as drafting Trask to motivate Brady……that is one of the most hilarious notions I’ve ever heard……Brady at 44, needing to be motivated after winning a SB?
What a joke.
May 16th, 2022 at 11:32 am
How they can’t find enough snaps when they supposedly want to run two practices at the same time is ridiculous.
May 16th, 2022 at 11:41 am
I am not a Gabbert fan. Truth is we don’t know what Trask is yet. As a fan, I hope #2 is Mr. August this year, and next season (pending Tom Brady’s retirement) he takes over. Kid has been a hard worker and very patient during his entire career. I hope that he plays lights out for the next 10-15 years for the Bucs!
May 16th, 2022 at 11:48 am
Man, if this turns out like a Farve Rodgers situation, that’d be awesome, one thing not pointed out about the GB situation was the coaching staff was the same during the transition if I’m not mistaken, pretty much like our team, I’m not so sure Leftwich is likely to get a HC job
May 16th, 2022 at 11:49 am
We have to hope that Trask has a higher ceiling than Gabbert. Otherwise it was not a good second round pick. I hope he gets plenty of snaps and pre season action.
May 16th, 2022 at 11:53 am
I want to see what Trask is saying and thinking when watching the games. Is he learning?
May 16th, 2022 at 11:53 am
No, Tom is not threatened by Trask; he was threatened by Jimmy, since Belichick clearly was determined to ease Tom out the door–stupidly.
May 16th, 2022 at 11:53 am
It don’t buy the motivation thing, the Bucs absolutely need a QBOTF and they are virtually never found in the sloppy second’s corridor.
FWD… did the Bucs blow the pick on Trask as a NFL starting QB?
How the hell do we know but the FACT that Trask is buried in obscurity is troublesome x’2 …
1- he will not pan out
&
2- that pick could have been used on a starter/ contributor
May 16th, 2022 at 11:55 am
odds are this kid never takes a regular season snap with the Bucs.
May 16th, 2022 at 11:55 am
That didn’t happen at One Buc Palace.
May 16th, 2022 at 11:55 am
I still find it kind of funny that of all 3 QBs, Gabbert was the highest rated(and selected) of the 3 going into their respective draft classes. I’m holding out hope for Trask & really don’t care we spent a 2nd round pick on him. Trask is being afforded time to absorb the NFL game mentality w/o prematurely risking his development/health by being forced into taking live reps. Let Kyle cook
May 16th, 2022 at 11:58 am
Trask was awesome in college. He would have been the first QB chosen this year. He is going to have 2 years learning from the best. He should end up being a great pro once things are all said and done.
May 16th, 2022 at 12:00 pm
You understand what a Great coach Don Shula was right?
Long run with Bob Greise followed by Dan Marino
That is some genius “coaching “
I can hear the Bucs whistling past the graveyard
May 16th, 2022 at 12:04 pm
Even having Gabbert on the team is a complete waste of time, much less letting him near a football to take any snaps. I don’t mind the Trask pick, but I absolutely mind the fact that this kid can’t get any gosh damn reps. Does he really suck that badly? It’s probably the third biggest wtf decision that we have made so far this year between staying status quo at corner despite having mostly sorry players there and the lack of urgency to find a decent receiver behind Gage until Chris gets back. The Saints, Rams, and hell, even the Dolphins look like they are all in for a super bowl run while we look like we’re counting our pennies.
May 16th, 2022 at 12:07 pm
The best Bucs fans can hope for is a Joe Montana/Steve Young, Drew Bledsoe/Tom Brady, Bret Favre/Aaron Rogers situation emerges…
Trask gets mentally prepared and developed so when his time does come, he shines and removes all doubt that he is the long term answer!
May 16th, 2022 at 12:13 pm
Tye… true but at the same time Trask is ready for live snaps and not behind helter skelter preseason offensive lines.
What should happen is to ice TB when games are in hand rather than stats padding for he and other worthy offensive players.
May 16th, 2022 at 12:25 pm
Trask is gonna shock the NFL
May 16th, 2022 at 12:29 pm
If you have seen man in the arena or read magazine on him
The dude doesnt sleep after a regular season loss. He is a perfectionist
Trask has no bearing on brady mental state
😂
Dude is playing to win super bowls. Anything else is not an option
May 16th, 2022 at 12:30 pm
Here’s a novel idea, maybe Trask just sucks. You never really know about a QB until you get him in the building. My belief is they soured on Trask not long after. I’m quite sure they drafted Trask because they felt he could play, and succeed Brady. I’m also sure nothing in their calculus for drafting him had anything to do with motivation for Brady. The Brady Jimmy G comparison is entirely irrelevant here. When Bill drafted Brady, he was having contract issues with the Patriots, and hadn’t won a Superbowl for years. His passer rating was also in decline. I do think Bill drafted Jimmy in part to push Brady. Bill also knew he had time to evaluate him. Brady ultimately outlived Bill’s timeline. He was ordered to trade Jimmy by Bob Kraft. If Bill had his druthers, he would’ve traded Brady instead.
May 16th, 2022 at 1:13 pm
Thanks for the Patriots history lesson. YAWN
May 16th, 2022 at 1:20 pm
I doubt Brady even notices Trask is on the roster. His own qb coach doesn’t know he’s there so why would Brady?
May 16th, 2022 at 1:22 pm
Great take, Joe. Fully agree here.
I’d only say that there’s quite a difference between the left guard and the backup quarterback competition. For one, the guard spot is a starting roster spot. The backup quarterback to Tom Brady will never play unless Brady is injured. I’d say it comes down to comfort really.
May 16th, 2022 at 1:24 pm
LMAO @Buccos
Josh Allen went 21/25 for 5 TDs and even an OLmen scored a TD and GOB is steady crowing about our defense & secondary lol
May 16th, 2022 at 1:44 pm
I dunno, Joes, I just don’t know. I honestly cannot fathom how a player can simply not be given enough snaps to properly evaluate him? Sure, maybe in the first half of last year, snaps might be an issue. But this year? Something doesn’t make sense to me. I suspect, oddly enough, that KT did get enough snaps, and coaches were not impressed. Now, in an effort to be nice publicly, coaches say they haven’t evaluated him enough yet. There are plenty of examples of excellent QB’s that had to sit for 2,3,4 years, so maybe KT is OK enough for the coaches but it just isn’t his time. Not enough snaps? Still shaking my head over that one.
May 16th, 2022 at 1:44 pm
Dooley, If memory serves, Josh Allen toasted your secondary too. The bucs needed overtime to win, and it was in Tampa. Divisional opponents are always the hardest to beat. Look at how mortal the saints have made Brady look. Back to the point. If you think the bucs secondary is hunky dory, you’re nuts.
May 16th, 2022 at 1:46 pm
Dont buy the Trask can’t get enough reps in practice BS.
If the Bucs actually thought he was good enough, then he’d be the #2 QB. But clearly the Bucs value Blaine Gabbert over Trask which is a sign that Trask hanst performed well in practices.
May 16th, 2022 at 1:47 pm
Personally agree with Goatfarmer; I also doubt that ‘Brady even notices Trask is on the roster’. The GOAT (no relation to Goatfarmer I suspect) fears nothing, and certainly not ‘competition’ (?) from Gabbert, Griffin or Trask. Heck, TB12 won as many games just last year as all 3 of them have won in their careers IN TOTAL.
May 16th, 2022 at 1:50 pm
Joe – you are reading too much into Christensen”s comments and this “situation”.
“Trask can’t get enough snaps in practices to mount any sort of threat of unseating Gabbert” simply means that Gabbert has been working in this offense for like 6 years now and has tens of thousands of practice “snaps” under his belt running it.
Clyde just doesn’t believe Trask will be able to overcome that experience and familiarity that Gabbert has in BAs offense in order for Kyle to unseat Blayne as the back up for this all important and ALL IN year.
Bowles saying Trask can compete for #2 is not contradictory to what Clyde said. Bowles is simply saying that basically ALL spots – especially back up spots – are open to competition – and if Trask makes a HUGE jump this year, earning more snaps, and then clearly outplays Gabbert in pre-season – then maybe……
Christensen IS just providing candor in expressing his opinion that Trask won’t “get there” this year – because its all about 2022 and winning another Super Bowl with TB12 leading the Bucs for 1 last season.
Trask really doesn’t fit into the plans at all for this year other than to continue his “development”. Different story once Brady retires.
May 16th, 2022 at 1:58 pm
Joe,
What ever happened to all of that talk about BA holding multiple practice scrimmages at the same time in order to let everyone get reps? Was that only more of his BS? Did the team ever do this?
May 16th, 2022 at 2:07 pm
Pickgrin, you’re spot on imo
May 16th, 2022 at 2:20 pm
Agree wholeheartedly with Buczilla!
May 16th, 2022 at 2:21 pm
That’s the dumbest thing I’ve heard this week but it’s early. At his age and talking about being at the end of his career really the Bucs needed to use a second round pick to motivate a guy right after winning the super bowl? People really want Bucs back up plan to be a trade or free agent QB not draft and develop which is what this could easily be.
He didn’t take regular season snaps nor should he on a team with Tom Brady trying to win the championship.
Preseason snaps matter for guys like him and not sure why someone writing about Kyle trask keeps dismissing it. Just because nothing is on the line in terms of wins and losses doesn’t mean he won’t have to show he can be the guy or would be gone. There is plenty on the line for trask in the preseason whether you think he is good or not doesn’t matter if not looking at it from his perspective or the team. Who the hell takes Clyde’s comments as that of someone with authority. He was contradicted because he overstepped and clearly not on the same page with the new coach
May 16th, 2022 at 2:21 pm
I agree with Guzzie. Favre/Rodgers couldn’t have worked better for Aaron Rodgers. I think he carried that clipboard for 4 years. This should happen with more young QB’s. It makes the good ones hungrier while they learn.
May 16th, 2022 at 2:27 pm
Thought these articles were about guys who actually play for the Bucs. Who is this Kyle Trask guy? I never seen him in a game…
May 16th, 2022 at 2:41 pm
BigMacAttack, the Packers completely tore down Rodgers and built him back up. I believe that’s what’s going on with Trask. It’s a bad sign. Teams except these QBs to compete right away. The days of holding a clipboard for four years are over. The modern NFL is so passer friendly, that you can quickly identify if a guy can play or not.
May 16th, 2022 at 2:42 pm
Your theory Joe has one major flaw. If the brain trust at One Buc Place thought drafting Trask would help keep Brady at his peak, why would they not put Trask ahead of Gabbert on the depth chart this year?
May 16th, 2022 at 2:43 pm
@GOB you mean when our defense put Allen in position to have to throw the ball 54 times?
Josh Allen vs. Tampas’ defense went 36-54 308 yds 2TDs 109 rush yards 1 Rush TD 1 Int
-Josh Allen vs New England went 21/25 305 5 TDs 66 rush yds 0 INTs.
Let’s talk about getting “torched’ by the same guy, Allen did just as much with almost half the attempts against a defense that lost their best CB in FA this offseason.
May 16th, 2022 at 2:59 pm
Dooley you’ve got it backwards my friend. The bucs offense put the Bills in a position to throw 54 times. When did I defend the Patriots secondary here? I haven’t because I can’t. WTF does that have to do with the bucs secondary?
May 16th, 2022 at 3:21 pm
Oh, yes. The Bucs (at least through training camp last summer) fully utilized two of the three practice fields (the third is used for kickers/punters and dudes rehabbing). Joe had pointed out in a previous post why that fact made Christensen’s comments about snaps even weirder.
May 16th, 2022 at 5:30 pm
Now this is just absurd. If they all wasted a 2nd rounder in order to motivate the greatest of all time weeks after winning another SB they should all be fired immediately.
May 16th, 2022 at 6:03 pm
Nonsense. Brady doesn’t need a backup QB for motivation.
May 16th, 2022 at 6:24 pm
Unlike Rodgers, the coaches talked to Brady well before they decided to draft a QB and Brady was FINE with Trask. I’m not because for some reason he has been well-hidden and hardly even talked about. I was just as surprised as Joe regarding these 2 coaches’ comments. So far, I don’t see how Trask can motivate ANYONE. I want some real info on him!
May 16th, 2022 at 8:05 pm
I dont want trask as number 2. If it comes down to it and Brady breaks a finger and is out for a few weeks no way I want Trask out there making rookie mistakes. Give me the veteran.
Seems reasonable that the Bucs might be thinking the same thing. While Bardy is here we go with a veteran backup and Trask is developing. When Brady leaves take the Trask training wheels off and he better be ready to compete. At that point if Trask is a deer in the headlights and making rookie mistakes it wont be losing us games while we are trying to make a Super Bowl run.
May 16th, 2022 at 8:10 pm
Isn’t it more likely that Brady simply prefers to deal with Gabbert when he reviews plays on the sideline? If they know that’s the case, then Trask won’t be second string regardless of his performance. Isn’t Brady’s comfort level with Byron the explanation for the retirement as well? Put yourself in his shoes. You’re a seasoned vet that has no desire to learn a new system or adjust to a new coach ( remember it was widely reported at the time that Byron was going to Jax). I think all of this is simply keeping things comfortable and familiar for the guy who won us a SB. I know at my age I would prefer to retire if there are to many changes. It’s not that the changes would be bad. At my age I just wouldn’t want to deal with it. I suspect Brady is the same way.
May 16th, 2022 at 8:26 pm
Let’s hope Bucs do not make the same error as Trask’s High School and college coaches. Don’t ever underestimate the heart of Kyle Trask. He doesn’t complain and wait for his time. However he does respond by playing at his best when gets a chance and he will remember those who held him back. Gabbert is not a real competition for Trask and coaches know that. That is why they don’t want him to compete against Gabbert. Tom Brady wants Gabbert as his back up and coaches know Trask can easily beat Gabbert if given a chance. Gabber is a just useless outdated qb who has no real value to Bucs if Tom B. gets injured.
May 16th, 2022 at 8:56 pm
I suspect that Christiansen and other Bucs offensive coaches don’t realize how little-respected Gabbert is by most football fans. He started his career behind a horrible o-line and often had that deer in the headlights look common among QB’s thrown to the wolves too soon. Supposedly, he redeemed himself somewhat out west in Arizona and had some good games. (granted in a small sample size). The Bucs don’t see Gabbert as the stumblebum from his early years, They think he deserves more respect. He has never had the chance to start on an offense as loaded as the Bucs. I don’t want to see him starting while Brady is here, but I think that the Bucs may see Gabbert as an acceptable “bridge”” starter until Trask or some other young developmental QB is ready.
May 16th, 2022 at 10:11 pm
Gilbert has already got plenty of reps in our system so Trask should get most of the 2nd team reps so he can be properly judged. The coach already know what Gilbert and Griffin can do. They would be foolish not to find out what Trask can do.
May 16th, 2022 at 10:55 pm
Everybody keeps wondering about the Trask pick.
This guy was beat out by D’Eriq King in High School, Felipe Franks in college and it took 5 years for him to finally be good at Florida.
My point is, if Florida or Trask had given up, it would have never happened.
Tampa has had the time to groom him, so why not?
He is a hard worker and I hope he becomes great, even though there is literally nothing special about him now.
May 16th, 2022 at 11:30 pm
This is why I wanted Matt Corral. Guy has tons of upside. A great arm, great speed. Who gives af about “off the field” stuff, so long as it isn’t Watson-esque. If Brady retires every offseason, I’d like a better contingency plan than Trask or Gabbert. Now we’re going to have to play Corral for who knows how long. Yikes.
But maybe Licht is just about building a race car to lure veteran QB free agents/blockbuster trades. If that’s the case, I fully support it. We’ve never been able to develop a QB, why not bring in someone who’s worked the kinks out?
May 17th, 2022 at 12:34 am
Note to Defense Rules – correct about any relation to THE GOAT. There are many goats however.
May 17th, 2022 at 6:43 am
If Trask can’t win #2 job this season we’ll be drafting a QB next year. The dead cap hit for Brady will make it tough to bring in a high priced vet.
May 17th, 2022 at 8:30 am
There’s a big difference between first team reps and 2nd or 3rd. I’m sure that’s what Clyde was referring to. Not an Anti-Trasker but there’s a little too much float on his ball. Also, College means nothing. These College receivers are running wide open half the time. With that being said he’s in the perfect position to develope instead of being thrown to the wolves like some. Bears, Jets , Texans comes to mind.
May 17th, 2022 at 1:48 pm
Frankly, Trask in the 2nd rd & Hainsey in the 3rd were wasted 2021 picks.
Neither look like they will be given legit shots at climbing the depth chart for duration of their rookie deals.
May 19th, 2022 at 12:15 am
If anyone needs motivation, it’s the coaching staff and everyone on the Bucs D.