If You Have Two Quarterbacks…
March 17th, 2023
Bucs QB Baker Mayfield.
There is something uneasy for Joe when it comes to the quarterback slot for the Bucs. And no, it has nothing to do with Baker Mayfield or Kyle Trask. It’s bigger than those two.
Go ahead and replace Mayfield and/or Trask’s name with any other Bucs quarterback of the past other than Tom Brady. Jameis Winston and Mike Glennon, or Blaine Gabbert and Bruce Gradkowski, or the McCown Bros., Josh and Luke.
You’ve likely heard the old football cliché, “If you have two quarterbacks, you have none?” That’s the vibe Joe got yesterday listening to Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht speak about Mayfield.
Of course, earlier this week the Bucs came to terms with the free agent Heisman Trophy-winner from Oklahoma by way of Cleveland, Carolina and Los Angeles.
Licht of invoked one of his favorite words, “compete,” when discussing Mayfield.
“It’s going to be a great competition,” Licht said of a presumed battle (?) between Mayfield and Trask. “Since I’ve been here, really the first legit QB competition in training camp whcih will be a lot of fun to watch.”
But when has a successful team not known who its Week 1 starting quarterback is in March after the first week of free agency? Short of a trade, that doesn’t happen often — at least not with a successful team.
So just right there without even factoring in what other NFC South teams are adding to their roster, Joe sees a sort of dark cloud of quarterback uncertainty over One Buc Palace.
(If you are Mike Evans or Chris Godwin or Russell Gage, who do you work out with this summer, Mayfield or Trask?)
As for bringing in Mayfield, Licht admitted his big personality played a big factor.
“We’ve seen a fiery competitor,” Licht said of Mayfield. “Very confident. Smart. He’s got a very good arm.
“He’s had a lot of success. He took Cleveland to the playoffs, the first time since ’94 when Coach [Bill] Belichick was coaching. That says something.”
Licht is right. The only glimmer of light for the sadsack Browns in decades was when Mayfield led them to a playoff win — over the hated Steelers no less! — before giving the Chiefs a scare at Kansas City in the divisional round.
That does say something for Mayfield. But apparently, not enough to call him the Bucs’ starting quarterback. Yet.
March 17th, 2023 at 8:11 am
But when has a successful team not known who its Week 1 starting quarterback is in March after the first week of free agency?“
Seahawks last year maybe? Geno was no sure thing to be their starter at this time.
But yeah it’s usually a very bad sign lol
March 17th, 2023 at 8:12 am
Baker is a faker. He’s sus; napoleon complex. Hope I’m wrong, but doubtful.
March 17th, 2023 at 8:13 am
I guess you get what you pay for.
March 17th, 2023 at 8:16 am
M technically it’s true there’s never been a quarterback competition since he’s been here. Chances are better that we have no quarterback at all not two. If baker can’t clearly beat trask than we should room with trask
March 17th, 2023 at 8:17 am
49ers don’t know. Ravens don’t know. Dolphins don’t know. Washington doesn’t know. Falcons don’t know. Tc.
March 17th, 2023 at 8:21 am
the job is mayfield’s to lose…
then trask comes in if we are crashing and burning…
but then what if after camp, trask is the #3 qb…yikes…
as for mayfield, as i mentioned before, he’s kinda like a jeff garcia, sort of…or if things go well he will be like a garcia type for the bucs…
and as for him being on 4 teams in just a few years, yeah it’s true, but cleveland flipped the script big time on him with the watson move, and that treatment might have messed with this young alpha’s head a bit, and in the last year or so he’s just never regained his footing…so you can’t write him off just yet as a journeyman…
he should be given a legit chance to hit the reset button for himself here and the opportunity to settle in and hopefully hit his comfort zone – granted he only has one year to do that…lol…
if things go well we could be the 10-7 team that bounces into the playoffs, with with a team rallying around a cocky young fella who likes to talk mad ish…
the price is definitely right…and i’m rooting for him…
after all the one and only goat, tommy b is looong gone…
#ItsBakerMayTime
March 17th, 2023 at 8:22 am
OK….we’ve got a competition (so to speak) not a controversy…..it will be a controversy if the eventual starter fails…..fans will want the other QB in.
I suspect everybody expects Mayfield to win the job…….if he doesn’t then we have a pleasant surprise with Trask.
March 17th, 2023 at 8:29 am
So, if you have two quarterbacks you have none, then if you have no quarterbacks do you have one? My math is a little shaky this morning.
March 17th, 2023 at 8:30 am
also with #baker, i can see mike evans numbers possibly going up
March 17th, 2023 at 8:43 am
Everyone knows who the starting QB will be week one.
March 17th, 2023 at 8:44 am
QB competition is great! Jimmy Johnson in Dallas was a fan of QB competition, Bill Parcells was a fan of QB competitions. I say bring in 3rd or 4th QB and let the battle begin. It only brings out the best IMO.
March 17th, 2023 at 8:48 am
Please. What quarterback did Jimmie Johnson have on the roster in Dallas that would even touch Troy Aikman? The Giants? Scott Brunner was going to unseat Phil Simms? Jeff Rutledge?
March 17th, 2023 at 8:50 am
i would just resign gabbert as number 3…but if not…
maybe…
joe flacco
mason rudolph
trevor siemian
or griffffff 🙂
March 17th, 2023 at 8:50 am
Agree with Adam of NY. I too can see Mike Evans numbers going way up with Baker!
March 17th, 2023 at 8:58 am
Joe, you haven’t heard Jimmy Johnson talk about how important QB competition is for a team? He’s a big fan in 1989 Dallas did draft Aikman BUT however they also drafted quarterback Steve Walsh later in the NFL’s supplemental draft for competition for Aikman.
March 17th, 2023 at 8:58 am
Would think it great to see Trask rise up and take the job. But my gut feeling and mind are saying that it will be Mayfield starting.
March 17th, 2023 at 9:07 am
Guess I don’t get the point of this conversation (“If you have two quarterbacks, you have none?”). We have 2 QBs because we couldn’t afford 1 really good one like Mahomes or Burrows. One has a 5-year track record of 31-38. The other probably has splinters on his butt from sitting on the bench behind Tom Brady. Far as I’m concerned, they’re BOTH unknowns (in terms of how well they’ll perform in a Bucs uniform this year).
But that’s what a FAIR competition is supposed to be all about. That they BOTH get a FAIR shot to work with the first team guys and see how well they can manage the offense. Admittedly I’m not sure what to expect from either at this point, so … bring it on and let’s see what they’ve got.
If Mayfield does really well, you know he’s gonna want a MUCH better contract next year (who’d blame him). If Trask does really well, we’ll get him for 1 more year THEN we’ll have to pay him the big bucks to keep him (that’s the nature of the beast that you create). Hopefully Trask lights it up IMO, because next year’s salary CAP will be a ‘challenge’ shall we say (way behind already, with several ‘gotta haves’ like Wirfs and Winfield due for new contracts, and possibly White & LVD’s replacement among others).
If neither Mayfield nor Trask sparkle though, 2024 promises to be a good year for drafting a QB. It’s just that right now, in 2023, we don’t know which door to open. That’s part of what makes life intriguing and fun though.
March 17th, 2023 at 9:15 am
If Trask beats out Mayfield, we’ve got a legit starter. I consider Mayfield a bottom to mid tier starter in the league. If not, then we have our bridge QB until we draft another. I believe one of them can be an effective game manager similar to a Jimmy G or Geno. Not dominant but efficient and effective especially if we have a run game to balance the offense.
March 17th, 2023 at 9:18 am
Mayfield will play for his seventh head coach in five years this season. He is a quick learner with a little mobility and a big arm. If the OC from Seattle is the real deal, and the team finds a tackle, Mayfield could really excel. Watch his highlights. What an opportunity for both of them.
March 17th, 2023 at 9:22 am
Arians must have told Licht to sign Mayfield. Licht doesn’t sound like Mayfield is “his guy” per se. He sounds like someone relying on a recommendation and trusting the source and then seeing how it plays out.
March 17th, 2023 at 9:23 am
We dont have 2 qbs, all we have is Mayfield.
March 17th, 2023 at 9:28 am
Mayfield’s experience level has him the starter and if KT wants it more, he has to take it at camp! Who ever picks up the new playback quickest will have an advantage! I expect that to be BM because he has shown he can be a quick study, last season in LA. KT has shown he requires more time!!
In the long run, either may rise up to their known potential or not!
We will see!!!!
March 17th, 2023 at 9:29 am
Rather two sorta unknowns in terms of final verdict than the absolute mediocre certainty of Derek Carr.
March 17th, 2023 at 9:33 am
SanFrancisco had 3 qbs last year. They did just fine!!
March 17th, 2023 at 9:34 am
Did we officially release Brate yet?
March 17th, 2023 at 9:35 am
Would still like to pick up Matt Ryan as insurance as I am not convinced that Mayfield or Trask are the answer.
March 17th, 2023 at 9:37 am
Mayfield has a big personality and Licht likes those types of players. Not sure about the rest concerning Mayfield but Licht does like “dog” personalities.
March 17th, 2023 at 9:38 am
“If you have two quarterbacks, you have none.”
It all depends on the locker room. Players know who gives the team a better shot at winning.
If the QB who “wins” the competition is not the one the players think should be behind center, then you have a problem. If the players and coaches agree, you only have a problem if #2 acts like a jerk.
March 17th, 2023 at 9:42 am
jus passing thru
March 17th, 2023 at 9:49 am
Vet QB+2 yr Developmental QB+Rookie QB = QB competiton, this is the way.
March 17th, 2023 at 10:06 am
JL knows better. He’s watched Trask for two years, too. If they truly felt that Trask was The Guy, they would have signed PJ Walker or someone even lower tier than that.
This move is a result of Trask proving to coaches and management over the span of two years that he’s not NFL material, but does a nice job with the clipboard.
March 17th, 2023 at 10:17 am
Goatfarmer … ‘This move is a result of Trask proving to coaches and management over the span of two years that he’s not NFL material’.
And you know that HOW Goatfarmer? Trask has never gotten a real opportunity to play with the 1’s, even in preseason. Coaches will figure out pretty fast if there’s a REAL competition for starting QB who should get the nod. Their jobs depend on making the right choice.
March 17th, 2023 at 10:26 am
if baker can fix baker…
or the bucs can fix baker…
we could have a franchise quarterback for the next 5-10 years…
i know that sounds a little crazy right now, but…
in a perfect world, this is a possibility…yeah it’s a long shot, but you never know…
what if he pulls a geno smith this year…???
who knows…the dude is a real question mark…
licht is giving the guy a shot to revive his career while we’re in cap hell
March 17th, 2023 at 10:33 am
They are such different QBs. Mayfield is a run around guy, Trask is a pocket and read guy.
The competition depends on two other things.
First: What is Canales ideal on QB play. It seems to be more of a pocket guy as he said he has an O-line friendly offense. That means knowing where the QB is and blocking for that point.
Second: The changes in the O-line. Taking two starters away may make the line pretty porous for a while. Training camp is no longer a place you can get an O-line to gel.
That points to Mayfield playing the season start because he is a run around, play extending guy. He will have a couple bad games when he doesn’t need to do that and Trask will be able to show his stuff.
March 17th, 2023 at 10:52 am
I would love it if one of the Joes or Ira could get a one on one with Bruce Arians to see what he liked about Mayfield when he was coming out of college, what he likes now, and what he thinks he needs to improve on. That’s wasn’t a hint or anything. 😜
March 17th, 2023 at 11:25 am
It’s sorta been said that we don’t have any QBs. Untill one proves he’s deserving of the job that statement is true.
If both turn out worthy of the starting job then people might take sides and cause division.
I kinda take it with a grain of salt.
March 17th, 2023 at 11:34 am
we currently don’t have a legit starter at QB, we might with either of them eventually, but likely neither of them are good enough for more than 6 wins which is right in line with our HC ability level
We are going to be a bad team this year and everyone knows it
March 17th, 2023 at 12:01 pm
We had one QB we drafted, but because Todd Bowles we got two now.
March 17th, 2023 at 12:05 pm
When did we get a second Joe? I’m ever so confused
March 17th, 2023 at 12:44 pm
If Baker comes in & does what I expect he will do…(win the job outright)
The Bucs will have a lower mid-tier starting QB on the cheap for 1 yr.
But I’m not sure 2023 Bucs w/ Baker will be better than than the 2022 Bucs were w/ a declining TB12….And frankly, the Bucs will still be in no-man’s land for a franchise QB.
Will 7-9 wins = Baker’s the guy going forward??? Not so sure about that.
7-9 wins sure doesn’t = SB contender or help the Bucs get up in the draft to grab a rook from another premium QB Draft class in 2024….(Unless FO is ok grabbing Hartman or Leary late on Day1 or in rd 2 of 2024 draft)
March 17th, 2023 at 12:46 pm
I am just hoping that whoever chooses which QB wins the competition gets the consensus of the majority of the others who have a say in the choice. I don’t trust Bowles to properly evaluate a player on his own. This is really fun and interesting to see what we will see when we finally see Trask play. 🙂
March 17th, 2023 at 12:52 pm
We are likely to see both Mayfield and Trask start games this year.
There’s a good chance Mayfield will be the starter week 1.
There’s also a good chance that Mayfield won’t be available to start 17 games based on his injury history the 5 years he’s been in the league. Some NFL players are ‘durable’ – some ain’t…..
Also if the Bucs fall (lose) out of playoff contention – then we would likely see Trask get starts at that point as well.
March 17th, 2023 at 2:19 pm
If you have half a quarterback you have a saw
March 17th, 2023 at 2:25 pm
“As for bringing in Mayfield, Licht admitted his big personality played a big factor.”
——-
I’ve always defended Licht … but my God, that’s an unacceptable answer. He’s saying because Mayfield did crappy commercials, that’s why they signed him? Because some idiots who watch TV and think Mayfield actually lived in the Cleveland stadium, that he loves football? Seriously, Jason.
BTW, I never thought of this before, but if I had to live in Cleveland during the football season … yeah, I think I’d live at the stadium too and just never leave. I’d rather be stuck in there than anyplace else in that dump of a state, Ohio, where their rivers catch on fire and 90% of the land is covered by toxic train spills.
March 17th, 2023 at 2:40 pm
“If you have half a quarterback you have a saw”
I laughed way too hard at this @Darin
March 18th, 2023 at 1:31 am
It’s ok. The Bucs don’t have two quarterbacks.