Tampa Bay Buccaneers could be inching closer to QB signing
By John Paul
With an offseason as unpredictable as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers has been so far, some positions and players are often forgotten in the midst of more popular or expensive signings. However, this does not diminish their importance to the health of the team.
No clearer is this the case than with Buccaneers free agent quarterback, Blaine Gabbert.
Until a few weeks ago, Gabbert was slated to become the starting QB of the Bucs given how inexperienced and young Kyle Trask still is. With the re-emergence of Tom Brady, all that changed for Gabbert.
Now, the QB is looking at a backup spot, a role he has filled for a multitude of teams over the course of his career.
Gabbert is a seemingly-minor signing for the Bucs, however securing Gabbert’s contract for next year is a significant action that the Bucs must take as soon as possible.
Although it hasn’t been a serious issue during his Bucs tenure yet, Brady is still a glorified geriatric and could easily be injured for the season after one bad hit.
This is why it is so important for the Bucs to have an option in the case that exact event occurs.
Additionally, Gabbert has been a resourceful ally to Brady on the team. Between his experience in the league and with the Bucs offense, Gabbert has been able to help acclimate Brady fairly quickly to the team. Brady will undoubtedly want the veteran to return again to fill a similar role.
The Bucs signed Gabbert to a one-year deal last season for $2 million total, including a nearly $1 million roster bonus. However, Andy Dalton was just signed as a backup QB for the Saints for $6 million and $3 million guaranteed.
This precedent could provide Gabbert with a bargaining chip during negotiations with the Bucs and allow him to push for more money, which the Bucs don’t have a lot of.
Ideally, the Bucs can find some sort of middle ground between Dalton’s new contract and Gabbert’s contract from last year. All indications from the Bucs seem to show they also want to get a deal done and re-sign Gabbert, but only time will tell.
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