USAT: Buccs Wire audio clip

USAT: Buccs Wire

Feb 10, 2022

As soon as Tom Brady announced his retirement, the debate over who might replace him as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ quarterback immediately heated up. - Various names have been discussed, all with different levels of realism, from Aaron Rodgers and Kyler Murray to Jameis Winston and Jimmy Garoppolo. - All four of those passers are unlikely to suit up for the Bucs in 2022, but there’s one name that Bucs fans should keep an eye on: Russell Wilson. - Sure, there are plenty of reasons why Wilson to the Bucs might not make sense. First, the Seahawks would be trading him within the NFC, which is hard to imagine. Second, the Bucs are already facing some salary cap challenges with some key free agents to re-sign, and Wilson’s cap number for the next two seasons is massive. - That said, there are other factors that might make this an eventual match. - The Seahawks would probably prefer not to trade Wilson within the conference, but with a full no-trade clause, Wilson would have the power to choose his destination, should he inform the team that he wants to play elsewhere. Rumblings of that sort of sentiment were in the news last offseason, and after the disappointing season the Seahawks just had, it wouldn’t be surprising if those drums beat even louder this year. - If the Bucs do go after Wilson, it’s likely they would work some kind of contract restructure into the deal, if only to redistribute money over future years (with a new extension) to lessen his cap hit over the next two years. That would save Tampa Bay some money in the short-term, giving them more flexibility to retain those key free agents and keep their championship window open with a new superstar quarterback. - There’s also the schematic fit in Tampa Bay, as Wilson’s elite arm talent and deep-ball accuracy would be a perfect match for Bruce Arians’ vertical passing game. There’s no throw Wilson can’t make with plenty of zip, and he’s never afraid to let it rip and give his playmakers an opportunity to shine. - Yes, it would cost multiple first-round picks, but the Bucs’ top selections are likely to remain in the latter part of the round for the foreseeable future, especially with Wilson in the fold. No matter who the Bucs would have taken with those picks, it’s highly unlikely those players would have anywhere near the same impact as Wilson. The Seahawks, on the other hand, don’t have a first-round pick in this year’s draft, and stocking up on premium picks would allow them to kickstart a rebuild with more valuable resources. - It might seem more reasonable that the Bucs will settle for incumbents like Kyle Trask or Blaine Gabbert, or end up pursuing a more cost-effective solution elsewhere. But Tampa Bay’s decision-makers have taken on Arians’ “no risk-it, no biscuit” mentality in recent years when it comes to roster building and pursuing immediate success, so a bold move for another superstar quarterback wouldn’t be unexpected. - - List - - Kyler Murray, Mike Evans and Instagram have Bucs fans freaking out - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Email - - - - - Sign up - - - - - - - - Like this article? - Sign up for the Bucs Wire email newsletter to get our top stories in your inbox every morning - - - - An error has occured - - - Please re-enter your email address. - - - - - - Thanks for signing up! - - - You'll now receive the top Bucs Wire stories each day directly in your inbox.

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Jan 27, 2022