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In the quest to replace quarterback Tom Brady, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers could swing a trade at the NFL Draft.
Bucs insider Jenn Laine of ESPN reported that she “could see” the team moving up in the draft to take Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker. Former NFL general manager Mike Tannenbaum of ESPN called Hooker “the best QB from this year’s draft” recently. A 2022 Heisman Trophy candidate, Hooker has moved up draft boards of late amid his progress in recovery from an ACL tear last season.
“If quarterback Hendon Hooker is available — it’s been tough to forecast exactly where he’ll land because of a torn ACL — I could see that, or if there was a run on offensive tackles similar to 2020, when they landed Tristan Wirfs. But don’t expect them to move far — maybe one or two spots — because they have too many needs to fill,” Laine wrote.
Hooker notably met with the Bucs this month for a Top-30 visit. Bucs general manager Jason Licht acknowledged the possibility of drafting a quarterback this year.
“It’s the toughest position to find. It’s the most important position on the team,” Licht told reporters on April 13. “You see teams that in consecutive years take them in the top 10.”
“We have an unknown in Kyle [Trask]. We have Baker [Mayfield], who has had some great years and now we’re hoping he shows up this year in that competition and we get the best out of both of them,” Licht added. “I would not be afraid to take a quarterback — another quarterback — because you might as well have another shot at it. Maybe not this year, but maybe in the future.”
Bucs Have ‘Open’ QB Battle
Trask, whom the Bucs selected in the second round of the 2021 draft, played 10 snaps of regular season football behind Brady and former Bucs backup Blaine Gabbert.
Mayfield, a recent free agent signing, will compete with Trask for the starting job after a turbulent 2022 amid stints with three teams. Mayfield has far more experience than Trask with five seasons as starter, but Trask believes he can compete with Mayfield for the job.
“I’ve just been told it’s an open competition, but at the end of the day I know that the team’s going to do what they have to do to put whoever on the field that’s going to allow our team to be the most successful,” Trask told reporters on Monday, April 17. “For me, I feel this time I just really need to hone in and be as consistent as I can.”
“At the end of the day, I’m just trying to do whatever I can to make this team succeed. Fortunately enough, I’ve had two years of prior experience with a very veteran quarterback room, and there’s a lot to take away from that,” Trask added. “I’m going to try to implement some of those styles and routines that they had into my routine, and hopefully that will make us more successful at the end of the day.”
Bucs Need a Third QB
If neither Trask nor Mayfield pan out, the Bucs could go with a rookie such as Hooker. The former Volunteers star threw for 8,974 yards and 80 touchdowns versus 12 interceptions in his college career, and he rushed for 2,079 yards and 25 touchdowns.
Tampa Bay landed an All-Pro tackle in Wirfs by moving up in the draft three years ago. The Bucs could strike gold again, as Laine noted, with a similar move next week.
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