One of the training camp battles around the league that people are paying the most attention to is with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Their starting quarterback spot is up for grabs after Tom Brady announced his retirement earlier this offseason.
Free agent signing Baker Mayfield and 2021 second-round pick Kyle Trask are the participants. Mayfield was expected by many to be the leader in the clubhouse, but his poor performance during training camp has certainly left the door open for Trask to claim the job.
Preparing for their first preseason game of the year, it is hard to imagine that the Buccaneers have much confidence in any of their current options at quarterback for the 2023 season, let alone into the future. There is a very good chance their 2024 quarterback isn’t currently on the roster.
The 2024 NFL Draft, depending on where they finish in 2023, could produce such an option. Or, the Buccaneers could hit the trade market this offseason, potentially upgrading the position for this year and beyond.
Who could Tampa Bay look to bring into the fold? Jeff Diamond of The 33rd Team suggested that the Buccaneers could be a landing spot for Trey Lance of the San Francisco 49ers. The No. 3 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft is behind Brock Purdy on the depth chart and could be made available for a trade.
“The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Atlanta Falcons or Washington Commanders all have questionable quarterback situations with Baker Mayfield (Buccaneers), Desmond Ridder (Falcons) and Sam Howell or Jacoby Brissett (Commanders) as projected starters,” Diamond writes. “All three teams can easily afford Lance’s minimal base salary this season.”
Lance’s career has not gone according to plan thus far. After sitting behind Jimmy Garoppolo as a rookie, he was named the starter heading into his second season. That lasted six quarters as Lance suffered a season-ending ankle injury in Week 2.
Possessing immense potential, Lance could probably use a change of scenery to help get his career back on track. The starting job in San Francisco is no longer his, but he could certainly compete for it with the Buccaneers after acclimating himself to a new team.
At the very least, Lance would bring some versatility to the Buccaneers offense. As a dual-threat quarterback, his rushing ability would be an added dimension with Rashaad White set to take over the backfield with Leonard Fournette being moved on from this offseason.
