With all the questions surrounding the Buccaneers and free agency, there’s one that really hasn’t been asked yet.
Who the hell is going to back up Tom Brady?
As of now, Brady is the only quarterback under contract in Tampa Bay. Longtime Buccaneer Ryan Griffin and Blaine Gabbert, the team’s primary backup in 2020, are both free agents.
I don’t know about y’all, but that’s not an ideal scenario for a quarterback who will be 44-years-old by the time the season rolls around.
Brady is the G.O.A.T., but that doesn’t mean he needs to be the lone signal-caller on the Buccaneers’ roster. It’s imperative that the Bucs find a quality backup if they want to “go for two” in 2021.
There are some decent free agents available on top of Gabbert and Griffin. Names like Ryan Fitzpatrick, Tyrod Taylor, Andy Dalton, and Kyle Allen are all available. Hell, even guys like Jacoby Brissett (if the money makes sense) and Colt McCoy would be considered viable backups.
And then there’s the draft, of course. Would it be a good idea for Tampa Bay to spend let’s say, a third or fourth-round pick on a guy in hopes of developing him? What if a Kyle Trask or a Kellen Mond is available in the third or fourth round?
Do you pull the trigger?
Free agency will obviously determine the latter scenario and common sense says that Gabbert is likely to return. He has a lot of experience in Bruce Arians’ system and he did look pretty damn good when he replaced Tom Brady in the second half against Detroit. We all know how BA loves “his guys”, as well.
It is safe to question if the system experience should allow Gabbert to have a leg up, though. We are talking about backups at the end of the day. Who’s to say a Fitzpatrick or a Dalton couldn’t learn enough behind Brady and become an effective backup as the season rolls on?
Whatever the questions surrounding the position may be, the answer is universal: The Buccaneers need to find someone to back up Brady and they need to be smart about it.
