Jason Licht said who could be the next quarterback for the Buccaneers?
While this week should be one of celebration for Buccaneers fans across the country, Jason Licht has just dropped a bomb on the fanbase that should require some quick backtracking. Licht has to be diplomatic with everything regarding the free-agent market and the roster’s future, but displaying any confidence that Blaine Gabbert could be the next starter is a cause for concern.
When asked about the quarterback to follow Brady on the Pewter Report podcast, Licht jumped into a conversation about Blaine Gabbert. What?
At most, Gabbert’s ceiling is a career backup, and perhaps a good one, but don’t get it twisted. Gabbert has been mediocre or worse throughout his career as a backup and during his time as a starter, and he has never once inspired an ounce of confidence that he should be the player to follow the greatest quarterback of all time as a franchise quarterback.
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Gabbert’s career pass completion rating of 56.2 would be good for the lowest amongst active quarterbacks in 2020. Gabbert’s best completion percentage of his career of 60.6 would only be better than Sam Darnold and Carson Wentz this season.
Perhaps Licht and Bruce Arians want to see this in a positive light, but it’s not like they are “discovering” Blaine Gabbert. He has played with five different teams and has never popped as a starter or as a backup, so why would he do that at 31?
This is likely just a case of the team showing loyalty to a player (the Eagles did the same thing when their staff looked the NFL world in the eyes and tried to say with a straight face that they were legitimately trying to evaluate Nate Sudfeld).
Regardless of loyalty, this could be one of the franchise’s worst decisions ever if it came to fruition. Tom Brady to Blaine Gabbert without drafting a replacement or throwing millions of dollars at a more than capable free agent would lead to riots in the streets.
Jason Licht still has one to two years to reevaluate this decision, but this is still a significant cause for concern. A career backup is not the right option to follow up Tom Brady, and the GM that built a roster from the ground up through the draft and free agency to win a Super Bowl should know that.
Licht has been excellent in the past few years with his decision-making, so this is likely an overreaction, but it’s still a frightening future to consider.
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