Trade Rumors: Could Buccaneers Land Former 1st Round Quarterback?
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are in need of a new starting quarterback now that the Tom Brady era is over. There are many factors that will have an impact on who the Buccaneers are actually able to feasibly target to come in and lead the team - mainly their salary cap situation.
The Buccaneers' salary cap hit heading into next season is the second-worst in the league at $55 million; just ahead of NFC South foe, the New Orleans Saints.
With the salary cap as high as it is, the Bucs will have to make some tough decisions when it comes to free agency and who they will release to shed some of that dead salary cap that is looming over their heads. Off of that, the team's biggest need is at the quarterback position, but their options will be limited due to going all in once Tom Brady arrived in Tampa Bay.
It seems like a long shot that the Buccaneers can target and acquire the likes of a Derek Carr or Aaron Rodgers. However, there are more feasible options such as Jimmy Garoppolo and Baker Mayfield. On the onset, those don't look too horrible of options following Brady, but there is one intriguing situation the Bucs could and probably should explore as we near the off-season and the upcoming NFL Draft.
The intriguing option or situation I am speaking of comes in the form of former 2021 first-round draft pick and current Chicago Bears quarterback, Justin Fields.
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There has been a ton of speculation surrounding Fields' future due to the fact that the Chicago Bears currently hold the #1 overall pick in the upcoming NFL Draft. The Bears have been rumored to be eyeing one of the top quarterbacks in the draft this year (Bryce Young & CJ Stroud), so ultimately if they were to go in this direction it would appear that they would look to move on from Fields via trade.
Along with the speculative rumors, it also appears that those connected or within the direct NFL sphere believe that there is a pretty solid chance this could happen.
So this brings to question, could and would the Buccaneers try and make a move to land Fields via trade if the Bears indeed decide to move on from him for a speculative "better passer" in this year's draft?
It is hard to imagine that the Bears would indeed decide to go with an unproven rookie quarterback, especially after the leap that Justin Fields made this past season, but the idea is still there and I am sure the Bears are aware of their unique situation.
The Bears have made it known that it will take a haul for someone to move up into the #1 slot of the draft, however, there are teams out there that may be willing to do so. Chicago could decide to retain the pick and take a player that isn't a quarterback instead, but it is interesting to at least think that they could take a QB and move on from Fields.
Fields had his best season to date in his sophomore campaign, putting up 1,143 rushing yards and 8 touchdowns to go along with 2,242 passing yards, 60.4% completion percentage, and 17 touchdowns to just 11 interceptions.
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Yes, Fields may rely heavily on his legs, but he has grown as a passer from his rookie season and should only continue to develop in that area as long as he is given the protection and time he needs to sling from the pocket.
Obviously, if this scenario were to play out, the Buccaneers would need to add additional assets other than their 19th overall pick in the draft to acquire Fields. It is pure speculation, but bringing in and adding perhaps the best dual-threat quarterback in the league would bring excitement back to Tampa Bay following the departure of Tom Brady.
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