On Wednesday the Tampa Bay Buccaneers hired their new offensive coordinator. After a month-long search they finally settled on Seattle Seahawks quarterbacks coach Dave Canales. He comes to Tampa after spending over a decade with the Seahawks.
This was the first major decision of an offseason that is full of questions. Now that the offensive coordinator has been selected, we can move onto the next big issue. That would be figuring out who the Buccaneers starting quarterback will be next season.
Although the team has said that Kyle Trask will have a chance to win the job, it’s obvious they want to bring in a veteran to compete with him. Based on Canales’ experience, we might have more of a clue as to who that veteran quarterback might be.
Ice Cold Heinicke
Taylor Heinicke might be the answer to the Bucs’ quarterback problems. He emerged as the Washington Commanders starting quarterback as he gave the Buccaneers trouble in their 2020 playoff game. He took over as the full time starter the following year only to once again ride the quarterback carousel with Carson Wentz and Sam Howell in Washington last year.
In his one year as a starter, Heinicke threw for 3,419 yards and 20 touchdowns with 15 interceptions. He also ran for over 300 yards. While these numbers aren’t spectacular, they make him one of the best quarterback options on the market.
Now the soon to be 30 year old is a free agent and looking for an opportunity to start again. He can find that opportunity in Tampa Bay. In fact, Canales was in a similar quarterback situation last year and did just fine.
The Next Geno Smith?
Canales comes from Seattle where he was named quarterbacks coach last season as the team looked to replace Russell Wilson. Wilson has been one of the more dynamic passers and runners over the last decade. Filling his shoes with anyone would be no easy task.
However, that was the job Canales had to do. His choices for replacing Wilson came down to a struggling young quarterback in Drew Lock or a career journeyman in Geno Smith. Inevitably, Canales favored smith and for good reason.
Smith was named to the first pro bowl appearance of his career last season. He was alway awarded the NFL Comeback Player of the Year award. He had a career resurgence under Canales after being a backup for most of the last ten years.
Heinicke would come to the Buccaneers with a similar career resume. He only started for one full season, but did significantly better than Smith had during his time as a starter prior to Canales. Heinicke could see a similar jump in production that Smith saw under Canales guidance.
Run Taylor Run
One aspect of Heinicke’s game that may draw Canales to him is his mobility. After spending years with Wilson in Seattle, and even Smith to a lesser degree, the ability to run has been something that has been a significant part of the offense.
Designed roll outs and quarterback runs will make this Buccaneers offense much more versatile than what we have seen in the past. It can also improve the running game, giving defenses another factor to worry about.
In a similar way a running quarterback like Heinicke can help an offensive line. The ability to escape pressure and make plays is something that is hard for a defense to account for. This can lead to big runs or long passes out of structure.
A Buccaneers Running QB?
Undoubtedly, the idea of a running quarterback is appealing for many reasons. This may be particularly true for Canales who has experience working with this type of player. This might make Heinicke a perfect fit for this new look Buccaneers offense.
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