Todd Bowles Talks Blaine Gabbert Vs. Kyle Trask
June 25th, 2022
No. 3 quarterback Kyle Trask.
It’s a summer competition(?) on the minds of many Bucs fans.
Who will be the Bucs’ backup quarterback and is last year’s second-round draft pick, ex-Gators QB Kyle Trask, good enough to beat out Blaine Gabbert?
In theory, Trask should be up to challenging journeyman Gabbert if not overtaking him. But former head coach Bucco Bruce Arians talked up Gabbert like he’s the next Rich Gannon or Carson Palmer, and quarterbacks coach Clyde Christensen threw cold water on Trask even competing for the No. 2 job this season.
Weeks ago Todd Bowles followed up Christensen and declared an open competition, but he dove into more detail during his recent visit to the Ira Kaufman Podcast.
Perhaps most telling was when Bowles called Gabbert a “security blanket.”
“I’m comfortable with Blaine,” Bowles said. “We talk a lot. You know, we’ve gotten to know each other over the past couple of years. He knows this offense very well. He understands the offense very well. He knows where to go with the football because he’s been in it. You know, that gives him the edge over [Kyle] Trask. That’s not to say Trask cannot catch him, ok. He gets the nod because of experience. Kyle’s going to get plenty of practice to get better. It’s how much better Kyle can get while Blaine is still the backup and how much can he close the gap if not take it over. But, I like Blaine. Tom’s our starter. Don’t get me wrong; Tom’s our starter. Blaine’s seen a lot and he’s been in about 10 years. He’s seen a lot and he should. … He probably has been in some tough situations. You just never know until a guy is in there full-time.
“… He knows what to do and he’s not going to panic when he gets in a game. So he’s like a security blanket right now. But anybody that’s a backup will have competition, and even certain starters.”
Bowles went on to declare he can win with Blaine Gabbert if Tom Brady was lost for a few games.
Given that Bowles feels he has a close relationship with Gabbert and views him as a security blanket, Joe is more convinced that Trask would need a truly extraordinary preseason to land the No. 2 job.
If opening day comes and Trask is third-string, it’s almost impossible to imagine Trask could overtake Gabbert barring an injury.
June 25th, 2022 at 11:35 am
As I thought……typical Bowles……said a lot but ended up saying nothing…..
I will say this….if you want to really develop our future QB, you’ve got to take a few risks…..and that would mean placing Trask in a backup role earlier than you would like.
June 25th, 2022 at 11:37 am
Good that he clarified Tom is the starter. I was not sure… LOL
June 25th, 2022 at 11:38 am
Is Griffin still on the roster?
June 25th, 2022 at 11:45 am
Wow I thought Lovie Smiths coach speak was bad but Bowels having to clarify twice that Tom Brady is our starter is on another level.
June 25th, 2022 at 11:48 am
The horse is dead.
Gabbert sucks. No matter what BA says. He cant even get a 3rd string job anywhere. This team already sucked without Brady, it will with that mutt Gabbert too.
Bucs might as well give Trask his shot. Bucs are wasting roster space and salary cap on two backups that can only help us for a game or two.
June 25th, 2022 at 11:52 am
@Tsmpabaybucfan, Trask is not our future QB, so no need to make him the backup earlier than Bowles would like.
June 25th, 2022 at 12:09 pm
Still irritated they wasted a draft pick on trask.
Suh.
June 25th, 2022 at 12:09 pm
Kyle Trask = Shaun King without the beer belly.
June 25th, 2022 at 12:16 pm
Trask doesn’t have to be a wasted pick; start him at TE.
June 25th, 2022 at 12:23 pm
If Trask isn’t good enough to be the back-up it was a stupid waste of a RD2 pick. Gabbert is great in practice and as a late sub in a blowout. But he’s never had the decision making to be a starter. We could have stuck with Gabbert and the immortal Ryan Griffen behind TB. No player develops being third on the depth chart. Dumb.
June 25th, 2022 at 12:28 pm
Kyle Trask is going to win lots of games for the Bucs in the years to come. Mark it down.
June 25th, 2022 at 12:33 pm
So next year when Tom hangs it up we’ll have two QBs who know the system. How’s that a bad thing Trask being one of them? Fans are so short sighted about the Trask pick still. Would you rather have just Gabbert?
June 25th, 2022 at 12:36 pm
B.A. is delusional when it comes to his self-anointed QB whisperer status. If you’re not already a Hall of Fame caliber QB there is nothing he can do to help you. Just look at what Jameis was doing with the Saints before his injury.
June 25th, 2022 at 12:53 pm
Good One Jimmy !!
I was thinking Kerwin Bell clone minus the pencil thin nut duster and punt team !!…….Sorry had an angry Ray Perkins flash back
June 25th, 2022 at 12:55 pm
Still wondering why Griffin remains on the team using up cap money and a roster spot.
June 25th, 2022 at 1:00 pm
Jamis was very conservative under Peyton.
June 25th, 2022 at 1:04 pm
Trask continued our great tradition of wasted 2nd round picks.
Griffin has a much better skill set.
In a few years, Trask will be out of the league
We had our pick of some talented CBs in that draft. Instead, we draft a QB who will never play.
Coulda used that CB last year, while Trask was wasn’t even on the active roster.
June 25th, 2022 at 1:19 pm
Hodad, you are right on!
June 25th, 2022 at 1:30 pm
If Gabbert knows the system so well, knows where the ball should go & has such a great skill-set then, he should absolutely light it up in the pre-season-right?! But he doesn’t, ever!
June 25th, 2022 at 1:34 pm
I don’t know if Trask will be the answer but I know Gabberts not.
June 25th, 2022 at 1:53 pm
It’s a cripple fight. The least spastic of the two shall prevail. Meanwhile pray they never have to see the field.
June 25th, 2022 at 1:55 pm
Blaine SHOULD be the backup on a “win now” team. Even if you think long term Trask is better.
June 25th, 2022 at 2:01 pm
It’s easy to take Bowles’ words out of context and correlate it to a direct comparison of talent opposed to it being based on the difference of experience between Trask & Gabbert. If we had to break that emergency glass it’s Gabbert, but that doesn’t take away from what Trask is doing to improve or the offseason opportunities to progress himself in year 2.
Even if Trask were to say win the backup and get a regular season opportunity, the first drive he stinks the joint up he’d be right back at QB3. So, why not just keep him there and let him keep soaking up his pro introduction so he can learn to be a bit more disciplined with his footwork in the pocket, keep ingesting the scheme, and improving his timing with his receivers. Being able to develop this this kid behind 2 vets is an undervalued/appreciated benefit of the “Tom Brady Effect” in Tampa. You wanna see Trask? watch all the preseason games lol hopefully he balls out in at least one of’em
June 25th, 2022 at 2:06 pm
This the stuff I be talking about with this fan base. A lot of yall talk bad about every young player we have since Brady and Gronk came here. Now every player we pick in the draft ain’t going to be good in the NFL now. This is why I’m so glad this is Brady last year. I would love to have Gronk for one more year because I still believe he’s coming back this year. I don’t like how he’s doing the franchise or the fan base if this a fake retirement .I can’t wait to see the young players get their chance to play and prove all you haters worng in that includes Kyle Trask . I think he’s going to be a good quarterback for the bucs and we can finally have our own quarterback that we developed and not keep begging other teams for their old legendary quarterbacks that they developed.
June 25th, 2022 at 2:19 pm
Teams generally do not cut players they don’t want. Think about it. And Joe will add that nearly every team taks four quarterbacks into training camp. He’ll only really count against the cap if he makes the 53-man roster.
June 25th, 2022 at 2:54 pm
Everywhere Kyle Trask has played he was not the starter but was able to rise up and have one of the best seasons an SEC QB has ever had…
He rode the bench in high school. Still got a scholarship to UF. He rode the bench at UF…You know what i’m saying.
Lets give the guy a chance and see if he is able to “rise up” on this level. He might be maxed out at being a solid backup. He might develop into something special.
History has shown the later to be the case. I hope he gets a ton of preseason snaps. We already know what Plain Blaine brings to the table…
June 25th, 2022 at 3:14 pm
Bowles is straight forward so he can pray for Jenna Laine not to ask him the same question 10 times (doesn’t work) and it’s still the offseason they’re not even practicing right now.
June 25th, 2022 at 3:19 pm
Osqueel. Y’all can take y’all’s tripe, stick y’all’s head in it, then find a toilet and flush y’allself away, never to come back.
June 25th, 2022 at 3:32 pm
Gabbert had his shot and became Mr. Clipboard. Rumors were he always carried an extra bag of Fritos for Bruce too.
Bucs drafted Trask to train under Brady. He’s a Buccaneer. He deserves his shot when ready
I do very much enjoy the blown pick Mob cowering on the ledge.
June 25th, 2022 at 3:59 pm
We’ve made mostly good decisions this year, but if Trask isn’t second string and getting those snaps in practice every week, then it will be a colossal failure. If Trask is gods awful behind closed doors and you are trying to save face if you’re Licht, then fine, but letting a never-been like Gabbert get snaps over this kid is mind numbing.
June 25th, 2022 at 4:20 pm
Use trask as a placekick holder and run some fakes . He can also be used during saints week to emulate winston
June 25th, 2022 at 4:24 pm
Goatfarmer. Next year you will be gone and I will still be here rooting for my bucs. That’s another reason why I’m glad it’s Brady last year because of trash fans like you !!
June 25th, 2022 at 4:27 pm
Seems to be an awful lot of over-thinking going on here. Or maybe the word should be under-thinking.
Todd Bowles gets paid a lot of money to make decisions. Personally I thought that he was quite clear with his decision as to what the QB pecking order is … at THIS point in the preseason. He didn’t have to include his rationale for prioritizing the way that he did, but since he did provide it, I thought it made perfect sense. TB12 #1 … Duh. Gabbert #2 … Bowles feels comfortable with him as his security blanket. No problemo. Trask #3 … better work real hard to even have a chance to move up.
What’s the problem here? Doesn’t mean that Trask is dogmeat or a wasted pick. Simply means that our HC feels more comfortable AT THIS POINT IN THE PRESEASON with Gabbert as the backup. Amazing to me how some folks can blow the simplest decisions out of proportion & read all kinds of horse manure into every little event.
June 25th, 2022 at 4:27 pm
Goatfarmer. I can see Brady must he your daddy lol 😆 😂 🤣 !!
June 25th, 2022 at 4:59 pm
After a full season of sitting on his arse, studing the playbook- Trask should no it by heart.
If Gabbert is still the Back up- its not because of “knowing the playbook”.
Its because Trask aint got what it takes. Unlike the CB we should have drafted.
Nuff said
June 25th, 2022 at 5:04 pm
This is a fun debate but what I think fans(media too) overllok is that with Trask you will be getting an inexperienced QB who will m azz ke rookie mistakes……..The time to get him into games, learning the hard way. Is not in a situation where Brady goes down for a few games.
Bottom line if we are in a must win scenario and Brady is not avialable I dont want a basic rookie making his first start ever. Wrong time wrong place. I think the Bucs see it this way and have pretty much told us this if you read between the lines.
June 25th, 2022 at 5:20 pm
Gabbert must be Mr Personality. He can shmooze any Buc Coach and Any Time.
June 25th, 2022 at 5:21 pm
And then theree is Dan Marino.
June 25th, 2022 at 5:23 pm
I remember Dan Marino stepping in. Gabbert is Mr Schmooze with the Buc Coaches.
June 25th, 2022 at 5:39 pm
NEWSFLASH: Kyle Trask is only 24 years old.
He’s a young guy only a couple of years out of college. Give the guy a chance. Adjusting to the NFL takes time.
HC Grover said it best above… Gabbert is Mr. Schmooze. The only reason he’s probably still on the team is because he’s a “Yes Man” and kisses a lot of butt at One Buc Place. We’ve all seen the Super Bowl highlight videos where he’s running up and down the sidelines after a TD and kissing up to Arians.
When you’ve got Brady, a mid-40s long-time veteran QB running your offense and you have a lot of confidence in him, it’s not hard to place confidence in another veteran QB who has been in the league over a decade as his backup.
Brady is a GAME MANAGER who limits his mistakes. He’s a LOW RISK QB. Throwing an inexperienced, young QB into the NFL Fire (even only naming him as the backup) is the OPPOSITE of low risk, even on paper.
We won’t see what Trask is capable of until next year when the real QB competition begins.
June 25th, 2022 at 6:02 pm
People should go to the google machine…Blaine Gabberts Career stats.
No you won’t be overwhelmed but if you pay attention you will see that Gabbert’s numbers generally mirror the team he is on…if the team sucks so does Gabbert…on decent teams Gabbert had decent numbers.
The problem for Gabbert and a lot of other really great college QB’s is they get drafted high by sucko teams that have the horrid record that gets them the high pick.
For poor Gabbert…he came out a year early…probably too soon…he was a high pick…#10 overall…and strike 3 he went to the Jags!
I think two things will determine this. First obviously is Trask’s progression…secondly the teams record. If they should lose too many to be in the Playoff hunt Trask is more likely to get a shot…or if they clinch a spot and TB needs a little time to heal an injury perhaps Trask gets a shot.
As long as the season is on the line Gabbert will be that “security blanket”.
There is a huge gap between sucks and great. Gabbert is not great but he clearly does not suck either.
June 25th, 2022 at 6:19 pm
The only thing standing in Trask’s way is the coaching staff of one buc palace
June 25th, 2022 at 7:17 pm
gator fans are delusional..haha Trask is a back up period!! Next year when Brady is gone, we will go after a veteran free agent. Licht has figured this out.
No one wants to watch 17 games with Trask as the QB… Ill take a pie to the face and post it if trask becomes a guy..
June 25th, 2022 at 8:13 pm
Blaine will be the backup…until he gets injured starting in one of his first 2 games. Then Kyle gets his opportunity.
If Kyle is smart, he is looking at Brady as Drew Bledsoe, and himself as Tom Brady. Opportunity.
June 25th, 2022 at 8:13 pm
I remember when the Falcons thought the same way about Bret Farve how that worked out for them?? I’m sure some of the fans was saying the same things yall are saying about Trask lol 😆 😂. Ain’t no more hall of fame veteran quarterbacks that they can get next year for yall to try and claim them and make them a buc for life. It’s time for this franchise to develop their own quarterback or shut talking bad about any former quarterback that this team drafted lol 😆 😂.
June 25th, 2022 at 8:14 pm
kyle Says:
“No one wants to watch 17 games with Trask as the QB…”
Odds are against him…but then, they were against Brady too. No one expected Brady to become the best there has ever been.
June 25th, 2022 at 8:27 pm
@Oneilbuc
Nice try. Atlanta gave up on Brett Favre because he was too much of a party boy and not a fit for the Run-N-Gun system that Jerry Glanville put into place. Everyone knew the problem was system fit and Glanville being a bit of a loudmouth dildo. That’s why Atlanta was able to trade away Favre for a first-round pick.
Favre had a rocket launcher for an arm. Trask is closer to Browning Nagle, if you want to compare him to 1991 NFL second-round QB picks.
June 25th, 2022 at 8:28 pm
@Oneilbuc
Nice try. Atlanta gave up on Brett Favre because he was too much of a party boy and not a fit for the Run-N-Gun system that Jerry Glanville put into place. Everyone knew the problem was system fit and Glanville being a bit of a loudmouth dildo. That’s why Atlanta was able to trade away Favre for a first-round pick.
Favre had a rocket launcher for an arm. Trask is closer to Browning Nagle, if you want to compare him to 1991 NFL second-round QB picks.
June 25th, 2022 at 11:28 pm
Brady is not going to sit for anyone/
Gabbert was a high draft pick who replaced Chad Henning and was replaced by Blake friggin Bortles.
His next incarnation was at 2-5 at Arizona, which somehow enamored bot Arians and Bowles with him.
Trask learned how to make an impression. He sat until those who the coaches like faltered; then he kicked ass.
His potential is really high and I think we will see it soon.
June 25th, 2022 at 11:49 pm
Bowles makes a very good point but personally I would have spent more time developing Trask to make sure he’s got the goods. I like how Trask played for the Gators and Gabbert to me is a dead end street, but I don’t know anything, just what I’ve seen other young QB’s do who are taking over the league.
June 26th, 2022 at 12:26 am
Gabbert’s only option was as the Bucs’ backup. All of the teams in the NFL desperate for a QB, and not one of them even made an inquiry. Trask will outperform Gabbert in the preseason games. Trask will at least win the division for the Bucs when Brady is gone. Gabbert is like one of those small emergency spare tires. He’s okay for about 50 miles, but then you have to have a real tire to actually get anywhere.
June 26th, 2022 at 4:02 am
Gabbert just collecting paychecks from Bucs and only Bucs because of BA and Tom Brady. No other team is interested in this garbage not even as a back up. How this kid gain some experience if he doesn’t get some game experience snaps. Ho ware you going to win with Gabbert if Tom gets injured. So might as well make Trask qb2.
June 26th, 2022 at 4:51 am
I’m a gator grad/fan. Didn’t like the Trask pick when it was made. That said, having drafted him it’s imperative that he be the second string this year. He needs the reps….especially with the likelihood of Brady re-retiring. Most importantly, he has to be on the sidelines to get the full benefit of the “Brady effect”. Those sideline discussions and the associated play analysis is critical if he’s going to be the starter next year.
June 26th, 2022 at 10:39 am
think about it…if Gabbert is above Trask the bucs future is in jeopardy. No need to worry unless brady gets hurt god forbid but the bucs definitely needs to move on from Gabbert next year period.
June 26th, 2022 at 12:05 pm
Ohsqueel- Y’all shovel y’allself so deep in a hole, most folks with a fraction of a brain would stop digging. Y’all just ask for a bigger shovel. There is nothing about y’all that’s a Bucs fan. Y’all would rather see the team go perpetually (that means “all the time”) 5-12 with “young players” because y’all somehow think that’s how to build a winner. Y’all must not have been a Bucs fan for very long.
The Bucs have for 46 seasons. I’ve been here for them all. Only 15 of those were winning seasons. Y’all can put your binky back in and suck on it until y’all fall asleep.
June 26th, 2022 at 1:17 pm
To all who are Kyle Trask naysayers….consider the following:
1. You don’t place #3 in the Heisman polling because you have no talent.
2. Hs senior QB #’s alone in the toughest college football Div (SEC), doesn’t suggest a no talent.
3. His background has interesting parallels to TB 12, and TB 12 didn’t have anywhere near as good stats coming out of college.
Good God…give the guy a chance. IF he fails to perform…fine…but at least make your decision based on facts not assumptions or parroting what you hear others saying.
June 26th, 2022 at 4:48 pm
No one is advocating to not give Trask a chance.
Do people really believe that Byron and Clyde and BA are blind as to who would give the Bucs the best chance in the horrible event Brady goes down?
If he earns his chance through his play he will get the backup job. But having been a Gator fan for as long as I’ve been a Buc fan (Doug Dickey era, 1976), when have the Gators put a QB in the NFL who was any good at all? Ironically the most successful are guys like Jacoby Brissette. No Gator has shined in the NFL at QB. Ever.
Trask will either earn his shot or not. But having watched him as a Gator starter, his success was more about his pass catchers (see Manziel, Johnny).
I’m hoping he’s the first to break through but I expect him to be less than Danny Wuereful, great guy, smart, sucked in the NFL.
June 26th, 2022 at 9:30 pm
Some of you just read into this way too much. They have a team built to win now so of course they want to go with the vet back up. None of that is a knock on Trask. I would love to see Trask activated some games and get some mop up action but it doesn’t sound like it’s going to happen
June 27th, 2022 at 12:52 pm
Goatfarmer Says: “Having been a Gator fan … No Gator has shined in the NFL at QB. Ever.”
You’re obviously lying about being a Gators fan. Rex Grossman took the Bears to the Super Bowl.
More, no Southern Mississipi QB has ever shined in the NFL … until one did … Brett Favre.
I recognize your name, you’re just a Trask hater posing as “Gators fan” for credibility, when you have none.