The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will have a lot of holes on the roster to fill this offseason. They have numerous key positions with players heading into free agency, but the biggest hole they will have to fill is the quarterback position.
Tom Brady officially announced his retirement earlier this week, which came as a bit of a surprise. Brady played at an MVP level this season and looked like he still had plenty in the tank to offer on the field. But, he decided it was time to walk away and is going to focus on other things in his life.
Filling Brady’s shoes is not something that will be easy. He is the greatest to ever do it, so succeeding him in Tampa Bay will come with some challenges. But, given how wide-open the NFC South is, the Buccaneers have a chance to still find success next season even if their salary constraints lead to some players departing.
Those constraints could cause some difficulties in filling the starting quarterback position. The only quarterback currently on the roster is 2021 second-round pick, Kyle Trask. Bringing in a veteran to battle it out with him is likely the course of action that will be taken.
Trask will have the opportunity to earn the job, as the Buccaneers thought highly enough of him to use a second-round pick on him. But if he struggles and isn’t ready to be the starter, it is imperative to have a veteran that can step into the starting role.
Who could that person be? There is a chance, according to SportsLine gambling odds, that it will be a familiar face. Third on their list is New Orleans Saints quarterback Jameis Winston, who was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft.
Winston spent his first five seasons in the NFL with the Buccaneers before moving onto the Saints when Brady was signed. He was the starter for New Orleans this season after backing up Drew Brees in 2020, but his season ended prematurely in Week 8 against the Buccaneers when he injured his knee.
Heading back to Tampa Bay would be a solid landing spot, as Winston has the arm talent to keep the offense moving. The two quarterbacks with betters odds of landing with the Buccaneers were Teddy Bridgewater, who is the favorite, and Jimmy Garoppolo.
