The Buccaneers Starting Quarterback Might Not Be Who You Think It'll Be

Gregg Rosenthal brought up a good point today.

So let me shine a light on this. 

When Baker Mayfield signed with the Buccaneers in mid-March, most pundits had penciled him in as the starter. But Head Coach Todd Bowles and new Offensive Coordinator Dave Canales were adamant it would be a Quarterback competition with the main deciding factor being who turns it over less in training camp and the pre-season.

Canales puts a wrench in this whole process as the Buccaneers fired Super Bowl winning Offensive Coordinator Byron Leftwich after a brutal year for the Offense. Canales was in Seattle for the 13 years working his way up from Offensive Quality Control Coach to Quarterbacks Coach and Pass Game Coordinator. He was a big part of the reason Geno Smith led the league in accuracy and had a Pro Bowl season. He's a young, innovative coach with his offense having principles from Darrell Bevell, Brian Schottenheimer, and Sean McVay (via Shane Waldron). He's got a big focus on the run game, wants a Quarterback who is mobile, and doesn't turn the ball over much.

While Baker Mayfield seemed like the favorite coming into camp and certainly looked better in the first few days, Kyle Trask has really come on in recent days.

They're rotating, but Trask was running with the starters yesterday.

Looking at the turnovers so far, Trask is pretty far ahead.

And Bowles reiterated it after yesterday's practice that Trask has done a nice job avoiding negative plays and turnovers.

Trask also is noticeably slimmed down this off-season and is moving a lot better. Not known as a runner, he said he's moving better than he was in college now. With all these things, it's still not a certainty that Trask wins the gig. But based on what has happened so far, it seems that he is now the favorite to win the starting gig. Pre-season games and some key joint practices with the Jets will be a big factor.

As a fan of the team, I could sell myself on either guy. Baker Mayfield was a former #1 overall pick so clearly has a lot of natural talent. He's got a big arm and has succeeded in this league when healthy. He's got a certain moxie about him that is easy to root for. He's on a cheap deal that ends after this year, so maybe we could re-sign him at a good number if he succeeds?

Kyle Trask was a 2nd round pick three years ago. He's spent the last two seasons on the bench and in the Quarterback meeting rooms trying to absorb anything he could from the greatest of all-time, Tom Brady. Hopefully he got a lot through osmosis. He's not known for his legs and has an average NFL arm, but his mental processing was elite his final year at Florida. If that can come through this season, maybe he is the long-term answer at the position. I'm certain the best man will win the job and I'll cheer my balls off rooting for them this season and beyond as long as they're in the pewter and red (or creamsicles).