New Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Dave Canales knows what he wants in a quarterback, and just added two more potential free agent targets to the list.
If you haven’t heard, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are in the market for a quarterback this offseason.
Tom Brady retired this offseason, leaving a void under center that everyone knew would happen but no definite succession plan was ever put in place. There’s a soft succession that involves handing the keys to Kyle Trask but it’s less of a Favre-to-Rodgers passing of the baton and more of a gamble to see what he has. More than just the salary cap can got kicked down the road, as the Bucs did virtually zero legwork with Trask to see if he can be a legit starter in the NFL or if the team will need to look elsewhere to find one.
All of this has put the Bucs in a situation this offseason where the team has a big roster spot to fill and little money to work with. The Bucs need to shed over $50 million to get back under the salary cap, and the franchise is in transition as it enters a new era.
Because of this, guys like Derek Carr, Aaron Rodgers, and Jimmy Garoppolo shouldn’t be considered options. Instead, the Bucs will need to dig into the bargain bin to find a veteran who can compete with Trask for the starting job while also helping the team remain competitive in the NFC South.
Offensive coordinator Dave Canales talked with Bucs insider Ira Kaufman recently and tossed out two quarterbacks who should now be on the team’s radar.
“Where I think that guys separate themselves with accuracy,” Canales said, via JoeBucsFan. “I think of guys like Chase Daniel being able to play as long as he has accuracy. Case Keenum, accuracy. You know, on and on and on, the guys who are able to play 10 years plus are the accurate passers who can throw on time. Decision, timing, and accuracy, that’s the way we say it.”
Both Keenum and Daniel are free agents this offseason, and of the two Keenum is legitimately intriguing as a potential target.
Buccaneers rumors: Could Case Keenum be a lowkey brilliant free agent target?
Keenum is best known for two things: being the accurate journeyman that Canales talked up and for orchestrating the Minneapolis Miracle.
He didn’t have a Geno Smith-style revival with the Vikings all those years ago, but the reason he succeeded when he was thrust into the starting role is exactly what Canales is talking about. Keenum was able to lead the Vikings within a game of the Super Bowl in his first year as a starter, and he would bring that same veteran leadership he displayed with Minnesota (and both Cleveland and Buffalo after that) to the Bucs.
It’s not the sexiest option, but the Bucs have been priced into a more affordable tier of free agent quarterback. Keenum would come cheap, but his price tag shouldn’t be indicative of the value he could add.