Should the Bucs pick a QB in the 2024 NFL draft?

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers might want to invest in a long-term backup plan at quarterback with a late-round pick in the 2024 NFL draft

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will have the same exact quarterback room for the 2024 season that they had last year, bringing valuable continuity to the game’s most important position.

But should they start planning for the future?

Baker Mayfield is back on a new three-year contract extension, securing the starting spot for the foreseeable future. Kyle Trask is heading into the final year of his rookie contract, while veteran John Wolford is back on a one-year deal as the third-stringer.

Trask, a second-round pick in the 2021 NFL draft, has barely touched the field, and hasn’t shown the Bucs anything that would warrant a contract extension after the 2024 season. Wolford is a fantastic veteran presence to have in the room, especially considering his knowledge of the offense from his time with Liam Coen when both were with the Los Angeles Rams.

Jordan Prather-USA TODAY Sports

If the Bucs want to replace Trask with a long-term project, they could find a late-round pick to fill that role, and this year’s draft class should give them some intriguing options.

Tennessee’s Joe Milton III would be an ideal candidate, thanks to his impressive physical tools that give him tons of upside. He still needs some refinement, which will require patience at the next level, but investing a Day 3 pick into his lofty potential wouldn’t be the worst idea for the Bucs.

Mayfield will be the starter for at least the next couple of years, but if Tampa Bay wants a long-term backup plan beyond Trask and Wolford, Milton could be a strong fit.

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8 standouts from QB, RB, WR workouts at 2024 NFL Scouting Combine

Xavier Worthy broke the most coveted combine record, but he wasn’t the only player who stood out Saturday.

The most coveted and treasured NFL Scouting Combine record fell Saturday.

On the very last run of the day, Texas wide receiver Xavier Worthy took a shot at improving the ridiculously fast time of 4.25 seconds that he did on his first 40-yard dash attempt. Not only did he beat his first run, Worthy’s 4.21 on the second try now stands as the fastest any player has ever finished the 40-yard dash since the NFL began officially recording times.

While it was easily the most climactic moment of the 2024 combine, it wasn’t the only impressive showing Saturday.

With quarterbacks, running backs, and wide receivers performing for NFL scouts, coaches, and general managers, these eight players stood out most:

List of quarterbacks at 2024 Senior Bowl

A quick list of the quarterbacks that will be in Mobile for the 2024 Senior Bowl

The vast majority of the football world will soon descend upon Mobile, Alabama for the annual Senior Bowl. Jets fans this year will have some reason to watch as defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich will serve as head coach of the National Team.

To get a start on the week, we’ll compile a simple list of players at each position that will be in Mobile this week. We’ll start with the quarterbacks, and while the Jets may not be grabbing a quarterback early in the draft, it will still be interesting to watch these guys compete in Mobile.

Coaching the quarterbacks will be Bears new quarterbacks coach Kerry Joseph and Cardinals quarterbacks coach Israel Woolfork.

Potential 2024 QB options for the Broncos (without Jarrett Stidham)

If the Broncos cut QB Jarrett Stidham, they would save $5 million in cap space. Here are five QB paths Denver could take in such a scenario.

Last week, we published a list of potential quarterback paths the Denver Broncos could take in 2024 and all of them included Jarrett Stidham.

Today, we’re going to take a quick look at QB paths for the Broncos without Stidham on the team. Denver seems likely to move on from Russell Wilson this offseason, but Stidham’s status with the club is harder to gauge.

It’s possible that the Broncos could go into 2024 with Stidham on the roster either as a starter or competing for the starting job. It’s also possible that Denver could part ways with both Wilson and Stidham this spring.

Stidham is set to have a salary cap hit of $7 million in 2024. If the Broncos release the quarterback, the team would create a $2 million “dead money” cap hit with a net savings of $5 million in salary cap space.

With Denver in desperate need of more cap space, the possibility of Stidham being cut can’t be ruled out. Here are five hypothetical QB scenarios the Broncos could consider this spring without Stidham on the team.

QB prospects roundup: Michael Penix, Bo Nix to play in Senior Bowl

Broncos scouts will have opportunities to get close looks at Bo Nix and Michael Penix Jr. at the Senior Bowl later this month.

With the Denver Broncos seemingly on the verge of moving on from Russell Wilson, fans in Broncos Country will be paying close attention to the quarterbacks entering this year’s NFL draft.

The Broncos hold the 12th overall pick and they will be a team to watch as the draft draws closer. Denver might consider trading up for a top QB prospect, or the team could select one at No. 12, or trade down to add more draft capital.

The top three QB prospects — Caleb Williams, Drake Maye and Jayden Daniels — have all declared for the draft. None of those QBs are expected to fall to No. 12, but at least one of Bo Nix, Michael Penix Jr. or J.J. McCarthy could be available when the Broncos go on the clock.

Denver’s scouts will get an opportunity to take close looks at Nix and Penix later this month at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama. Nix and Penix have both accepted invites to this year’s All-Star game. Spencer Rattler, Michael Pratt and Joe Milton III have also signed up to participate.

The 2024 Senior Bowl will be played in Saturday, Feb. 3. Two months later, the NFL draft will be held in Detroit from April 25-27.

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Update on who will start at quarterback for Tennessee against Iowa

Update on who will start at quarterback for Tennessee against Iowa in the Citrus Bowl.

No. 23 Tennessee (8-4, 4-4 SEC) will play No. 17 Iowa (10-3, 7-2 Big Ten) in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl on Jan. 1, 2024.

Rankings reflect the US LBM Coaches Poll.

Kickoff between the Vols and Hawkeyes is slated for 1 p.m. EST. ABC will televise the matchup at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida.

Redshirt senior quarterback Joe Milton III is not expected to play for the Vols.

“Quarterback Joe Milton doesn’t plan to play in Vol football’s Citrus Bowl matchup with Iowa, meaning heralded freshman Nico Iamaleava will make his much anticipated first start for the Vols,” Chris Low of ESPN announced. “Milton is in Florida with the rest of the team.”

READ: Tennessee-Iowa Citrus Bowl transfer portal and opt-outs tracker

Photo by Dan Harralson, Vols Wire

Five SEC quarterbacks with the most to prove in conference play

With the first conference games upon us in the SEC, which signal-callers have most pressure to perform in 2023?

The SEC looks a lot different in the pocket this year. Alabama Heisman winner Bryce Young is gone, as is Georgia‘s back-to-back national champion Stetson Bennett. Florida‘s Anthony Richardson, Tennessee‘s Hendon Hooker, and Kentucky’s Will Levis all found homes in the NFL.

So who is around to step up? More than a few signal-callers have the chance to claim some space in the power vacuum, but some teams (and fanbases) need their guys to do well a little more badly than others.

Here are the SEC quarterbacks under the most pressure during conference play.