“I Ain’t Buying it!”
February 23rd, 2022
No fan of Blaine Gabbert.
Yesterday Joe suggested the motive behind Bucs Super Bowl-winning coach Bucco Bruce Arians talking up unsigned career flop Blaine Gabbert as Tom Brady’s successor was a sales job to brace Bucs fans in case the team fails to find a better option.
It seems former NFL MVP Rich Gannon also believes Arians inflating Gabbert’s career (and confidence) is a sell, or a thick smokescreen. Long story short, Gannon cannot believe Arians would turn to Gabbert with a team still stocked with Super Bowl-winning talent.
Running through all teams seeking a quarterback — Gannon said there are 20 teams trying to find an upgrade — and he finished his quarterback roundup with the Bucs.
When it came to Gabbert, Gannon began stuttering like a 15-year old asking out the homecoming queen or, for you old fogeys out there, Johnny Fontaine confessing his troubles to Don Vito Corleone in the timeless epic, “The Godfather.” Basically, Gannon was struggling for words to describe Gabbert without ripping him to shreds while speaking to co-host Bruce Murray on “The Blitz,” heard exclusively on SiriusXM NFL Radio.
Rich Gannon: And then you have the Tampa Bay Buccaneers who are trying to replace Tom Brady. Bruce Arians said, ah, I believe it was yesterday, said people, you know, in fairness to Blaine Gabbert, he really hasn’t played with a good team and this is a good team, so (sigh) I don’t know Bruce…
Bruce Murray: (Laughs) Are you buying that one?
Gannon: I ain’t buying it! I… I… I’ve seen Blaine Gabbert. Ah, you know, there’s a reason he has been on five teams, Bruce. He’s been on Jacksonville, San Francisco, Arizona, Tennessee and Tampa Bay. He’s 32-years old, and ah, his results haven’t been very good. So, um, ah. I don’t know, I mean, I… I… I… ah, ah, I’ve seen Blaine Gabbert and I… I… I… I don’t know. (Sigh) I don’t see it happening. You know, I just (sigh), I don’t.
Arians may have a solid point about Gabbert always starting for sorry teams, though he did make starts for a solid Arizona club and a 9-7 Titans team. People thought Carson Palmer’s career was toast when he was with the Raiders and Arians turned him around.
Perhaps Gabbert never took his job seriously until landing in Tampa Bay and being motivated by Brady? You have to figure Arians must see something in the guy.
Again, Arians didn’t return to the Bucs in a post-Brady world to rebuild. It’s still hard to believe the Bucs actually think the team can make a Super Bowl run with a guy who has barely shown enough ability to collect a paycheck in the league.
February 23rd, 2022 at 3:07 pm
I thought Gabbert was really really good. I mean he beat out Kap for the starting job in SF
February 23rd, 2022 at 3:13 pm
Who knows what goes through BAs deranged mind these days. The Godfather fixed Johnny’s problem with a horse’s head. Not sure that’s allowed in the current CBA. Ben wouldn’t take much of what BA says seriously.
February 23rd, 2022 at 3:18 pm
Gabbert. LOLO!
I’d rather resign Mike Glennon than see Gabbert at QB.
February 23rd, 2022 at 3:22 pm
I feel like Gabbert looks like a quarterback, has good arm talent and is athletic. I feel his issue is when the bullets start flying he folds. Maybe because he’s been in bad teams maybe because he just doesn’t have the ability to put those tools to work. There are guys like Heinekie who manages to do more than their talent would suggest with grit and quick thinking. Then there are guys like Gabbert who should be a good player on paper.
February 23rd, 2022 at 3:23 pm
“team still stocked with Super Bowl-winning talent”
did he miss all our free agents, Gronks probably gone, CG is an unknown….
we have a 1/2 a$$ O line, that even if all resigned, will be exposed without TB
no great TE…no offense to Brate
One working/good WR for jump balls
no D line to speak of short of one big guy who plays 50%, and one who shows up maybe 20%…. a secondary that can’t stay healthy and isn’t great to begin with.
where does everyone think this SB roster is?
It’s retired along with TB. full rebuild. start Trask.
February 23rd, 2022 at 3:30 pm
Joes,
You do a great job with the imagery of the “Umms” and “Ahhs” of this story. I can picture how stammering and stuttering Gannon was in this segment. Great writing!! 🙂
February 23rd, 2022 at 3:31 pm
It’s time for Trask! Let him do what we brought him here to do! Lest see if we can win a division with a first year starter at QB. The Patriots just did it, and if coach Bruce is as good with a QB as he believes he is, we should have no problem making the playoffs! Let’s see!
February 23rd, 2022 at 3:36 pm
Gabbert reminds me of Rob Johnson.
Remember how Jon Gruden just fell in love with stupid Rob Johnson, kept hoping Brad Johnson would fail because he wanted to push Rob Johnson out there. Then when Rob Johnson got the chance, when Brad Johnson got hurt, Rob Johnson stunk, he was awful, and there was zero reason he should have been ahead of Shaun King on the depth chart.
Also, isn’t it odd that the letters BRAD have been in both of our SB winning QB’s names? Maybe that’s what we should be looking for in a new QB. No, not BRiDgewAter either, it needs to be BRAD in that order.
February 23rd, 2022 at 3:42 pm
Change because of retirement is not a rebuild. Dumping all high salary players and tanking is a rebuild. The Bucs have a lot of veterans who are not getting better but are drawing in some major dollars. It is prudent to replace them as the opportunity arises. The Bucs also have a lot of well drafted young players that form the base of a “good” team as we move forward. Brady has said he is done. Pierre-Paul’s performance fell off but not his salary. It is time to move on. Without Brady Gronk will most likely seed retirement along with his high salary. Jensen is another high paid veteran who we can’t afford. We need to get younger in the O-line and have a rookie waiting for his oppoturnity. The bugs need to keep young stars like Carton Davis III, Chris Godwin and Jordan Whitehead. The Bucs have been build on Jason Licht draft picks. They cannot affair to trade 3 years of prime picks to bring in a quarterback who will not be as good as Brady. Football is a team game. The QB is important but stockpiling the other 21 positions is more important. Gabert makes sense in 2022. Gabbert and 21 nobodies was a failure.. It take a team. Gabbert with a loaded 21 is a different story. Trask can compete for the job. Lets see what he has got. The Bucs have both money and age issues. We have a lot of holes to fill. There is no room for a trade involving 3 firsts and 2 seconds. There are no free agents this year worth a run. That may not be the case in 2023. Gabbert is the man. Go Bucs.
February 23rd, 2022 at 3:43 pm
It makes zero since to build up Gabbert when he is a FA…..what if another team believed it enough to sign him as a backup?
Nope….we are being prepped for a Gabbert at QB for the Bucs….
Sorry folks.
February 23rd, 2022 at 3:43 pm
Maybe Gannon doesn’t buy it….But sadly makes sense…..The big names like Wilson Rodgers Watson are out for different reasons, unless somebody makes an important offer, that obviously Tampa has no amo for it…….
BA is smart enough to prepare the situation to the fan base….
I know it su*ks, but makes sense Gabbert or Trask will be our next QB
February 23rd, 2022 at 3:46 pm
It is rebuild time. Try to win division while rebuilding. This team and coach staff are not going to Super Bowl, A playoff game would be a great deal.They did not make it last year with Brady and all the stars. It is gonna be a while.
February 23rd, 2022 at 3:46 pm
Gabbert makes sense. We pay him a minimum, let him compete with trask. Use draft to reload on quality talent, can use some money to re-sign players, somehow be competitive we can still make the playoffs. If TB12 still has an itch to come back and play and we are competitive and doing good, I can see him coming back. But if we decide to trade for an elite QB and then TB12 decides to come back at the same time then we will have to trade TB12. The only scenario that works is if we go with Trask and eat the dead cap this next season.
February 23rd, 2022 at 3:56 pm
attention joel , darcy and the gang:
blain gabor (son of zsa zsa gabor) is not the answer…
we are in a one year window still…with of without tom…
gotta give it it a shot with a proven qb or a qb with a face…
so you at least score a half dozen prime time games and big national games – especially with that ready for prime time schedule…
10-7 will win the division this year…
get your tv time, get your money…give us a qb please…
thanks, adam (life long bucs fan)
February 23rd, 2022 at 3:59 pm
also i say sign rojo and run him like a workhorse for 1,500 yards…
vaughn as back up…
gio as an active 3rd down receiving back…
(this ^^^ if brady and gronk are gone…let lenny follow tom)
February 23rd, 2022 at 4:00 pm
Arians also said nothing was ever Winston’s fault……until the end of the season. Gabbert isn’t being remotely mentioned or connected to any other teams other than the Bucs. To put that in perspective, Winston’s name is being tossed around with more teams (including our own) and he’s coming off an ACL surgery.
February 23rd, 2022 at 4:01 pm
keep the o-line in tact as much as you possibly can…
build on defense, no doubt…
and pray…
then pray some more…
if that doesn’t work, do as robert kraft would do so to “feel relaxed”
February 23rd, 2022 at 4:02 pm
Tampabaybucfan Says:
February 23rd, 2022 at 3:43 pm
It makes zero since to build up Gabbert when he is a FA…..what if another team believed it enough to sign him as a backup?
———-
HAHA… OK, that got a laugh out of me. Good job.
February 23rd, 2022 at 4:03 pm
bobby:
no one wants gabor…
he could very well just be an unsigned free agent all season if BA doesn’t love him any more…
come on meng…
winston and gabor are in two totally different catagories
February 23rd, 2022 at 4:06 pm
BTW, did you see the Tom Brady making a movie news?
He’s going to do something with Jane Fonda and Sally Fields and some other 80+ year old women who are probably communists.
I guess after being around all the young guys on the team, I suppose he wants to be the young hip guy in the room.
BUT, the movie is about beating the Falcons, so that’s pretty funny. But I’d rather he makes an emo-drama about winning the SB with the Bucs in a pandemic, where they get Marky Mark to play Brady and he hits the lockers and yells ‘NOOOOO’ when he finds out the cannons won’t fire when the Bucs are in the redzone during the SB, despite playing at home.
February 23rd, 2022 at 4:22 pm
Gabbert would be a great choice for Bucs QB moving forward!
February 23rd, 2022 at 4:45 pm
Gabbert, if he were to be Bucs starting QB would be the WORST QB in league. Name 1 he is better than.
Why are some of you ok with that?
February 23rd, 2022 at 5:04 pm
Ben green Says
“BAs deranged mind”
You need to grow up.
February 23rd, 2022 at 5:13 pm
Pretty ironic coming from Gannon. He was no more than an average QB until he played for Gruden in his mid 30’s.
February 23rd, 2022 at 5:16 pm
Dont got no problem if they go with Gabbert for a year. First off because Bruce knows that position well. Hes got the benefit of doubt on this.
Second because its not a bad plan to use Blaine as the bridge QB then go for the big fish next year………….You people talking about rebuild are lost in space. If we dont go after a bigtime QB then this is nothing more then a bridge season. Nothing less.
It would not be bad stragety to use this as a bridge year and set us up super strong for 2023…….And well have more money to sign a elite Edge rusher or whatever else we need……..Or you just draft one because you still have your picks. That would be my plan.
February 23rd, 2022 at 5:19 pm
Gannon was the league MVP in 2002, without Gruden…
Of course he also got destroyed by the Dungy/Monte defense in the SB, but he was the league MVP and the Raiders lead the league in scoring that year.
February 23rd, 2022 at 6:05 pm
Conte Piscatelli – well put.
February 23rd, 2022 at 6:12 pm
I’d go with famous Jameis before I would Gabbert.
February 23rd, 2022 at 6:56 pm
Anybody but Gabbert, he makes Jaymiss look like a superbowl QB.
February 23rd, 2022 at 7:03 pm
Why don’t you keep it real Joe?
You know we dont have the cap space or draft capitol to bring in watson or carr?
We are stuck between a rock and a hard place and that is all there is too it!
February 23rd, 2022 at 7:11 pm
We did this to ourselves. AND we won a SB out of the move. NOw it is time to deal with the consequences.
February 23rd, 2022 at 8:55 pm
Rich Gannon talking down Gabberts early career is kind of funny. Gannon didn’t look like an NFL QB until he was 34 years old.
February 23rd, 2022 at 11:15 pm
its funny seeing the stupuidity of the comments. Its mid febuary. Every coach says they are comfortable w the back up. It will be interesting to see how it plays out