Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Nick Fitzgerald-prodigy or prayer?

Last week the Tampa Bay Buccaneers signed undrafted free agent Nick Fitzgerald. After a successful college career, can he find a place in Tampa Bay?

The NFL is starting a transition to more athletic quarterbacks who possess speed and agility that is absent in many passers who currently start. Kyler Murray, Josh Allen, and Lamar Jackson have all been added in the last year as first round picks, and the belief is that this could be a trend that will continue. For teams looking for athleticism at quarterback, Nick Fitzgerald could be a spectacular undrafted free agent signing for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Unless you are the New Orleans Saints or just flat out unlucky, the third string quarterback on an NFL roster is not usually a well-known player. Generally you are only in the game if you are winning by a massive margin, or losing by a similar amount and the second stringer is hurt or out of the game. On the other hand, you could be Taysom Hill for the Saints and get meaningful touches almost every game.

For years the NFL has been comprised of mostly stationary, strong-armed quarterbacks who may not be athletic freaks (see Tom Brady) but are able to remain accurate and have the ability to throw the ball all over the field. There have been exceptions to this mold with the likes of Randall Cunningham, Michael Vick, and in recent years Cam Newton and Aaron Rodgers. The ability for a quarterback to scramble for rushing yards or to throw on the run is very unique in the NFL, or at least it used to be.