Why the Tampa Bay Buccaneers should look into Alex Smith

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are still in need of a wildcard at backup quarterback, and Alex Smith is worth taking a shot on.

Football has always been a dangerous sport, but injuries like the one that Alex Smith suffered are next to impossible to forget. Even the defensive players, who make good plays in those situations, cannot hide their horror at what transpired by their hands.

Injuries are a part of the game, but recovery from said injury is never guaranteed. Smith has a chance to defy the odds and return from one of the most horrific injuries in recent years, and the Buccaneers could be a part of his miraculous story.

Tampa Bay doesn’t have any stellar options to back up Tom Brady. The aging quarterback is a definite injury risk in his first season with the Bucs, and Tampa Bay is not adequately prepared with Blaine Gabbert and Ryan Griffin.

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Alex Smith may not be close to his previous form, but the Bucs could at least gamble with their third quarterback spot to see if Smith still has a fraction of his former ability.

Smith has led a long and successful NFL career as an accurate deep passer and mobile threat. While the mobility may no longer be a realistic option, Smith’s deep ball accuracy could be a commodity on the Buccaneer offense.

Bruce Arians loves forcing the ball deep, and Smith would still be within his comfort zone in the current offense.

Even taking the injuries into account, Smith immediately gives the Buccaneers a better chance to win if Brady goes down over the current backups. Gabbert has never shown the same prowess in his career, and Smith has played more years in the league than Griffin has thrown passes.

Tampa Bay would have to make a trade with the Washington Football team to make this happen, but Washington appears to be locked in with Dwayne Haskins and shouldn’t need much to move off of Smith.

It may be a long shot, but gambling on Alex Smith could help keep the Buccaneers’ playoff hopes alive even with the worst possible luck.