The Tampa Bay Buccaneers may have identified their Tom Brady replacement in the form of an all-pro quarterback who could even be an upgrade at the position.
Brady called his career to a close earlier this month after 23 fantastic years, winning seven Super Bowls and one with the Buccaneers after he joined in 2020.
The Buccaneers still have one of the better rosters in the NFL, and if they do indeed look to compete with a veteran quarterback rather than looking to rebuild then they could potentially snag Geno Smith from the Seattle Seahawks.
A potential move had become talked about after the Buccaneers interestingly hired Dave Canales from the Seahawks to be their new offensive coordinator. Canales has been with the Seahawks for 13 years after following Pete Carroll from USC, having been a coach for quarterbacks, wide receivers and the passing game.
However, Canales has never called plays throughout his career, making it an interesting hire, with some surmising that it could be to entice Geno Smith from the Seahawks, who is set to become a free agent in just a few weeks.
Smith signed a one-year deal this off-season after being a back-up for the last seven years but was elevated to starter after Russell Wilson was traded away from the team.
The expectation for Smith to succeed was low, but he lead the rebuilding Seahawks to a winning record and into the playoffs, performing at a high level and being named to the Pro-Bowl team.
Now, Smith will look to cash in on that incredible season and could draw interest elsewhere if he cannot agree a deal with the Seahawks.
After Canales' appointment, Smith may consider the Buccaneers, who Seahawks general manager John Schenider admitted has a relationship with.
He said: "Obviously, Dave has a great relationship with Drew (Lock) and Geno. Shoot, he did a great job working with Geno (and) staying after practice with Drew.
"Those guys would work their tails off for a good hour, hour and a half after practice. They'd be out there in the dark throwing the ball, working on footwork and ball carriage and everything. … But free agency doesn't start until the middle of March so there's a huge period here where we have time to work through things."
Smith is a Florida native having grown up in Miami, and would move closer to his family if he does agree to sign with the Buccaneers.
The Seahawks may look to draft a quarterback in this year's class, as they have the fifth overall selection in the draft and many believe there to be four starting calibre passers.
