The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are in the process of preparing for life after Tom Brady. Following three straight seasons of success and massive spending the Pewter Pirates appear set to go with Kyle Trask or Baker Mayfield as their quarterback option. Or are they?
Per CBS Sports, the Buccaneers are one of several teams that are “logical” landing spots for Ravens’ quarterback Lamar Jackson.
“Tom Brady is retired “for good,” the Bucs aren’t fully pivoting to rebuild mode after three straight playoff runs, and Jackson would still have top weapons like Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, not to mention while playing in his sunny home state. Yes, they’re financially strapped, but that hasn’t stopped them before. And the low-cost investments in Baker Mayfield and Kyle Trask shouldn’t prohibit them from considering a much bigger swing at the position.”
The Buccaneers are still sorting out the salary cap mess left in the wake of Brady’s retirement. They’ve brought in a veteran quarterback in Baker Mayfield to compete with Kyle Trask. This would seem the organization has already set it’s course for the immediate future.
The temptation for a team like the Bucs to shoot their shot in the Jackson sweepstakes is understandable. The issue where we’ll push back has several layers.
First up, is Jackson worth the asking price of two first-round picks and what Jackson is reportedly asking for in a contract extension. Jackson is a former MVP and still very young at just 26 years of age. The problem here is game style as it relates to longevity. Jackson is a running quarterback, you can debate and twist stats how you’d like but that’s what he is.
Why do I bring this up?
Jackson has only completed one season without missing time due to injury. This is a direct result of his style of play. Remember, he won the MVP on his passing AND running stats. But as we’ve seen with most running quarterbacks, this style is not sustainable. This begs the question, are you as a general manager
willing to sacrifice two first-round picks AND an enormous new contract on a guy who hasn’t completed a season in four years? I get it, he’s dynamic, he sells tickets, he sells merchandise. But is that enough to overlook the aforementioned issues? This alone is why I wouldn’t be in on the Jackson sweepstakes.
You also have to consider what cost it would take on the roster moving forward for the Buccaneers. When you pay one player that much, cuts from other positions are inevitable.
But wait, there’s more…
It also should be pointed out that Jackson would be the leader of the offense and by default the entire team. Do you as an organization put that much trust and power in a guy who thinks he’s smarter than everyone else? A guy who thinks he’s above the system so much that he’s handling his own negotiations? I get it, he wants to save money by not paying an agent. We get it, he thinks “the man” is trying to take from him. The reality is, he’s done more harm by representing himself than justifies the money he’s attempting to save.
It’s a new day, but the old way works…
Look, Jackson can ball, he is dynamic, young and will have more success in this league than most. It just shouldn’t be in Tampa Bay.
As in most things, there’s two sides and various opinions on this subject. Because of that and some internal debate here at bucsreport.com, we are posting a rebuttal to this by staff writer Carter Brantley here!
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