Pewter Report analyzes each position’s strengths and weaknesses in Tampa Bay, as the Bucs attempt to three-peat as NFC South champions.

First up is the quarterback position, which will head into the 2023 season without Tom Brady as the starter. Brady had plenty of experience and did a great job of throwing touchdowns while protecting the ball as he guided the Bucs to a 32-18 record in Tampa Bay. Free agent addition Baker Mayfield and former second-round pick Kyle Trask are competing for the right to replace Brady as the starter.

The Strength of Bucs QBs: Physical Talent

Most teams have one capable starter, but the Bucs believe they might have two in journeyman Baker Mayfield and Kyle Trask, who is unproven and entering his third season. The reason? Physical talent. Mayfield was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, and Trask was the last pick in the second round in 2021.

Bucs QB Kyle Trask – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Mayfield was talented enough to start 69 games and had some success in Cleveland in 2020, leading the Browns to 11 wins and a playoff victory. In fact, he’s the only QB in the NFC South with a postseason win under his belt. Mayfield is looking to resurrect his career in Tampa Bay in a new QB-friendly system that saw Dave Canales help former journeyman Geno Smith become a Pro Bowler at age 32 in addition to the NFL Comeback Player of the Year in Seattle.

Trask is a tall quarterback with a strong enough arm and good touch. He led the SEC in passing with over 4,200 yards and threw 43 touchdowns and just eight interceptions in his final season at Florida while completing 68.9% of his throws. Trask has dropped close to 20 pounds over the last three years to become quicker and more mobile to operate in Canales’ offense, which calls for a lot of rollouts, bootlegs and waggles.

John Wolford is better than most third-string QBs in the NFL, especially due to the fact that he’s a great system fit in Tampa Bay’s new scheme. Even though he’s just 6-foot, he has very good mobility and is accurate on short and intermediate throws.

Best-Case Scenario at QB

Either Mayfield and/or Trask develops into a starting-caliber QB in Tampa Bay and has a Smith-like season in the first year in Canales’ system.

The Weakness of Bucs QBs: Interceptions and Inexperience

Outside of intelligence, there aren’t too many positive words that start with the letter “I” regarding the quarterback position, such as interceptions, incompletions and inexperience. While the Bucs have two QBs vying for the starting job in Mayfield and Trask, they both have a weakness that starts with “I.”

Bucs QB Baker Mayfield – Photo by: USA Today

For Mayfield, it’s interceptions. While he’s a gutsy quarterback, sometimes Mayfield can be too fearless with the football. That can lead to reckless throws that turn into interceptions. After throwing 26 touchdowns and just eight picks in Cleveland in 2020, Mayfield threw 17 TDs and 13 INTs the next season, which was his last with the Browns. Last year, he tossed 10 touchdowns and eight picks between Carolina and L.A. And his worst season in 2019 saw him throw a career-high 21 INTs against 22 TDs.

For Trask, it’s inexperience. With Tom Brady as the starter, Trask was basically redshirted as the team’s third quarterback for the past two seasons. He saw very few reps in practice as a result, and played with backups and practice squad players in the last two preseasons, which were underwhelming for the Florida product. Now. Trask has to start over in a brand-new offense, and his lack of experience and playing time gives Mayfield a decided edge in the QB competition.

Wolford has issues with both inexperience and interceptions. The fourth-year quarterback has only appeared in seven games in his career with four starts where he’s gone 2-2. But in that limited playing time. Wolford has thrown just one TD and five INTs. If the Bucs end up playing Wolford at some point, it’s a safe bet that the 2023 campaign is a lost cause.

Worst-Case Scenario at QB

Mayfield starts and throws too many interceptions, which leads to Trask replacing him and not winning enough games due to his lack of experience, thus forcing the Bucs to reboot the QB position in 2024.