CBS: 2023 Will Be A Shock To Bucs Fans
March 22nd, 2023
Rebound season?
In some ways, the past three years were a long bender for Bucs fans.
The Bucs had been in the throes of the Lost Decade. No playoffs and kick-in-the-nuts play on the field. It hit a point that going to games was the equivalent of cleaning the bathroom. Something you had to do.
Then came Tom Brady and poof! Let the good times roll.
Well, Garrett Podell of CBS Sports believes the current Bucs quarterback room should sober up Bucs fans. The bender is over. The bar tab needs to be paid.
In grading the Bucs’ free agency season through the first week, Podell gave the Bucs a “C” grade. Good moves on defense and on offense, well, reality is setting in.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: C
Key additions: QB Baker Mayfield (Rams), RB Chase Edmonds (Broncos), DT Greg Gaines (Rams)
Key re-signings: CB Jamel Dean, LB Lavonte David, CB Jamel Dean, DE Anthony Nelson
Somehow, they found just enough cap space in their couch cushions to re-sign cornerback Jamel Dean to a four-year, $52 million deal on Monday. It’s a solid retention for a player who has a 49.4% completion percentage allowed when targeted in his career, the third-lowest in the entire league since he was drafted in 2019. Dean trails only 49ers cornerback Charvarius Ward (48.2%) and Falcons cornerback Casey Heyward (48.7%) among players with 200 or more targets in that span. Bringing back franchise legend Lavonte David on a one-year, $7 million deal is huge both on and off the field.
However, their QB room could be Kyle Trask and Baker Mayfield in 2023 is a stark reminder that the Super Bowl aspirations Tom Brady brought with him from New England have vanished …
That’s probably true but as Joe mentioned, the playoffs are no pipe dream. Let’s think about this:
Slimy Saints: Don’t confuse Derek Carr with Brady. Competent? Yes. Star? No.
Stinking Panthers: Can C.J. Stroud as a rookie really lead the Stinking Panthers to a division title?
Dixie Chicks: Desmond Ridder? LOL. Atlanta was better off with that quitter, runaround quarterback Marcus Mariota.
So yeah, the Brady-less Bucs is a jarring thought. But Joe’s not shoveling dirt on Baker Mayfield’s face. Tampa Bay may be Mayfield’s final chance at NFL redemption. Let’s see what he does with it.
March 22nd, 2023 at 4:49 am
Joe … ‘So yeah, the Brady-less Bucs is a jarring thought. But Joe’s not shoveling dirt on Baker Mayfield’s face. Tampa Bay may be Mayfield’s final chance at NFL redemption. Let’s see what he does with it.’
And then there is Kyle Trask. You never know, he MIGHT win the starting nod in a ‘fair’ competition. (Hey Joe, somebody had to say it).
March 22nd, 2023 at 5:59 am
Why WOULDN’T we want our starter making $1.5 million a year?
March 22nd, 2023 at 6:54 am
Should’ve spend that $8 mil on Gardner-Johnson instead of childman Mayfield.
March 22nd, 2023 at 7:17 am
We had Brady last year and went 8-9 then got blown out in the playoffs….
I suspect we could do just as well with Mayfield….(TBBF doesn’t think Trask can beat him out)
March 22nd, 2023 at 7:23 am
Barring starter injury Trask will never start a game for the Bucs.
March 22nd, 2023 at 7:26 am
I would love to know how the Bucs could earn an “A” by CBS.
March 22nd, 2023 at 7:34 am
Baker has proven he’s an average QB the proof is in the pudding, and if he beats out Trask, as expected, that’ll be all we need to know about Trask, the best thing for this franchise is for Trask to win the competition coming out of camp, and if he falters go to Baker and we can hope we are close enough to draft a QB
March 22nd, 2023 at 7:38 am
We sobered up last season. Did Garrett even watch any of the Bucs games year?
March 22nd, 2023 at 7:47 am
Regardless of how this QB competition plays out, I’m really thinking both Trask & Mayfield will be attached to the same leash. Should keep whomever gets the nod once the preseason is over with looking over their shoulder knowing that a bad day could turn to your last day as starter. It’s a good kind of pressure.
March 22nd, 2023 at 7:59 am
I’m still searching for the “shock.” I see the cons for our other NFC south competitors, but still I’ll be “shocked” if the team wins 8 games and/or the division. Hoping for the best, but adequately conditioned by now to expect the worst.
March 22nd, 2023 at 8:07 am
I think we’ll be fine we should be able to make the playoffs at a 7-10 – 9-8 record, saints are our only threat and they have some big holes in there team
March 22nd, 2023 at 8:13 am
For all of you who actually believes Kyle Trask has a fair shot at winning the starting QB position, wake-up! There will be no competition. Mayfield will be the starter. Why? Because of $4 million reasons with $4.5 million reasons of incentives. Stop saying if Baker wins the start that’s a testimonial red mark against Trask’s ability, because you’re wrong. The money will determine who starts. Always has and always will. Only if Mayfield is shi*eting the bed will they turn to Trask. Just like recently with McClown and MG8.
March 22nd, 2023 at 8:32 am
If the team has less injuries and more depth than last year…What I am expecting this year if Trask is the starter is consistent growth, and double digit amount of victories. What I expect if Mayfield is the starter is something akin to Jameis Winston Inconsistent play, close to or the same amount of TD’s to interceptions and double digit amount of victories
March 22nd, 2023 at 8:32 am
Was he one of the guys who predicted the Bucs would end up in the Super Bowl in 2022-23? Like most everybody else including Las Vegas oddsmakers?
Or was he one of the guys who DIDN”T predict the Bucs would win the Super Bowl in 2020-21?
Or was he one of the guys who predicted the Eagles would finish middle of the pack in the NFC and cut Jalen Hurts four games into the 2022-23 season?
Or was he one of the guys who predicted that Mr. Irrelevant, last pick of the 2023 draft, would lead the 49ers to the NFC Title Game and lose only when he got hurt leaving no quarterbacks on the field in the last quarter of the game?
Predictions are no better than a-holes. Everybody has one and they’re all stinky.
March 22nd, 2023 at 8:35 am
Strength of schedule should be more in the Bucs’ favor after a losing record last season. Hopefully they won’t have to run another gauntlet of top-tier teams to start the season like last year. A new OC and only slightly improved division rivals and I can see a 10-7 or 11-6 record as a possibility which should be enough to win the division.
Trying to stay positive over here. Lol
March 22nd, 2023 at 8:40 am
I will not be shocked when they nosedive. I will be shocked if they win a game. Any game. The Bowles Curse is upon us.
March 22nd, 2023 at 8:42 am
DC is no DB..Car.#1pick..so was BM 5 years ago…so was JW….so what….all 4 teams in Div. have decent def.talent….honestly, I would take BM over the others in Division if run games being relatively equal… so baring any team having significant injuries more than the others ….I will choose TB in close race with the others, Carolina’s advantage may be HC….tho I think he is a hc..lol….at least after Indy and CW….draft could be slightly deterministic in this div….so l will take a”spring fling”and choose BM over Bambi in headlights DC….
March 22nd, 2023 at 8:51 am
I mean we can laugh and giggle at other teams’ quarterbacks but we have…..what. Now, Baker Mayfield moves the needle in many ways infinitely more than Kyle Trask, but that’s a low bar. But speaking of Gator fans’ prodigal son, if (when?) the Bucs draft Will Levis or Herndon Hooker, it is lights out. Trask is gnna get that pink slip hanging in his locker
March 22nd, 2023 at 8:52 am
Realizing the Browns offensive staff made DeShaun Watson look like a slightly taller version of Mayfield, bad. The Panthers wanted to tank for a first overall pick. And the Rams actually tried to play winning football and Mayfield actually looked like an NFL QB finally. I think the Bucs can win the division. Also Mayfield relishes the underdog role ( something Brady did even as the favorite) this could be a fun season.
March 22nd, 2023 at 8:56 am
Overcoming Bowles will be their biggest hurdle
March 22nd, 2023 at 9:11 am
If it’s one thing Joe knows it’s qbs! Lol 😂 see Johnny manziel and jameis “Americas backup” Winston. Mayfield may do ok because he’s proven to have 2 good years out of 5 so he may be due but I’d take a consistent carr or a rookie cj stroud with immense talent over baker mayfield. And at least Desmond rudder is an unknown he could be better then inconsistent mayfield. Panthers go exponentially better when he didn’t play. I wouldn’t poo poo any teams qb situation joe. We legitimately have a bottom 25 qb room lmao
March 22nd, 2023 at 9:29 am
Frankly, I’m tired of talking about Mayfield. Yes, he will likely get the starting job…but not because he should. This season will be a wasted year…and for the first time, I’m tempted to bail.
I won’t of course. I’m too dedicated to the team…but this is going to be painful to watch. At least with a rookie or Trask, we’d be making an effort to build toward a future. With Mayfield, well…it is going to be ugly.
And I’m not worried about all the fans here who are happy about Mayfield being here…I know Tampa fans. They’ll see he has 1-2 ‘okay’ games at first, then when he throws picks, has his passes batted down, and loses games, they’ll turn on him and scream for a new starter…or just give up entirely (like they were doing before Mayfield was signed).
March 22nd, 2023 at 10:02 am
Yes, this season might be a sad bender instead of a happy bender. Proof of that was last season’s fail with Brady as QB.
Keep the liquor cabinet filled, you might need it, instead of wanting it.
Mayfield will probably be gone by mid-season. He might, barely, win the starting job, but will fall apart during the real thing. The pressure of having a last chance before the CFL or XFL will get to him.
After 2-3 games Trask will get it and start to produce good numbers. It will not be enough to override the clown show of the season start.
There is no shock value in that, it is just a fact of life.
Shock value will be the rise of the Bucs late round QB pick, that makes Mayfield’s goodbye a pleasurable thing.
March 22nd, 2023 at 10:54 am
Can’t be worse than last year, I’m pretty sure last season shook out any golden era thoughts anyone has left. This year, we expect to suck, last year was super bowl hopes, last season one of worst of century
March 22nd, 2023 at 11:00 am
I believe Mayfield could be the steal of FA.
March 22nd, 2023 at 11:06 am
Bro I low-key think bucs can make a deep payoff run I mean Nfc South rn so trash and if baker or trask dont work we have next year’s draft. There are some serious studs there.
March 22nd, 2023 at 11:41 am
It’s all because of The Trask Conspiracy. Just because the organization has evaluated him for two years, every day, means nothing because we wanna see what we’ve got. No one cares about our feelings, or Trask’s. He’s being unfairly treated.
March 22nd, 2023 at 11:46 am
I was shocked we only won 8 games with Brady taking every snap. This year the shock will come if we win more then 8. So if Buc fans are shocked this year it’ll be over how good we are, our expectations aren’t that high, but thanks for thinking about us CBS.
March 22nd, 2023 at 11:47 am
It’s not like Brady was that great across the board last year. We Buc fans already woke up last year with a team that posted an 8-10 record.
If Mayfield duplicates his 11-5 kind of season performance, then this whole conversation is just horsehair… churn by guys paid to have an opinion and with no accountability when they are wrong. I may as well ask my grandmother.
March 22nd, 2023 at 1:05 pm
I think they diss the fans. There is almost nothing that would shock us now, IMO. I think the only thing that would shock us is if Trask came out and played like a 2020 Brady, but we are far from expecting that ATM. We are watching the Organization VERY closely. I even feel that we know more than these “talking head prognosticators”.
March 22nd, 2023 at 1:14 pm
A shocking Key re-signing of DB Jamal Dean, not just once but twice, I guess it does make the key re-signing list a bit longer.
March 22nd, 2023 at 1:35 pm
Bonzai and Craig,
Amen..
March 22nd, 2023 at 10:08 pm
Not saying that I have any Superbowl aspirations for the Bucs this year. Then again, you never know. Injuries play more of a part in who ends up in the Superbowl than anything else, it seems.
Still, can anyone can name more than 4 teams in the NFC that are definitively better than the Bucs look to be in 2023? Probably not, which means they aren’t exactly the disaster that so many people here who pretend to be Bucs fans think they will be.
March 23rd, 2023 at 3:53 am
Good job Jason!