Getty The Buccaneers may look to replace Tom Brady with Lamar Jackson.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers could be the perfect landing spot for one of the top quarterbacks in the league.
As mentioned by Jason La Canfora in his column with The Washington Post, the Buccaneers could be a potential trade destination for Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson. La Canfora discusses the possibility of Jackson being traded in the offseason — he’ll be a free agent — and which teams would make a run at the former MVP.
While speaking to a general manager, he believes that every team in the NFC South could make a play for Jackson, but singles out the Buccaneers as a team that would be willing to “spend.”
“Really, all four teams in [the NFC South], you could see it,” said the general manager. “I just don’t think the Saints could make it work with their cap [issues]. But I think Tampa would spend, and it’s over for [Tom] Brady there.”
Buccaneers Could Look for Tom Brady’s Replacement
There’s a very likely possibility Tampa Bay has to look elsewhere for their next quarterback. Tom Brady will also be a free agent in the offseason and he has yet to commit to another season with the Buccaneers.
During his postgame press conference following the team’s 31-14 playoff loss to the Dallas Cowboys, Brady didn’t exactly send the message he was leaning towards a return with Tampa Bay.
“We’re very grateful for everyone’s support,” said Brady on January 16. “I love this organization. It’s a great place to be. Thank you everybody for welcoming me. And [to] all you regulars, just very grateful for the respect, and I hope I gave the same thing back to you guys. So, thank you very much. Appreciate it.”
In a scenario where Brady either signs with another team or simply retires, the Buccaneers need to look elsewhere in order to remain a contender. Tampa Bay’s current backups — Blaine Gabbert and Kyle Trask — aren’t exactly the most appealing options.
Despite dealing with injuries over the past couple of seasons, Jackson remains one of the top quarterbacks in the league. The 26-year-old led the Ravens to a 8-4 record as a starter this season, throwing for 17 touchdowns while ranking second in the league in rushing yards among quarterbacks (764 yards).
However, he was sidelined for the last portion of the season — including the playoff game — due to a PCL injury.
Buccaneers Have to Shed Salary to Acquire Lamar Jackson
According to Spotrac, Jackson’s projected market value is $40.7 million per year across six years, which would make him the seventh-highest paid quarterback in the league.
As La Canfora mentions in his article, the Ravens are expected to give Jackson the franchise tag.
“What has always been clear is that Jackson was going to get a franchise tag next month — almost certainly an exclusive designation worth around $45 million for 2023,” said La Canfora.
The Buccaneers would have to find a way to manipulate the salary cap in order to acquire Jackson. Tampa Bay is currently projected to be more than $54 million in the negatives in cap space entering the offseason, which is the worst mark in the league.
Outside of the salary cap issue, the Buccaneers would have to give up big draft assets — and potentially young players — in a deal for Jackson. La Canfora outlines a cornerback or a safety — positions the Ravens value — along with draft capital as big selling points for Baltimore.
“For starters, those executives believe getting Jackson out of the AFC would be ideal for Baltimore and that landing some proven young talent in return — not only draft picks — would be the Ravens’ preference,” said La Canfora.
“And, obviously, landing a top-10 pick in the upcoming draft would be appealing, to say nothing of other high draft picks,” La Canfora concludes.
Jackson obviously won’t see any shortage of suitors if he becomes available in the offseason. With that being said, if the Buccaneers have a shot at Jackson, they’re going to have to do a lot of work.