NFL insider details a few realistic QB options for Bucs this offseason
By Josh Hill
Now that Tom Brady has retired, and the Buccaneers know they’ll need a new quarterback, the guessing game can begin as to who will take the reigns next season.
Brady’s retirement is still fresh, but the Bucs can’t wait around to find who will be his successor.
NFL insider and long-time Bucs beat writer Greg Auman believe Tampa Bay is going to get a veteran quarterback this offseason rather than roll with Kyle Trask.
“There’s a lot in that middle tier, the budget second tier of free agency. There will be a ton of not-great quarterbacks but starter-level quarterbacks that will be available in free agency.” Auman said in an interview on 95.3 WDAE.
Auman didn’t outright say the Bucs were targeting anyone specifically, rather he tossed out some names to chew on while noting the quarterback decision likely hinges on what happens with the vacant offensive coordinator job.
“If Todd Monken comes in, he’s had a year with Baker Mayfield,” Auman said. “Jimmy Garoppolo, somebody like Jacoby Brissett is someone who would be in that second tier where you’re just trying to find someone who’s going to give you another option if Trask isn’t ready.”
As for any of the top-tier quarterback options being discussed in rumors around the league, Auman cautions fans against getting their hopes up too high.
“I don’t think it’ll be any of these high upper-echelon options like Lamar Jackson, Derek Carr, or Aaron Rodgers just because [the Bucs] can’t really afford it,” Auman said. “If they did that they’d have to gut the rest of the team and that quarterback wouldn’t be coming to as good of a team.”
The idea of the Buccaneers landing Jackson is a pipe dream, and the Packers have already said they’re not trading Rodgers to an NFC team. Beyond that, the money factor is the main thing standing in the way of the Bucs getting a top quarterback — or a top anything — on the open market.
One of the most talked about decisions among fans this offseason will be what route the Buccaneers should go; starting Trask is a gamble that could result in a losing season, but getting a veteran means committing for the next few seasons to winning with the roster as is and little money to support it.