In football, a slant route is built on timing and precision. The receiver does not waste motion – he breaks sharply across the field into open space before the defense can react. It is simple in design, but separation is created through execution.

That same approach defines my new weekly Saturday Bucs column, Slivon’s Slant.

Each week from now until training camp, I will take a look inside a different Bucs position group. The goal is to cut through the surface to find the clearest path in evaluating this roster as it takes shape. Then, once the season begins, the column will continue offering different angles for breaking down and discussing the team.

Inside The Bucs Quarterback Room

The Franchise Quarterback: Baker Mayfield

It is only a matter of time before Baker Mayfield becomes the highest-paid athlete in Tampa Bay. Extending Mayfield to a long-term deal is a matter of “when” and not “if” at this point, which would solidify him as the Bucs franchise quarterback well into his thirties.

How he performs within Zac Robinson’s system will define the offense’s ceiling. Through three seasons in red and pewter, there is no questioning how far Mayfield has come from a journeyman signal-caller into someone firmly in the top 10-12 range at his position. With one elite season sandwiched between two good ones, is the best yet to come or did it already happen?

Bucs QB Baker Mayfield – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Fortunately, a strong supporting cast around Mayfield remains in place. Robinson will be calling the shots, putting him in the best situation to replicate his 2024 season with Liam Coen. That means a lot of quick game throws to get him into a rhythm and balancing deep shots. Finding creative ways to run the football with Bucky Irving, Kenny Gainwell, and even Sean Tucker will help keep defenses off balance. In the passing game, Chris Godwin Jr. can still be a high-volume target, with Emeka Egbuka, Jalen McMillan, Tez Johnson, and third-round pick Ted Hurst providing high-end complementary talent. Don’t forget about tight end Cade Otton, either.

At 31 years old, Mayfield is the igniter of this Bucs football team. The captain in the huddle. The voice everyone leans an ear toward. His roots in Tampa Bay are entrenched, and he is in it for the long haul. In order to overcome last season’s struggles, Tampa Bay needs Mayfield more than ever. As he goes, this offense – and the team as a whole – goes with him.

The New Veteran Backup: Jake Browning

The Bucs’ backup quarterback situation has undergone significant turnover over the past 10 months or so. After Teddy Bridgewater outperformed Kyle Trask for the No. 2 role during training camp and the preseason, the former 2021 second-round pick was released in favor of a more experienced veteran presence behind Baker Mayfield. Bridgewater spent most of last season holding the clipboard in Tampa Bay, appearing only in spot duty against the Rams in Week 12. But with Bridgewater returning to the Lions, the team was forced to re-evaluate the backup quarterback position yet again. Enter Jake Browning.

Bucs QB Jake Browning – Photo by: IMAGN Images

Browning inked a one-year, $1.33 million deal this offseason after playing in 17 games (10 starts) for the Bengals across 2023-2025. He flashed intriguing potential in 2023, keeping Cincinnati afloat and leading them a 4-3 record to close out the regular season. Over that seven-game stretch, Browning completed 70.4% of his passes for 1,936 yards, 12 touchdowns, and seven interceptions.

His performance positioned him as one of the NFL’s top backup quarterbacks – until the 2025 season told a different story. Filling in for Joe Burrow again, things did not pan out the same way as Browning struggled across three winless starts, leading to the team trading for then 40-year-old Joe Flacco.

Now in Tampa Bay, the 30-year-old Browning enters a new chapter. Barring anything unforeseen, he will likely serve as Mayfield’s top backup. A former Washington quarterback, he also joins a roster already familiar with that program pipeline. From a schematic standpoint in Zac Robinson’s offense, Browning’s efficiency as a passer offers some optimism that he can manage games if called upon. However, turnovers remain the key concern that must be cleaned up if he is to be a reliable option. Still, at a league-minimum price point, few backup quarterbacks offer his combination of experience and past production.

The Developmental Arm: Connor Bazelak

What do the Bucs have in Connor Bazelak? On one side of the argument, no one ever really wants to know, as that would mean a QB emergency struck in Tampa Bay. On the other side, Bazelak is someone the team has spoken highly about since signing him as an undrafted free agent last offseason out of Bowling Green. After an impressive preseason in which he completed 32-of-46 passes (69.6%) for 261 yards and one touchdown with zero interceptions, Bazelak made the practice squad and was even signed to the 53-man roster late in the regular season.

Bucs QB Connor Bazelak – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

As recently as last month before the 2026 NFL Draft, general manager Jason Licht went on-record saying that the organization really likes his skill set and wants to give him every chance to get practice and preseason game reps over the next few months. Turning 26 years old in September, age is not necessarily on Bazelak’s side to develop into much more than what he is at this point.

Listed at 6-foot-3 and 225 pounds, he has good size and decision-making going through reads, which dates back to his time in college. His likeliest path to making the Bucs roster this season is finding a way to stick on the practice squad and learn from Baker Mayfield and Jake Browning. Should he turn heads during the preseason, he could become the team’s top backup signal-caller going into next season if he outperforms Jake Browning.

The UDFA To Watch: Jalon Daniels

Although the Bucs unsurprisingly decided not to use a draft pick at the quarterback position, the initial buzz on signing undrafted free agent Jalon Daniels is real. Daniels comes in with plenty of college experience after spending six seasons at Kansas. He would not become a full-time starter until the beginning of his fifth year with the Jayhawks, but once he did, the talent and playmaking ability was evident.

Daniels offers serious dual-threat ability, possessing a powerful arm to stretch the field and quick legs to extend plays. The arm talent gives him starting upside down the road, but the first step down that path is how he fares at rookie mini-camp.

Under the tutelage of quarterbacks coach Chandler Whitmer, there is a lot to like about the kind of player Daniels can be molded into at the next level. The traits are there, but polish is needed for him to become more efficient completing passes and limiting interceptions.

Bucs QB Jalon Daniels – Photo by: IMAGN Images

It is worth monitoring how he looks throughout the offseason and whether Tampa Bay finds a way to keep him around by stashing him on the practice squad. Among undrafted free agents, Daniels is one of the more exciting names with a chance to make his name known early on.

Closing Slant

The Bucs are in good hands at quarterback with Baker Mayfield under center. Regardless of outside perception regarding the team’s ability to win big games and make a deep playoff run with Mayfield, stable quarterback play remains one of the hardest commodities to find in the NFL. Mayfield’s resurgence is proof of that, following a league trend of QBs like Geno Smith and Sam Darnold earning second chances. If he bounces back from last season, Tampa Bay’s offense has the potential to return to top-tier status.

Behind him, Jake Browning, Connor Bazelak, and Jalon Daniels each bring a different layer to the quarterback room. Browning offers some proven experience as a steady No. 2, Bazelak provides developmental depth on the practice squad, and Daniels represents the upside swing if he can beat out Bazelak. Altogether, it is a structured quarterback room built on stability, insurance, and upside, and it is hard to argue with that foundation.