As soon as Dave Canales was announced as the new offensive coordinator of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, fans and analysts alike started connecting the dots between that move and the Bucs’ need for a new quarterback.
Following Tom Brady’s (second) retirement, Kyle Trask is the only quarterback currently under contract for the 2023 season in Tampa Bay. Obviously, the Bucs will target at least one veteran free agent to challenge Trask for the starting job, and with Canales coming from Seattle, it only makes sense to consider the ones he worked with there.
But while many Bucs fans would obviously love to see Geno Smith follow Canales to Tampa Bay after his impressive resurgence last season, if the Bucs are going to sign a former Seahawks quarterback in free agency, it’s much more likely to be Drew Lock.
That’s not likely to move the needle much for Bucs fans, especially compared to the NFL Comeback Player of the Year. But even if Smith were to hit the open market (he shouldn’t), he’ll command way more money than the Bucs will be able to spend, thanks to their challenging salary cap situation.
Lock spent just one season with Canales in Seattle, coming over from the Denver Broncos in the Russell Wilson trade. He lost the battle for the starting job to Smith, but his familiarity with Canales (and whatever version of Seattle’s offense he might bring with him to Tampa) could give him a strong chance to beat out Trask if given the chance.
It wouldn’t be surprising to see the Bucs sign multiple veteran quarterbacks, if they’re able to afford it, and Lock should come pretty cheap. Even if they brought him in, it shouldn’t preclude Tampa Bay from targeting another cost-effective veteran to battle for the starting job, such as Baker Mayfield or Jacoby Brissett.