CBS makes a bold prediction for Buccaneers free agency plans

A bold free agency prediction has been made as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers decide how to proceed with their quarterback plans this offseason. 

With an offensive coordinator finally in place, the Buccaneers will now turn their attention to fixing the situation at quarterback. Kyle Trask is in line to be the Week 1 starter by default, but the number of guys in the quarterback room will change in the coming months.

It’s not a question of if the Bucs will add a quarterback, it’s who will join Trask and new offensive coordinator Dave Canales.

There have already been a handful of names tossed out and loosely attached to the Buccaneers. Derek Carr is a free agent, Aaron Rodgers is a trade candidate, and nothing is predictable with Lamar Jackson.

But the Buccaneers enter the offseason roughly $55 million over the salary cap and need to do some gymnastics to get that number under. That caps the potential targets at quarterback, but it hasn’t taken a few upper-tier free agents off the board.

Buccaneers rumors: CBS predicts Jimmy Garoppolo will sign with Tampa Bay

CBS NFL writer Jordan Dajani broke down some key offseason moves that might happen, and one of those was the Buccaneers finding a quarterback.

Per CBS:

"With the San Francisco 49ers’ decision to tab Trey Lance to start the 2022 season followed by the emergence of new starting quarterback Brock Purdy, Jimmy G will be on the move this offseason. My wild prediction is that he proves time is a flat circle by replacing his former teammate, Tom Brady, under center in Tampa.Is Garoppolo someone who can command an elite air attack? Probably not, but the Buccaneers aren’t exactly in a great position to tank. Look at this roster on paper: They have talent on both sides of the ball. I say go sign a quarterback with starting experience and see what you can do."

To be fair, this isn’t a unique prediction as such things have been tossed out going back as far as last offseason. But it’s interesting to note how many times the Bucs are connected to certain quarterbacks and how that will potentially effect the market.

It’s at the very least notable to keep tabs on the number of times quarterbacks are mentioned with Tampa Bay to continue to get a read on the situation. Jimmy G has been all over the place, from being the only obvious option to being priced out of the Bucs range.

Mike Garafolo mentioned that he believes the Bucs will aim for a deal with a quarterback that is south of $30 million, which seems to be right on the edge of where Garoppolo will land. His price might get driven up by interest by the Raiders, who apparently like him more than Aaron Rodgers. There’s also the New York Jets to consider, although they might end up being where Derek Carr lands.

The only thing we know for sure if that the Bucs future is murky at the quarterback position. With only Kyle Trask under contract for the upcoming season, Tampa Bay can go a number of different directions that each affect the future in different ways.

Adding Garoppolo as a veteran bridge makes sense, but are there better options available, most notably Jacoby Brissett, who fit that mold better at a potentially lower price?

Time will tell, but this is just the beginning of what could be a very active and important offseason for the Buccaneers.