BSPN: Quarterback Will Drag Bucs Down
May 30th, 2023
Doomed?
One BSPN analyst likes the roster the Bucs have cobbled together/kept together with duct tape. Well, except at one position.
Follicly-challenged Billy Barnwell sees who the Bucs have at quarterback and starts slapping his face like Curly Howard upon seeing a monster.
Barnwell is so down on Bucs quarterbacks — specifically Baker Mayfield — he seems outraged even though he likes the rest of the roster.
This is a dreadful group of quarterbacks. Kyle Trask, a 2021 second-rounder, had inspired underwhelming reports in Tampa before making his NFL debut in Week 18 last season, when he went 3-for-9 in garbage time of a loss to the Falcons. He wasn’t going to play ahead of Brady, of course, but nothing about his first two seasons tells us he’s ready to be a starter.
The Bucs understandably brought in competition for Trask, but their choice was to import Baker Mayfield, the NFL’s worst passer in 2022. While Mayfield’s nationally televised win over the Raiders just days after joining the Rams was one of the most entertaining upsets of the season, he was dreadful across his two teams. His league-worst QBR came in at 24.6. If we expand the measure to include backups, Mayfield trailed Joe Flacco, Sam Ehlinger and Skylar Thompson. He wasn’t much better while battling a shoulder injury in 2021.
Mayfield needs just about everything around him to be right to succeed. Receivers aside, this isn’t that sort of team on offense. The line is rebuilding, and after the Bucs fired Byron Leftwich, they replaced their offensive coordinator with Dave Canales, who will be calling plays for the first time after spending over a decade in Seattle. It’s tough to imagine Tampa Bay wouldn’t have been better off with Jacoby Brissett or Teddy Bridgewater, the latter of whom remains unsigned.
Jacoby Brissett would have been sort of interesting. Sort of. But really, what are you getting with Brissett? Another bridge quarterback?
And speaking of bridge quarterbacks, if the Bucs got Teddy Bridgewater, Joe guarantees the Bucs would have been drafting a quarterback with a first-round pick next spring and just as likely the Bucs would have a new head coach by February.
Joe guesses Todd Bowles wants to keep his job. Therefore, Bridgewater was a no-go.
Joe still thinks Mayfield is a smart gamble. He does well, he’s your quarterback for the near future. He stinks, and the Bucs draft a quarterback next spring. That’s all. No harm, no foul.
May 30th, 2023 at 5:37 am
The awful QB situation will be the end of Bowles as head coaching career.
May 30th, 2023 at 6:12 am
So you’re saying Trask has no shot Joe?
May 30th, 2023 at 6:49 am
“Baker Mayfield, the NFL’s worst passer in 2022”
You’d never know that reading JoeLovesBaker.Com. LOL
May 30th, 2023 at 6:54 am
Thank God the Rays are kicking butt this year. Hopefully, they’ll still be there in October because, with the way everyone is dogging the Bucs, it seems this season will be a wash.
May 30th, 2023 at 7:45 am
I love Barnwell. He actually watches film. Mayfield was a below average QB last year. I see the same hype this year with Mayfield as I saw when he signed with Carolina. The fans and beat writers in Carolina raved about his swagger and how he beat out Darnold to earn the starting job. The season started and Mayfield showed his true colors. He’s an inconsistent QB who’s a turnover machine. He was eventually benched for PJ Walker. Walker and Darnold actually played better than Mayfield.
May 30th, 2023 at 7:50 am
We really don’t have much invested in our QBs……so, we will likely get the return on investment we deserve……but, let’s hope not.
Sometimes the gambles pay off.
May 30th, 2023 at 8:02 am
We have 3 qb’s that are 3rd teamers on any other team in the league
Atlanta has a better qb room than we do
6 wins max and let’s hope Kyle at least gets an honest shot
Sinking ship Bowles will be grasping at straws to stay employed by mid season
May 30th, 2023 at 8:26 am
LOL, I had to laugh when I saw that http://www.JoeLovesBaker.Com
I understand Joe, we have to have hope, but Baker was the worst QB in the NFL as far as ratings go.
I too want to believe in Baker, but I still have those visions of him throwing those game ending interceptions while under pressure.
I sure hope this changes!
May 30th, 2023 at 9:47 am
The decision to start Mayfly will be one of the final coffin nails for the Bowles cleaner.
After Trask takes over, after having a better camp, he will turn the team around, but not be able to overcome the debacle of Mayfly getting anointed before him.
Trask’s demeanor will allow him to let the 1-3 start roll off his back.
May 30th, 2023 at 10:44 am
I have no faith in Mr. Mayfield. He is simply going to have to show us. Same with Mr. Trask. I love the fact both will get their chances to prove people like me wrong. Good luck to both.
May 30th, 2023 at 11:06 am
No one has drug the Bucs down more than their incompetent HC!
Caused Brady his only losing season in a 20+ year career…
May 30th, 2023 at 11:28 am
It will probably be an up and down season, with a new QB drafted next year or a trade for a better vet. I really don’t think The Bucs have enough talent on offense to cover for Mayfield. Bowles is in big danger with either of these guys starting. At this point it appears the Bucs have convinced themselves that Mayfield is a proven vet, me not so much. Should be an interesting season, but not expecting much.
May 30th, 2023 at 11:52 am
The Bucs understandably brought in competition for Trask, but their choice was to import Baker Mayfield, the NFL’s worst passer in 2022. While Mayfield’s nationally televised win over the Raiders just days after joining the Rams was one of the most entertaining upsets of the season, he was dreadful across his two teams. His league-worst QBR came in at 24.6.
If we expand the measure to include backups, Mayfield trailed Joe Flacco, Sam Ehlinger and Skylar Thompson. He wasn’t much better while battling a shoulder injury in 2021
There you go, Baker fans. Reality check.
No chance with Baker. Very, very tiny chance with Trask.
I say ride Trask all year, get him experience, and if he doesn’t do well, he’s our career backup for the next 5 years.
May 30th, 2023 at 11:56 am
Buc4evr Says:
“I really don’t think The Bucs have enough talent on offense to cover for Mayfield.”
I don’t think anyone does.
That said…the offense does have pass catchers. I mean, they won’t help Mayfield look good because he is horrible, but…
…I know Mayfield will get the starting nod from Bowels…and I’m actually good with that for the first 3-6 games. Let Mayfield take the hits while the OL is working on improving.
Then put Trask in. Give him a fair shot the rest of the year.
If he does very well, no need to draft a QB. If he sucks…we draft a QB in 2024.
May 30th, 2023 at 12:24 pm
Wow the optimism here is insane lol I’m rooting for him rooting for the entire team actually, and I think baker will do better than most think, go bucs!
May 30th, 2023 at 12:25 pm
BAKER MAYFIELD PROVED IN CLEVELAND & WITH THE RAMS HE CAN INDEED LEAD HIS TEAM TO VICTORIES ! ( WHEN HEALTHY) THI BSPN GUY IS DEFINITELY FULL OF BULLSHIT !..AS I SPOKE OF EARLIER, RUSSELL GAGE HAS BECOME MORE OF A LIABILITY THAN AN ASSET..HE COULD BE PUT ON IR AND NOT COUNT AGAINST THE CAP ( IF MY UNDERSTANDING IS CORRECT ) HE IS WORTH KEEPING CAUSE’ HE’S YOUNG & TALENTED WHEN HEALTHY, BUT, THE GLAZERS & JASON LIGHT NEED TO COME UP WITH A WAY TO SIGN DEANDRE HOPKINS WHILE HE’S STILL AVAILABLE..WE NEED 3 PROVEN HEALTHY EXPERIENCED STARTERS AT WR TO OPEN THE SEASON WITH…WITH TREY PALMER AT #4 ON THE DEPTH CHART..A SOLD #2 RUNNING BACK IS ALSO ESSENTIAL TO OUR SUCCESS ON OFFENSE..( KAREEM HUNT IS STILL OUT THERE ) THE GLAZERS DEFINITELY HAVE THE MONEY TO DO MOST ANYTHING THEY WANT TO IMPROVE THE ROSTER & STILL GET UNDER THE CAP AFTER SIGNING ALL THEIR DRAFT PICKS & FREE AGENTS & UDFA’S..JASON LIGHT GLAZERS..LET’S NOT MISS OUT ON THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SIGN ANOTHER HOF RECIEVER THIS YEAR..LET’S SERIOUSLY SET OUR SIGHTS ON A RETURN TO THE SUPER BOWL THIS YEAR ,AS THE DIVISION CHAMPIONS FOR THE 3RD CONSECUTIVE YEAR..WE HAVE THE TALENT & COACHING TO DO THAT..WE NEED DEPTH AT SAFETY, ZYON MCCULLEM HAS TO STEP UP HIS GAME & PLAY NICKEL AT A HIGH LEVEL ( OTHERWISE HE’S A BUST ) BOTH OUR LINES ARE GOING TO BE MUCH IMPROVED..THEIR SHOULD BE NO EXCUSES WE CAN’T BE A BONEFIDED SUPER BOWL CONTENDER THIS YEAR ! (PROVIDED WE DO SIGN “DEANDRE HOPKINS” & PICK UP THE PIECES I MENTIONED ABOVE, LETS GET SERIOUS ! LET’S PROVE THE MEDIA TOTALLY WRONG ABOUT US & HOLD OUR HEADS HIGH ! WE CAN BE SET TO DOMINATE OUR OPPONENTS THIS SEASON ! I TRULY BELIEVE THIS ! ! !
May 30th, 2023 at 12:38 pm
“We will win it all this year with Baker at the helm! The guy can outright ball with the best of them!” — says no one ever who has watched this guy play after the Browns wore him out.
Ehh who knows. Maybe Baker can be coached by Canales and impress us and the rest of the league. If he does, Canales deserves a pay raise and a medal. Otherwise I have to agree with others in that we’ll need a new QB in 2024 since Trask looks like a backup at best.
Well this year should be interesting nonetheless just to see where this experiment goes.
May 30th, 2023 at 12:41 pm
What is pewter, red and white with two legs and no arm? Ummm Bucs quarterback.
May 30th, 2023 at 12:41 pm
I say we start Taylor Swift. Hell she’s everywhere else….And the guys will be less apt to hit her, just hit her up..
May 30th, 2023 at 12:49 pm
Personally, with our cap situation, I was pleasantly surprised to get another QB whose name we had even heard of. It was amazing to me that Baker signed and I think we did the very best we could. If we are going into the season with even three average QBs it seems to me we are doing fine and I can’t wait for preseason! Go BUCS!
May 30th, 2023 at 2:28 pm
Mayfield was a steal for $4M +incentives.
He has more talent and more upside than any other QB we could have gotten for less than $10M.
Bucs are paying Brady $36M in dead cap $ this year…. and literally had no better options for 2023 unless you would have preferred they gut the team of talented players at other positions in order to pay way too much for a Derek Carr or somesuch…. No thank you and thank God that’s the Saints situation.
Baker may well surprise everyone. If he can be a decent game manager and make some plays here and there without turning the ball over too much – he’ll be just fine.
May 30th, 2023 at 4:17 pm
I feel Tampa as a team is in a better position than the Panthers last year. Canales is going to be creative and fluid in his game plans. He isn’t going to be stubborn like Leftwhich. For the first few weeks defenses aren’t really going to know what to expect. This team is going from completely predictable to nobody knows what to expect. I know there are question marks all over the offensive line. Add in the fact Brady makes an average offensive line look fantastic. This is a totally different offense and offensive line this year. The talking heads are acting like this is the same team as last year minus Brady. Its not. It’s going to be an interesting season for sure.
For what we are paying Mayfield it’s a steal and worth a shot.
May 30th, 2023 at 7:26 pm
We gonna pay Derek Carr sorry ass $40M? Thank god. People are idiots. No he’s not Tom Brady and no Todd Bowles will not be fired after his second year with a brand new OC and what can only be said about the Bucs is “I don’t really care about Vegas. It’s May” is a legit statement.
May 31st, 2023 at 12:51 am
Joes
I could care less what the big media machine BS crews have to say and even less about what they think of the Bucs in their ill informed posts. I See a headline with your patented BSPN in it and i’m getting to the point that I don’t even bother reading the post