Buccaneers: Why drafting QB Jacob Eason is a bad idea

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers may look to select a QB in the upcoming NFL Draft, but Jacob Eason is likely not the answer for the future.

Many Tampa Bay Buccaneers fans have been intrigued with the idea of the Bucs signing Jameis Winston– or a veteran free-agent- to a short-term deal and selecting a QB in the 2020 NFL Draft to take over for the future.

Though Jacob Eason has been a named linked to the Buccaneers for quite some time, he’s not likely the answer for the future of the organization.

Eason, a QB out of Washington, declared for the NFL Draft after his junior season and is expected to be a solid second-rounder according to most draft analysts. As a matter of fact, some analysts have moved him into the late selections of the first-round.

Despite the buzz surrounding Eason, there are too many unknowns and inconsistencies in his game for the Buccaneers to take a chance on making him the QB of the future.

Though many rave about Eason’s deep-ball, there are far too many times where he doesn’t show the arm strength needed to be successful in the NFL.

Yes, he was accurate on deep throws, but that’s not all it takes in the NFL. He’s got to throw a crisp, clean pass on a line and Eason far too many times just floated it to his receivers. That works at the collegiate level, but it’s not going to work in the NFL, especially in Bruce Arians’ system that digs the long ball.

Eason’s statistics may look good, but much of those numbers came against weak Pac-12 defenses and won’t translate to the next level. Though he has improved, he’s just not ready for the next level yet.

Yes, Eason at 6-foot-6 and 227 pounds has the look of an NFL franchise quarterback. He may even develop into one, but you’re talking about several years down the road.

You’re talking about a staff having to craft him, using those raw abilities and fine-tuning those skills.

That’s fine for an organization like Pittsburgh, but it’s not a great fit for the Buccaneers franchise, which is looking to return to relevancy. The Buccaneers need a QB who can make an immediate impact, not one that may potentially someday develop into a starter.

While it may be tempting, the Buccaneers need to stay away from Eason and focus on filling other needed positions that will make the team better immediately.