“He’s Gotta Be The Smartest Guy On The Field”
March 8th, 2023
Kyle Trask
Todd Bowles and offensive coordinator Dave Canales are planning to add two veteran quarterbacks to compete with third-year QB Kyle Trask.
Each revealed nuggets of their approach during sitdowns last week with the Ira Kaufman Podcast.
One take Bowles had was somewhat telling, Joe believes. Bowles instantly noted that one trait he requires in a quarterback is above the neck. “He’s gotta be the smartest guy on the field,” Bowles said.
But Bowles is a realist when it comes to the position. He seems to know the Bucs are unlikely to have a 2023 quarterback that can put the team on his back.
“…Whatever the quarterback is lacking, you have to pick up either on the offensive line or running backs or the receivers or tight ends. He doesn’t have to be a great quarterback. There’s been regular quarterbacks or just decent quarterbacks win Super Bowls and go to the playoffs year in and year out,” Bowles said. “And unfortunately, when you’re not picking No. 1 or top-3, you’re not going to get to pick that guy, per se. And you’re definitely not going to get him in free agency because they’re all going to be under contract or they’re going to cost you an arm and a leg.
“So you have to try to create a team and make sure that quarterback follows the process. And then when you get that [special quarterback] or somebody falls in your lap, you try to take advantage of it. Meanwhile, you gotta try to win otherwise.”
Are the Bucs seeking a specific personality type for a veteran quarterback? An alpha, perhaps? Canales tackled that question in yesterday’s podcast, available below (or here).
March 8th, 2023 at 10:14 am
We should add both Lamar Jackson and Aaron Rodgers…
Don’t worry about the cap.
It doesn’t exist.
Go Bucs!!!
March 8th, 2023 at 10:21 am
Smartest quote I’ve seen yet from Bowles. That’s a realistic thought process.
March 8th, 2023 at 10:23 am
You don’t have to pick 1 or 3 or even 63, you just have to hit on whatever pick you have (see J. Winston/T. Brady)!
March 8th, 2023 at 10:27 am
Sheeeeshh…we need to take a look at how the Saints manage the cap. Same thing with that team every year it seems!
March 8th, 2023 at 10:35 am
Trask will learn by fire and taking his lumps. And he got a lot of lumps coming. Gabbert will win more games than he will.
March 8th, 2023 at 10:39 am
If they gave Jamyth 5 full seasons
Trask should at least get one.
March 8th, 2023 at 10:43 am
Any way, anybody so that the Bucs don’t have to rely on Trask (AKA homer pick).
March 8th, 2023 at 10:47 am
Todd Bowles … “Whatever the quarterback is lacking, you have to pick up either on the offensive line or running backs or the receivers or tight ends. He doesn’t have to be a great quarterback. So you have to try to create a team and make sure that quarterback follows the process. ”
BA’s ‘Bombs Away’ philosophy required an elite QB to really make it work. Tom Brady fit the mold perfectly. Well, until he didn’t. Bowles is obviously shooting for a more balanced attack that doesn’t really rely on having an elite QB. Smart move IMO, since we don’t have the money to buy one nor the high pick to draft one.
That seems like a more realistic offensive approach given our woeful salary CAP situation. The question is … Will it work? Can we cobble together enough of an OLine & RB stable & WR/TE group this season to be competitive? Unfortunately we won’t have that answer until the draft ends on April 29th. Might even end up being later than that.
March 8th, 2023 at 10:52 am
@ Lt. Dan
The biggest problem for the Bucs cap is not just being $58M over.
It is also having 26 free agents to sign. Add 3 more with Brate, Smith and Fournette getting cut.
Plus – the Bucs only have a limited number of contracts to restructure this off season.
All of Godwin’s salary in 2023 ($23.75M) is fully guaranteed.
Shaq Barrett is coming off a torn achilies.
They just cut D. Smith so there goes another possible restructure candidate.
Jenson is coming off a major knee injury and is 32 years old.
– Evans
– Davis
– Vea
– Jenson
– White
– Gage
– Mason
These are the only contracts the Bucs have to restructure.
They really painted themselves into a corner in 2023.
When you start out at minus $58M you have to clear $90M in cap just to have $32M to spend.
Keep in mind our draft picks will cost @ $7-$8M.
In contrast the Saints have like 12-14 different contracts they are able to restructure and pull needed cap dollars from.
March 8th, 2023 at 10:55 am
Our offensive coordinator simplifying everything should held Trask alot.
March 8th, 2023 at 10:59 am
@ DR
“Unfortunately we won’t have that answer until the draft ends on April 29th. Might even end up being later than that.”
I agree.
I believe the Bucs will be adding a slew of players that are cut from other teams in late August.
I think the Texans added like 12 players to their 53 man roster from the waiver wire last year.
The Bucs will probably be doing the same thing in 2023.
March 8th, 2023 at 11:06 am
I get what he’s saying.. and in most years he might be right… But saying you’re definitely not getting him in free agency after getting Tom just 3 years ago…. Uh ok. It happens, just not that often..
March 8th, 2023 at 11:20 am
I can only think of one non-elite QB who won the Super Bowl. Trent Dilfer. I’m sure there are others but I can’t think of them off the top of my head. One more just came to mind. Nick Foles. Anyway, the point is, it doesn’t happen as often as Bowles days it does.
March 8th, 2023 at 11:22 am
I agree with Marine: sign both Rogers and Jackson and play them at the same time.
Can’t have too many decent QB’s… 😉
If the cap can gets kicked to 2040, so be it. Works for the Aint’s…
Get younger, faster, and older at the same time.
Fun times…
March 8th, 2023 at 11:27 am
Is it a given we’ll re-sign Gabbert to his annual contract?
March 8th, 2023 at 11:37 am
We are now paying the price of the “ALL IN WITH BRADY” time. Hey we got 2 out of 3 good years with the guy and a Super Bowl win. Same thing happened when they brought in Chucky back in the day. Get ready for a couple lean years. They need to rebuild with new players in key spots. Can still be competitive in the next few years. The Bucs need to cut some of the high pay long in the tooth players (or trade them) and rebuild. The next couple of drafts will be important to the future of this team. They need to start in the D and O line as well as the secondary!
March 8th, 2023 at 11:38 am
I like how both Bowles and Canales are taking the pressure off of Trask (or the QB behind “Door Number Two”).
March 8th, 2023 at 11:56 am
That explains dumping Winston.
March 8th, 2023 at 12:10 pm
If anyone thought things would slow down/get boring around here post-Brady…they were wrong. The polarizing nature of The Trask Force FanBoys vs the non-believers/underwhelmed is a fun topic to watch play out. We will see where this goes of course…I for one am glad The Sewer City Saints signed Used Carr. He’s easy to root against as are The Taints. He’ll never lead a team to the promised land. I don’t worry about The Taints post Brees/Payton…who underachieved most of the time in the past decade.
March 8th, 2023 at 12:13 pm
Great points and solid insights, DR and MB.
Should we find ourselves having had a winning season and in the playoffs come January it will be a miracle as far as I am concerned. Licht will have done a masterful job of providing the personnel and Bowles will have done a great job of coaching the team up to a high level of performance. Let us hope so!
The two veteran quarterbacks we will acquire this year will be “also rans” or “journeymen”. The two glory seasons with Tom Brady were well worth it for this franchise.
Go Bucs!
March 8th, 2023 at 12:38 pm
Marine Buc … ‘These are the only contracts the Bucs have to restructure. They really painted themselves into a corner in 2023.’
Yes we have definitely painted ourselves into a corner, but methinks we have even fewer contracts to restructure than you listed. Which ones would even agree to restructure? Plus, restructuring typically leads to longer contracts, so which of those players do we REALLY want long-term? Say after 2024. Mason? Nah. Gage? Nah. Jensen? Probably not. White? Probably not (next year’s salary CAP situation will be just as bad as this year’s by the time we end up ‘restructuring contracts’). So that leaves Evans, Godwin, Davis, Vea. Evans is a FA after this year & may not want to be restructured. Same with Godwin (he’s a FA after 2024, but with a potential out after this year).
Hate to say it, but I think we’ll see more releases very shortly. Not that the Bucs want to do it, just that don’t have very many options. And BTW, please wait until after March 17th to sign Rodgers & Jackson. We’ve gotta get under the salary CAP limit first.
March 8th, 2023 at 12:44 pm
Carson Wentz and Cooper Rush
An all red QB room
March 8th, 2023 at 1:54 pm
So, what he’s saying, is that he doesn’t care about a QB’s abilities, he just wants a game manager, because his system is so brilliant, if someone just does what they’re told, they’re going to win a SB. Got it.
March 8th, 2023 at 2:06 pm
“When that special QB falls in your lap you try to take advantage of it”
Hence why Todd Bowles should be fired for last year.
March 8th, 2023 at 2:07 pm
Bucs56 Says:
March 8th, 2023 at 2:06 pm
“When that special QB falls in your lap you try to take advantage of it”
Hence why Todd Bowles should be fired for last year.
——–
ooof. That’s a sick burn.
March 8th, 2023 at 2:20 pm
Trask has to lean on intellect because his game is that of a QB that if he were draft 10-12 years ago his skill set would be more prototypical to what successful QBs were made out to be back then. Good in the pocket, Good stature at 6’4 230-240 and enough arm talent to get the ball to all 3 levels, but not glaring arm strength that jumps out at you. Even at UF, Trask didn’t have to be them most athletic or be a threat on the ground like it seems most QBs have to have just based on how spread principles are infused into NFL playbooks or the variety of what teams do is broader because of that change to the approach of faciliatating a pro offense
Trask isn’t going to create if protection breaks down, so don’t expect him to and he certainly is not going to force defenses to respect what he can do with his legs, BUT he’s physically talented enough to get the ball where it needs to go and facilitate the offense to the athletes he’s got at his disposal. Trask showed at UF he can read defenses, so not a single read guy which is a plus fast tracking his development as he’s gotta learn how to read pro defense with having some experience doing at the college
March 8th, 2023 at 2:47 pm
They just have to remember the more they restructure will go againsr next years cap and the year after that and the year after that. I believe you definitely see a couple of more players released at at least one big name traded. They can boo hoo all they want when they release or trade someone but business is business and I am pretty sure the Glazers won’t shed a tear.
March 8th, 2023 at 4:41 pm
@ DR
“Yes we have definitely painted ourselves into a corner, but methinks we have even fewer contracts to restructure than you listed.”
I agree.
I was trying to be as positive as I can be… You are correct – most of the players I listed I would not restructure if I were GM – BUT – due to the VOID years and guaranteed money given within these contracts even cutting/releasing players are not going to help very much.
Cutting Gage, Mason and Succop will only save the Bucs @ $13M or so… Now that makes six new holes in this already porous roster due to cap cuts and only @ $30M in cap savings…
That still leaves us with @ $28M or so over the cap.
What do we do with Shaq Barrett? What a mess… Can’t cut him we owe him $22.85M in signing bonus money.
Can’t trade him because of his injury.
He is due to make $21.25M in 2023 (9.4% of our cap).
March 8th, 2023 at 5:55 pm
This is what the Post All-In with the GOAT aftermath looks like.
Nobody complained back then, so no one should complain now.
March 8th, 2023 at 7:37 pm
I knew this was going to happen Corbraboy!!
March 8th, 2023 at 10:26 pm
These Captain Obvious statements are more evidence of why this team is in the shape it’s in. OF COURSE the QB has to be smart. Mere months ago, one of the smartest of all time was the Bucs QB. He was prevented from using his football IQ. By Bowles.
What is more disturbing, for fans of Trask, is the suggestion (and this statement does suggest) that he is lacking in smarts.
Not one but TWO veterans. That is hardly an endorsement of Trask, who clearly has less experience aka “brains” than a veteran, being either ready or the starter. If I am Trask, who has worked hard for two years, I am not happy with this at all.
Given that Bowles considers Gabbert to be a great QB (“he’s one of my favorite guys, love him, he’s so tough”etc.), there is a good chance he’s back because this season is about Bowles surrounding himself with his guys.
March 9th, 2023 at 12:41 am
Unless the veterans are Norm Snead and Trent Dilfer, looks like #2 will be #3 again, on the same trajectory as the immortal Rudy Carpenter.
March 9th, 2023 at 7:35 am
Trask cannot throw a deep sideline out pass – so that will not be part of the game plan.
March 9th, 2023 at 9:34 pm
Unless they can get Aaron R. Bucs, just need to put all their eggs in one basket and get Trask ready to start. They need to stop all these dancing around and qb comments. There is no reason to add these average free agent qb’s or draft while taking valuable snaps away from Trask. After all he just rookie after two years being in street cloths except one garbage game. Bucs even missed an chance to give him valuable minutes against Atlanta only to let an old qb named Gabbert to replace Tom B. Bucs are a mess when it comes to developing their own home grown qb. Why did they even draft Trask if they didn’t even play a meaningfull game or compete for qb2 ?