If Kyle Trask being a former Gators quarterback is tearing the Buccaneers fanbase apart, perhaps Anthony Richardson can solve that issue.
College fandoms don’t belong in the NFL. They’re silly and only serve to cause “fans” of a professional team to argue with baseless points. We’ve all seen this with the Buccaneers.
Florida fans and FSU fans are insufferable when discussing players from their own teams and from the team of their rival, and while it won’t stop anytime soon, there is one talent that both sides could agree on.
Florida fans hated Jameis Winston. FSU fans hate Kyle Trask. This shouldn’t be a spoiler, but neither is the future of the Buccaneers. However, Anthony Richardson might be.
Florida State fans; calm down. Richardson is the faster, more athletic, bigger-arm version of Jordan Travis. Florida fans; you calm down too. Richardson is an exponentially better NFL quarterback that Trask.
If both sides can get beyond the helmet scouting, Richardson just showed the world that he is going to be a dominant quarterback to keep an eye on in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Beating #7 Utah on the back of completing 70% of passes for 168 yards and adding 106 yards on the ground with three rushing touchdowns is pretty impressive.
Richardson showed incredible athleticism and speed while as a rusher and trying to extend the pocket that Kyle Trask could never hope to bring to the table. These traits matter in the modern NFL. Trask is a pocket-passer like Brady, but that trait is dying off in the modern game.
In addition to this, Richardson showed off a cannon that will always be able to get the ball down the field in an offense like Tampa’s. Again, just look at guys like Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Aaron Rodgers, etc. These guys can run and zip the ball. Which Gators quarterback can do this and which can’t?
The stats were there to draw people in, but the traits are what should stand out. The traits are all that teams like the Bucs should care about, and Richardson should certainly be on their radar.
With other quarterbacks like C.J. Stroud and Bryce Young likely to come off the board early, it is entirely within the realm of possibility that the Buccaneers are going to be in range of targeting Richardson, even if with a trade up in the draft.
If the Bucs really want an exciting quarterback to build around in a world without Tom Brady, this might be the best place to start.
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