Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Nick Fitzgerald-prodigy or prayer?

At 6’5’’ 226 pounds Fitzgerald is the perfect size to play quarterback in the NFL, but with a 4.64-second 40-time Fitzgerald’s talents could be used in many other areas on a football field. While Hill is smaller and faster than Fitzgerald, his style of play could be similar to what the Buccaneers could expect from Fitzgerald during the season.

For starters, Hill did one of the more unique things for a backup quarterback to do: he returned kicks. While Fitzgerald will almost certainly not be doing this, he has the size and the speed to effectively play special teams on either side of the ball.

Hill also lined up at quarterback in the wildcat formation and caught passes from the tight end and receiver spots. Hill ended his season with a punt block (against the Buccaneers), tackles on special teams, and recorded offensive yards through the air, as a runner, and as a receiver paired with two rushing touchdowns; not bad work at all for a third string quarterback.

While Fitzgerald will likely not be as versatile as Hill, his ability to serve as a “Swiss Army Knife” for the Bucs should not be doubted. For the modest price of a third string quarterback spot on the roster, Fitzgerald should absolutely receive the nod if training camp goes well. While maybe not as great a passer as his competition Ryan Griffin, what Fitzgerald brings to the team could far exceed what Griffin provides.

While a long shot, Bruce Arians could be able to teach Fitzgerald the skills to be a serviceable backup. Training camp will be the true determinant on Fitzgerald’s skill and whether or not he belongs on the team, but the Buccaneer offense and special teams could be that much more exciting with a little deviation from what has been the norm by taking a chance on Fitzgerald.