Projected QB Options Evaporate
March 17th, 2023
“Keep checking your texts, Blaine.”
Joe would love a peek at the quarterbacks big board at One Buc Palace, and a screenshot of what it looked like four weeks ago.
Word on the street was that the Bucs were interested in Seattle backup Drew Lock and another Browns reject, Jacoby Brissett.
Well, late yesterday the Seahawks shared that Lock, who worked with new Bucs offensive coordinator Dave Canales last season in Seattle, is back in the fold behind starter Geno Smith for a base salary of $4 million with incentives up to $7.5 million. … Hey, that’s Baker Mayfield money!
Brissett is a new member of the Commandos for, per the Associated Press, $8 million plus incentives. (Hmmm, was Brissett using the Bucs as leverage to get that kind of money from Washington?)
Back at the NFL Scouting Combine, head coach Todd Bowles said he wants two veteran quarterbacks in the house to challenge Kyle Trask. The Bucs have only added Mayfield.
The veteran quarterback pool is shrinking quickly, even runaround quitter QB Marcus Mariota found a job with the Eagles for solid money.
Joe is starting to wonder whether the next Bucs quarterbacks in the house will be a rookie and Ryan Griffin showing up for his ninth season in Tampa.
For those wondering, Blaine Gabbert remains unemployed.
Ira Kaufman Talks Baker Mayfield Signing, Free Agency Moves/Non-Moves, How Many Wins Todd Bowles Needs To Keep His Job, Insider O-Line Chatter, And Much More
March 17th, 2023 at 10:37 am
I can hear it now after Gabbert resigns with the Bucs.
I came back for the culture at One Bucs place. It is a championship culture.”
March 17th, 2023 at 10:39 am
I would prefer B. Gabbert over R. Griffen…
One year deal – $2M plus incentives up to $4M.
– Mayfield
– Trask
– Gabbert
– 5th round pick
March 17th, 2023 at 10:45 am
what if they re-sign grif…
and leave a flickering distant hillsborough river light house light on for tommy b ???
therefore they’ve essentially replaced baker for gabbert…
(as a potential starter, or back up to tommy b, if he un-retires)
and all else remains the same…
hmmm…
March 17th, 2023 at 10:47 am
Goobert unemployed? What a surprise. No, really.
I guess no one wants to “watch daddy sling it.”
March 17th, 2023 at 10:52 am
Ryan Griffin must have some front office potential or something…crazy how he’s stuck around so long
March 17th, 2023 at 10:52 am
I still beat down Brady door.. telling him we need you mid-season..we already are paying him
March 17th, 2023 at 10:56 am
Teddy and Cooper Rush are still out there. Either one of them would reduce the risk of #2, who is really #4, ever seeing the field except in preseason. Or running the scout team.
March 17th, 2023 at 10:57 am
Oh, my goodness. This team makes things unnecessarily hard for no reason. Draft a damn QB in the draft and keep it moving. No to brining backing back Grif or Gab. Enough with those two. This team has to eventually draft and groom their own QB. Can’t do that when you’re constantly looking for the old dude. One vet is more than enough.
March 17th, 2023 at 11:02 am
Bring back Ryan & draft another QB. Done.
March 17th, 2023 at 11:05 am
You gotta love how these reporters make themselves look like geniuses by going out on a limb to predict Mayfield will get the start. Well it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure that out, not when there is potentially $8.5 million reasons why. Talk about going out on a limb, This move will be the nail in coffin for Jason Licht and Todd Bowles. If they had just started with the virtual rookie in Trask they might’ve had a built in excuse for a down season but not now.
March 17th, 2023 at 11:08 am
One of the reasons we stank so bad last year was the play of Brady. It feels good to move on.
March 17th, 2023 at 11:09 am
@BucKing
We’re not paying him, we just pushed that $35M down the road as Brady got that money already. We just stopped it from counting against our cap this league year instead of last. The dude isn’t coming back, he’s a dedicated cat dad now and eligible bachelor, meaning even when he isn’t with the kids he’s probably surrounded by, well, you know lol
March 17th, 2023 at 11:11 am
Haha if it were still Arians style offense, I low key wanted to see daddy sling it after a couple of years behind Brady. Gabbert looked solid at times and I wouldn’t hate him in a competition. But he’s not as accurate as Baker and from the nuggets we have from Canales, that’s a huge priority. I think Teddy is the better bet for a second veteran to truly compete. Or I wouldn’t mind bringing in Ryan as noncompetition and as a veteran voice/consultant in the room if he’d agree to it.
March 17th, 2023 at 11:16 am
KC — with you on Matt Ryan, although given Canales offensive trends from Seattle, someone with better mobility (even Flacco) might be better.
March 17th, 2023 at 11:17 am
Cincy’s LT Jonah Williams wants to be traded. Any takers?
March 17th, 2023 at 11:27 am
I thought I’d you have two quarterbacks you have none?
We’ve have two guys and one of them should be the starter good or bad Bucs will have to roll with them. Why again would we need another journeyman quarterback to add to that already average room? Draft a rookie sign a undrafted free agent and be done with it. No need to pay any more below average quarterbacks. If baker is that bad roll with trask and accept it
March 17th, 2023 at 11:28 am
Let’s face it, the qb room won’t get much better than it is. Probably draft a qb in a late draft round. Maybe even re sign Gabbert.
March 17th, 2023 at 11:32 am
“Would like to have two vets challenge Trask”……….not absolutely necessary…….unless Trask is a 4th string QB. Roll with Mayfield, Trask & a rookie……
March 17th, 2023 at 11:37 am
Thats always the double G’s waiting in the unemployment line Gabbert and Griffin.
March 17th, 2023 at 11:37 am
@ Scotty
Jonah Williams? He just had knee surgery in Feb and he will cost $12,6M…
Even when healthy he is average. That’s why the Bengals just signed Orlando Brown Jr. to play LT.
March 17th, 2023 at 11:39 am
Who cares. If the needs goes past Mayfield and Trask, the ship is sunk anyhow.
March 17th, 2023 at 11:42 am
If they can get the kid from Tennessee in Round 2, that would be a risk worth considering.
March 17th, 2023 at 11:42 am
@ Scotty
Jonah Williams allowed an NFL leading 12 sacks last season and was Cincey’s worst lineman.
That combined with the $12.6M price tag and the Feb knee surgery – no thanks…
March 17th, 2023 at 11:46 am
Joe Flacco….and of course on the cheap.
March 17th, 2023 at 11:48 am
Enough with the QB’s already. We need other positions more. We can always snatch a 3rd QB of some kind if needed later in the season. These two should be adequate as long as we get them enough protection.
March 17th, 2023 at 11:54 am
Ryan Griffin still will be the third quarterback on the Bucs in 2037.
March 17th, 2023 at 11:57 am
@Crickett Baker
who’s going to throw the ball at rookie camp?
March 17th, 2023 at 12:00 pm
Bowles won’t bring in Gabbert because he will beat out Mayfield. Then Trash will be third string again.
March 17th, 2023 at 12:01 pm
Go get Matt Corral from Panthers.
March 17th, 2023 at 12:11 pm
Train wreck
All trails lead to ownership
Jason is merely coloring between the lines the Glazers have drawn.
March 17th, 2023 at 12:13 pm
Gabbert can join/manifest Tampa BayWatch after his jet ski heroics. He is this generations David Hasselhoff. Bring back the folk hero Ryan Griffin and you’re all set.
March 17th, 2023 at 12:52 pm
@Dooley–Does that even matter right now? LOL I guess someone needed to think about that, tho. BTW, I have been enjoying your comments today.
March 17th, 2023 at 1:07 pm
Don’t know what base pay is for Gabbert with as many years as he has in but I would imagine your looking at 3 to 4 million to sign him. That may be too much for what the Bucs need to do to get some other players signed.
March 17th, 2023 at 1:18 pm
@Crickett Baker
of course it matters, it’s draft season and rookie camp is in about 6 weeks and thank you sir
March 17th, 2023 at 1:19 pm
Can see a Daniel, Hoyer, Rudolph type league minimum signing plus a mid-late QB drafted.
March 17th, 2023 at 1:32 pm
The cheapest thing for the Bucs to do is play Trask and prevent Mayfield from getting his incentives
March 17th, 2023 at 1:53 pm
Joe Flacco is still available!
March 17th, 2023 at 2:08 pm
Agree with Goatfarmer Rush.
March 17th, 2023 at 2:10 pm
Nobody wants a 38 yr old Skateboarder for a QB. We need 3 viable options, the era of backups like Gabbert & Griffin should be over.
March 17th, 2023 at 2:17 pm
Matt Ryan or Flacco would make good mentors.
March 17th, 2023 at 2:27 pm
Trent Dilfer is only 51, and a free agent.
March 17th, 2023 at 2:32 pm
Bowles may not get 2 vets to compete with Trask. Maybe he’ll get a drafted guy, but Hooker wouldn’t be ready to compete as he recovers from the knee. I wonder if there are other QBs after round 1 who might have some traits that can develop in the NFL.
And then, there’s Gabbert. Thing is, if you sign Gabbert, and have Mayfield, Trask is #3 again, probably. My guess is the “deliberate learner” is gonna take longer to learn the offense than Gabbert and Mayfield.
March 17th, 2023 at 2:35 pm
SB~LV Says:
March 17th, 2023 at 12:11 pm
Way to keep an open mind.
March 17th, 2023 at 2:52 pm
We are not paying Brady, his dead cap is what we already paid and kicked into future years- we would have to do it again to resign him – please stop already he is done
His body barely made it through last season and he looks like he is moving with cement shoes on – he is done until they build a box for the qb to stand in so he doesn’t get hit
Gabbert is the definition of inconsistency- one pass looks amazing, the next 4 are in the dirt or out of the stadium – he sucks so bad
We are stuck with Mayfield unless Trask suddenly comes to life
Being it takes him about 3 years to learn an offense we may never know what he can do….
March 17th, 2023 at 2:54 pm
I would resign Griffin to be our QB3. It’s time Trask become the backup QB2. Gabbert has been in Trask’s way too long already. We need a veteran who understands he is going to be a third stringer, either Griffin or somebody like Cooper Rush.
March 17th, 2023 at 3:08 pm
You’re looking at it the wrong way. If Trask was good enough, Gabbert would not have been in front of him
March 17th, 2023 at 3:09 pm
GABBERT IS UNEMPLOYED
Trask couldn’t beat out Gabbert for #2. No team wants Gabbert. Trask has a rookie deal. That’s why he’s on the team.
March 17th, 2023 at 3:58 pm
Such whining over QB3.
March 17th, 2023 at 4:39 pm
I’ll bet they sign Gabbert sometime over the next 2 or 3 months. Even if they draft a quarterback they’re still going to want four total
March 17th, 2023 at 4:39 pm
sign 2 undrafted free agents as camp fodder – then we are done with this position for 2023. A QB who could also play another position might be a good experiment
March 17th, 2023 at 4:53 pm
Beej … ‘If Trask was good enough, Gabbert would not have been in front of him’.
With BA & BL, Trask never would’ve had a chance to move up in front of Gabbert. And he sure wasn’t gonna unseat Brady. Hard to show anything when you only get to throw to Walmart greeters & be protected by Target bag boys.
March 17th, 2023 at 5:08 pm
Mort Says:
March 17th, 2023 at 3:58 pm
Well, yeah… but we’re in a position without an established starter or depth chart. For all we know, QB3 could end up as QB1. We need as much competition as possible.
March 17th, 2023 at 5:08 pm
The Pirate ship will take on a lot of water this season. She will float but definitely not up to top speed. It best for the pirate ship to stay within 10 miles of coastline where the SOS calls can be responded to quickly.
March 17th, 2023 at 8:09 pm
I thought Trask outplayed Gabbert in preseason. He was the better QB and should have beaten Gabbert out for QB2. It was either the coaching staff or Brady who has insisted on Gabbert being QB2 all this time. He wouldn’t be a backup anywhere else.
March 17th, 2023 at 9:09 pm
Rand Says
“You gotta love how these reporters make themselves look like geniuses by going out on a limb to predict Mayfield will get the start. Well it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure that out, not when there is potentially $8.5 million reasons why.”
Actually, if he doesn’t make the final roster, he gets a fraction of that.
March 17th, 2023 at 9:12 pm
IE Buc Says:
“I thought Trask outplayed Gabbert in preseason. He was the better QB and should have beaten Gabbert out for QB2. It was either the coaching staff or Brady who has insisted on Gabbert being QB2 all this time.”
I agree…I felt they just wanted a tested veteran backing up Brady.
March 17th, 2023 at 9:40 pm
Kind of funny to talk about whether or not Goobert outplayed Trashk last preseason. It was a cripple fight. The one that disadvantaged the team the least won the fight. It was the Goob. Fact.
March 18th, 2023 at 1:24 am
so let me get this straight….
regarding the 3 amigos…
adam humphries is looooong gone…
cam brate is now gone…
yet grif will be a buc forever and have his name in the ring of honor possibly…
it’s a wild scenario, but kudos to grif…
what if:
grif just becomes the next head coach after bowles…might as well lock him in for another 10 years…
#AmEyeRight
March 18th, 2023 at 2:30 am
Get used to the idea of Gabbert, who is a Bowles favorite.
You don’t really think Bowles will accept a 3-way open QB competition, involving two new outside additions including Mayfield, to beat out Trask, do you? Trask gets his chance on a short leash, but it’s clear that Bowles is not a Trask fan, and he loves Gabbert. Bowles always wants his guys, and continuity.
From all indications, Mayfield is the designated, and wouldn’t have come here to be anything less than a starter. So I seriously doubt they will sign anyone on the market who is a starter type, along the lines of Wentz, Ryan or Mason Rudolph.
If Bowles is feeling frisky, and gives Rah Rah Canales a lot of leeway, maybe it will be Mayfield/Trask/ rookie. My money’s still on Gabbert.
March 18th, 2023 at 7:37 am
Am I the only one, who gets Joe Flacco and Shane Falco confused? Flaco is too old and too expensive for Bucs, but he sure would sell tickets!
March 18th, 2023 at 7:42 am
Cooper Rush is the best mix vs getting a vet with experience or drafting one. Young with game experience and played well
March 18th, 2023 at 1:45 pm
I don’t think Gabbert is a Bowles favorite as much as he was an Arians/Licht favorite. Bowles has gotten rid of the Arians effect on offense. I don’t the Canales regime will be as keen on him as the Arians regime was.
I hope this means no more 4 QBs on the roster, with them taking up a roster space needed for another position. All we need is a QB3 right now and it’s not going to be Cooper Rush because he just resigned with Dallas. The QB market is drying up so they will need to go with people like Griffin Brett Rypien, or Chase Daniel.
March 18th, 2023 at 3:48 pm
Move on to our bigger needs.
First we need to accept that 2023 QB should be
1. Mayfield/Trask (winner of preason)
2. Mayfield/Trask (loser of preason)
3. Ryan Griffin (why not)
Total 2023 QB cost for the year 7.5 Million. Not bad since we are in Salary cap hell. Now build up the trenches, Safety, CB, & TE. That’s what GM & Ownership need to be concerned with. Won’t be able to correct everything in one year. However, if we have an incredible draft class w/ a few key signings the 2023 Tampa Bay Bucs could be one of the miracle stories of the upcoming NFL season. Of course we will need our starting QB to be average and feed the ball to some of our playmakers. We still have some of the best. Godwin, Evans, & decent young and healthy running backs. They might surprise with new OC and retooled OL. Let’s get positive and just maybe we will keep our playoff run alive. Let’s see what Licht and Co. can do.
March 18th, 2023 at 9:45 pm
Man, I see a whole lot of people saying to draft a QB but the needs on this team are much bigger than a mid-tier college QB, which is all you’d get. I just don’t see how the Bucs would ever do it this year. Bucs need virtually every position on defense in the draft and at least one, if not two offensive linemen, a tight end and another running back (or two). Sorry, but there aren’t enough draft picks to fill the Bucs real needs this season and also draft what will surely be a bust at QB. Save that for 2024!
March 19th, 2023 at 12:33 am
Y’all are crazy. You start Trask. He hasn’t had the chance and you’re all saying he’s trash? I’m so glad non of you dummies run the team.
March 19th, 2023 at 10:30 am
You can have a great QB ( Brady, Rogers, Montana, Mario, ect,ect) but you only need a good one or Solid one. We need a O line or it does not matter who is back there. Solid O line , QB problem is solved.
March 19th, 2023 at 1:24 pm
The amount of bucs fans still thinking Trask is the savior is COMICAL. He couldn’t even beat out Gabbert. Move on, chumps.