It’s week 3 of the preseason and apparently, the Buccaneers are a top team to trade for Teddy Bridgewater to help the Jets figure out their quarterback situation. I can’t say why the Buccaneers would be concerned with helping the Jets QB room, but I can tell you I do not see them changing ours.
I am a big fan of Teddy. I thought his demeanor and accountability while playing in Minnesota was impressive as was his leadership. The non-contact injury he suffered in late August of 2016 was a serious hurdle to overcome and as we approach 2 years post-injury, Teddy is looking as good as ever. But folks, this is Tampa Bay, not the New York Jets.
I’d be surprised if all of Sunday passed before I read fans calling for Ryan Griffin to start this week as well as some other crazy ideas. We need to appreciate the depth at the quarterback position, while we still have any. I know, it sounds counterproductive, but it makes sense. The Buccaneers coaches have spent a lot of time working with Griffin as well as Fitzpatrick and Winston. Assuming we stick with Jameis (which I personally recommend as long as he exceeds the expectations of him as a grown leader of this team, rather than falling back to previous trends) and pay the $21 million option for next year, Teddy is starter material just not enough in Tampa to completely throw off a quarterback room that has a lot invested in the Ryans, Griffin and Fitz.
Fitzpatrick is a good leader for both Winston and Griffin. With 3 games before our starter returns, I just can’t justify bringing confusion to a situation that will have either, clarity for next season with Jameis’ option being picked up, or chaos to a QB battle that just isn’t really necessary. If the Bucs were to lose Fitzpatrick for the benefit of possibly a more dynamic quarterback for the first three weeks, our depth would be diminished in my opinion. Part of depth is experience and Fitzpatrick has that. While I understand the intentions of the idea, I believe this team is better off counting their blessings as the quarterback situation is as good as it is and to have a little faith in developing their players.
