Former NFL OC: Bucs Already Know Who Will Start Between Baker Mayfield and Kyle Trask
June 5th, 2023
Leader in faux competition?
Some guys are really good assistant coaches and lousy head coaches. There’s no shame in that.
And a guy that won a ring as an offensive assistant and worked for two of the best coaches in NFL history thinks the Bucs already know who their quarterback is for 2023 and the team pushing “competition” is nothing more than a football version of a show trial.
Marty Mornhinweg, who won a ring working for Mike Holmgren in Green Bay and who was a long-time Andy Reid assistant in Philadelphia, cut a video for The33rdTeam.com and was adamant that Baker Mayfield for the Bucs unless he gets hurt or has regressed to the point that he shouldn’t be on an NFL roster.
In a passionate take, Mornhinweg said Mayfield gives the Bucs a prayer of making the playoffs, and the Bucs know that. Hence, it’s not yet time to break out the Kyle Trask jerseys.
Even with Mayfield, Mornhinweg thinks it will be a struggle for the Bucs to field a playoff team. The Bucs have a good enough defense to carry the team, he said, but the question is how badly will the Bucs miss Tom Brady?
“Can they overachieve in a division that gives them that opportunity?” Mornhinweg said. “They’ve got a pretty good defense. Overachieve just a little on offense and they can slither their way into the playoffs.”
Mayfield gives the Bucs a chance to overachieve, Mornhinweg believes.
Joe sees Bucs coach Todd Bowles desperately needing wins. Unless Trask clearly outplays Mayfield in training camp and the three worthless preseason games, Joe has a hunch Bowles will go with the veteran Mayfield.
Bowles’ career as an NFL head coach could be in jeopardy if the Bucs can’t win games in a hurry.
June 5th, 2023 at 4:12 am
If the new OC is smart then they already know its Mayfield, rather dragging out some phony college QB competition.
Its as simple as this, see what Mayfield has to offer, if he sucks then put in Trask midseason. But theres no reason to start a guy who has spent most of his career thus far in street clothes.
June 5th, 2023 at 5:18 am
The draft after our Super Bowl destroyed our chances at another super bowl.
Instead of drafting Trask in round 2 to be our 4th string QB,
Imagine if we had drafted a OG/C instead.
Imagine if instead of drafting Darden (we already had 4 small recievers) imagine if we had drafted another CB or TE.
We had the chance to build depth after the super bowl.
Instead we drafted Trask, and our o-line was so bad last year, that we couldn’t run the ball.
June 5th, 2023 at 5:51 am
Was the O line bad, or the predictability of the offense the problem?
June 5th, 2023 at 5:59 am
Well Marty has spoken, it’s Baker! Glad we got that out of the way.
June 5th, 2023 at 6:08 am
Mornhinweg … ‘They’ve got a pretty good defense.’
Thank you Joes for our daily dose of this being a ‘faux competition’ and Mayfield being pre-destined as our 2023 savior. Everyone has an opinion, and it’s clear that you’re not inclined to take what Licht, Bowles & Canales all say about ti being a legitimate QB competition at face value. Hang tough.
Tucked neatly away in Mornhinweg’s comments though was a little nugget about quality of the Bucs defense. We came in mid-pack last year (#13 ranking overall), and we’ve got a whole bunch of new moving parts this year. Our DEs/OLBs are pretty much unproven to date & we only have 2 beasts (Vea & Gaines) to anchor the interior DLine. Our DEPTH at LB & in the Secondary is quite unproven (OK, highly suspect for a 2nd straight year & we saw the impact last season with injuries).
So why is it that the talking heads are ASSUMING that we’ll have a ‘pretty good defense’? That’s as much of a question mark as how well our offense will perform IMO.
June 5th, 2023 at 6:21 am
I’m not a Cleveland fan, so does anyone know why the Browns give up on Baker. He bombed with Carolina and had a flash in the pan moment with the Rams. Is he the next Gino Smith or Colt McCoy.
I get Joe is down on Bowles. That he “desperately” needs wins. But Licht mortgaged the future for a Super Bowl. And pretty sure we’re all fine with that. My guess is so are the Glazers. We’re in Year 1 of a 2-3 year rebuild with no money to spend on players, no clear cut #1 caliber QB and still in cap he’ll. So why is it all on Bowles to turn it around? Give it a rest Joe.
June 5th, 2023 at 6:29 am
If they know then the best thing to do is cause confusion and disruption. it is the Bowles Bucs Way.
June 5th, 2023 at 6:47 am
Bowels “apparently” had zero input on the offense last season. Why should we believe he’ll have any input on who the starting QB is?
June 5th, 2023 at 7:10 am
Canales is going to be the new coach next year. New coach-New quarterback!
June 5th, 2023 at 7:13 am
@Teacherman777 — Exactly right. The Bucs blew off that draft like a bag of swag, or something. Going farther down the roster shows two slow LBs chosen on a speed defense (actually, I think they were picked for special teams and nothing else).
Contrast Ozzie Newsome. He regularly picked from the bottom of the barrel and won the whole thing, too. But he never let up. Certainly not after success. Like the commission sales folk say, he was no 30-day wonder.
Looking back, the resigning of the 2020 Bucs roster was a bad omen. It showed that management thought its work couldn’t be improved on. The 2020 draft doubled down on complacency. We had a chance to stay super. But that required change. We got to the top of the hill, stayed the same, and found out what the downhill side had in store for us.
June 5th, 2023 at 7:16 am
I have two takes on this post:
1) “Some guys are really good assistant coaches and lousy head coaches.” The Joe’s accurately described Todd Bowles. Exhibit 1 – Tampa v. Pittsburgh 2022. Exhibit 2 – Tampa v. Cleveland 2022.
2) Brady was not very good last year so the drop off in quarterback play should be barely noticeable if there is even a drop off.
June 5th, 2023 at 7:28 am
Yea, I don’t buy any of this conspiracy theory stuff, partly because there’s no way to prove it right or wrong and mostly because that’d take a whole bunch of lying and mistruths coming out of 1Buc to give the theory legs. I get it, writing about a competition, tracking it, and analyzing it like a “tale of the tape” between boxers takes more work than simply spouting “it’s not real” and coming up with evidence that’s speculation at best. Cool for theory crafting, but not really supported by anything other than Mayfields’ presence in Tampa.
@Frontfour
2021 or for the most of that season Mayfield played with a left shoulder that eventually needed surgery. That’s partly what sparked Cleveland to get into the Deshaun Watson sweepstakes while Mayfield was still on the roster and on top of the off the field stuff making the Browns feverish pursuit of Watson seem “weird” what made it weirder was it was a sign they were basically putting Mayfield out on the curb with trash and recycling while Mayfield was dealing with his shoulder. It’s why Mayfield got shipped out before last season, and the beginning of his path to being in Tampa as of today.
June 5th, 2023 at 7:39 am
Give Trask a break has there every ben a player that didnt have to start some where?
June 5th, 2023 at 7:47 am
Well , I think I’ll file this guess along with the rest of the guesses that were made about who We would draft, who We would trade for , who our new coaches would be and how many games We will win this year.
June 5th, 2023 at 7:57 am
That’s pretty much what most everyone on this site has predicted. Trask is going to have to really shine to get a fair shot.
June 5th, 2023 at 8:00 am
Imagine?
June 5th, 2023 at 8:34 am
“I’m not a Cleveland fan, so does anyone know why the Browns give up on Baker.”
It’s the Browns. Literally one of the dumbest ownership/front office combinations in the NFL. The ownership group that hired Hue Jackson and Freddie Kitchens. The ownership and front office that gave a serial sex offender qb who hasn’t won anything the highest guaranteed qb contract ever – and gave up premium draft picks for the privilege to do it.
Having been given up on by Cleveland isn’t something you can hold against Baker Mayfield. That franchise will forever disappoint their fanbase with an endless parade of head scratching personnel moves.
June 5th, 2023 at 8:35 am
Mike C- “Was the O line bad, or the predictability of the offense the problem?”
Yes!
Lt. Dan- I think Brady was a detriment at times last year. He did not play well overall.
June 5th, 2023 at 8:37 am
Trask played good football against good competition in college. He’s paid his dues as a Buc, not a stinking panther. Go Trask!
June 5th, 2023 at 8:38 am
Unless Trask completely outplays Mayfield in training camp, the approach will be to start the vet and see how he does. By week 5 or 6, we will see Trask in if Mayfield isn’t playing well. This is generally how it goes.
June 5th, 2023 at 8:55 am
Baker was the worst QB in the NFL last season
Stop the madness
June 5th, 2023 at 9:16 am
“In a passionate take, Mornhinweg said …”
Passion is the last resort when you have no evidence.
June 5th, 2023 at 9:20 am
Carolina was a team in total disarray. Baker Mayfield had no reps with LA. The question with Mayfield is whether the psychological toll of 21-22 has destroyed his confidence. As for coaching, Atlanta has a lot to prove after four straight losing seasons and weak drafts. Carolina has a good young quarterback but no weapons. Saints have a head coach with a worse career record than Todd Bowles, an aging defense, and a quarterback who has never won a playoff game.
June 5th, 2023 at 9:38 am
Let me start by saying that I think Licht is a very good GM. Despite some misses, he’s been good at finding talent in late rounds, with unheralded free agents, and he’s pulled off a couple good trades.
Now I can complain a little. The 2021 offseason was not good for this franchise. First, the bring-back-all-22-starters plan was ill-advised imo. It reminds me of the old adage “if you’re not getting better you’re getting worse.” Then the draft plan was confusing.
Every draft pick that year was a developmental prospect. I am (and was) fine with the JTS pick. Prototype edge rushers with size and speed are not easy to find, so taking a chance on developin him is fine by me. But after that it was all depth picks. I even remember a JBF article from that time quoting Licht essentially saying he was drafting for special teams and depth. It blew my mind; why would you rest on your laurels? You draft for stars, and if they fail to live up to star status, you hope they can settle in as good depth. You don’t draft explicitly for depth.
June 5th, 2023 at 9:40 am
And to be fair, I was also ok with the Trask pick. But if you take a QB in round 2, you have to invest in their development. You can’t just throw them on the backend of the bench and say “watch the goat, kid.”
June 5th, 2023 at 9:49 am
IMHO, this entire QB Competition is a big sham. I think we all know that Baker will start.
Even if you are Tom Brady, when you run a predictable offense with no running game behind an offensive line that offers little to no protection, you are doomed to failure.
June 5th, 2023 at 10:54 am
“Overachieve just a little on offense and they can slither their way into the playoffs.”
I would rather tank than ‘Overachieve…’
June 5th, 2023 at 11:16 am
1st overall busts don’t “overachieve” they just sell you a dream which normally ends in a rude awakening.
June 5th, 2023 at 11:32 am
Just because you have an idea who will win does not mean the competition is a sham. Trask still has a chance if he outplays Mayfield, which isn’t completely implausible. Unlikely? Yes. No reason to knock a competition that should bring out the best in both.
June 5th, 2023 at 11:45 am
This is the second season since the GOAT has played here.
We had Tom Brady last season, but he was not in GOAT form.
No matter who is talking, they seem to think Trask is already a has been. I think he will hit his stride this season, though he will not be the original starter.
Mayfly is going to fall apart, but can the Bowles cleaner see it when it happens and put Trask in? That is the million dollar question.
June 5th, 2023 at 1:12 pm
I would rather tank than ‘Overachieve…’
-the Miami Heat would disagree
June 5th, 2023 at 1:32 pm
It’s gonna be down to any of these. Multiple choice.
A. BRETT FAVRE
B. JAMEIS WINSTON
C. JOHNNY MANZIEL
D. COLIN KAEPERNICK
E. JOSH FREEMAN
F. JEFF GARCIA
G. BRAD JOHNSON
H. BRIAN GRIESE
I: TIM TEBOW
J: BYRON LEFTWICH
June 5th, 2023 at 2:09 pm
Bowles better be worried about Bowles meaning it’s time to turn a corner.
Belicheck is a defensive HC who not just talked about take aways but did it.
Check the stats.
We need to CREATE turnovers and Bowles is starting to show his age.
Turn them loose is hard to do when your job is on the line, so you wanna know who the biggest tight a$$ is then Bowles is your answer.
Finally letting Winfield play how you drafted him to play.
Finally realizing speed is how you get pressure and that is doesn’t matter how good you stop the run if they have all day to pass.
Joe Tryon Shoyinka will probably have a good year if the QB actually leaves the pocket.
If Bowles defense is top 5 this is a playoff team.
June 5th, 2023 at 5:05 pm
Hate to say it but i hope thar Mayfield is out for an extended period. I really want to see if Trask has anything.
June 5th, 2023 at 5:07 pm
Joe,
I agree. We all know Todd B. is in loved with Baker and he wants Baker to start but it doesn’t mean he is better than Trask. Bucs are dumbest club to draft a star qb from SEC and don’t even give him a chance to compete. What a waste of second round pick. If Trask doesn’t start and they don’t make the playoffs then both the coach and the GM should be fired on spot. Do not start Baker. There is no upside with him even if they win a few games. Let the kid get some experience. He might surprise all of us as he has done through HS and College.
June 5th, 2023 at 5:30 pm
Joe Thomas, one of the greatest OL ever, says the OL was awful last year.
Fans: The OL wasn’t that bad. Look at the sack total!
Every objective analysts has said the OL was a big problem last year. Let’s not debate the obvious. The OL should be better this year simply because it can’t be worse, but it’s still a question mark. So-called mobile QBs take a lot of sacks. Baker’s pocket awareness is awful. He’s taken some bad sacks. Sacks are negative plays and puts you behind the chains. That’s how old school players and coaches see the game. Belicheat believed in throwing the ball away instead of taking sacks.
June 5th, 2023 at 7:30 pm
FrontFour, I live in the Browns market area. Mayfield was the Hero in 2020 with the playoff win in Pitt followed by the almost win at KC. In 2021 he got his left shoulder destroyed in game 6 and should have been benched, but they kept playing him, and every week he played worse and worse. But the cardinal sin was the Bengals went to the Bowl that year. So the owner went all-in on Watson, and they scapegoated Mayfield to cover the stupid. The big Q is has he been ruined by CLE and CAR? His stint in LA says maybe not. Canales offense sounds like Baker’s bread and butter, so if he doesn’t shine this year he’s done.
June 5th, 2023 at 9:56 pm
Hopefully they will let Trask go, two teams are interested in him and the Buccaneers have now proven they do not have any confidence in him.
June 5th, 2023 at 10:51 pm
Baker Mayfield will be gifted the starting job I knew that when they signed him . It’s been a on going promotion of Baker Mayfield on every bucs site. Go YouTube the bucs podcastes and shows and you will hear Kyle Trask suck and Baker Mayfield is good. We heard Trask throwing a pick and Baker Mayfield haven’t threw 1 pick all practice. I’m done with the bucs developing a quarterback they just can’t do it. By week 4 the tanking for Caleb Williams will begin and the bucs will fail him as well. But to me I think he’s over raided he played in 2 conferences that don’t play defense. And I know the name every one is going to bring up and that’s Patrick Mahomes but they ain’t going to tell you are talk about him going to a hall of fame coach and a team that was making the playoffs before he got their. The bucs need to just build a power house defense again and get a good running game with a average quarterback maybe slightly above average and we can win a Superbowl again!!!
June 6th, 2023 at 9:32 am
I’ve been saying this from the very beginning. Bowles is a bad Head Coach and he will do bad HC things. Such as gifting starting jobs to vets because he coaches scared. We will never win with Lovie 2.0. That might even be an insult to Lovie considering his teams weren’t very talented to begin with.
June 7th, 2023 at 5:36 am
Joe that was a rant not a plea.
Marty has fallen a long way to join the rest of the sensationalist former NFL people now trying whatever they can to be in the spotlight. I will add that this was the opinion of the week for all the talking heads out there. Not anything “he knows”.
Total Bush league Joe.
Go Bucs!