“There Was Some Regression There And I’d Be Concerned”
February 20th, 2023
New Bucs offensive coordinator Dave Canales.
Some Tampa folks are doing backflips over the Bucs signing offensive coordinator Dave Canales, the Seahawks quarterbacks coach who helped resuscitate the career of Seattle QB Geno Smith.
They cite Smith’s greatness this season after being a career backup, but one former NFL quarterback who has studied the Seahawks and Smith isn’t sure Smith was so great.
Hugh Millen retired after 10 years in the NFL, mostly as a backup QB, and settled years ago into an analyst role on sports radio in Seattle.
Joe was listening to Millen last week talk about the Seahawks’ big decision whether to bring back Smith in free agency on KJR radio. Millen, apparently, has been ranting for weeks about how Smith was 3-6 in his final nine games last season and statistically — and otherwise — was very average as a starting QB in that time. Ironically, it was a downhill slide for Smith starting with his loss to the Bucs in Germany.
“There was some regression there and I’d be concerned,” Millen noted.
Of course, that should greatly disturb any Bucs fan interested in Smith coming to Tampa. The way Millen painted Smith, one could call him a half-year wonder.
Joe can’t ding Canales for Smith having a tough second half of the season. That would be the equivalent of Joe coming down on Clyde Christensen for Jameis Winston’s six interceptions in his final two Bucs games.
By the same logic, Joe can’t give Canales all the credit for Smith’s revival.
Joe cringed when the radio conversation turned to discussion of the Seahawks possibly preferring to roll with Smith’s backup, Drew Lock, and signing Bucs linebacker Lavonte David and Eagles defensive tackle Javon Hargrave in free agency. The premise was that trio is far better value for Seattle than re-signing Smith.
February 20th, 2023 at 4:39 pm
Hey Joe, was Canales demoted this past season. In 2020 he was the QB coach, then in 2021 he was the passing game coordinator, then in 2022 he was back to being the QB coach.
To me, that sounds like a demotion, but I have no idea if those titles actually mean anything or not. I haven’t really seen anyone mention it.
If you have any insight, I’d love to hear it.
February 20th, 2023 at 4:42 pm
What a joke.
February 20th, 2023 at 4:43 pm
Really hope that Arians can offer Canales some mentorship OR this OC project isn’t going to end well for either parties!
February 20th, 2023 at 5:03 pm
Arians thinks we should have kept Leftwich and thinks we have the QB for our future so I’d pass on his mentorship.
February 20th, 2023 at 5:15 pm
Geno turned back into a pumpkin. Was anyone really surprised? They used a good running game and lots of half field reads. That’s not reinventing the wheel.
.
February 20th, 2023 at 5:18 pm
Geno Smith’s resume has like 9 years of mediocrity and one good season on it.
It would be the most Buccaneers thing ever to chase him.
February 20th, 2023 at 5:32 pm
I’ll be happy to see less discussion of Geno Smith once people realize he is not an option for the Bucs.
February 20th, 2023 at 5:35 pm
He was the only sap they could find to work for Bowzo the destroyer of teams and personell.
February 20th, 2023 at 5:36 pm
I didn’t really pay attention to the Seahawks, but it doesn’t surprise me the geno regressed to his mean down the stretch
He’ll always be a slightly below average QB and an absolutely perfect refugee from a proctologist’s office.
February 20th, 2023 at 5:37 pm
Sasquatch, I hope the hell not. I was just talking about the player and coach. I’d give 10 million in cap money to make sure he doesn’t come here.
February 20th, 2023 at 5:41 pm
The new normal: Hire some unheard of coach, while fielding sub-standard players.
February 20th, 2023 at 5:45 pm
I have a feeling, it don’t matter what the Bucs do.
They had their year of glory. Not to be repeated, for a while.
February 20th, 2023 at 5:46 pm
EXACTLY what Rob said!
February 20th, 2023 at 6:08 pm
If I were the Bucs, I’d go get Drew Lock.
February 20th, 2023 at 6:27 pm
NO GENO!
February 20th, 2023 at 6:39 pm
This is all meaningless considering Kyle Trask is going to be the QB
February 20th, 2023 at 6:41 pm
geNO
February 20th, 2023 at 6:44 pm
You can coach up a career back up, but eventually he will go back to what is natural, mediocrity.
I am not going to blame Canales for that either. I hope he can hit the ground running and do a real job of coaching up Trask, I think he didn’t really get coached enough for the past two years.
There is no need for the Bucs to bring in a faulty QB, and all of these FA QBs have flaws.
February 20th, 2023 at 6:59 pm
no one is signing Geno to be the starting qb anywhere
February 20th, 2023 at 7:01 pm
The Beer Whisperer Says:
February 20th, 2023 at 5:41 pm
Unheard-of coach? Unheard-of to who? So, since you didn’t know the name, he’s unqualified? What a boob!
#Delusional
February 20th, 2023 at 7:17 pm
Last year, Seahawks averaged 1 yard per carry more than Bucs rushing (Bucs were worst in NFL) and 1 yard more per pass attempt than Bucs (Bucs were ranked 25th in yards per attempt).
Assuming 65 plays per game – that’s another 65 yards per game of offense for Bucs if Canales improves Bucs offense to Seahawks standards.
That should make Bucs scoring improve from 18 to 24 points per game if you extract points from production and leave out other factors like penalties (which Bucs actually improved on in 2022) and turnovers.
February 20th, 2023 at 7:18 pm
For that let’s just start Trask and re-sign Gabbert to be training camp buddies. Gabbert loves Tampa so let’s appease him, and if he wins the job outright so be it. I personally want Garoppolo, if not Derek would do the trick. Lamar Jackson is a thug that only thinks of himself, stay in that cesspool known as Baltimore. Whatever we do it shouldn’t be a one year wonder in Smith.
February 20th, 2023 at 7:29 pm
Geno Smith asking for $35 mil after a 9-8 season (and a meh career) reminds of Jameis Winston asking for $30 mil (I think) after the 2019 season when we went 7-9. In Jameis’ case that averaged out to $1 mil per INT so that was a lot less than most other starting QBs get per INT. Such a deal.
February 20th, 2023 at 7:37 pm
Alanbucsfan … ‘That should make Bucs scoring improve from 18 to 24 points per game’.
I think most Bucs’ fans would gladly settle for our offense scoring 24 PPG. Last year, however, our defense ended up allowing 21 PPG, but half of that defense are now FAs. Unless Bowles (and JL) can work some real magic, our defense could very well end up surrendering 28 or more PPG. (Our defense underwent a significant ‘rebuilding’ in 2019 when Bowles arrived, and ended up allowing 28 PPG for that 16-game season).
February 20th, 2023 at 7:40 pm
No qb the Bucs could get will make next year a success. More a matter of doing well enough to give Bowles another season or not
February 20th, 2023 at 7:51 pm
DR-
Alot of that 2019 pts allowed was courtesy of Jameis’ interceptions.
I agree that what Bucs do as far as Defensive personnel this year will affect their performance, but knowing Bowles is a defensive coach, I’m hopeful of 2023 Bucs D as Bowles and Licht will make it a priority.
February 20th, 2023 at 8:24 pm
Joe is about as knowledgeable about football as a gnat. Also, Tampa Bay has some of the least educated, fair weather fans in all of sports. I’ll go with Licht over any of you tools any day.
February 20th, 2023 at 8:24 pm
If you want Geno smith on this team, you’re an actual moron.
That being said, regular season wins are not a quarterback statistic. It’s not just Geno that sucked with Seattle.
February 20th, 2023 at 8:46 pm
Gotta go with Trask. We don’t have the means to sign Lamar. all of the remaining QBs are meh at best. Jimmy G, meh. Derek Carr, meh. Might as well see what Trask has. If there is no light at the end of the tunnel then we will have a high 2024 pick and you draft your guy then. I couldn’t disagree more that Lamar is about himself. I love that dude but it would be a pipe dream that we find a way. There would be 20+ teams that would be ecstatic to have him. Today’s game is really about a mobile QB. Don’t have to have Lamar speed but need to be able to move with Mahomes speed.
February 20th, 2023 at 8:54 pm
AlanBucsfan … ‘knowing Bowles is a defensive coach, I’m hopeful of 2023 Bucs D as Bowles and Licht will make it a priority.’
Agree 100%, mostly because our defense is in far worse shape personnel-wise than our offense. I never expect much out of any draft picks in the Rnds 5-7 range, and we don’t have a Rnd 4 this year. So we’re gonna need to hit on our Top-3 draft picks.
I’m expecting the Bucs to select a DT, a CB & a DE/OLB with those 3 picks, with the order of selection dependent on BPA when we pick. Fully expect that we’ll re-sign LVD and probably SMB & Edwards & Nelson (would dearly love to re-sign Dean, but he’ll command far more than we can afford to pay … and deserve it). Wouldn’t be at all surprised to see us re-sign Gholston, RNR & probably Nassib. Those re-signs, plus a good draft, should set us up for starters & key rotational players for this year, but we’ve got to be looking at building DEPTH to serve as replacements for 2024 & beyond.
February 20th, 2023 at 9:25 pm
I have no earthly idea why Bucs fans crave for geno freaking Smith! If we want to be average why get an average quarterback when it seems like we have one in the only qb on the roster. At least he has the chance to surprise us but if not high draft pick
Smartest thing this team could do is go offensive line and running back high in this years draft if the o line improves at least he won’t have to throw much
February 20th, 2023 at 9:35 pm
We could have gotten Eric beiniemy… he would have fixed everything
February 20th, 2023 at 9:37 pm
Todd Bowels has proven that even with Tom Brady his offenses will always be trash. NEVER HIRE A DEFENSIVE MINDED HEAD COACH AGAIN!!!
February 20th, 2023 at 9:53 pm
Geno is Geno. He surprised for the first half of the season, for many reasons, then regressed, but leaving the impression of a good season for those not watching closely. Geno will not be the next coming. Any more than Canales is.
The elephant in the room is Todd Bowles. What exactly is Bowles Ball, and what is the plan? There is no reason to expect greatness, given the long and tawdry history.
February 20th, 2023 at 9:53 pm
Trask for 2023….
February 20th, 2023 at 9:54 pm
Jack Clark Says:
February 20th, 2023 at 9:35 pm
Really? That’s news to me.
I don’t think he would’ve been interested in our situation.
February 20th, 2023 at 9:58 pm
Pewter Power Says:
February 20th, 2023 at 9:25 pm
I don’t think fans are interested. It’s only the media chirping about it, and then JBF has to spread it because it’s a story about a non-story… In other words it’s speculation built upon speculation… otherwise known as the NFL Offseason Speculation Industrial Complex. It’s just the way to pay the bills when there’s nothing actually worthwhile to report.
February 20th, 2023 at 11:35 pm
Alanbucsfan – But this guy wasn’t the Seahawks OC, he was their QB coach and had no say in how the games were called.
With that said, you’re correct to point out that the Seahawks were better than the Bucs on offense, and that’s why Leftwich was thrown overboard.
February 20th, 2023 at 11:55 pm
Geno Smith is and has always been a trap. He’ll try to get as much money as he can, knowing full well that he won’t earn it.
February 21st, 2023 at 2:11 am
In that pic next to the article title, it sure looks like Canaries has a load in his pants. So he’s familiar with Bowels and their movements. That’s a positive.
February 21st, 2023 at 2:45 am
Sounds like Canales might have been on his way out in Seattle anyway another Lefty in disguise.
February 21st, 2023 at 3:03 am
That would be just like Bowels, to overpay for a guy who had been demoted the previous season and was about to be fired.
One bourbon, one scotch, one beer.
February 21st, 2023 at 7:21 am
No
No
No
Bucs need to just suck up 2023, get the cap under control, and right the ship.
Besides, they will go nowhere with Bowles. He didn’t go anywhere with Tom GOAT Brady.