The Buccaneers need to know how to say no to a trade proposal. They need to say ‘hell no’ to this one.
Well, here we are. Back to the days where every other topic related to the Buccaneers is in regard to who their next quarterback should be.
It’s a tough time, but the high of winning a Super Bowl remains, and that should at least make the process easier to stomach for the next few years. Those good graces will only remain for so long, though.
As the Bucs try to navigate a post-Tom Brady world, analysts and fans will try to point out the new best fit to keep the Buccaneers relevant, but as we have seen in the past, there tends to be far more good than bad in the world of prognostication.
That is certainly the case here.
Jimmy Garoppolo has become one of the hottest names in regards to Tampa’s quarterback search, and our only question is why?
Fans and NFL personalities have connected the Bucs and Jimmy G on two equally faulty points. First, Garoppolo has an excellent win percentage and will be a hot commodity for teams looking to make the playoffs. Second, Jimmy G was supposed to follow Brady in New England, so why not do that here?
Yuck.
QB wins are not a stat. Haven’t ever been a stat. Won’t ever be a stat. Goodness gracious we have to be better than this. Garoppolo has one of the best run games in the NFL, two of the best YAC pass-catchers, and some of the brightest young minds in the sport creating his game plan.
Garoppolo’s arm isn’t big, he doesn’t possess over the top athleticism, and the only word to describe his is mediocre. Outside of wins, Garoppolo doesn’t have a case in the top-12 quarterback discussion, and frankly, he probably isn’t in the top-16 either. But those wins sure do nice, right?
That must be why the 49ers made Jimmy G extremely wealthy after dominant performances against five terrible opponents in 2017 (seven touchdowns and give interceptions during those games, really impressive stuff.)
Don’t even get us started on the playoffs. 5-2 looks great coming from a Twitter account with no profile picture and no followers, but what did Garoppolo do in those games? In one of those all-impressive wins, Garoppolo threw the ball eight times. Eight. In the modern NFL.
Does anyone believe he will have that luxury in Tampa with one of the weaker run games in the league?
Stop arguing wins for quarterbacks. The game is played in three phases, and Garoppolo is hilariously lucky that he has been blessed on defense and special teams (see the playoffs against the Packers) and with training wheels on offense.
As for the physical traits, why would the Buccaneers and their vertical passing attacked based on the early premises of ‘no risk it no biscuit’ trade for and then pay a quarterback that doesn’t even possess the arm strength to risk it in the first place?
In fact, Jimmy G exists as the antithesis of risking it for the biscuit. There is no risk. No reward. Pure mediocrity is the opposite of what Arians is looking for, and the price tag makes even less sense.
There is no reason for the Buccaneers to give up draft picks and then cut into their limited cap space for a quarterback that has no fit in their offensive system. Garoppolo didn’t do half of the things that Brady was asked to do last season, and the supports that made his numbers look nice in San Fran are absent here.
The Bucs would be better off paying Blaine Gabbert if they really want someone to bore the fans to sleep during the games. At least his price tag is cheaper.
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