4 free agent quarterbacks Buccaneers should sign before training camp

No disrespect to the quarterback he used to be and all that he’s accomplished in his career, but if Matt Ryan comes in and wins the starting role over Mayfield and Trask there might not be a bigger indictment of the current situation at the position.

There might be something left in the tank, but we pretty much saw all we needed to out of Ryan’s efforts last year in Indianapolis. It’s not that he’s a bad quarterback, he’s just not the good one he used to be and his best years are very clearly in the rearview. That doesn’t mean he has nothing to offer, as there’s value in his veteran expertise that could benefit the quarterback room.

Ryan absolutely checks the box Licht laid out of a veteran who has ‘been there and done that’. He’s been a franchise quarterback, played in a Super Bowl, lost a Super Bowl, won an MVP, and lived through being cast aside as a washed-up vet. He’s truly lived a full life of a quarterback but he’s not at the end of his road yet.

He’d fit perfectly into the role of a mentor in Tampa Bay, potentially tutoring Kyle Trask and helping him develop if he ends up winning the starting role. Even if Trask loses the camp battle to Mayfield, having Ryan around for a season might help him bounce back in 2024 and finally break through as a starting candidate.

There’s risk involved, as Ryan seems to be much closer to the end of his career than any other point in it, but he could finish his playing days in the NFC South helping lay down a foundation for a team he used to own when he was at his peak.