The Tampa Bay Buccaneers signed Baker Mayfield in the offseason with Kyle Trask also on the roster. It was presumed that Mayfield would be the one to take the torch from Tom Brady. The reviews on Mayfield have been great but apparently, he is not the presumed starter of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Offensive coordinator Dave Canales revealed that the race has tightened over the last couple of practices.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Quarterback Competition
Both Mayfield and Trask have been getting first-team reps and both are looking good according to Canales.
“It has been good. The first couple of days, the experience that Baker brings just playing in games, being in camps, going through installs, you can see where the offense was gelling really well. The timing of the snap is really critical for us, so probably a little bit of an edge for Baker to start off in terms of the smoothness of the offense.
But it just took a couple of days for Kyle to really settle in and then what we saw in the last two practices, Kyle really showed what he can do, stretching the field with his arm, getting the ball out quickly, and making decisions. I am really excited about both of those guys and the progression that they have made throughout the last couple of days.”
He admits that the edge is to Mayfield but it does still seem that Trask has a chance. Mayfield has not been able to hold down other jobs so this one might not be locked up either.
It’s Probably Mayfield
With all of this, I expect Mayfield to start for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. While the former number-one overall pick has some blame on his shoulders, there were also a lot of other factors that caused his previous jobs to go south. Mike Evans and Chris Godwin are a great receiving duo and Mayfield has no shortage of confidence. His leadership could help propel the team to more wins than an inexperienced Trask. It really depends on what the long-term plans are for the team. If they decide they want to lose more games, that could affect their quarterback decision.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are in a weird spot. You never want to throw away a season but the upcoming quarterback class has some tantalizing prospects. Will they be in a position to get one?