Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 3 Quarterbacks to pursue to succeed Tom Brady
By Rob Leeds
Tom Brady and the Buccaneers won’t last forever.
As much as we would like to hold on to the notion that Tom Brady will be the starting quarterback for the Buccaneers forever, we have to accept two things. First, Brady will probably be on the roster for at least the next two seasons. He has easily earned an extension. The second truth to stomach is that Tampa Bay doesn’t have a viable replacement on the roster.
To even try to insinuate that Ryan Griffin or Blaine Gabbert are viable heirs to the throne is laughable. Neither has the arm or the ability to function as a full-time starter with a team that is turning the corner like the Buccaneers, and new blood is needed to make a change.
The Bucs don’t have to go all-in on this draft class, although that would be nice. Trading up to the middle of the first round would be a dream come true to take a star to sit for a year or two behind Brady, but there are also plenty of options throughout the class and other options that can fill the same role.
Player #1
Any top quarterback in the teens of round one
The Buccaneers are way too far out of the top-ten to ever make it into that exclusive group, especially with so many QB-needy teams in the league, but the Bucs could make it as high as the mid-teens if they make some favorable trades.
As it stands, even with a problematic free-agent period, the Bucs don’t have many pressing needs. Losing Chris Godwin or Lavonte David would sting, but replacements can come from later rounds. If the Bucs make the smart decision and keep Shaquil Barrett at all costs, they would likely not even look for a starter with their picks this year. Why not use them for the future?
While no one wants to give up picks or mortgage the future, this year could be a unique opportunity for the Bucs to take advantage of a volatile quarterback market. Some teams may trick themselves into taking a player like Mac Jones or Kyle Trask way too early, which could leave starting-caliber players like Trey Lance and Justin Fields within range of the Bucs with a trade.
Trades may seem scary on their face, but the Bucs need a franchise quarterback to take over for Brady more than most things. The smart odds are on most of these players being off the board before the Buccaneers have a chance to make a move, but given their current trajectory, when will they have the opportunity to pick early enough in the near future for another replacement?