Should Buccaneers Pursue QB Drew Lock Reunion With OC Dave Canales?
It's looking a lot like 'Kyle Trask Season' for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but the arrival of Dave Canales as the new offensive coordinator could bring a challenger to the throne.
"He can throw the ball a country mile, he's got the accuracy when he is making good decisions," Corbin Smith of Locked On Seahawks said of pending free-agent quarterback Drew Lock. "(Decision making) is the biggest problem with Drew Lock...that is one of the reasons that he lost the competition to Geno Smith...I will say this, Dave Canales...if he believes in Drew Lock I would be stunned if (he) is not wearing a Buccaneers uniform."
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If Lock and Canales have as positive a relationship as Smith suggests then it would make all the sense in the world for the Bucs to bring in the former NFL starter.
For starters, Lock is still young and will be just 26 when the new season begins.
But then there's the familiarity, which even with just one season together, is certainly valuable.
When Bruce Arians was hired as Tampa Bay's head coach in 2019, quarterback Blaine Gabbert came with him.
And the reason was familiarity, providing a capable backup with knowledge of the scheme he and Byron Leftwich were going to install, and the added value of having a quarterback in the room to help improve the starter's learning curve.
Gabbert spent just one season with Arians and Leftwich and spent 2018 with the Tennessee Titans before joining the Buccaneers the following season.
So yes, one year is enough to bring value to a new roster.
And that's exactly what would be expected of Lock. Not so much to come in and be the starter - although competition between him and Trask should not be out of the question - but to help accelerate the incorporation of Canales' scheme.
The final benefit would come in the bank account, as Lock's contract demands shouldn't be overly prohibitive.
Since entering the NFL four seasons ago Lock ranks outside the top 32 in passing yards, completions, and touchdowns.
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When we look at the potential contract, quarterback Taylor Heinicke's most recent deal with the Washington Commanders seems to be a strong comparative.
In 2021, Heinicke signed a two-year deal worth $4.75 million including a $1 million signing bonus with $1.5 million of that contract guaranteed.
It would certainly be a fair cost for the Bucs to bring in a competing quarterback with experience playing for their new offensive coordinator.
And there are too many reasons for it to happen, for it not to.
Find David Harrison on Twitter @DHarrison82
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