Four Potential Free Agent Quarterbacks to Join Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have a ton of work to do when constructing their roster for the upcoming NFL season. They currently sit close to $56 million over the cap and will have to shed that prior to the upcoming season.
With moves on the way, perhaps the biggest question mark comes from the quarterback position as former 2nd-round pick, Kyle Trask, is the only QB on the roster since Tom Brady retired, and appears that Blaine Gabbert may be heading elsewhere in free agency.
Report: Promising Quarterback Expected to Start for Buccaneers in 2023
The Buccaneers seem content at this point to roll with Trask, and the new offensive coordinator, Dave Canales, approved for Trask to be the guy next season.
“I really liked him [Trask] coming out (of college),” Canales said Wednesday during his introductory press conference. “If you look at some of the skill position players he had there, Kyle Pitts, Kadarius Toney, who had the big return in the Super Bowl, Dameon Pierce. He was able to distribute, and the thing we’re going to help Kyle continue to build on here is to just be a point guard. Point guards don’t have to be the one that scores all the points. You just distribute. Play on time, get the ball out of your hands. Life’s better that way when you do that.”
Even with the vote of confidence from the new OC, the Buccaneers should and need to bring in another guy, or two, to give Trask some sort of mentorship or competition for the starting gig during training camp.
Pro Football Network's Ian Valentino broke down four options he thinks the Buccaneers should target in free agency to fill that slot as mentor/competitor.
Drew Lock, Seattle Seahawks
"Canales joined the Buccaneers after 13 seasons in Seattle. The last of which, of course, he spent coaching Drew Lock. Lock appeared to be headed toward winning the Seahawks’ starting job before an ill-timed bout with COVID during training camp. Geno Smith was able to run away with the opportunity with a shocking outbreak season.
Lock is now a free agent and could land on his third team in as many seasons. Just 26 years old, Lock has a cannon for an arm and is athletic enough to get outside of the pocket. But he never mastered his accuracy (59.3% completion rate) or his decision-making (25 touchdowns to 20 interceptions in 24 games).
Since this is Canales’ first time calling plays, adding a familiar face to the mix might be a good idea. Maybe Lock was set to shine before Smith removed any doubt of who was better. If nothing else, he’s a scratch-off lottery ticket who can push Trask to really fight for his starting job."
Andy Dalton, New Orleans Saints
"The Buccaneers could replace the NFL’s oldest quarterback in Brady with someone 10 years younger in Andy Dalton. Though young compared to Brady, the 35-year-old Dalton is certainly at the tail end of his career. He’s played for a different franchise in each of the last four seasons, producing just enough to justify being a high-end backup.
Adding some wisdom to challenge but also help Trask would be wise. Dalton already filled the mentor role during his one-year in Chicago when Justin Fields was a rookie. Fields lauded Dalton’s professionalism on Barstool Sports’ Pardon My Take Podcast, saying:
“Andy’s amazing. I mean, even this year, he was texting me after good games that I had and said, ‘I saw your game. Great job, bro.’ Just his family, his wife, his kids. They’re amazing. Andy and Nick [Foles] they taught me a lot last year just with the life of being an NFL quarterback, and he kind of took me under his wing. I’m definitely very appreciative of that…”
It’s possible Dalton might actually beat out Trask if it’s an open competition. He had his best season statistically in 2022 with the New Orleans Saints in a run-heavy offense that limited his exposure to mistakes. Tampa Bay may not want to take that risk if they’re truly set on giving Trask the opportunity to grow, especially since Dalton has a limited upside."
Taylor Heinicke, Washington Commanders
"Having someone who understands their role as a backup is important. When the Washington Commanders traded for Carson Wentz, Taylor Heinicke embraced that he would likely not be the starter in 2022. Though he earned nine starts after Wentz was injured and benched, Heinicke also admitted that being a backup is “one of the best jobs in America.”
Heinicke isn’t good enough to be a season-long starter on a decent offense, but he can execute the basics and be a bit of a spark plug if need be. He’s posted a 12-12-1 record as a starter and completed 63.9% of passes for 5,745 yards, 34 touchdowns, and 24 interceptions in his career.
Turning 30 as free agency opens, the Buccaneers could use that professionalism and support for Trask in their locker room. His presence would also ensure the team doesn’t completely fall apart. Tampa Bay needs to consider this, though, as they could lose out on a top 2024 QB if they win too many games, and Trask is not the long-term answer."
READ MORE: Heisman Winning Quarterback Shows Approval for Buccaneers
Gardner Minshew, Philadelphia Eagles
"Known for his splendid mustache and lovable personality, Gardner Minshew was a bit of a forgetting gem of a backup QB until he started two games in 2022. Minshew burst onto the NFL scene as a seventh-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. He started 12 games as a rookie, throwing for 3,271 yards, 21 touchdowns, and only six interceptions.
Minshew’s statistical output continued to be impressive in 2020 before the Jacksonville Jaguars benched him as they tanked for Trevor Lawrence. He was later traded to the Philadelphia Eagles, where he played in only nine games over two seasons behind Jalen Hurts. In total, Minshew has completed 62.8% of his passes and boasted almost three times as many TD passes as interceptions.
However, a closer look at Minshew’s game shows he’s not nearly as impactful as those numbers may indicate. His offenses produced 24+ points in only 13 of 28 games where he played a significant role. Seven were losses, and Minshew benefitted from bloated stat lines that came when his team was trailing by a significant margin.
That’s perfectly acceptable for a backup QB instead of a starter, though. Minshew is a high-functioning backup who is more athletic and accurate than Trask. Giving Canales a different style of passer to work with can help bring the best out of them both."
Any of these four guys would absolutely give Trask a run for his money to become the Tampa Bay Buccaneers starter in 2023, and all will come at a lower price tag than the likes of Derek Carr for instance. All of them, perhaps outside of Lock, have had success as a starting quarterback, but lack the firepower to be one of the league's elite.
Bringing in one of these guys would not only bring in competition for Trask but would also potentially bring out the best of him in training camp. Thus far in Trask's short career, he has sat behind the greatest quarterback of all-time knowing that he has no shot at becoming the starter. Now, understanding that he has a chance to be the leader under center for the Bucs, Trask should take the opportunity by the horns and show what he is truly made of.
Trask has shown what he is capable of at the high school and collegiate level, but that has always come after riding the bench and developing his first three seasons. We are at the point with Trask now in the NFL, so maybe it is time to see if he has developed to a point to contend and compete for a starting position in the NFL.
Stick with BucsGameday for more coverage of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers throughout the 2023 offseason.
