“Logical” Choice Should Be Easy
March 5th, 2022
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BY IRA KAUFMAN
The Bucs may be six months away from a raging quarterback controversy — within their building.
When the games begin to count in September, there’s a real chance that Blaine Gabbert will be standing under center and Kyle Trask will be holding a clipboard. The head coach typically picks the quarterback and all things being equal, Bruce Arians is probably leaning toward Gabbert in that potential matchup.
Familiarity is often a major factor with Arians. That’s how he picked his coaching staff and that’s why Gabbert is likely to be re-signed in 2022. And while it’s true that Gabbert knows what Arians likes to do on offense, the case for Trask as a starter in Week 1 is more compelling.
Kyle Trask can taste his opportunity.
Even the most ardent Buc fan would have to admit that Tampa Bay isn’t poised to win a championship this fall with either Gabbert or Trask taking the snaps. A division title isn’t out of the question in the sorry NFC South, but let’s be realistic: Trask or Gabbert isn’t going to be holding up the Vince Lombardi Trophy next February in Glendale, Ariz.
The worst scenario of all is Gabbert leading Tampa Bay to an 8-9 record that falls just short of a postseason slot. That would result in a middle-of-the-pack choice in the opening round of the 2023 draft.
But more importantly, it would represent a wasted year, an absolute bummer of a season. The worst part would be the organization’s failure to make a credible evaluation of Trask’s potential.
And while nobody expects Trask to be the second coming of Tom Brady, Drew Brees or even Matt Ryan, let’s hold off on final judgment until we see this kid throw the football and execute a game plan.
He just might turn out to be Brad Johnson or Matt Hasselbeck.
Skin In The Game
That’s why even if Gabbert wins the job out of training camp, he should be on a short leash. If the Bucs start 3-5, Arians should swallow his pride and see what Trash can do with more than half the season remaining.
Although Arians has earned the right to make this call, everyone at One Buc Place has skin in this game.
Unlike Arians, Jason Licht has no ties to Gabbert. When Gabbert played for Arians with the 2017 Cardinals, Licht was in his fourth year as GM of the Bucs.
Tampa Bay thought enough of Trask to select him at the end of the second round, so if Licht has a personal favorite in this QB duel, it’s on the side of Trask.
Team Glazer has a role.
What about ownership? The Glazers have never seen Gabbert start a game in a Buc uniform. All they’ve seen in two years are 27 passes, 16 completions and the full-throated support of Bruce Arians.
Wouldn’t they love to see what Trask can do so this franchise knows how to proceed at the sport’s most critical position?
Sure they would.
Approaching the final turn in a long, distinguished coaching career, Arians isn’t keen on handing the keys to an inexperienced quarterback who turns 24 on Sunday. He trusts Gabbert’s knowledge of the system more than he trusts Trask’s higher ceiling.
But for the long-range success of this franchise, Trask is the more logical choice. If you’re not going to win it all, at least know if your quarterback of the future is on the current roster.
Trask could be that guy. Gabbert, alas, is not.
March 5th, 2022 at 10:40 am
Trask is a bad last name with auto correct. Lol
March 5th, 2022 at 10:59 am
Ok I just looked up Trask’s full name. It is Kyle Jacob Trask. I propose we just start calling him KJ to prevent auto correct from, well you know.
March 5th, 2022 at 11:02 am
Ira gets it. It’s why he’s the sage!
March 5th, 2022 at 11:05 am
Couldn’t agree more with you Ira! I’d rather watch the unknown perform than the known mediocre. Trask needs the live game reps so coaches can evaluate his potential. Is he or is he not our guy moving forward? How else can you plan for the future of the franchise.
March 5th, 2022 at 11:13 am
The Rams with their collective talent made it to the divisional playoff in 2020, a super bowl in 2019 – with Jared *freaking* Goff. The worst scenario would be for the Bucs to fall into a division title and leadership to hand a contract to Gabbert that ties their hands when he crashes back to Earth later. That’s a fate much worse than fans would be able to stand.
March 5th, 2022 at 11:15 am
I agree entirely……the only upside to Gabbert….is….what if BA is right and he performs well?….unlikely, but possible.
If we are going to have a mediocre season, at least let’s do it with Trask.
I still think option 3 is on the table…bringing in a cheap FA vet & there are many available.
In no particular order…..Mariota, Winston, Dalton, Bridgewater, Trubisky, Flaco..Fitz….
March 5th, 2022 at 11:25 am
If licht can hold this team together through smart free agent moves and draft picks. Then luring Tom out of retirement could be an option. I think that has more to do with the gabbert talk than anything. If they make a huge move for a mediocre qb there will be no room for Tom’s salary or free agent signings and no draft picks to better the team. Tom wants to play for a contender or nothing and as the situation looks with 26 free agents and salary cap issues Tom must be questioning if that’s the bucs.
March 5th, 2022 at 11:26 am
Ira Kaufman is still pushing a anti Trask narrative!! How is Travor Lawrence looking right now?? He was number one pick in the draft remember? I believe Trask beat him in every stat in 2020 including passes completions as well. The problem is BA because he’s a coach who gets credit for being a quarterback whisper and he never developed a quarterback in his career . Every quarterback he coached either got better when he left or they were already astablish when he started coaching them and that’s just the truth!!
March 5th, 2022 at 11:35 am
“Mariota, Winston, Dalton, Bridgewater, Trusbisky, Flacco, Fitz”
I would take literally anyone of those guys before I trott Gabbert/Trask out there.
March 5th, 2022 at 11:38 am
I agree, we need to see what we have in Trask, and we need to play him.
Between Gabbert and Trask, I would rather see Trask.
I just have this funny feeling that he is going to surprise some people, and who knows ?
But we need to see before we go selling our souls to the Devil for a big name starter.
Sorry, but this is not a Super Bowl Team anymore, and we are not one QB away from being so.
March 5th, 2022 at 11:57 am
I agree, we need to see what we have in Trask, and we need to play him.
Between Gabbert and Trask, I would rather see Trask.
I just have this funny feeling that he is going to surprise some people, and who knows ?
March 5th, 2022 at 12:01 pm
Ira … You’re spot on, but using the word ‘logical’ around JBF World Headquarters probably doesn’t make a compelling argument.
March 5th, 2022 at 12:11 pm
I see two benefits to staying in house for our 2022 QB. The first being that Gabbert will almost certainly cost little against the salary cap. I’m not exactly sure of his cap hit coming into this year but there’s no way it’s even a significant amount at all. Because of this, the Bucs could absolutely LOAD the roster around him. If Gabbert could just not lose games by himself, the stacked roster could carry us to the playoffs alone. Especially considering how tight salary money is these days, going extremely cheap at a position that normally demands a premium (Even Tom Brady’s “team friendly” deal was 20+ million) could be useful in allocating funds to other positions the roster. Having an absolutely loaded roster around Gabbert would be very intriguing.
Second, if we roll with Trask, we at least get to see what we have in him with a pretty great roster around him. If Trask can’t make it work with our offense as it currently constructed (provided we resign Godwin), then we know we should look elsewhere next year. Also, it seems rather pointless to spend a high draft pick on a QB if you really don’t believe in him or trust him to eventually take over. You don’t draft a 2nd round QB to be your franchise backup. Even if we stick him on the bench for one more season, I think he will at least be our guy going into 2023 with Bowles/Leftwich.
March 5th, 2022 at 12:24 pm
Coach bruce absent only success has been from the two high profile QB’s that he bought. bruce arrogance needs a qb that he can ride their Coattails. So unless the Bucs can get a top 5 QB, it WILL be a wasted year.
March 5th, 2022 at 12:25 pm
“If the Bucs start 3-5, Arians should swallow his pride and see what Trash can do with more than half the season remaining.”…. damn ira, you’re harsh
March 5th, 2022 at 12:36 pm
Mac Jones started right off the bat and made the pro bowl. I am not saying Trask would do the same but on his worse day hes got to be better than Gabbert.
March 5th, 2022 at 12:39 pm
No matter how good Trask is if there isn’t a good RB1, WR2 and TE1 and LG/Center how is he expected to succeed. Jacksonville had the worst roster in football in 2021 and have almost destroyed Lawrence’s career. And he was closest thing to can’t miss since Andrew Luck.
People are forgetting like 7/11 starting players on offense are gone or are FA. At best they are looking to keep Chris Godwin at this point. But who replaces Gronk, Marpet, Jensen, Tom, Fournett, and AB?
You would need 6 first round picks or 10m/y FA signings.
March 5th, 2022 at 1:09 pm
Never thought I’d say this, but JBFers have almost universally become the voice of reason when it comes to the post-Brady QB debate.
March 5th, 2022 at 1:12 pm
If Gabbert is the starter, between the sacks and interceptions- the Bucs will average 20 points/game. Looking at a 5-12 season.
March 5th, 2022 at 1:43 pm
Yes, we are extremely unlikely to win a SB this year….but I really don’t understand the logic behind throwing either Gabbert or Trask in their this year.
First of all Gabbert sucks and there is absolutely no reason to rush Trask (a total unknown) in there right now.
Ive heard “we’ll if Trask sucks we can’t just tank and get ready for 2023”
Lets not return to a losing culture that was prevelent for many years before Brady got here. Sign a free agent QB who actually has starting experience and keep a competitive product on the field regardless if were contenders or not.
March 5th, 2022 at 2:04 pm
Gabbert sucked in College: 40TDs to 18 INTs 61% comp in THREE years in the Big 12!!! Are you kidding me? He sucked in College and he has sucked so far in the NFL. What would make ANYONE think he is suddenly going to be a starter?
Trask threw for more TDs in ONE yr than Gabbert did in 3 and he played in the SEC against legit Defenses. I’m telling you, the kid just needs a shot.
March 5th, 2022 at 3:07 pm
I agree SB.
And remember kids….Gabbert is Garbage.
March 5th, 2022 at 3:10 pm
Trash…..ha.
March 5th, 2022 at 6:01 pm
Let’s see what we have in Trask from the get go. No interest in Gabbert other than as a backup.
March 5th, 2022 at 11:35 pm
What the Bucs need is Gardner Minshew. He is the no risk it no biscuit , stud the Bucs could win with.
March 6th, 2022 at 11:11 am
Trask and a drafted rookie (Malik Willis!) or Watson.