“I’ve Kind Of Almost Surprised Myself”
August 7th, 2023
QB Kyle Trask.
Joe wrote two weeks ago about Kyle Trask’s offseason work and his private, off-site workouts with various Bucs while fellow quarterback Baker Mayfield was vacationing.
Trask said today that he values all his offseason work and the time he put in is translating to the field so much, Trask himself is a bit stunned by the growth he’s displayed.
Here was a Trask exchange with media this morning following practice:
Reporter: What do you think has been working for you so far in training camp?
Kyle Trask: I think, you know, a lot of the stuff that I worked on in the offseason –- the guys that I’ve trained with in the offseason and being able to come back and implement that into this offense. I’ve kind of almost surprised myself just how I’ve been able to take what I’ve worked on in the offseason and actually have it. You know, I think it has helped me a lot coming back this camp.
“That’s just going to be my focus: if I ever get out of rhythm, just getting back to what I was doing previously since that’s been working for me. So just, you know, staying grounded, staying focused and just trying to keep playing clean.”
Joe loves the candor from Trask. He’s been so improved this summer he almost can’t believe it!
Joe doesn’t want to mislead any Bucs fans. The quarterback play in training camp hasn’t looked special, but the good news is the Bucs appear talented enough around their quarterbacks to win games with just average quarterback play.
August 7th, 2023 at 4:54 pm
I look at the development of Trask as an extra (maybe special?) draft pick. He has been a non factor the last couple of years and now…..BAM!
August 7th, 2023 at 4:57 pm
I want to see it in games, when he’s under pressure, if his velocity holds up – or if he reverts to the cupcake rainbow passes. I hope he takes that next step up, I’d love to see him become a good QB and not have the Bucs waste this upcoming season with Mayfield going 5-12.
August 7th, 2023 at 5:04 pm
A month or so ago, Joe wrote an article about Trask’s vs Mayfield’s contrasting approaches to the off season.
A. Trask held private workouts with WR … a la TB12 (although Evans and Godwin didn’t attend)
B. Mayfield hung out and built friendships with OL
Early in camp, Bowles hyped up approach B – locker room camaraderie. He said who ever is the better leader would like win the job. Now, approach A is now showing up on the field and Bowles is hyping up good execution.
Good job, Trask.
August 7th, 2023 at 5:07 pm
How do you not pull for this kid? He’s Kirk Cousins-ish. Dude works hard for everything he’s accomplished.
August 7th, 2023 at 5:16 pm
Damn man even if it’s true you can’t say that. You’re supposed to say something I’m finally getting a chance to prove what I can do or something like that. Can’t get the game one start talking like that
August 7th, 2023 at 5:21 pm
I can’t wait until Friday.
We really don’t know much until these guys get snaps in a few preseason games going full speed against a real opponent…
August 7th, 2023 at 5:31 pm
Frankly, I’m shocked, shocked after hearing that Trask has doubled his INTs during practice today! That, coupled with the tipped pass he had recently, even though he’s freakishly much taller than Baker with hands the size of Buicks, probably lands him some detention tine. He can probably use Baker’s tiny chair stored in the HC’s office. I’ll stop now because my eyes are beginning to fill with tears again. Go Bucs.
August 7th, 2023 at 5:31 pm
Wouldn’t that be something if the wasted 2nd round pick actually becomes the first drafted QB in FRANCHISE HISTORY to earn a 2nd contract, for him to get resigned he gonna have to show out good luck
August 7th, 2023 at 5:33 pm
Reading about all his growth and adjustments to his mechanics I can’t help but be disappointed in the Arians crew for not focusing on his development more.
August 7th, 2023 at 5:53 pm
Bucs won a SB with Brad Johnson, but that defense was special. Yes, they can win games with Traskfield, but they’re not going to scare anybody unless the D takes a major step this year.
August 7th, 2023 at 6:00 pm
I think until this year Trask has been mishandled by his coaches.
August 7th, 2023 at 6:03 pm
Pewter Power … Was thinking exactly the same thing. Note to Kyle … ‘Golly gee I be playing so good in underwear football I surprised even myself’ doesn’t work in Bucsville. Just about anything else would though, such as ‘Hard work pays off’ or ‘Gotta make the most of opportunities when they come along’. If you’re gonna be a leader of beasts, you gotta act the part.
August 7th, 2023 at 6:21 pm
Smashsquatch … Yea verily. Our 2002 defense was even more than special IMO; many rank it as 1 of the Top-5 of all-time. It’d be pretty much impossible for our 2023 defense to even come close to allowing 12.25 PPG on the season, which is what our 2002 defense allowed (196 points allowed in 16 games). And that included absorbing THREE Pick-6 for 21 points; subtract those gifts to our opponents from our offense & that defense only allowed 10.94 PPG. Truly remarkable season.
But your point is well taken. A strong defense can help out an average offense tremendously. Not only by keeping opponents from scoring, but by scoring points themselves AND also creating turnovers representing scoring opportunities for our own offense. That 2002 defense scored 5 TDs on its own and got credit for generating 38 takeaways on the season. That led to a PLUS 17 Turnover Differential on our way to a 12-4 season and an awesome post-season. Loved having season tickets back then.
August 7th, 2023 at 6:39 pm
“Bucs won a SB with Brad Johnson,”
I’m not big on predicting the future, but I’m pretty confident trask will be a better player than Johnson.
Keep in mind trask crafted his game after manning. The rainbow throws are intentional. He can zip them when he wants and has already started to adjust with the new offense needing him to put more zip on the ball. The guy is the size of Josh Allen, he has plenty of arm when he needs it.
August 7th, 2023 at 6:56 pm
It would have been better for us with the old pre-season schedule of 4 games. The more pre-season snaps for a Qb battle the better.
August 7th, 2023 at 7:02 pm
Some guys just are not real comfortable talking about themselves. He sure perked up when he got asked about his team mates.
Most of the time you will just get bits and pieces into what is going on in there.
Clean. Clean. Clean. Clean. Mentioned it enough that it is important to him and a must to win games.
Sacrificing Time was mentioned. No doubt in my mind who made sure he knew if he wants to be great there will be plenty of that.
He certainly doesn’t talk the talk but he can still walk the walk and if he does well he will get plenty of practice with the talking.
NFL Network has no Tampa games televised this preseason. That does not mean that there won’t be any great highlights aired from the game.
If Trask is the man he needs to be the reason our JV’s look great against the Steelers JV’s come Friday. It’s a chance for him to help his team mates look good too. That will be extra incentive.
Then it’s on to New York.
August 7th, 2023 at 7:08 pm
Brad Johnson was a two time pro-bowl QB, won a Super Bowl and threw for almost 30,000 yards. It’s unlikely Trask has that kind of success but here’s hoping.
August 7th, 2023 at 7:13 pm
Sounds like he gained some confidence in himself.
That confidence is easier to grow when not in the shadow of TB and the old OC and his crew.
I hope to see it grow until Trask’s drafting is widely considered the steal of the 2021 draft.
We will probably find out a lot because Zach Wilson is not a back-up, even though he was a high draft pick in that same 2021 draft.
August 7th, 2023 at 7:14 pm
Go back and watch the 2002 season, Brad Johnson was not a mediocre QB. Yes in Gruden’s offense there were a lot of screens and YAC was a big deal, but when required Brad was hitting on the long ball and scoring TDs in the red zone. If Trask can play like Brad did we can definitely win.
August 7th, 2023 at 7:41 pm
Everything sounds good in August. The “the least he can do is be Brad Johnson” argument is easier said than done when 90% of QBs who make the NFL flame out and dont do anything close to Brad Johnsons career.
Let’s start with the least he can do is be Jamarcus Russel.
August 7th, 2023 at 7:59 pm
Trask learned how to prepare from the greatest quarterback to ever play the game. For the two years he sat behind Brady, he was watching and learning. Now, he’s putting it into use.
Brady got together with the receivers during the off-season and so did Trask. While Brady was working out, Mayfield was making commercials. While Trask was working out with the receivers, since Mayfield no longer makes commercials he was fishing with, dining with and golfing with the offensive linemen. If he was going to hang out with the O linemen, at least he should have been practicing taking snaps!!
August 7th, 2023 at 8:06 pm
Just a reminder to all that one year ago most of the NFL “experts” on major sports media were predicting that the Eagles’ starting quarterback, Jalen Hurts, would not make it past Week 5 before getting the hook … and for that reason predicted that the Eagles would not make the playoffs. Instead, Hurts finished second in the MVP vote and the Eagles won the NFC championship.
That’s why they play the games.
August 7th, 2023 at 8:12 pm
Mayfield will probably start. Play him till the bye. If he sucks, play Trask till end of season. I do like the way Trask is handling the so called competition
August 7th, 2023 at 8:12 pm
As long as it’s not not on the shoulders of the QB to be put in situations where he’ll lose games . Defense and a running game .(🙏)
August 7th, 2023 at 8:48 pm
Looks like Mayfield gets the start Friday night according to reports. I’m a little surprised, I listened to our coach’s suggest the guy who protects the ball gets the edge. I’ve read multiple reports of practice results and from my reading, it appears to me that Trask has outplayed Mayfield in practice thus far.
Trask should get the second start.
August 7th, 2023 at 8:55 pm
If Mayfield starts I’ll be disappointed. If he loses in the 1st game I’ll be pis*ed. Fortunately pre season will show who’s best. For us, preseason is important this year
August 7th, 2023 at 9:03 pm
If I am the GM and head coach looking at two QB’s competing for the starting job. One QB who has plenty of experience, most of that experience is not exactly positive. The other guy is a bit unknown, excelled in college and is performing better then his counterpart in camp. One (Mayfield) is on a one year more expensive contract, the other locked up for two years in a less intrusive contract.
If I’m the GM, head coach I’m rolling with Trask, the unknown with upside over the known mediocre guy.
August 7th, 2023 at 10:34 pm
They say that Trask would have been the first QB taken f he was drafted in the following year. The kid is a baller. If you watched him play that senior year you witnessed greatness. Probably better than TB12 in college
August 7th, 2023 at 10:45 pm
Someone is talking about this defense in the same breath as the 2002 defense? LOL! Talk about clueless. That 2002 defense is LITERALLY the best pass defense of all time, and arguably the best defense of all time, and if it’s not the best, it’s #2.
That 2002 Bucs defense, in the playoffs, allowed a net of 1 point per game – 31 given up, 28 scored – and if Simeon Rice doesn’t cheapshot a guy on a Ronde return away from the play against SF, they literally outscore the opposing teams offenses in the playoffs. In addition, all three of the offenses they faced were in the top 10 in the NFL, including the Raiders, who were #1.
People casually throwing around the 2002 defense, it would be like casually saying if Trask can just play better than Tom Brady at his peak, the Bucs have a shot. Well, no kidding.
August 7th, 2023 at 11:08 pm
It’s crazy how the past 2 years the narrative was he couldn’t beat out Blain Gabbert and now training camp don’t count because so far Trask has been better than Baker Mayfield. That’s what I hate about this fan base y’all don’t give nobody a chance to develop. That’s why this franchise has never developed a quarterback. Kyle Trask is playing well and people still talking about tanking on other teams sites. This is why I say this fan base and franchise has a loser mentality!! I’m riding with the guy who earned the starting job not the one who’s being gifted the starting job!!
August 7th, 2023 at 11:20 pm
Seems perfectly obvious Gabbert was Brady’s choice. Brady earned the right to require a veteran backup. We’ll never know the real story though.
August 7th, 2023 at 11:29 pm
Love the article. I would think the fans and team should embrace the QB wo wants to work his way to being out QB. Not just being a poser, going to golf tournaments and starting foundations when he’s been performing like the THIRD string QB. Trask is working his ass of not just assuming he has the job.
August 8th, 2023 at 12:56 am
Its almost like he sandbagged during offseason workouts and got Baker overconfident.
Then he camp into camp throwing darts.
August 8th, 2023 at 2:44 am
I will repeat myself from a few days ago… You don’t have a QB competition with 2 franchise QBs. You have a QB competition when neither is a franchise QB. I hope Mayfield plays well. I hope Trask continues to improve. I hope he improves enough to be a viable #2 QB. But the reality right now is that Trask is a long way from being a viable #1, and Mayfield is closer to matching Winston’s 30/30 mark than he is to being a franchise QB.
August 8th, 2023 at 3:00 am
Power of Pewter,
What on earth are you talking about? Trask has never been given a solid chance to play with the 1s. You nor anyone else knows how Trask will do in the NFL. Give the guy a chance to play before making any claims about what he’ll be in the NFL.
Some of you Bucs fans (most likely diehard Noles fans) have already written Trask off before he’s even had a chance to play much. The guy has succeeded at every level he’s played at. He deserves for people to withhold “rating” him until he gets a chance to really play.
August 8th, 2023 at 3:11 am
Man I just read every response and at least the naysayers are gone.
Friday can’t come soon enough, but if you look up Geno Smith and Drew Lock from last year’s preseason games neither threw for more than 250 yds total.
I would temper expectations because they hardly ever play long enough to matter.
If either scores on their 1st drive, that is pretty much what can be taken away.
Even the greats need several possessions against good defenses etc.
Also, I believe Geno started every game and Lock only played in 2. How is that a fair comparison?
Baker talks like they already told him he will start.
I gotta say, I was full of hope when we signed him, talking about no time in training camp with Carolina and now, he had done exactly what he always does.
I think he has tipped balls every practice.
I can see a potential game winning drive and it’s 3rd and 10 at the 30 and we need a TD, and him having a ball batted down. Every one of those is important.
Might as well throw it in the dirt right in front of you.
August 8th, 2023 at 3:33 am
Yeah Yeah Yeah….But he has no Moxie!
LOL
Go Bucs!
August 8th, 2023 at 3:50 am
>> Man I just read every response and at least the naysayers are gone.
or maybe they just can’t be bothered specially since its Trask admitting he sucked before.
>> I gotta say, I was full of hope when we signed him, talking about no time in training camp with Carolina and now, he had done exactly what he always does.
you were fillled with hope with the knowledge of what Baker alway does? yeah uh huh …suuuuure
quick question though since this is Trask’s third year beginning. Did brady or the coaching staff stop Trask from working out with the receivers in years past? or was he the one vacationing those years? reading between the lines it reads like the staff was right to put him in third string because he practically admits he sucked and is now amazed at his improvement.
I’ve seen his college passes . it s beyond the realm of credibility that no one told him he needed to change his throwing habits for the NFL. glad he finally got around to it after two year in the league
I know.. shots fired. …lolol
>> Might as well throw it in the dirt right in front of you.
don’t knock it. from what I’ve read here thats about all Trask has had the experience of doing in no hit practices as a means of ending plays where no ones open. Call me when he completes pass knowing he is about to be slammed to the dirt.
August 8th, 2023 at 3:57 am
>> Not just being a poser, going to golf tournaments and starting foundations
LOL you know your picture is in the urban dictionary under “hater ” when you actually include a buc’s player starting a foundation to help kids as something bad against him
This is the new fan having the rizz to tell you you aren’t a real fan of the bucs if you turn on your own player for that. Go root for the dolphins.
August 8th, 2023 at 4:01 am
Delete them all joe. Reddit has much better and blaanced conversations
August 8th, 2023 at 4:08 am
If you are going to rely on a strong defense…you had better find a way to keep the refs on your side.
August 8th, 2023 at 6:55 am
@Rod Munch
Despite the NFL’s profile on Kyle Trask stating that “Trask clearly has the arm strength” and “can deliver deep throws with outstanding touch”, you continue to say he threw “cupcake rainbow passes” in college.
Here on JBF, you’ve admitted to being a huge FSU fan and that “I hate all Gators”. It’s fair to deduce, then, that you never watched Kyle Trask play in college. So, why don’t you give us links to videos of all these “cupcake rainbow passes” you keep talking about like the EverReady Bunny?
Thanks.
nooyoker
August 8th, 2023 at 7:03 am
View from 132 Says: “Seems perfectly obvious Gabbert was Brady’s choice. Brady earned the right to require a veteran backup.”
ABSOLUTELY! Brady won the Super Bowl in the 2020 season with veteran Gabbert as his backup. Brady wanted more Super Bowls. In 2021, the Bucs draft Trask. If anyone thinks Brady would have allowed for a backup quarterback competition to take place when Brady was gunning for more Super Bowls knows nothing about football. No way Brady would have allowed that. In fact, I have no doubt the Bucs ran drafting Trask by Brady with the assurance Trask would not disrupt the Brady-Gabbert combo.
August 8th, 2023 at 7:12 am
“Joe wrote two weeks ago about Kyle Trask’s offseason work and his private, off-site workouts with various Bucs while fellow quarterback Baker Mayfield was vacationing.”
Before that, though, you posted an article with video celebrating Mayfield drinking beer, eating hot dogs, and palling around with big fat Bucs players at a Rays baseball game and implying Trask was doing nothing.
August 8th, 2023 at 7:37 am
Brady or no other players has the right to control a team . Only bucs fan would say that . Brady wouldn’t have had that kind of power with the Steelers , Green Bay or New England.