John Wolford On The Comeback Trail?
August 10th, 2024
Key drive.
Joe senses that perhaps, John Wolford may have saved himself from the dreaded practice squad tonight.
When training camp began, Wolford looked head and shoulders better than Kyle Trask. That didn’t last long. Roughly 8-10 days later, Wolford looked firmly on the bubble on the outside looking in.
Wolford nosedived after the first two practices while Trask improved. It got to the point where Joe wondered if Wolford will even make the 53-man roster.
Well, tonight he gave the Bucs something to think about. Needing a touchdown to go ahead and perhaps win with just over three minutes remaining, Wolford engineered an eight-play, 69-yard drive to take a 17-14 Bucs lead.
The defense put the hammer down on the ensuing Bengals drive and the Bucs won.
Todd Bowles said prior to the game he wanted to see guys perform under the lights. Wolford did just that completing 12 or 18 passes without a pick. Oh yeah, and guiding the Bucs down the field for the game-winning score with less than a minute left.
This was big for Wolford. Now if he can improve what he’s doing in practice, to go along with his game showing, he just might be on the Bucs’ 53-man roster later this month.
August 10th, 2024 at 11:04 pm
Thats experience, he’s a keeper….you know that Jason 🙂
August 10th, 2024 at 11:11 pm
Wolfie = Rudy
August 10th, 2024 at 11:21 pm
gotta keep room for 3
August 10th, 2024 at 11:23 pm
and Jason is like “Max i know already” hahahaha
August 10th, 2024 at 11:46 pm
I’m a gator and havr been a solid trask man.
After tonight, I don’t see it happening. It’s not about this play or this trait.
It’s about points. Trask doesn’t generate them at the nfl level l. he did in college, but that’s ancient history. He’s our average Or worse backup and I support that for now.
I don’t see a 2nd contract here.
I’m guessing we will draft a qb at rd one next year and keep wofford at 3.rd string.
I look forward to being wrong.
I look forward to being priced wring.
August 10th, 2024 at 11:47 pm
Proved not priced. Sorry.
August 11th, 2024 at 12:28 am
This is exactly why you have preseason games.
August 11th, 2024 at 12:29 am
The pick wasn’t on Trask just a fyi….the wr had bad positioning and didn’t atk the high point of the ball
August 11th, 2024 at 12:35 am
i mean, he dumped it off to wide open guy over the middle 3 times in a row, that was helpful haha. he was not happy when earlier TD was dropped loved his reax
August 11th, 2024 at 1:29 am
He has a better release than Trask and is faster and more mobile.
August 11th, 2024 at 3:20 am
Just read an interesting piece in NFL Trade Rumors (1 Aug 2024) titled ‘Backup QB Power Rankings’. Their top-ranked backup QB was the Bengals Jake Browning, who sat for 4 years on the bench waiting for a turn to start (went 4-3 last year after Burrows got injured). Their 34th-ranked backup QB was Kyle Trask (they only ranked 34 backup QBs BTW). Here’s their writeup on Kyle …
‘Trask lost the competition for the starting job to veteran QB Baker Mayfield last year and has only 10 career regular-season passing attempts (of which he completed three). The former third-round pick was a late-bloomer in college and turned a solid final season at Florida into a third-round selection by Tampa Bay. While Trask is big, that seems to be about the only area where Trask is above average as a quarterback’.
Kinda jaded writeup? And certainly a lazy analysis of the young man’s potential. interestingly, John Wolford wasn’t even ranked in that group, although Saints QBs Jake Haener & Spencer Rattler were (both at #30). Who? The article wrote this about them … “Both guys have blank NFL slates, making it tough to rank them much higher’. Yup, the Bucs get no respect from the national media pundits.
August 11th, 2024 at 4:24 am
Trade bait.
August 11th, 2024 at 4:25 am
Licht and crew have been really good at drafting just about every position with the exception of edge, QB, and Kicker (they’ve gotten a bit better at edge). They drafted Trask under the influence of Arians and his scheme and now they’re stuck with a useless pick who’s big but lacks mobility, smarts and savvy. I saw a recent interview where Trask looked lost when trying to describe the transition from Canales’ to Coen’s scheme. Let’s face it he’s not an NFL ready QB.
August 11th, 2024 at 5:28 am
DR. He didn’t lose a competition IRA Kaufman said they told him it was never a competition from the jump according to his source and now we know his source was Spytech who is under Jason Licht. I don’t know why some of y’all love pushing narratives. Trask didn’t play bad and this Wolfer guy is straight trash. He actually has starts in the NFL and he sucked remember he was playing against third string players. But I get it you guys just don’t want TRASK on the team. And as long as he hear he’s threat to Baker Mayfield especially if Baker goes down. How did Trask look with the starters is what really counts remember the rookie quarterback from Cleveland last year he was great in the preseason but what happened when he played in the regular season against the starters he sucked. But just have this energy with Baker Mayfield when the season starts it’s no more excuses for Baker Mayfield NFC Championship or bust.
August 11th, 2024 at 6:19 am
On the fence about Wolford and Trask yet. They both looked good at times, and had their moments of strong throws. I actually thought Trask played better than Wolford.
Baker is our number one QB. Need to keep him healthy and make sure he is protected. Unsure how Wolford and Trask would do if they needed to come in during the season when teams have all their starters on the field. So much more pressure. Baker plays with a chip on his shoulder and is great under pressure.
August 11th, 2024 at 7:20 am
Someone says he must be “jaded.” Over KYLE TRASK? That makes no sense. It makes sense to be jaded over sayyyyyy Lebron James or Steph curry because they’ve spent years and years demoralizing you and your team. You’re comically overstating his relevance, which, I hate to break it to Trask fans – is non existent. Were how many years in? And we’re talking about a training camp battle with…John Wolford, that he still may lose on top of it. Its high time to have a conversation with yourself to level set expectations
August 11th, 2024 at 7:39 am
I really have not been on the trask bandwagon nor have I been a Trask hater. I’ve seen his potential and a thought he would come along. Here lately I’ve been on the side of the fence he was a bust of a draft pick. But to be honest I liked what I saw from Kyle last night he had some great throws some very good decisions. But Wolford has him beat in experience and Walford can process his options in a much faster fashion to give him a quicker decision of where he’s going to go with the ball down deep,or dump it off, or throw it away. So yeah definitely did not help that the major stat difference between the two was trash having an interception Wolford getting the game winning touchdown. All still good problems to have
August 11th, 2024 at 7:46 am
Trask is an enigma… I just don’t know what to make of him other than he has a Type B personality and doesn’t project leadership,however there must be something there
August 11th, 2024 at 8:09 am
So now “Trask isn’t mobile”?
Man, I love people that hate on Trask that don’t even know much about him. He did a lot of scrambling at UF and is hard to bring down at 6’5”.
August 11th, 2024 at 8:13 am
We shouldn’t see much of Mayfield this preseason so we’ll see plenty of Trask, Wolford the next two games. Long way to go.
August 11th, 2024 at 8:19 am
Trasks ceiling is mediocre at best
August 11th, 2024 at 8:45 am
trask interception 2 the future had one int on the record but the first one was called off. Never saw the ball hit the ground. Refs were blind or doing trask a favor. Kyle is a relic of the Florida is a college football state past. A Michigan guy from the other other Bay area blew that away.
August 11th, 2024 at 8:58 am
Onielbuc… All the Browns QBs looked horrid last night. Depervert will have another bad year because he is selfish and only cares about himself as exhibited by his treatment of women and his Superstar Agent who skewered the bumbling owner. Now the Browns must roll with a guy who is counting the cash and days till he can retire rich and open up a chain of massage parlors called Happy Endings. Unless he gets injured again and they pull A 37 year old veteran off the couch.
August 11th, 2024 at 8:58 am
Trask drove the Bucs 77 yards for a touchdown against the Bengals’ starters; Wolford played against second-half bar-tenders. smh
Actually, considering that Trask – as will always the case with the Bucs it seems – played with not a single offensive starter, the case can be made that Trask looked better than Mayfield. I read his pick was on the bar-tender-receiver.
August 11th, 2024 at 9:03 am
Nothing I saw would make me believe Trask wasn’t a wasted pick.
On Trask ‘hate’ – I don’t think anyone hates him. They hate his insufferable fan club, who have been pushing the ‘the Bucs screwed him’ narrative.
August 11th, 2024 at 9:11 am
Remember last preseason against the Jets when Trask lit it up against the Jets’ defense and all the haters here said it was because he was playing against a truck-drivers-defense? Pepperidge Farm Remembers.
August 11th, 2024 at 9:12 am
Remember last preseason against the Jets when Trask lit it up against the Jets’ defense IN THE SECOND HALF and all the haters here said it was because he was playing against a truck-drivers-defense? Pepperidge Farm Remembers.
August 11th, 2024 at 9:14 am
I really haven’t seen enough of KT to judge his abilities. So far he may be a legit backup. Can he win you a championship at the NFL level? I haven’t seen that from him. The same goes for Wolford. If BM6 was injured, at best both could carry you thru 3 or 4 games until BM6 was healthy enough to come back. That seems their ceiling from what I have seen. Right now either could be a legit short term backup. That’s it until I see something different. IMHO.
August 11th, 2024 at 9:47 am
So, with Kyle , the Bucs threw for for 140 yards and ran for 96 yards in the half he played against a strong Bengal first and second team, ( Cincinnati finished 9 and 7 last year and called it a disappointing year , even though they played in probably the strongest conference in the league where all four teams finished above .500, the only team to do so) , a year we touted as a success with the same regular season record, John didn’t do bad , He led the team to 120 yards passing and running in the second half against Cincinnati’s third team , but if you projected it out , had Kyle played the entire game he would have probably thrown for around 300 yards and would have 200 yards rushing), using 300 yards as a further projection per game Kyle would throw for around 5,100 yards and the team would have 3,400 rushing this year ! Of course it is only projection but Kyle was named the player of the game so that ‘s a good start!
August 11th, 2024 at 9:49 am
ROTFLMAO
Neither option looks capable of leading wins against real NFL players in the regular season. But at least Otard makes the eggplant seem like an intelligent vegetable.
August 11th, 2024 at 9:58 am
Hodad Says:
August 11th, 2024 at 8:13 am
We shouldn’t see much of Mayfield this preseason so we’ll see plenty of Trask, Wolford the next two games. Long way to go.
———————
Totally agree. Trask played like a dude who NEVER gets to play ‘cept in preseason. What stood out to me was the Coen play calling. Those QB roll outs will be defensive killers when BM and the first team offense run them.
August 11th, 2024 at 10:00 am
Marcus Nerone: I remember that game , it was supposed to be the final competition between Mayfield and Kyle for the starters job , but Mayfield didn’t play ,( the fix was in), and Kyle ended up playing the entire game when John was knocked out after a few plays, Kyle won that game too and impressed Rogers ,who was calling the game ,with his passing which he raved about.
August 11th, 2024 at 10:40 am
As a lifelong gator, Trask will not be in a Bucs uniform in 2025. His stats are meaningless because he has never played any significant time with the first team in any scenario. Never understood the hate for him as he has never lost a game for the bucs or caused the team to miss the playoffs. The anger should be directed at JL since he made the pick. I can’t wait until he is gone and Bucs nation can clutch their pearls about the next target of fake outrage.
August 11th, 2024 at 11:09 am
A lot of dissing on Kyle Trask right now when he did go down and score with the second string defense out there, while wolford played against guys who will never see l regular season game action. Yea Trask didn’t light it up but also wasn’t playing with the starters, like he’s never done with Tampa so far. Keep on hating on the kid tho I bet he has a lot better performance against the jags and Wolford keeps the little dump off passes going.
August 11th, 2024 at 11:13 am
Unbelievable. Conspiracy theorists about Trashk being intentionally suppressed are like flat earthers. Only not as bright.
August 11th, 2024 at 11:27 am
ONeilBuc … ‘I don’t know why some of y’all love pushing narratives. Trask didn’t play bad and this Wolfer guy is straight trash. But I get it you guys just don’t want TRASK on the team.’
Uhhh, sounds to me like YOU are the one pushing a narrative (this Wolfer guy is straight trash’?). Contrary to your assessment, I felt that BOTH Trask AND Wolford played quite well last night. My comment on the game Open Thread (9:49 PM for the record) was ‘BOTH backup QBs have looked pretty darned good for the 1st preseason game IMO. They BOTH seemed to have pretty good command of the offense’.
The article that I quoted earlier (NFL Trade Rumors 1 Aug 2024) was quite negative about Kyle Trask & didn’t even rank John Wolford. And that’s why if you’d read a little further called it a ‘jaded writeup’ and a ‘lazy analysis’.
And GoForTheFace30, the word ‘jaded’ means ‘lacking enthusiasm’ (among other things). And that’s exactly how I viewed that author’s assessment of Kyle. Feel free to substitute in a different word if you wish though.
August 11th, 2024 at 11:32 am
Wolford is a good backup, started a few games for LA over the years. Neck issues are a problem though throughout his career
August 11th, 2024 at 11:38 am
I thought that Trask played ok last night, but believe that Wolford works better in Coen’s offense. There’s also no doubt that Baker has much better arm talent than both of them.
August 11th, 2024 at 11:50 am
DR appreciate your added input as always.
August 11th, 2024 at 1:07 pm
I’m pretty sure Wolford was intercepted last night too!
August 11th, 2024 at 1:17 pm
It’s pretty clear the Otard can’t read.
August 11th, 2024 at 1:25 pm
Agree with the take that none of us hate Trask just the Trask disciples. I thought both QBs looked good at times last night. Wish them both the very best. Go Bucs!
August 11th, 2024 at 1:48 pm
Both backups played well imo. They are backups and played like backups – but seemed to show that they could potentially hold the fort down temporarily if needed. That is their only job as backups.
August 11th, 2024 at 2:38 pm
Shane. I know that’s the old saying now days calling people a fan of a player to supress the truth. I don’t care about none of these players in the NFL because I don’t know none of them personally. How ever I want the best players to start and last year Trask was better and we have proof on that. Baker is a business decision not a football decision. You guys are Baker Mayfield disciples you can’t criticize him when he plays bad you blame everyone else but him . It’s always some one else fault when throws picks. Baker Mayfield is a more popular Garden Michew they are the same quarterbacks. Garden Michew helped his team win 10 games last year. Now Baker is our starter and I hope he throws for 5,000 yards with 45 touchdowns and the bucs win the Superbowl. But I’m going to call it like I see it because it ain’t that deep it’s just a freaking football game. So if plays good I have and will give him his credit and if he plays bad I’m going to criticize him. No more excuses for Baker Mayfield it’s NFC Championship or bust!!
August 11th, 2024 at 3:55 pm
Kyle Trask ….. rut roh.
August 11th, 2024 at 4:01 pm
Where’s the proof? The one thing a lot fans of NFL don’t get is the truth. Higher level drafted players get more love on making the team because of politics. However, that being said if the powers to be in the Bucs building thought Trask was better than Mayfield, Trask would have started. Millions in salaries and jobs depend on winning, not playing the second best.
August 11th, 2024 at 4:14 pm
I’m sorry, but getting a TD vs 4th stringers means about as much as me using Wolford in Madden and getting to the SB.
He was OK vs future FedEx employees, and maybe this helps him get a job in the Arena Football League if they come back, but as for Sunday’s, it doesn’t mean much.
August 11th, 2024 at 5:44 pm
I seen a few talking about Wolford could be a good backup. I would suggest to those to go watch any film you can find on him in the NFL. After doing so, come back and make that statement again if you think he can help carry a team if the starter goes down. I’d rather deal with Trask than the guy who’s thrown 1td to 5ints. That’s all I’m gonna say on that.
August 11th, 2024 at 5:56 pm
@RM….. You’re obviously playing on rookie mode to do that lol
August 11th, 2024 at 5:56 pm
Hiredgun. Go back and pull the training camp notes from last year and you will see it for yourself. It’s about money now days and marketing look at the Baker fan boys in here. They are only here because of Baker not the bucs just like the Brady fan base. I can promise you one thing if Baker suck this year they’re going to bring in the next well know quarterback . That’s why they didn’t get rid of Brady after he got caught meeting with the Dolphins . And they ask BA are y’all going to trade Brady he said no because it’s bad for business. And Baker is a business decision not a football decision. No other team wanted Baker as their starter but the bucs. That’s why the national meadi don’t think we are making the playoffs this year is because of the quarterback. So he’s going to have to play better than last year. NFC Championship or bust no excuses!!
August 11th, 2024 at 6:19 pm
Wolford was better than Trask, but Trask needs all the work he can get too…if he’s going to get better.
People forget trask has very little NFL game experience. Years into his career and he’s still basically a rookie so far as experience.
August 11th, 2024 at 6:46 pm
BB? Wolford better than Trask? Why? Was it because he was playing with cut to practice squad players? Absolutely Trask was better! I’m looking at QB2, not QB1. Wolford has been the same Qb3 as he’s always been. Not a jab at the guy, but he’s not a QB2.
August 11th, 2024 at 6:57 pm
Go Baker, go Trask, go Wolford, go Bucs!
Traskers, the thought that any coach or GM would insist on playing a player that could get them fired is as ridiculous as setting fire to your own house even though you have no insurance. Get real!!!
August 11th, 2024 at 7:05 pm
Baker made a lot of great plays last season but most of the plays that we loved were from broken plays when he had to run. He made some good throws too. But in my opinion he doesn’t go through his progression or hit players in stride as well as Kyle. Many of Mikes passes he had to go to the ground to secure. Kyle passes seems to produce more YAC. Kyle was also able to stand in the pocket and deliver the ball when Baker would have bailed. Finally, Kyle had no balls batted down at the line. I am very comfortable with Baker starting but I know that given a starting oline and skill players Kyle will perform better than or just as good as Baker.
Last night he moved the team effectively against the Bengals ones and twos.
August 11th, 2024 at 7:06 pm
Licht didn’t draft Baker, but he did invest a very high draft pick on Trask. He didn’t invest more than back-up money to Baker. Trask is younger and bigger than Baker. If Trask was better in his or Bowles’ mind, there’s absolutely no way Baker would be the starter. And, they certainly wouldn’t then have given Baker 100 mil. Get real. Case closed.
August 11th, 2024 at 7:07 pm
Sorry, I forgot, the Traskers know more than anyone in the Bucs organization. My bad.
August 11th, 2024 at 10:24 pm
Truth be told none of the Bucs qbd are top dogs. Baker is a scrambler with balls but not a dominate qb who can carry a team. Trask remains an unproven qb with the right size and arm strength but still an uncertain quantity with very little playing time. Wolford? Both he and Baker are too short to be dominate qbs. Baker has guts and us fearless. Those are his best qualities. Physically Trask looks like a prototype NFL qb but we will never know unless Baker, with his reckless abandon, gets blasted physically. Whichever qb survives and plays up to their ability none of them will be the the deciding factor for the Bucs season. The Bucs will sink or swim on the strength of their o line and d lines , their running backs, their receivers and their dbs. I just don’t see any of the Bucs qbs as dominate superbowl contenders. QB is just not a dominate skill level for the Bucs. Period.
August 11th, 2024 at 10:24 pm
ATLBUC Says: “Kyle had no balls batted down at the line. I am very comfortable with Baker starting but I know that given a starting oline and skill players Kyle will perform better than or just as good as Baker. Last night he moved the team effectively against the Bengals ones and twos.”
I agree. That’s why Baker and Bowles wouldn’t let Trask start the final game last season when Baker was injured and played terrible and we won 9-0 on 3 field goals from our kicker.
August 11th, 2024 at 10:41 pm
Also, the Bucs backed into the playoffs because of being in in perhaps the worst NFL division. They do have enough talent on both O and D to be competitive against middle of the pack or below opponents. Being in a weaker division improves their chance of being a playoff team again this year. I just don’t believe they have a qb on their roster to make it to the superbowl. I would prefer to be wrong, but I just don’t think they have a more than a yeoman qb. There are too many other teams that are solid across the board in every category including qb.
August 11th, 2024 at 10:51 pm
Hate to sound so negative. The Bucs do have a lot of talent on O and D. And they should kick but against the bottom tier opponents. The top super bowl contenders are also talented across the board. But most of them also have a super talented qb. The Bucs barely backed into the plaoyffs last season because of their weak division. The same thing could happen this year.
August 12th, 2024 at 12:28 am
You got the camp notes from last year from the coaches? Media notes including from this site don’t mean squat. The coaches intel is what matters Please share the coaches notes for us. SMH