SR’s Fab 5 is a collection of reporting and analysis on the Bucs from yours truly, Pewter Report’s Scott Reynolds. Here are four things that caught my attention this week, plus some random tidbits in my Buc Shots section at the end. Enjoy!

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FAB 1. Can Bucs Find A QB In Shaky 2023 Draft Class?

The Pewter Report staff just returned from the 2023 Senior Bowl, where the quarterback play wasn’t good. In fact, it was terrible. The Bucs won’t find Tom Brady’s successor in Mobile, Ala.

Houston’s Clayton Tune, BYU’s Jaren Hall, TCU Max Duggan and Louisville’s Malik Cunningham all underwhelmed. Fresno State’s Jake Haener entered the game with some buzz from the media, but he’s really short and disappointing.

The best of the bunch is Shepherd’s Tyson Bagent, who is viewed as a Day 3 prospect at best. Bagent has a slight, 6-foot-3, 210-pound build and an above-average arm, but is not special despite a record-setting career at the Division II level. The Rams QB threw for 159 touchdowns and 48 interceptions as a four-year starter, including 53 TDs in 2021 and 41 last year.

Shepherd QB Tyson Bagent – Photo by: USA Today

The highest-regarded prospect at the Senior Bowl, Tennessee’s Hendon Hooker, couldn’t play due to a torn ACL he suffered late in the season. Hooker, pictured above, watched the Senior Bowl QBs from the field in street clothes with a knee brace on. That knee injury will affect his draft status, as his recovery time will cut into his rookie season.

As a result, Hooker went from being a potential second-rounder to a likely third- or fourth-round pick. For a team like the Bucs that needs a quarterback who’s ready to go start in 2023, Hooker doesn’t fit that description, as he’ll miss OTAs, mini-camps and training camp as he recovers.

The Bucs, who pick No. 19, don’t have the draft ammo to trade up to get Alabama’s Bryce Young, who could be the No. 1 overall pick, or Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud, who seems destined for the Top 5. Kentucky’s Will Levis and Florida’s Anthony Richardson will likely be Top-15 picks, but have some obvious holes in their games. For Levis, it’s a penchant for turnovers (26 in the last two seasons), and for Richardson, it’s his accuracy (53.8% last year, 54.7% for his career).

Stanford’s Tanner McKee, a possible late first-rounder, has gotten some buzz from the scouting community for his quick release and his NFL-ready size (6-foot-6, 233). But that quick release came from playing in an RPO-heavy offense and his TD:INT ratio was horrible in college. McKee threw 13 touchdowns and eight interceptions while completing 61.2% of his passes last year. In 2021, he completed 65.4% of his throws with 15 TDs and seven INTs.

Most NFL teams want to see a 4:1 TD:INT ratio or a 3:1 ratio at the very least – not a 2:1 like McKee had. Plus, McKee went 6-18 as a starter, so the guy’s not a winner, either.

Purdue’s Aidan O’Connell and UCLA’s Dorian Thompson-Robinson were the headliners at the East-West Shrine Bowl and disappointed in Las Vegas. Both O’Connell and Thompson-Robinson are Day 3 draft picks and considered to be backup QB material.

The Bucs were hoping that a couple of underclassmen would have declared to bolster the 2023 QB class, but LSU’s Jayden Daniels and Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. decided to return to school instead. Their addition in the 2024 QB draft class should help a group that will already include USC’s Caleb Williams, North Carolina’s Drake Maye, Arkansas’ K.J. Jefferson, Coastal Carolina’s Grayson McCall and Kansas State’s Will Howard, among others.

But that’s not going to help the Bucs find a new starting signal-caller in 2023.

FAB. 2 Bucs Get Free Agent QB Intel From OC Interviews

The Bucs have completed seven first-round interviews with prospective candidates for the team’s vacant offensive coordinator position. And while finding a new play-caller is paramount entering the 2023 offseason, so is finding a starting quarterback now that Tom Brady has decided to retire. Brady made that announcement on Wednesday, ending his glorious three-year run in Tampa Bay and his illustrious 23-year career in the NFL.

The Bucs knew that Brady was either going to retire at age 45 or return to play one more season in red and pewter. So, while there was disappointment on Wednesday morning when he let the organization know, the announcement didn’t catch the team by surprise.

The Bucs had already begun interviewing offensive coordinator candidates and gaining some intel and insight into possible replacements for Brady during the process. Here are the candidates Tampa Bay has interviewed and the upcoming free agent QBs they have some connections to.

Todd Monken

Bucs DE Jason Pierre-Paul – Photo by: Mary Holt/PR

Not only did Monken coach Jameis Winston in Tampa Bay during the Dirk Koetter era, he also coached Baker Mayfield for one season in Cleveland during the 2019 season. When Monken was Freddie Kitchens’ offensive coordinator, Mayfield threw 22 touchdowns and 21 interceptions during that season. Kitchens was that play-caller that season, but Monken had several nice things to say about the former No. 1 overall pick.

“I think he’s a tremendous, tremendous football player, competitor, smart, tough, has a rare competitive quality and rare want to be great,” Monken said on Dec. 5, 2019. “That’s a thing that I think is going to continue to push him and for him to push the rest of our offensive group. There’s been some moments where we haven’t played as well around him, we’ve gotten behind a little bit, and he’s competitive.

“Over his career, I’ll be stunned if he’s a guy that turns the ball over a lot. He doesn’t have that in him. He does not. He’s not careless with the football. If you look at … one of his interceptions is a shovel pass at New England, for God’s sakes. That’s not his fault, it’s our fault, my fault for the way we designed it and the way it turned out. Sure there’s other ones, but in my mind we’ve got the right guy going forward.”

Mayfield was traded from Cleveland to Carolina this year when the Browns traded for Deshaun Watson. But his stint with the Panthers didn’t go as planned and he asked for his release before the end of the season, latching on with the Rams.

Keenan McCardell

McCardell spent time in Jacksonville as both a player (1996-2001) and a wide receivers coach (2017-2020), and was there when Gardner Minshew was drafted and played QB (2019-2020). Minshew was 6-6 as a starter as a rookie and then 1-7 the next season before being traded to Philadelphia in 2021. He was 1-1 in relief of Jalen Hurts that year and 0-2 as a starter this season.

Shea Tierney

Giants QBs coach Shea Tierney and QB Daniel Jones – Photo by: USA Today

It’s doubtful that the Bucs will get a chance to sign Daniel Jones in free agency. The Giants seem likely to re-sign their starting quarterback after making the playoffs under first-year head coach Brian Daboll. But during the interview with Tierney for the vancant offensive coordinator position, the Bucs likely asked for his opinion on Jones’ strengths and weaknesses just in case the Giants find a perceived upgrade and Jones hits free agency.

Jim Bob Cooter

The Bucs have faced Sam Darnold several times since he landed with the Panthers in 2021. Prior to that, Darnold was in New York as a Jets draft pick in 2018. Bowles had a hand in drafting him, but coached him just one season before he was fired. Cooter came in as the Jets running backs coach from 2019-20, so he has some more recent exposure to Darnold.

Ronald Curry

Curry has been in New Orleans since 2016 as an offensive assistant, a receivers coach (2018-20) and the passing game coordinator (2021-22). He’s seen the maturation process of Winston first-hand since the ex-Bucs quarterback came to New Orleans in 2020. While it’s doubtful that Tampa Bay’s former first-round pick in 2015 returns to the Bucs this year – even on a one-year deal – at least the team had the chance to gather some updated intel from Curry to make the best informed decision about Winston, who will likely be released this offseason by the Saints.

If one of these coordinator candidates ends up getting hired, the Bucs could wind up pairing that play-caller with a quarterback he’s previously worked with to help serve as a bridge QB.

FAB 3. What If A More Focused Brady Had Returned To Bucs In 2023?

Tom Brady has officially retired – for good. This time, he’s not coming back to the Bucs.

The team is understandably disappointed, but not terribly surprised. Brady has always said he wanted to play until he was 45, and he accomplished that goal – along with a slew of others during his prolific, 23-year career.

The Bucs would’ve loved to have him back for another season because there are no clear answers at that position in Tampa Bay right now. The team will have to settle for three years worth of exciting Brady magic, a Super Bowl championship and two back-to-back division titles instead.

Bucs QB Tom Brady and OC Byron Leftwich – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

The 2022 season was arguably Brady’s most difficult outside of 2008. That year was over before it truly began. Brady tore his ACL in the first quarter of the 2008 season opener that year and was out for the year.

In 2022, Brady went through a very public and painful divorce during what would become his final season in the NFL. Brady, who is usually the most prepared and detail-oriented quarterback in the league, was as distracted as he’s ever been. He missed 10 days during training camp while his marriage was in turmoil, and then visited his son, Jack, and attended Robert Kraft’s wedding on a Friday night before the Steelers game. That caused him to miss the Saturday walk-through.

Tampa Bay’s disappointing 8-9 finish to the 2022 campaign doesn’t fall on Brady’s shoulders alone. The entire team, most notably on offense, didn’t play well for part of or all of the season.

Brady’s interceptions were down from 12 in 2021 to just nine last year. But his touchdown passes plummeted from 43 the previous season to only 25 in 2022. That’s 18 fewer scoring strikes.

Brady’s 6.4 yards average per pass attempt were significantly lower than the 2021 (7.4 avg.) and 2020 (7.6 avg.) seasons in Tampa Bay, and the lowest since 2002 when he averaged just 6.3 yards per attempt. Only one Bucs player on offense averaged more than 10 yards per catch in 2022, which was Mike Evans, who averaged 14.6 yards. That’s remarkable considering how often Brady and Evans failed to connect down the field last season.

I understand the reasoning behind Brady’s decision not to return to football. He’s a single father for the first time and it can be a lonely, disturbing feeling that can sometimes be riddled with guilt. Since the season ended, he’s been posting pictures of him spending time with his children, Ben and Vivian. It’s clear that Brady wants – and perhaps needs – to focus on his family now more than ever.

And after all the trials and tribulations of the Bucs’ 2022 season in which the offense underwhelmed and was poorly run by Byron Leftwich, Brady was likely exhausted from the malaise. It could have certainly reminded him of the frustrating 2019 season, his last year in New England when he only had one reliable receiver to throw to in Julian Edelman.

But after that rough final season in New England, the 42-year old Brady was rejuvenated when he sought a change of scenery in Tampa Bay and helped the Bucs win Super Bowl LV in 2020. The only way Brady, who turns 46, will likely feel rejuvenated now is from spending time with his kids and from stepping away from football for a final time.

Yet, it would have been fun to see what a distraction-free Brady would have been like in Tampa Bay in 2023. Perhaps a more focused Brady would have produced more touchdowns and helped the Bucs to more wins this upcoming season.

Bucs QB Tom Brady – Photo by: USA Today

His return in 2023 would have helped the Bucs delay the inevitable – life after Brady – for just one more year because there is no clear heir apparent. It certainly doesn’t look like it will be Kyle Trask.

With Brady back for one more season, the Bucs would have been penciled in for a third straight division title and the automatic home playoff game that comes with it. Instead, all four teams in the NFC South have questions at quarterback this offseason, which is wild to think about.

In order to be respectful to the Bucs and the team’s plans for the 2023 season, Brady had to make a decision quickly. Tampa Bay had to know sooner rather than later if Brady was going to return or if the team had to go in a different direction.

Brady had promised the Bucs that he wasn’t going to play for another team in 2023. He would either return to Tampa Bay or retire.

It turned out be retirement, and now the Bucs embark on a whole new path now that the team’s Super Bowl window has officially closed. We’ll never get to see Brady in a creamsicle throwback uniform, nor will we see how a more focused, clear-headed Brady would’ve fared for one final season in Tampa Bay.

FAB 4. Spears Could Be A Big-Play RB For Bucs

One of the big winners during the Senior Bowl week was Tulane running back Tyjae Spears. Before he even took the field, Spears was a big winner, measuring in at just under 5-foot-10 and weighing 204 pounds. He was listed on the Green Wave roster at 5-foot-11, but only 195 pounds.

Tulane RB Tyjae Spears – Photo by: USA Today

Spears was one of college football’s most dynamic running backs in 2022, rushing for 1,581 yards and 19 touchdowns while averaging 6.9 yards per carry. The senior back helped Tulane finish 12-2 with a No. 9 ranking this season.

But the fact that he played in the AAC and his smallish stature kept him under the radar until this week in Mobile, Ala. As clearly the best back at the Senior Bowl, the secret is out, and Spears has vaulted from a fourth- or fifth-round pick on Day 3 pick to likely a third-round pick.

Even a climb to the second round wouldn’t be far-fetched considering Buffalo took James Cook, who was 5-foot-11, 190 pounds, last year with the 63rd overall pick. Spears’ ability to catch the ball and be a real weapon in the passing game makes Cook and Philadelphia’s Kenneth Gainwell (5-foot-9, 200) ideal comparisons. Gainwell slipped to the fifth round in 2021 after sitting out the entire 2020 season at Memphis due to COVID concerns.

Drafting running backs has been Jason Licht’s blind spot since he took over as the team’s general manager in 2014. Charles Sims, a third-rounder that year, was nothing more than an occasional third-down back.

Jeremy McNichols, a fifth-round selection in 2017, didn’t even make the roster coming out of training camp. Ronald Jones II, a second-round pick in 2018, had just one good year in Tampa Bay and is on his way out of the league.

Ke’Shawn Vaughn, a third-rounder in 2020, has been nothing more than a third-string running back so far. Yet, there are high hopes for Rachaad White, last year’s third-round pick, who showed promise during his rookie season.

You’ve probably noticed that Licht has a penchant for drafting running backs in the third round. That could happen again this year with Spears.

Bucs RBs Leonard Fournette and Rachaad White – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

The talented Green Wave running back caught 22 passes for 256 yards (11.6 avg.) and a pair of touchdowns last year, and posted 48 career receptions for 564 yards (11.8 avg.) and three scores. Not only does Spears have really good hands, he also has the speed and elusiveness to average a first down every time he catches the ball.

Spears ended his Tulane career with eight straight 100-yard games, including a 17-carry, 205-yard, four-touchdown effort in a 46-45 comeback win over USC. He had 15 100-yard games and scored at least two touchdowns in 10 games over the course of his career.

The guess here is that the Bucs part ways with Leonard Fournette, who is coming off a disappointing 2022 season, in a cap-cutting move. Tampa Bay can save $3,470,588 by releasing the soon-to-be 28-year old, according to OverTheCap.com. The Bucs could turn the starting duties over to White and then draft a running back like Spears to be a complementary back, adding more speed to Tampa Bay’s offense.

With the Bucs likely having a plethora of more pressing needs this year, Tampa Bay may not be able to prioritize drafting another running back on Day 2 ahead of other positions like defensive line or the secondary. But with Ke’Shawn Vaughn as the only other runner on the team besides White if Fournette is released, selecting Spears may be more of a need than a luxury.

Spears is an electric runner with tremendous ability to slip and break tackles despite his smallish, wiry frame. According to Pro Football Focus, Spears picked up 1,052 yards after contract last year, which ranked sixth among all running backs in the nation. His 63 missed tackle attempts ranked 63rd and he averaged 4.55 yards after contact. PFF gave him a 90.2 overall grade and a ridiculous 145.8 elusive rating.

Pairing Spears with White could give Tampa Bay’s backfield a burst of speed and dynamic playmaking ability that the unit didn’t have last year with Fournette.

FAB 5. SR’s Buc Shots

• BRADY’S REMARKABLE CAREER IN 3 HALL OF FAME PARTS: Tom Brady Facts does an amazing job of encapsulating three different phases of Brady’s epic career, demonstrating how he would be a Hall of Famer three times over.

• BRADY IS TRULY ONE OF A KIND: Tom Brady’s resume is like no other. Simply incredible.

• CARR PUTS ON A SHOW ONE LAST TIME IN VEGAS: The Raiders will be parting ways with quarterback Derek Carr before February 15. Will the Bucs consider trading for him? Before he leaves Las Vegas, Carr put on one heck of a show during the Pro Bowl Games skills competition.

THIS WEEK’S PEWTER REPORT PODCASTS

• BUCS OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR AND SENIOR BOWL DISCUSSION ON THE PEWTER REPORT PODCAST: The Pewter Report Podcast is energized by CELSIUS and broadcasts four live episodes each week. We’re in the offseason now, so PR Podcasts will be featured on Mondays and Tuesdays at 4:00 p.m. ET and Wednesdays and Thursdays at 7:00 p.m. ET. Subscribe to PewterReportTV on YouTube and click on notifications and you’ll be informed about when the next podcast will be broadcast.

Matt Matera, Scott Reynolds, Josh Queipo, Bailey Adams and Adam Slivon preview the Senior Bowl and provide the latest update on the Bucs OC search.

Matera, Reynolds, Queipo, Adams and Slivon analyzed the first day of Senior Bowl practice on Tuesday night.

Matera, Reynolds and Queipo discuss Tom Brady’s retirement on an emergency podcast on Wednesday morning.

Matera, Reynolds, Queipo, Adams and Slivon discuss Tom Brady’s retirement and the latest from Wednesday’s Senior Bowl practice.

Watch the Pewter Report Podcasts live on our PewterReportTV channel on YouTube.com and please subscribe (it’s free) and add your comments. We archive all Pewter Report Podcasts. So, you can watch the recorded episodes if you missed them live.

There is no better time to listen to or watch a new Pewter Report Podcast – energized by CELSIUS – than Friday afternoon on the way home from work. Or early Saturday morning during your workout or while running errands.

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