“You Have No Idea How To Develop A Quarterback”
May 14th, 2023
“I played for a defense-first coach, too, Kyle. But he was different than most.”
Is Kyle Trask on the wrong football team?
A former Pro Bowl quarterback dropped very harsh words last week when it comes to defense-first head coaches like Todd Bowles developing a young QB.
Joe sure enjoyed former Niners, Chiefs and Washington quarterback Alex Smith slinging his informed opinions on QB development while co-hosting on SiriusXM NFL Radio.
The guy played for various head coaches, opening his San Francisco career with defensive guru Mike Nolan calling the shots. Smith thinks defensive head coaches aren’t the best influence on a young QB.
“There is a different mentality, from my career, when you play for an offensive head coach that wants to light up the scoreboard and outscore the opponent,” Smith said. “There’s a different mentality you have, especially as a young quarterback versus a defensive head coach, when really the [coach’s] mentality is ‘Hey, don’t screw up, don’t turn the ball over, don’t put us in a bad situation.’ … That’s a huge difference in a mentality and a mindset for a young quarterback, especially if it’s a bit rocky to start.”
Sound familiar?
The whole line of ‘hey, don’t screw up, don’t turn the ball over, don’t put us in a bad situation’ almost sounded like Smith was quoting new Bucs offensive coordinator Dave Canales verbatim.
Smith got personal when it came to the New York Jets, with defensive-guru head coach Robert Saleh, and their failings with first-round pick Zach Wilson at quarterback.
“Yeah, Robert Saleh, you’re a great defensive mind and coordinator, but like you have no idea how to develop a quarterback. The coordinator you hired never called plays,” Smith said. “So that’s a completely different animal. And as much as you think you’re prepared to handle that development of a young kid, you’re just not.”
So what about Trask, the Bucs’ third-year quarterback under defense-first Bowles?
Smith didn’t talk about him, but Trask should have progressed well under the Bucs’ former offensive philosophy and Tom Brady alongside him as a daily role model.
However, after listening to Smith, Joe has to wonder whether Trask is in an ideal spot for his development.
May 14th, 2023 at 3:41 pm
Well, Canales coached up Geno Smith under a defensive head coach. Sure, but Geno Smith was 32 years old last season.–Joe
May 14th, 2023 at 3:50 pm
Canales, Mayfield and Trask have college degrees puts them way ahead of the toad took bowels 37 years to get one.
May 14th, 2023 at 3:56 pm
Ideal? What’s that? Maybe what appears ideal isn’t as helpful as it appears and maybe what appears deficient is actually better for you in the long run. What you make of your opportunities is mostly up to you.
Zach Wilson had the world handed to him on a silver platter. Maybe his coaching could have been better, but he didn’t want to believe he could be partly responsible for his own shortcomings.
Brock Purdy and Tom Brady were handed a clipboard and got to practice with third stringers, but when opportunity opened a tiny crack they ran with it and kept their mouths shut. That’s not coaching.
May 14th, 2023 at 4:02 pm
Hot take by Smith. Sounds like he’s got some bitterness. Who knows if it’s applicable on the Bucs. Still I don’t think Bowles is, has been, nor will ever be a great HC.
May 14th, 2023 at 4:20 pm
A lot of teams have QB coaches and OC’s. Maybe Todd isn’t handling the QB’s and leaves that to those who can?
May 14th, 2023 at 4:22 pm
The head coach isn’t coaching the offense. Ignorant article The head coach sets the offensive direction/philosophy for the team.
May 14th, 2023 at 4:38 pm
Yeah, look how defensive-minded coach Bill Belichek absolutely ruined Tom Brady’s development. And look how Russell Wilson went from an absolute washout under defensive-minded coach Pete Carroll but thrived under offensive guru Nathaniel Hackett. Smith’s absolutely spitting truth here. 🙄
May 14th, 2023 at 4:48 pm
Joe, how do you explain Brady in New England with Belichick as his head coach, if you believe this?
May 14th, 2023 at 4:49 pm
I’m a slow typer, BF in St. L beat me to it.
May 14th, 2023 at 4:52 pm
Allbuccedup Says:
May 14th, 2023 at 3:50 pm
Canales, Mayfield and Trask have college degrees puts them way ahead of the toad took bowels 37 years to get one.
^^^^^^^
To say someone needs a college degree to be a good coach is an asinine comment. What relation are you to Goatfarmer?
May 14th, 2023 at 4:54 pm
I think Joe is just trying to give goatfarmer a reason to spew his nonsense about Todd Bowles
May 14th, 2023 at 5:09 pm
That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve heard from an NFL quarterback. You can develop trash. Winston had an offensive coach twice remember no rush it no biscuit? No one could coach the interceptions out of him with probowl receivers and djax at one point. Did he improve any for the saints yeah if he throws 5 yards passes and depends on yac. Did Mike glennon or josh freeman thrive someone else no I’ll go back further. Chris simms had gruden. No josh Jackson lol no one develops a quarterback they either suck or they don’t , quality starter or a back up and you can see it early in the career
May 14th, 2023 at 5:18 pm
#99 the Big fella Says:
May 14th, 2023 at 4:54 pm
I think Joe is just trying to give goatfarmer a reason to spew his nonsense about Todd Bowles
^^^^^^^^^
Probably. Personally, I don’t think Bowles is a great coach or anything, I just don’t see the point in whining and crying about it all the time like Goatfarmer and some of the other “fans” do. They’ll probably be disappointed if the Bucs have a good year this year, because they hate Bowles more than they like the Bucs, or so it seems.
May 14th, 2023 at 5:19 pm
Allbuccedup Says:
May 14th, 2023 at 3:50 pm
When the story is that a guy went back and finished a degree at 59, which isn’t easy, leave it to the hater crowd to take a sh!t on it. Can always count on JBF commenters to lower the bar for dumbph00ckery.
May 14th, 2023 at 5:25 pm
Isn’t Belicheck a defensive minded coach? Didn’t that Brady kid turn out okay?
May 14th, 2023 at 5:38 pm
Sasquatch, you are 💯 % correct.. I hope Bowles does great this year.. I hope he shuts goatfarmer up for good.
May 14th, 2023 at 5:54 pm
all this talk about
May 14th, 2023 at 5:55 pm
Jeeeezusss…just look at the tape from the Rams playoff game and all of last season. Some of you think that all of a sudden this so called HC will become a Vince Lombardi clone after getting his Degree? Just tally up all his wins and losses as a HC and figure it out.
May 14th, 2023 at 5:59 pm
All this talk about a qb that doesnt turn the ball over and a rb coach that talks about fumbles really makes me queasy. The season hasnt started yet. We have a new off coordinator, new qb and they are talking about something that hasnt happened yet. I find this talk to be conservative and unnnecessary..all 32 teams want the same exact thing. I dont think a rb coach has the edge if thats his so called claim to fame..call it coincidence more than coaching. Our players shouldnt be tightened down with this paranoia this early in the process
May 14th, 2023 at 6:31 pm
Nice job of lighting the fire then stoking it Joe. Nice to see that at least some JBFers have the common sense to see through it.
May 14th, 2023 at 7:01 pm
BTW Joe, why don’t you broaden the fires that you continue to light on the Bucs’ staff by including Jason Licht. I know he can do no wrong in your eyes, but hear me out with just one example.
Back in 2018 we drafted Vita Vea at #12. Washington then grabbed NT/DT Daron Payne at #13. Compare the 2 careers:
o Games Played: Payne – 81 … Vea – 64
o Sacks: Payne – 26 … Vea – 18
o QB Hits: Payne – 55 … Vea – 44
o Total Tackles: Payne – 291 … Vea – 137
o Solo Tackles: Payne – 161 … Vea – 83
o TFLs: Payne – 40 … Vea – 23
o Fumble Recoveries: Payne – 4 … Vea – 2
o Forced Fumbles: Payne – 4 … Vea – 1
o Passes Defensed: Payne 14 … Vea – 6
To be fair though, Payne has only missed ONE game in 5 seasons (kinda Suh-like, huh), whereas Vea has missed 18 games. And Vea is ‘cheaper’; his 4-year contract is only for $71 mil; whereas Payne’s 4-year contract with the Commanders is for $90 mil.
So who got the better deal in 2018, Tampa Bay or Washington? And IF Washington got the better player, whose ‘fault’ is it … Bowles for not developing Vea or Licht’s for not drafting Payne?
Oh wait, maybe it’s not about ‘fault’ at all; maybe it’s all about ‘blame’ (like this silly article is). Like I used to kid my son when he was growing up … ‘I didn’t say it was your fault; I just said I was going to blame you.’ Always worked well when my wife/his mother caught him sneaking freshly baked cookies off the counter to bring to me.
May 14th, 2023 at 7:03 pm
Bowles is trash….he completely chokes in big moments when it comes to game management. We’ll be THE weakest team in the playoffs again IF we even make it. Bowles always lived off the excuse of never having a quality QB in NY. Then he gets the GOAT and manages to have the only losing season of Brady’s career. I can totally see Bowles getting canned after this season and Canales being promoted.
May 14th, 2023 at 7:07 pm
Bruce Arians has never developed a QB from a draft pick as a head coach.
May 14th, 2023 at 7:09 pm
Allbuccedup, I truly believe you just made the most ignorant comment ever on jbf.. you have to be someone who has no education at all to make a statement like that..
May 14th, 2023 at 7:16 pm
Bobby was it Bowles?or leftwich? I don’t think it was Bowles fault that the bucs couldn’t run the ball.. leftwich will have a hard time getting back in the nfl calling plays. Bowles isn’t the best head coach but last year definitely wasn’t all on him
May 14th, 2023 at 7:18 pm
Da Bucs Gut Says:
May 14th, 2023 at 7:07 pm
Jon Gruden never did either.
May 14th, 2023 at 7:18 pm
Belichick seemed to do fine with a guy named Tom Brady. Mike Tonkin did okay with Ben.. this is a dumb narrative. The OC matters a whole lot more, and defensive HCs can get it done.
May 14th, 2023 at 7:22 pm
sasquatch Says:
May 14th, 2023 at 3:41 pm
“Well, Canales coached up Geno Smith under a defensive head coach. ”
Well, Bucs fans have him the credit…But someone else gets the credit nationally.
May 14th, 2023 at 7:27 pm
Isn’t this Trask’s 3rd year? I realize he didn’t get to play but he did get to spend practice time and in the QB meetings with the GOAT and BA..famous for no risk it no biscuit.
At this point Trask should be a PROFESSIONAL. Canalas won’t hinder his development. If anything it’ll just balance the no risk no biscuit with game manager no turnovers.
I feel sure Mayfield can play in this league, I HOPE Trask can as well. I have no dog in the fight and I hope the best guy wins the job.
May 14th, 2023 at 7:34 pm
Comments didn’t add much today.
May 14th, 2023 at 7:38 pm
Bill Belichick has a completely different mindset than Bowles. He is in tune to both sides of the ball. Tom waxes poetic about how he and Bill would spend hours in the film room reviewing opponents. Tom wants to be coached hard, even though he was a veteran. Bowles was totally detached from the offense. I’m general, defensive minded coaches aren’t the best now for this offensive minded league now. Bill played a great role in developing Tom as a QB.
May 14th, 2023 at 7:41 pm
Here’s what I think:
Thank God for Brady, because before he came I was dreading the season starting. He and Arians completely change the culture, and I’m hoping it carries over into this new generation.
Bowles pretty much got what he wanted in this draft, strengthening the defense.
Teams are usually lucky to hit on 50% of their picks…I think we may have gotten above 50% this year…assuming we are it on the field.
As to Bowles…I’m one of this guys who is normally against tanking…but…The way I see it, this team could be great and Bowles will stick around…or…The team could be horrible and get a high pick, but Bowles STILL may not be fired and could pick it next QB…or…The defense could be just good enough to win 8 games…take us out of the running for a QB, and make it harder to find a new coach.
Or, finally, one of our two present ANd could do extremely well. Will that happen?
Presently, I do not believe Baker Mayfield is starting caliber. I’m sorry, but he’s blown it too many times. He could prove me wrong, in which case I would be pleased, but I extremely doubt he will. But I think he will be the starter barring injury.
Which leaves us with Kyle Trask. Regardless of any opinions, he is the true wild card. He has his fans…and he has people who do not believe he will be good.
But it is all just guess work. No one truly knows. And that is what makes him a wild card.
So, ideally…I would like for him to be good enough to be the guy. I don’t now if he will be, but the benefits to him succeeding are larger for the team.
And if…if he gets his chance about mid season and explodes…we won’t need that high pick next year.
What would be really cool, is if Mayfield lasts a couple games, Trask comes in, and we do not look back for 18 years.
May 14th, 2023 at 7:43 pm
I think it should be remembered that Canales was not the OC and play caller for the Seahawks last year when Geno Smith had his breakout. He was the QB coach. He has never called plays in an NFL game. This makes me somewhat nervous to be honest. Canales seems to have convinced Licht that he was the man mostly responsible for Geno’s success. Let’s hope he is as good a coach as he is a self-advocate.
May 14th, 2023 at 7:45 pm
Bucsfan13, I think the right defensive coach can still do well. But he’d need to adjust and evolve every year.
I think the rule changes make DC an overtime job…so I also prefer an offensive coach so the DC an just focus on doing his job.
But I also think a young Tony Dungy guy could still do well.
May 14th, 2023 at 7:46 pm
I’m not willing to give up on Bowles just yet. I still see him as a defensive coordinator masking as a HC. My NY transplants that live in Florida tried to warn me about Bowles. They had very negative views of him as the Jets coach. I came in with an open mind, but all the negative stuff they’ve said about him I’m starting to see. You heard Revis said the Jets’ team gave up on him toward the end of the season.
I’m giving Bowles the benefit of the doubt because he didn’t have the OC he would’ve wanted. Bowles didn’t want Leftwich. Say what you will and try to blame Brady for Leftwich’s firing. BA himself said Leftwich’s style didn’t fit his philosophy, yet all the talking heads tried to blame him for Leftwich’s firing. Bowles didn’t want him, period. It was his call alone.
May 14th, 2023 at 7:56 pm
@Bonzai. Good points. Bowles needs to give up play calling duties. Tomlin doesn’t call the plays. McDermot doesn’t call the D for the Bills. Belichick doesn’t call plays for the team, and he’s one of the best defensive minds in NFL history. Rex Ryan said he regrets not giving up play calling duties when he was a HC.
I know Joe and others pointed out that Bowles didn’t have much interaction with Brady during games. It’s because the sole focus was defense during the games because he calls plays. I don’t see many defensive coaches involved with the offense, so i didn’t read anything to it as an evaluation of Brady’s and Bowles relationship. McDermott doesn’t interaction with Josh Allen on the sideline.
Anyway, Andy Reid is the gold standard of head coaches in the league. Belicheck is a relic. Reid is the greatest offensive mind since Bill Walsh. Reid is always adapting his offense to their current personnel. This was something that doomed BL. He didn’t adjust. KC lost Hill, so they went to more of a traditional west coast offense quick game. Receivers got schemed open and had a ton of YAC. Mahomes didn’t throw deep as much last year.
May 14th, 2023 at 7:58 pm
Defense. I’d be curious to see what the difference in snaps counts is between vea n Payne. Vea is more of a part time player so paynes numbers should be higher n not just cause of more games played that deff does play a factor. Side note vea was a huge part of us winning a Super Bowl. Idk if we had Payne instead we could say that.
May 14th, 2023 at 9:50 pm
Who cares. Dude is an unmitigated bust and a wasted pick of a second rounder in a “run it back” year. Dumbest thing I’ve ever seen.
May 14th, 2023 at 10:34 pm
Of course Smith is gonna play the blame game.
Nobody these days wants to take a look at their own shortcomings.
Everybody wants to be the victim, and the media wants to help them proclaim how victimized they are. More clicks that way.
Reality continues to ruin my life. I didn’t win the lottery this week…. lets see …who can i find to blame… Oh yeah I didn’t buy a ticket…
May 14th, 2023 at 11:12 pm
It is amazing what small corners some.live in.
ARE YOU PEOPLE ATTEMPTING TO COMPARE BOWLES TO BELECHIC? (sp)
That is just plain SHORT BUS! WHAT ARE YOU PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT?
Bowles is a lost sheep. Belechic is a A WOLF “WITH THE BRAINS TO GO WITH IT”!!!
Bowles is so DUMB that he actually believed he could BLOW OFF TOM BRADY and COUNT on him being there to cover his arse year after year! HA!
Guess who’s NOT HERE! Guess what the short sighted, and CLUELESS BOWLES HAS DONE TO HIMSELF AND THE ENTIRE TEAM!?!? We are standing there with our pants down in a prison shower THANKS TO HIM!
He didn’t prepare AT ALL! He wasn’t WISE ENOUGH to MAKE SURE and train Trask on a very high level. JUST LIKE BRADY, HE NEGLECTED AND IGNORED Trask! He NEGLECTED AND IGNORED TOMORROW! HE BLEW IT!
And according to MOST, this is what he’s done everytime he got the greatest opportunity possible on a football field!
He left us without a ready to go QB of any kind! He NEGLECTED the FACT that we WOULD NOT be able to afford a high end replacement! He didn’t bother to train the future.
HOW DARE YOU PEOPLE COMPARE BOWLES TO BELECHIC! WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? WHAT DRUGS ARE YOU ON?
I can’t stand Belechic but you people make me be a voice of REALITY? That’s a comedy of errors in itself!
Bowles IS A LOSER OF A HEAD COACH! He’s a GREAT defensive coach (for the most part) BUT MAKE NO MISTAKE ABOUT IT. HE HAS NO BUSINESS RUNNING A PRO TEAM! HE’S AS MUCH AS A FAILURE AS MAYFIELD HAS BEEN!
AND THAT’S THE FACTS!
Comparing him to one of the greatest head coaches of ALL TIME?…. YOU PEOPLE ARE DELUSIONAL! SERIOUSLY!
May 14th, 2023 at 11:30 pm
NOW LET ME TELL YOU HOW I REALLY FEEL!….. 🙁 BOWLES 🙁
As head coach, NO BUENO! PERIOD !
May 14th, 2023 at 11:54 pm
No one should expect this Bucs headcouch to develop a QB.
His overriding ineptitude emanates from his knack for taking a group of talented players and overseeing their severe regression as teams adjust to his “masturminding.”
Exhibit A – last year’s defense averaging almost 31ppg given up to playoff teams.
The Bucs are one major move away from a playoff return. Jason knows and will pull the lever as soon as he can.
May 15th, 2023 at 6:03 am
Obvious: You can talk about “Short Bus” after you learn how to spell Belichick. You’ve never heard of Google?
May 15th, 2023 at 8:26 am
The bucs has never developed a quarterback regardless who was coaching the team. The bucs will more likely failed Kyle Trask just like they did the rest of the quarterbacks they drafted. I mean we wanted a young quarterback to learn behind Brady and they drafted a guy who had more yards and touchdowns and a higher completion rate that Travor Lawrence and Justin Feilds. He played against better competition he played against the SEC . And now y’all calling it a wasted pick . Tell me this what makes you think they will develop one of the quarterbacks next year?? This team has never developed a in the history of the franchise. Tampa Bay has been where young quarterbacks careers come and die and that’s facts!!!
May 15th, 2023 at 9:16 am
I had no comment, but I do now: Bowles is a LOUSY HC; Trask is either going to be good or not, regardless of coordinators or coaches. Last season was a perfect storm of bad leadership: a disconnected GM with a defensive unqualified HC who allowed a massively incompetent OC to run some sort of scripted system that took a recent SB winning GOAT QB and made him look like a JV flunkee. I KNOW TB12 could walk onto say, the Chiefs or Eagles this season and take them to the SB. The coaches there could enable that. Trask, on the other hand, is a wild card. This coach could either enable, or sink him. But he HAS to come with some skillset at his base. If he’s missing that, he will not survive. We may all be surprised, or not. But the current staff is toxic. Until that changes, starting with this failure of a HC experiment, our odds of developing anyone, or attracting a proven veteran, are nil. We are wasting two HOF WRs’ talent drawing out this coaching experiment we saw can’t even competently manage a game clock or close out games that good coaching would push across the finish line. Anyone who disputes that after what we all witnessed last season doesn’t know football. When our QB went deuces wild, off-script, we saw fireworks. We witnessed the OC unhappy that the ends didn’t justify those means. Bowles could have removed that cancer mid season, or even late season, and we would have mashed going into the playoffs. Instead, we watched the starbucks run us over. I’m still livid. But I say give Trask a shot. We’ll know. We’ll know…..oh, and Baker ain’t it. Reminds me of Johnny Manzierre
May 15th, 2023 at 11:31 am
Well that post got the natives all restless. Keep in mind, those that point to Brady and Belichick, those Patriots were a little on the underhanded and dirty side with some of their taping habits. It’s sure a big help when developing a 6th round outlier qb when you have a good idea what the other team will be doing.
May 15th, 2023 at 12:19 pm
Obvious….. Look up belichicks record before and after Brady. Not good at all. Below average actually
May 15th, 2023 at 12:28 pm
Bowles record with jets 24 -40. Belichick without Brady 79-87. I wouldn’t take either as head coach. Both coaches without Brady are terrible. Belichick with Brady 219- 66. Bill has never proved he can do it without Tom.
May 15th, 2023 at 1:00 pm
Ooof.
He def could have been talking about the Bucs / Bowles just as easily.
May 15th, 2023 at 1:05 pm
Bowles is a totally incompetent coach. The only reason he is the HC in Tampa, because Arians positioned him to take over just weeks before Arians quit his job as HC. Bowles screwed up the Jets when he was there and got fired. Then he became Arians’ lackey and followed Arians here to Tampa. In today’s NFL, QBs and stellar offenses win games and not defenses. Defenses merely have to be good and defensive coaches have no business being HCs. Go Bucs.
May 15th, 2023 at 1:36 pm
Vader. Brady got BA sent up stairs BA didn’t quit!!
May 15th, 2023 at 3:04 pm
I’m sure Clyde Christianson knows how to develop Qbs and he’s been with Trask up until this season.
May 15th, 2023 at 3:56 pm
I wondered the same thing the year they drafted Trask. Yes, Arians was still the head coach but I wondered what the hell were they thinking bringing back Ryan Griffin when Trask should have been the guy taking more reps in practice instead of none at all. Im not certain what training he got and how much time with the coaches but it just seemed like a waste of an opportunity to develop a young QB then to have him work on his own.
May 15th, 2023 at 4:20 pm
941 . Clyde Christianson ain’t never developed a quarterback in his whole career of coaching. He’s been demoted every time when he was the OC at a team. Again every thing I said was facts not emotion like what you are going by when it comes to Trask . And every time the bucs tank for a quarterback they never make it to a second contract. But again tanking is for losers any fan that wants to lose on purpose are part of the loser fan base.
May 15th, 2023 at 5:03 pm
Osqueeler — stop trying to act like developing a quarterback is so important. It’s crapshoot luck.
May 15th, 2023 at 5:52 pm
Goatformer. I agree with you on one level but I can’t call it a crap shoot if you never developed a quarterback since 1976 that’s call a organization problem. I’m hoping they develop Trask because if not I have no faith in them developing Caleb Williams or Drake May because they will be thrown in the fire. I never liked tanking and I wish the NFL would do something about teams losing on purpose. My name on here is Oneilbuc !!!
May 15th, 2023 at 6:02 pm
I’m done with the name calling bro . And yes I do believe tanking is for losers and if anyone is down with tanking the that’s a losing mentality to want to lose on purpose. What about the fans that’s in there 70s or 80s that’s bucs fans? I’m sure they want the team to win as much as they can because of their ages. Unfortunately I know we have some bucs fans that’s sick I’m sure they want the bucs to win as much as they can. That’s why tanking sucks and what about LVD this is probably his last year with the bucs and y’all want to tank his last year with the bucs !! So no tanking!!! Go Bucs!!!
May 15th, 2023 at 9:47 pm
O’Neil, ignore Goathumper.. he is a bitter old man that can’t find his little blue pills and his goats are sick of him.
May 17th, 2023 at 3:34 pm
Lol the comments here are absolutely hilarious that keeping chiming in “…but what about Brady?” 1 person or 1 coach doesn’t make it a rule, it makes it an exception. Or are the geniuses going to claim all 6th rd qbs are fliers because Brady panned out? Ahhh that’s right, these are likely the same people who spew that already 🤡