Over the last three seasons, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers enjoyed quite the luxury.
They could count on Tom Brady, the arguably most accomplished quarterback of all time, as he led them to three playoff berths, five playoff wins and a victory in Super Bowl 55. But with Brady hanging up his shoulder pads and finally calling it quits (we think), the Buccaneers don’t have a ready-made replacement for the GOAT.
At the moment, as asserted by some like ESPN’s Jeff Darlington, Tampa Bay is slated to start former second-round pick Kyle Trask next season. You’ll forgive me, or anyone from the outside looking in, for being uninspired by a player the Buccaneers’ coaches are already labeling a “distributor.”
With all due respect to similar point guards, like Mac Jones and Brock Purdy, there are few things worse as a quarterback than seeing a euphemism for your limitations. Sorry! This business is about guys who can rip howitzers into tight windows (rocket arm not necessarily required). It’s not who can make five- to seven-yard check-downs hoping for an abundance of yards after the catch because most signal-callers already have such an average capacity.
Factor in a defensive unit in need of a retool and the potential trade of staple playmaker Mike Evans, and it seems pretty clear the Buccaneers, on paper, might shape up to be one of the NFL’s worst teams in 2023. Such is life when you have to go all-in on perhaps the sport’s biggest individual influence (Brady) for almost half a decade. Even if Brady wasn’t his usual self last year, his absence will inevitably leave behind a chasm.
However, moving forward, the bright side for the Buccaneers and their extremely unofficial tank job is rather simple. But first, they’ll have to be patient and take their lumps.
Should the Buccaneers start the likely limited Trask and support him with a middling cast, this squad should be in play for pro football’s next potential generational superstar: Caleb Williams.
As the reigning Heisman Trophy winner, Williams enjoyed a prolific campaign with the USC Trojans in 2022. Provided he doesn’t see a steep drop-off in play and production, Williams is understandably already being tabbed as the presumed No. 1 overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft. For someone who has been compared to the Kansas City Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes and the Buffalo Bills’ Josh Allen, one organization may count itself fortunate if it can make Williams the centerpiece of its future.
When the dust settles on the 2023 season, that team very well might become the Buccaneers.
Life after Tom Brady will be painful in Tampa Bay at first. But should an opportunity at the special Williams surface, the tough times shouldn’t last.
