Uncertainty
June 6th, 2023
No confusion.
Sometimes, Joe doesn’t get what people want.
Take a lot of guys who cover the NFL on a national level. Many are killing the Bucs for their calculated risk of signing veteran Baker Mayfield.
These same critics saw Mayfield play for the Stinking Panthers — he was terrible, no question — and think that is the same quarterback. Joe will ask a simple question: How good did Christian McCaffrey look playing for Matt Rhule’s outfit?
Will Brinson of CBS is also a guy that seems confused why the Bucs are messing with Mayfield. He believes that move neither moves the Bucs forward nor does it move the Bucs backward to position themselves to get a franchise quarterback next spring.
In other words, Brinson believes the Bucs are in the NFL’s Twilight Zone.
Well, Mayfield is a cheap bet. Why? There is this little thing called a “salary cap.” The Bucs had no cash for a much more expensive quarterback option.
Next year the salary cap loosens because Tom Brady’s salary will be off the books and the salary cap will rise (the only time the cap did not go up was during a worldwide pandemic).
If Mayfield has a good year, the Bucs have their quarterback for the next few years. If Mayfield stinks, the Bucs draft one next year. It’s about as simple as it gets.
As far as handing the franchise keys to Kyle Trask, Joe doesn’t believe Todd Bowles, who is likely fighting for his NFL career as a head coach, would entrust the QB job to a former third-string guy who has thrown nine passes in two years (short of Team Glazer promising to bring Bowles back in 2024).
Joe believes the only way Trask starts is if Mayfield gets hurt or Trask plays so well in training camp and the three worthless three preseason games that there is no way the Bucs can pull him off the field.
Sort of like Russell Wilson in 2012.
June 6th, 2023 at 12:15 am
Why not pull for Trask. We have already seen what a Heisman Trophy winner can do.
June 6th, 2023 at 12:27 am
Wish Trask would give Joe a reason to pull for him. Joe doesn’t care who wins this “race” so long as the team wins. But the only people who seem convinced Trask is the one are the folks who have never watched him in practice.
June 6th, 2023 at 2:04 am
The only first hand reports I’ve heard about Trask in camp came mostly from the Joes and a few from Scott Reynolds.
All I’ve seen is Trask throwing to burger flippers in preseason and against Atlanta.
June 6th, 2023 at 2:39 am
So Joe are you insinuating that Kyle has been stinking it up in practice? Is this the same Joe who yucked it up all summer while slamming all who disagreed about Manziel. C’mon Joe, since you are the true purveyor of elite QB play tell us what you’ve seen to make you so adamantly against Kyle Trask.
June 6th, 2023 at 5:31 am
Apparently you must believe that he would entrust the QB job to a guy who has shown a propensity for turning the ball over. As in 64 INTs in 72 games played in. As in fumbled a total of 36 times in those same 72 games. Hmmm, definitely counter to what both Bowles & Canales have already said.
And oh ya, as in taking 170 sacks in those same 72 games. Hmmm, that’s almost 2.5 plays down the drain average each game, most of which were probably drive-killers. Sacks tend to do that.
Baker’s 61.4% career completion percentage ranks him with some of the ‘elite’ in the NFL. Notables such as Jacoby Brissett (61.1%). Jameis Winston (61.3%) & Tyrod Taylor (61.4%). Still a ways to go to catch such stalwarts as Mitch Trubisky (64.2%) or Jared Goff (64.2%) but hey, a couple of really good years with the Bucs and Baker might get there.
Got it Joe. So you don’t believe that Todd Bowles would ‘entrust the QB job to a former third-string guy who has thrown nine passes in two years’.
But apparently you must believe that he would entrust the QB job to a guy who has shown a propensity for turning the ball over. As in 64 INTs in 72 games played in. As in fumbled a total of 36 times in those same 72 games. Hmmm, definitely counter to what both Bowles & Canales have already said.
And oh ya, as in taking 170 sacks in those same 72 games. Hmmm, that’s almost 2.5 plays down the drain average each game, most of which were probably drive-killers. Sacks tend to do that.
Baker’s 61.4% career completion percentage ranks him with some of the ‘elite’ in the NFL. Notables such as Jacoby Brissett (61.1%). Jameis Winston (61.3%) & Tyrod Taylor (61.4%). Still a ways to go to catch such stalwarts as Mitch Trubisky (64.2%) or Jared Goff (64.2%) but hey, a couple of really good years with the Bucs and Baker might get there.
So ya, let’s continue to push for the ‘proven’ guy, and continue to poke fun at ‘the former third-string guy’ who the Bucs protected at great cost for the past 2 years, but who were never gonna let see the field as long as Tom Brady was in the house. Other than with the other 3rd stringers of course.
June 6th, 2023 at 5:31 am
Disappointed. I hit the link thinking I was going to hear theme music.
June 6th, 2023 at 5:40 am
Yet another attempted comment that just disappeared when I hit ‘Submit Comment’ Joe. Happening more & more lately, almost exclusively on those where JBF & I disagree (in this case, anointing Mayfield as the starter BEFORE any legitimate competition even takes place). But hey, it’s your site and you get to make the rules.
June 6th, 2023 at 6:34 am
Yeah, just draft another QB next year. So easy. We’ll be so much better off next year with a rookie QB picked outside the top ten. That is unless you move up giving years of picks away. Let’s hope the guy we already used a second round pick on, and have been developing comes through for us. Why no Joes believe this can happen is beyond me. Kyle Trask was a very good college QB in the very good SEC. I have nothing to go by as a pro like Joe does, but I know what I saw when he played at Fla, and he was pretty good. Don’t see why he can’t have a Brad Johnson type of career as a pro.
June 6th, 2023 at 6:50 am
Why is everyone on here on their knees servicing Trask when no one has seen him do squat in the NFL. Like Joe, I would love for Trask to come out and play like the Bucs savior but history tells us that Joe will probably grow a set of knockers before Trask becomes a good NFL quarterback.
June 6th, 2023 at 6:59 am
May the best quarterback win.the hate for both of these Quarterbacks is a little ridiculous. It’s become the daily story every day! Let’s support who wins the battle and if we suck then we will be in a good position next yr to draft our franchise quarterback.
June 6th, 2023 at 7:02 am
Am I the only one who will be glad when this QB “Competition” ends?
It’s actually getting quite repetitive and very boring.
The only way to truly answer the QB question is to play the games…..it won’t matter who starts….it’s how they perform in real games that matter…..and that includes the “worthless” preseason.
June 6th, 2023 at 7:04 am
JOE: “But the only people who seem convinced Trask is the one are the folks who have never watched him in practice.”
You mean the Bucs coaches haven’t seen him in practice? Is that why – with Trask the only quarterback on the roster – they passed on both Will Levis and Hendon Hooker in the draft and drafted no quarterback in the draft?
Speaking of practice, you haven’t had a report on the OTAs in a while. Why is that? Mayfield not looking good? Trask looking good? Both?
June 6th, 2023 at 7:13 am
We are going to see both QBs play this year.
June 6th, 2023 at 7:42 am
“… Joe will probably grow a set of knockers before Trask becomes a good NFL quarterback.”
Lakeland Steve, at what point do man-boobs become knockers?
June 6th, 2023 at 7:45 am
Mayfield is a bust, and McCaffrey had similar YPC in Car than what he did in SF but he didn’t have to worry about Joe’s overhyped bust, that’s probably why he scored more TDs in SF.
Joe keeps bringing up the idea that Bowles may start Maybefield because he needs the wins, and I understand Joe’s reasoning, but if that’s the case, Bowles will more likely lose the team if he doesn’t win right away. Bowles could be viewed as someone that cares more about himself than doing the right thing which is letting the players compete and the winner, even by a small margin, gets the job end of story.
June 6th, 2023 at 7:50 am
#99 the big fella Says: “if we suck then we will be in a good position next yr to draft our franchise quarterback”
Except for the fact that of 70 quarterbacks drafted in the first round since 2000, exactly 5 have won Super Bowls.
June 6th, 2023 at 7:58 am
Why are some of the Trask fans so enamored with him? Easy. They’re Gator fans. Their undying loyalty to anyone who graduated from UF knows no bounds. These same people were probably fawning over epic bust Tim Tebow a decade ago, too. The FSU/Winston homers were rank amateurs compared to the Gator fans.
What someone did in Gainesville has zero relevance now. See the aforementioned Tebow as well as other epic busts like Rex Grossman and Danny Wuerffel.
Literally any criticism of Trask is taken personally, and if Mayfield is named the day one starter these same ‘fans’ will be:
1) pissing and moaning about it being ‘unfair’ and
2) if #1 happens, rooting for Mayfield to fall flat on his face so their hero can be gifted the job.
The Joes saying that Trask has to blow away Mayfield to win the job isn’t dogging on Trask. It’s stating a fairly obvious reality. Mayfield has experience and like it or not, that’s going to be a factor. A big one. It’s common sense. If it’s close between a guy who has starting experience (and some success, whether the KT fan club wants to admit it), and a guy who’s thrown nine passes in the NFL, who do you think they’re picking?
Sheesh – look at Canales’ own track record last year. He all but said it was close between Smith and Lock, but Smith got the nod. The guy with more experience.
They passed on Hooker and Levis probably because Hooker is hurt and overage and Levis isn’t any better than Trask. Doesn’t mean Trask is a world beater, either. The reports I’ve seen out of Tenn haven’t been glowing regarding Levis. The Bucs didn’t think either one was a significant upgrade and unless one of these two blow them away, they’ll address QB in the 2024 draft.
June 6th, 2023 at 8:09 am
FSUstormy: “they’ll address QB in the 2024 draft”
Great plan! Of 69 quarterbacks drafted in the first round since 2000 (not 70 as I wrote above), exactly 5 have won Super Bowls! 7%! And with the Bucs’ history of drafting and developing quarterbacks, surely they’ll be within that 7%!
June 6th, 2023 at 8:14 am
Would have preferred to let Trask start and sign Matt Ryan as a mentor. And no I don’t think any UF QB has amounted to much in the NFL, so no love for Trask, it’s just that we need to see what he can do after 2 years as opposed to handing the offense over to a total bust with the worst QBR ever. Mayfield has not earned anything to be pre anointed the starter and should not have been signed. Another example of Jason taking a flyer that is going to backfire. He would have been better off re-signing Jameis as bad as that sounds.
June 6th, 2023 at 8:14 am
Stormy Smith got the nod because Lock got hurt.
June 6th, 2023 at 8:30 am
McCaffrey sucked in Carolina, too. Look what happened when he got to SF.
June 6th, 2023 at 9:07 am
What do we want? We want Joe to stop evaluating QBs mister Manzel is the 2nd coming. Lol…just face it Joe, more than likely this will be a losing brutal season no matter who starts. We know Baker sucks so we might as well se what Trask can do.
June 6th, 2023 at 9:11 am
Who cares about practice lol. His whole mantra since high school was that he wasn’t good enough in practice to be the starter but performed on the field in games, you spent a second rounder on him and hasn’t seen any real action.
June 6th, 2023 at 9:14 am
McCaffey was injured almost the entire time Rhule was there
June 6th, 2023 at 9:23 am
I don’t think the Trask fans are enamored with him, more like curious to see what he can do. I’m not dismissing Mayfield, think it was a good signing. Just want to see Trask finally compete, and since he’s been ours, I’m hoping he succeeds. Don’t understand why so many Buc fans, and national media think this kid is a failure, or can’t succeed as an NFL starter. Brady was a 6th rounder who waited his turn. It can happen. Not saying it will, but can’t wait to see what Trask has.
June 6th, 2023 at 9:46 am
Mayfly has only one more chance to not show that he is a consistent 24.5 QBR player.
He will throw himself into putting that behind him. It might work for a while, but he will prove that he is that consistent 24.5 kind of guy.
This is Trask’s third offense in three years. It will take some time for him to get it, and learn the traits of the guys he is throwing to. I will give him that time, but I think that by the middle of pre-season trash he will be approaching his stride.
Mayfly already has a style down, and he will get happy feet, roll out, toss an interception, and get smashed, all in the same play. It is what he does.
June 6th, 2023 at 10:58 am
FSUStormy – lol. Far from it. I’m a Bucs fan, not a college football fan following their favorite mancrush around the NFL like most of you. The WinstonFSU homers were equally nauseating with their endless excuses for America’s Turnover Machine – Mr UberGroper.
June 6th, 2023 at 11:24 am
Mayfield will win the job, and by week 6 all the talk will be putting in Trask, and he will come in and be solid and less turnover prone. Remember, Brad Johnson is the player comp. Steady.
June 6th, 2023 at 12:17 pm
Well, if Trask plays well enough in the preseason to win the job then I guess the games aren’t worthless, are they?
June 6th, 2023 at 12:18 pm
Well, if Trask plays well enough in the preseason to win the job, then I guess the games aren’t worthless are they?
June 6th, 2023 at 12:25 pm
Mayfields already won the job Bowles said so. Why they wasted a second round pick on Trask I will never know.
June 6th, 2023 at 12:49 pm
Go Trask beat Baker!
Signed, an FSU-homer.
June 6th, 2023 at 5:15 pm
This is a layup decision, do you start the guy who just recently started and played well on a prime time game on Christmas or do you start a guy has hardly even dressed for games in 2 years.
It’s simple, unless your a gaytor fan.
June 6th, 2023 at 5:55 pm
Joe was wrong about Wirfs – he’ll be wrong about Baker too.
June 7th, 2023 at 6:55 am
I knew it was going to be difficult to weather this off-season Trask vs Mayfield stuff and Joes obvious bias. But wow!
The upside is that it will all be over in September and I will be happy either way, because the season is finally here and because we can put all this speculation to bed. Jaymiss’s departure didn’t have near the drama of this crap.
Go Bucs