Blaine Gabbert replaces Ryan Fitzpatrick in an odd little game of QB musical chairs that was set off when the Dolphins decided they'd had enough of a declining Ryan Tannehill as their starter and shipped him off to Tennessee where the Titans wanted more experienced insurance for injury prone Marcus Mariota. The Dolphins then signed Fitzpatrick as a free agent to be the caretaker starter/mentor for the young QB they planned to bring in. Gabbert was released by the Titans after Tannehill joined the team, and shortly signed with his 2017 coach in Arizona, Bruce Arians to complete the circle. Or maybe it was completed when the Dolphins traded for Josh Rosen, one of the guys Arizona tried at QB last season after not resigning Gabbert. Confusing enough? :(
Fitzpatrick will be hard to replace in the hearts of the fans, but his career stats when he was Gabbert's age were about the same as Blaine's, so essentially the Bucs are getting a 29 year old Fitzpatrick with less wear and tear at a much cheaper rate. Blaine is more athletic with a better arm, but doesn't have Fitz's moxy or confidence. Maybe that will come, this is Gabbert's first time playing a second year in a familiar offensive system since he came to the NFL in 2011. Arians, Goodwin, Leftwich, and Moore will be the first set of coaches he's played a second season with as well. Bruce liked him a lot in Arizona.
Maybe there will be some new "Fitzmagic" from UDFA Nick Fitzgerald who seems like a strong bet to replace Ryan Griffin as the third QB. Griffin is the same age as Gabbert and has yet to see the field in a regular season game. Fitzgerald is a terrific athlete, with plus size and some position versatility that could give him the edge for the final spot. His big drawback is his passing, but he actually had a slightly higher passer rating in college (at a much higher level of competition) than Griffin did. Any advantage Griffin had from being on the team for the past four seasons is negated by having to learn a new system this year. He might have some advantage in terms of his relationship with Winston and familiarity with the receivers, but that won't go very far.
Overall, the team would lose a dozen years or so worth of experience in the backup department, switching out Fitzpatrick and Griffin for Gabbert and Fitzgerald, but they get younger, cheaper, and far more athletic in the exchange.
