Spencer Rattler And The Bucs
April 5th, 2024
A few years ago, the Bucs thought it would be a smart play to draft a quarterback in Round 2.
Maybe it worked out, maybe it didn’t. Kyle Trask has ridden the bench in his three NFL seasons and it’s unclear how much he has or hasn’t developed. The guy has been blessed to be around quarterback gurus, a quarterback legend and several pros who have played the position.
A faction of Bucs fans doesn’t believe in Baker Mayfield. They simply don’t think he has the juice to bring the Bucs to the Super Bowl.
No matter how many times the Bucs pump out their clownish “LFB” slogan on billboards and digital ads, these fans aren’t buying Mayfield as the future.
So might the Bucs draft a quarterback this month?
Joe doesn’t see it happening in Round 1, but the brass may want to give it a shot in future rounds.
After all, the Bucs have said with authority that Kyle Trask is starter-quality, so certainly the power brokers at One Buc Palace must believe a team out there will be willing to pay Trask to compete for a starting gig next year when he enters free agency. The Bucs aren’t going to do that (see Mike Glennon 2017) so they’ll want an inexpensive developmental backup to Mayfield.
Former Oklahoma and South Carolina quarterback Spencer Rattler is entering the 2024 draft and he’s certainly an intriguing prospect. Rattler visited with Kay Adams on Up and Adams yesterday.
Rattler mentioned how he’s an “elite processor” that takes pride in being a great leader with a super-talented arm, among other traits.
With 42 starts over five years of college football and many years in the spotlight dating back to his high school and TV stardom, Rattler said he’s ready on all fronts for his NFL opportunity.
It’s seems clear that Rattler will be a second- or third-round pick this month in a draft stocked with quarterbacks. And what makes Rattler slightly intriguing to Joe is that he’s often likened to Baker Mayfield in size, style of play and arm talent.
Rattler would learn a ton from Mayfield, Joe believes, and it’s always nice to have a backup that can a style similar to the starter. Trask, for example, is very different quarterback than Mayfield.
The Bucs have far more pressing needs than quarterback, but if the Bucs scouts believe Rattler has quality-starter potential, then Joe can’t rule him out of being picked by Tampa Bay.
April 5th, 2024 at 11:46 am
Bucs wasted one 2nd round QB pic, don’t see it happening again unless very late.
April 5th, 2024 at 12:03 pm
I think it’s Mayfield and Trask until further notice.
April 5th, 2024 at 12:08 pm
He’s a Tim Rattay clone. No thanks.
April 5th, 2024 at 12:08 pm
Before we re signed Mayfield, Joe wanted Penix or Bo Nix. Now he’s talking about Rattler. None of them guys will be good starting quarterbacks I seriously doubt. No on a quarterback when we have 3 already but Rattler? Heck no.
April 5th, 2024 at 12:12 pm
Please no!
April 5th, 2024 at 12:22 pm
we already have the future at qb
:-p
April 5th, 2024 at 12:23 pm
LFB?
FWIW-I’m back home after Achilles surgery. Not fun trying to navigate on crutches with a huge cast. I just have to be patient.
April 5th, 2024 at 12:25 pm
I have always liked Rattler. He’s a gamer, very similar to Mayfield and the once-great Johnny Football.
I’d be OK to bring him on board. IMO, it is good to have your QBs playing a similar style.
April 5th, 2024 at 12:25 pm
Was Trask the backup QB in HIGH SCHOOL? Of course it was a mistake.
April 5th, 2024 at 12:35 pm
Any benefit to Trask playing on a Rookie deal and building around him is pretty much gone.
When it works out putting a QB in early ala CJ Shroud and Brock Purdy and it works it is very nice. Both may see a Super Bowl before their 2nd season ends.
When you let them develop with a Plan Ala Jordan Love and use up the Savings of the Rookie Deal but it works out it is also nice. Packers were a lot closer to beating the 49ers and going to the NFC Championship than the team that lost to the Lions.
When you throw them in for 20 games and they struggle Ala Desmond Ridder sometimes it ruins the guys chances. Cardinals were Happy to get him to back up their guy and he might get a chance to prove himself as I don’t think Cardinals are sold on their POS QB out of OK. Could be the year Hurts, Murray, and another Sooner drafted around that time have a year that tempts owners to hand them their guaranteed dough and send them packing.
If the Bucs treat their new ‘Franchise QB’ as such Trask will get plenty of time in Preseason to show what he does or doesn’t have.
April 5th, 2024 at 12:36 pm
We don’t need to draft anymore QBs that just sit on the bench for years. I mean damn the last couple years it has been Trask. Before that Ryan griffin held a clip board for years on end when we signed him from the Saints. The next QB we draft should be in the top 10 and to replace Baker hopefully that is Arch Manning whenever he finishes college and goes pro.
April 5th, 2024 at 12:40 pm
Bring in SC I saw a lot of Rattler. Has his moments but nothing that screams NFL.
April 5th, 2024 at 12:41 pm
Rattler is worth a 3rd round flier…(pick 92)…& it would actually help the Bucs Cap #!
#92 cap hit would be just over $1M on the rookie pay scale…That = a good Cap savings of +$400K for the Bucs to spend elsewhere, even after giving Traskcan a $342K parting check. (vs paying Traskcan $1.7M to hold a clipboard as #3 QB)
All for it…
Rattler has much better arm talent than Traskcan & fits Bucs forward looking BU QB plan while Baker is QB1 in Tampa…(As joe alluded to…Rattler’s play style & make-up molds well with current vision of Bucs offense under Coen.)
April 5th, 2024 at 12:47 pm
Lets be honest here the I don’t think anyone on this site really believes the Bucs can develop a QB that they drafted. There has not been one that we have drafted that we have developed into a franchise QB so no thank you as far as I am concerned just sign free agency QB because there no history of developing any of the ones we have drafted in franchise history.
April 5th, 2024 at 12:50 pm
Spencer Rattler was terribly inconsistent and never lived up to expectations. Even during his profile on QB1. It is great that he is brimming with confidence, however it seems misplaced at this point considering he has not done sh%t.
At this point there are so many other options that actually performed in their college career. Sam Hartman being one off the top of my head. Also a QB1 alum, btw. Dude is a winner.
April 5th, 2024 at 12:52 pm
Trask seems like a wasted pick, but that’s through no fault of his own. Had Baker missed games last year we’d be saying something different. As luck would have it Trask was never needed.
April 5th, 2024 at 12:57 pm
Let’s be honest. The Trask pick in the 2nd was a major blunder.
April 5th, 2024 at 12:57 pm
Hard PASS!
April 5th, 2024 at 12:58 pm
He does have some talent there for sure, & he might end up even being a better NFL QB than College… Definitely, if he finds himself in the right situation. He may end up carving himself out a decent little NFL career, as a dependable ‘back-up,’ or even more. It’s possible. I heard there were several teams, who have really liked what they’ve seen from him thus far, throughout the process, & are pretty ‘high’ on him. But, I’ve never been fan, nor am I interested in him for the Bucs, at this time. I would rather hold onto Trask for right now, & see what he can do… Try working out a ‘fair’ deal for both, in order to keep him around a little longer. At least he should be ridiculously, extremely familiar with the Offense, Organization, Coaches, and all of the Personnel, by now… GEEZUS!? The ‘odds’ of Baker ever remaining ‘healthy’ enough to start another 17+ games again (for possibly 2-3 more seasons in a row), are very low. Hopefully, we are set at ‘backup’ for now, you’d think..
April 5th, 2024 at 12:58 pm
Nope
April 5th, 2024 at 1:00 pm
Buc1987 Says
I think it’s Mayfield and Trask until further notice.
^^^^
Exactly. Solid starter. Solid backup. Good rapport. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
April 5th, 2024 at 1:10 pm
OK I give up searching Bucs site. What is LFB?
April 5th, 2024 at 1:13 pm
@SRQ Bucs Fan
The young people area always screaming, “Let’s Fu^&ing Go!” (LFG)
So the Bucs marketing department, in their infinite wisdom, went with, “Let’s Fu^&ing Bake!” (LFB)
It’s a trash marketing attempt…
April 5th, 2024 at 1:17 pm
SRQ Bucs Fan Says:
OK I give up searching Bucs site. What is LFB?
————————————————————-
I wondered the same thing….
Only thing I could come up with is –
“Let’s Flucking Bake!”
But that doesn’t sound like an official slogan the Bucs PR (or HR) department would embrace…
April 5th, 2024 at 1:19 pm
Rattler reminded me A LOT of “Baker,” & it wasn’t just his ‘similar’ style of play, either! It was actually, when he was NOT playing. It was much more his ‘antics’ and attitude, while on the sidelines, interacting with teammates and coaches, gesturing to the fans in the stands, & during pregame and postgame interviews, etc…. He had NO ‘self-awareness,’ whatsoever. I mean, ZERO. Just EXACTLY LIKE Ol’ Bake.
April 5th, 2024 at 1:21 pm
Thanks Thundersack. That’s what I thought. Clownshow!
April 5th, 2024 at 1:27 pm
Or maybe it is….
Thundersack – “LFG” was Brady’s thing.
So I guess it makes some sense when you are trying to transition from the short lived Golden Era to the newly established Baker era – to use and slightly modify that phrase.
I figured the Buccaneers were too PC minded to officially adopt a phrase like that for marketing purposes…. but I guess if you just use the letters – it becomes hip and acceptable in todays world.
I like it.
April 5th, 2024 at 1:33 pm
Rattler is a strong NO… Oklahoma fan who watch this guy crumble as a returning QB for OU. He will be another clip board holder and never a serviceable QB in the NFL.
April 5th, 2024 at 1:36 pm
MelvinJunior Says:
April 5th, 2024 at 1:19 pm
Rattler reminded me A LOT of “Baker,” & it wasn’t just his ‘similar’ style of play, either! It was actually, when he was NOT playing. It was much more his ‘antics’ and attitude, while on the sidelines, interacting with teammates and coaches, gesturing to the fans in the stands, & during pregame and postgame interviews, etc…. He had NO ‘self-awareness,’ whatsoever. I mean, ZERO. Just EXACTLY LIKE Ol’ Bake.
…….
You are an idiot, bet you never even watched an OU game, just got butt hurt when Mayfield planted the flag at Ohio State logo. Mayfield has talent, Rattler does not.
April 5th, 2024 at 1:44 pm
The major blunders with Kyle was gross coaching incompetence, wasted years of absolute failure and stupidity in developing or utilizing him, lying to Kyle , the team , and the fans , telling them there would be a fair competition last year when in fact there was never really going to be a legitimate competition, the fix was in , even when Kyle outperformed Mayfield in the competitions , and again , Kyle was not allowed to even perform with the first team, because Mayfield was a “dude “and a “pal “of the powers that be, and they couldn’t risk having Kyle outperform Mayfield in an actual game, ( although he actually did , beating the Jets , in a game that was supposed to be a head to head matchup with Mayfield, but again Kyle was lied to. Makes you wonder what will happen if Mayfield implodes , or gets injured, is out for an extended length of time , and Kyle grossly outplays him , ( Kyle has always outplayed the supposed Superstars in front of him when he finally gets a chance), so you have a 50 million dollar , guaranteed money , albatross and a better quarterback who is a free agent at the end of the year? What are you going to say to Kyle that he will believe when other offers start pouring in? God does have a sense of humor!
April 5th, 2024 at 1:47 pm
Joe’s Article includes:
“Rattler mentioned how he’s an “elite processor” that takes pride in being a great leader with a super-talented arm, among other traits.”
Uhm – Spencer had talent all around him at Oklahoma and a coach that produced 3 Heisman and 1 Heisman Runner-up QB. And the coach and team bailed on him because he was very much not a leader and not someone who would give for his team. Take him out of that supportive environment and you get a team with 5 losses and 7 losses, a terrible 40 TDs to 20 INT stat line and a lot of wishful projecting. I have been watching this guy since his days on Netflix QB1. All the talk was him being the next Mahomes. Then you see how he dogged his teammates, quit on his team and make it all about him. The word ENTITLED comes to mind. Just because he throws a pretty pass. Three seasons of 11+ games and never ran for more than 170 yards in a season. Not great passing stats and not willing to run much to help the team.
I think it is whacky for Tampa with all these needs to take a flyer in the 2nd or 3rd round for a backup QB in 2024. The next Winfield, Luke Goedeke, Rashaad White, etc. are in this draft. The next Nico Collins, AJ Brown, Keenan Allen, Godwin, etc. are probably in the 2nd to 3rd round of this draft. Guys like Rattler, Michael Pratt, Austin Reed, etc. would be good value in the 4th round or later. As a project. You don’t spend 2nd and 3rd round assets on a QB project when you just spent $100MM on a QB and not far from an NFC championship appearance.
I got great respect for Kyle Trask. But this team would have done better in 2022 and 2023 had they drafted Nico Collins, Josh Palmer, Chauncey Golston or a host of other players in 2021 isntead. I get it, Brady was projected on the outs and they thought they were getting a steal with Trask as last pick in 2nd round. But you don’t have Brady, you have $100MM invested in Baker. So that type of move now seems even more wasteful.
April 5th, 2024 at 1:55 pm
The only thing I could think of with LFB is “Lets Fire Bowles”
April 5th, 2024 at 1:56 pm
GhostofBrady Says:
April 5th, 2024 at 1:47 pm
Agree with every thing you wrote.
April 5th, 2024 at 2:21 pm
There was no blunder in what the bucs did with Trask. Certain fans put their expectations on trask and paint this fantasy land where if given the chance he would succeed when in reality it was more likely that he would have failed like so many other QB prospects. So he had a couple of practices where he played on par or slightly better than baker big whoop there have been tons of superstars in practice doesn’t really mean anything unless it’s in an actual game. There is no conspiracy if he had the talent baker wouldnt have been signed to a three year deal try to accept that.
April 5th, 2024 at 2:27 pm
Bucs just paid Mayfield $60M minimum.
Kyle Trask is in the last year of his rookie deal and showed quite a bit of promise in TC and preseason.
John Wolford is also under contract with the Bucs in 2024 and the Bucs like him.
So NO – the Bucs are not going to use a high draft pick on a QB this year. No chance – unless the value is so extreme that the QB screams BPA – in which case there would likely be good trade down offers anyways…. so NO – its not happening.
A lot more likely regarding QB is the Bucs either using a 7th rd pick or making a UDFA offer to Devin Leary who Coen coached at Kentucky last year as a 4th QB/camp arm/practice squad player.
Leary has a # of similarities to Mayfield in terms of size, toughness, primarily a pocket passer, good arm, not a great runner but good ‘on the run’, etc.
April 5th, 2024 at 2:36 pm
Ok, for all you Trashker fans, who say he never had an opportunity to show how
much better he was than Mayfield- how about, when they hurt Mayfield’s ankle
and brought in Trask ! 1st and Goal at the 1 yard line, he threw a pass in the
corner of the end zone in the hands of a defender, who dropped the ball, with
off sides penalty, then false start, still unable to move 1/2 yard, and had to
settle for a field goal ! 4 passes in 3 years for 27 yards ! “GO BUCS” !
April 5th, 2024 at 2:54 pm
Trask will win the Super Bowl with anoter team someday. It is the Buccaneer way.
April 5th, 2024 at 3:04 pm
I love reading comments from fans that complain about wasting a second round pick on a quarterback the most important position in the NFL but out of the other side of their mouth they want to draft an edge rusher. How many wasted pics do the Bucks have on edge rusher and it’s not even the most important position in the NFL.
April 5th, 2024 at 3:15 pm
HC Grover Says:
April 5th, 2024 at 2:54 pm
Trask will win the Super Bowl with anoter team someday.
—
so in other words – he’s a backup/3rd stringer for life.
April 5th, 2024 at 3:24 pm
Yes, D.Cone, the Bucs wasted away Trask’s rookie contract…By making the playoffs the last 3 years.
April 5th, 2024 at 3:31 pm
The Trask pick looks as good as ever! What a waste of draft capital when contending for a Super Bowl. Still bothers me. That CB depth or IOL to replace Jensen was out there and they blew it.
April 5th, 2024 at 3:57 pm
@BakerFan
Actually, when he was at “Oklahoma” was a lot more of what I was referring to LoL. Rattler has some ‘talent’ & has really impressed a lot of GM’s/Teams thus far, throughout the pre draft process. He might even end up being a better NFL QB than at College, & possibly carve himself out a decent little career, if he finds himself in the right situation… Definitely, as a dependable ‘back-up’ or even more!? Personally, I’m not a fan. It’s just amazing to me that here we are AGAIN tho, with these soooo VERY ‘sensitive’ lil, insecure “Baker Bois.” Absolutely, JUST Loooosing THEIR MINDSSSS over the SLIGHTEST ‘hint’ of something that could be considered ‘negative’ about their boy!!!! Wow.
April 5th, 2024 at 4:07 pm
Great idea!
Let’s waste another 2nd round draft pick on a QB that will never be an NFL starting QB.
That worked out great the last time…
Please – let’s use all of our picks to actually improve the roster instead of farting round with another “developmental” QB.
April 5th, 2024 at 4:14 pm
BIG ED……..
Bro, you need to research that again 🤦🏻♂️…
After the BS false start that was called on Trask’s 1st play in the game last year, Trask laid out a PERFECTLY thrown pass to the corner end zone to GODWIN, who for some reason didn’t get 2 feet down before going out of bounds. Replays showed that should have been a TD…..No BRAINER…
Get your facts straight man…
April 5th, 2024 at 5:01 pm
Joe has an unusual love for older rookie QBs…he will be 24 in September…if you want your rookie QB to sit and stew for 2 or 3 years you need to be looking at younger players
April 5th, 2024 at 5:10 pm
Showcase Trask in preseason, trade him, and use Wolford as backup (he’s bad but knows the system). Trask will go start with a team who needs him and we get some trade value, a player or 2025 pick.
April 5th, 2024 at 5:27 pm
If trask was close to usurping Baker in preseason why in the world would you draft another qb to ride the pine!? We need those picks to help in areas of weakness! Let trask sit and if Baker goes down, we’ll half this site would be jumping for joy! We spent too high of a pick on him to draft yet another qb
April 5th, 2024 at 5:46 pm
Rattler has talent no doubt. I would be more concerned about his mental toughness. If he makes a bad play or something goes wrong he falls apart and can’t recover.
April 5th, 2024 at 6:48 pm
Jordan Travis would be my pick
April 5th, 2024 at 7:17 pm
The possible reward of getting a franchise QB on a rookie contract seems worth the the risk of a high pick every couple of years.
April 5th, 2024 at 8:29 pm
Joe in Michigan Says:
April 5th, 2024 at 3:24 pm
Yes, D.Cone, the Bucs wasted away Trask’s rookie contract…By making the playoffs the last 3 years.
And 2-3 in those playoffs. Slightly better than Kirk Cousin success. One win being against a team playing a little better than Liberty University.
Upside the new OC got a few wins against teams like Liberty in his college play calling career. Maybe the Bucs run the table.
April 5th, 2024 at 9:20 pm
Deff don’t think baker is the future. He’s 29. Plays very physical which I like just don’t know how long he can keep it up. Deff won’t play as long as Brady or Rodger. Deff next 2 season hope he balls out
April 6th, 2024 at 12:10 am
DCone Says:
April 5th, 2024 at 8:29 pm
Joe in Michigan Says:
April 5th, 2024 at 3:24 pm
Yes, D.Cone, the Bucs wasted away Trask’s rookie contract…By making the playoffs the last 3 years.
And 2-3 in those playoffs. Slightly better than Kirk Cousin success. One win being against a team playing a little better than Liberty University.
Upside the new OC got a few wins against teams like Liberty in his college play calling career. Maybe the Bucs run the table.
^^^^^^^^^^
I’ve lived through several Bucs playoff droughts. You’re complaining about playoff wins? Hahahaha, WOW!
April 6th, 2024 at 5:52 am
Unsure about Rattler. No QB until the later rounds. There are gems at the end too. We need other positions in the first two rounds. Trask has never really had a chance to show his strengths either.
April 6th, 2024 at 10:47 am
JD….What are you going to say to Kyle that he will believe when other offers start pouring in?
Sheer delusion. The Traskers here just won’t give up.
April 6th, 2024 at 12:24 pm
Just a few thoughts and questions.
We have a team that went toe to to, blow for blow and gave Detroit a 15 round fight in their playoff game.
This team is very close to being a Super Bowl contending team.
How does drafting a QB like Rattler in Rounds 2 or 3 help the Bucs 11 offensive players on the field perform better or help the 11 defensive players on the field perform better and contend for a Super Bowl while sitting on the bench and holding a clipboard?
Drafting Rattler this year would be the equivalent to the mistake of drafting Trask in the second round to not help us defend our Super Bowl championship as he wasn’t on the active roster for the games that year.
April 6th, 2024 at 1:06 pm
Cobraboy wrote: “FWIW-I’m back home after Achilles surgery. Not fun trying to navigate on crutches with a huge cast. I just have to be patient.”
Sorry to hear that, Bro. You are one of maybe 4 or 5 posters I ALWAYS stop to read comments from., Here’s to a speedy recovery.
April 6th, 2024 at 2:24 pm
Watched them both closely as a Sooner fan. Rattler is nowhere close to Mayfield in any possible measure. (He’s even slower than Baker in the 40. Look it up.)
April 6th, 2024 at 3:54 pm
Coen will want the QB from last year at ky
April 6th, 2024 at 8:51 pm
@Big Ed
Your comment shows that you didn’t really watch or pay attention to that game when Trask did come in at the goal line. First off the very first play was a false start and the throw to the defender didn’t matter, the second down was a run up the gut from the 6 yard line after the penalty for 2 yard gain, third down was actually a good pass to the corner to Godwin but he dropped it. Gonna say that Trask had a chance from that goal line series at least know what you’re talking about. And for one them very few snaps don’t make or break someone when that’s most action you’ve seen with starters.
April 7th, 2024 at 2:38 am
As a true Sooners fan, first and foremost, these two are nothing alike. In any capacity other than the y we’re both lucky enough to wear the crimson and cream. Please believe me.
April 7th, 2024 at 6:31 am
Rattler is better than Nix but that is not saying a whole lot.
April 7th, 2024 at 10:33 am
Trask…The Unknown Player
April 8th, 2024 at 9:18 am
Kyle will be like Steve Young , Doug Williams , and Trent Dilfer , before him , he will go somewhere else , win a Super Bowl and/or become a hall of famer while the Bucs will struggle with the latest “ great” quarterback they keep or bring in, and then next one, and the one after that, and the one after that, etc, no other team in the history of the NFL has given up so many Super Bowl winning quarterbacks to other teams , (there must be something in the water), it’s the Bucs way!