Tampa Bay Buccaneers Will Be In Seller Mode In 2023 — Regardless Of Who Wins Quarterback Battle

As the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ 2023 preseason kicked off on Saturday night against the Pittsburgh Steelers, the biggest topic was none other than the quarterback competition between Baker Mayfield and Kyle Trask.

All eyes were on Mayfield as he started the preseason opener after a rough training camp. After one preseason game, Mayfield still appears to be the favorite after he took care of the football — something he has struggled with during camp — and connected on 8-of-9 passes for 63 yards, a touchdown and a 132.9 passer rating.

Meanwhile, Trask failed to lead a touchdown drive while completing 6-of-10 passes for 99 yards, one interception and a 53.8 passer rating.

But while the Buccaneers figure out who will be their Week 1 starter, it’s just delaying the inevitable — this is a team that will be in seller mode by the trade deadline this season.

The Buccaneers have several key players who will be trade candidates by the deadline, with wide receiver Mike Evans and linebacker Devin White being the most prominent names that will likely be available.

Evans will be entering the final season of his five-year, $82.5 million contract. The four-time Pro Bowl has stressed his desire to end his career with the Buccaneers, but his expiring contract and consistent play makes him the perfect candidate to land with a contender seeking a short-term rental playmaker.

Meanwhile, White is entering the final year of his rookie contract, which will pay him $11.7 million this season. The former Pro Bowler previously demanded a trade during the offseason due to being unhappy about his current deal. However, he backed off of his demand after the organization made it clear they weren’t trading him.

With that being said, Spotrac projects White’s market value to be $20.1 million per season across four years for a total of $80.4 million. While White is certainly one of the stalwarts of the defensive unit, are the Buccaneers willing to pay their young star linebacker that type of money when they can recoup draft picks if they trade him by the deadline in October?

Tampa Bay is much closer to selecting No. 1 overall in next year’s draft than winning a Super Bowl. In fact, one could make the argument that the 2023 Buccaneers are closer to gaining the top pick in next year’s draft compared to clinching a playoff berth this season.

As Eric Edholm of NFL.com notes in his power rankings, the Buccaneers are ranked No. 30 overall. That’s an accurate indication of where Tampa Bay stands heading into the new season.

The Buccaneers will start out the season with hopes of contending for a playoff spot, most likely with the veteran and former No. 1 overall pick Mayfield leading the way. But while Mayfield is well-liked by his teammates and possesses playoff experience, there’s a reason he’s playing for his fourth team in a year.

He eventually floundered in Cleveland, lasting just one more season after leading the franchise to a playoff berth. And after being jettisoned by the Cleveland Browns, he quickly floundered after winning the starting job with the Carolina Panthers, losing his starting gig to former undrafted free agent P.J.Walker and first-round bust Sam Darnold.

He’s a decent quarterback who won’t be able to carry the Buccaneers far.

Remember that Tom Brady — the greatest quarterback of all time — broke single-season records for completions and attempts last season and led multiple game-winning drives and fourth quarter comebacks against mediocre opponents such as the New Orleans Saints, Arizona Cardinals, Los Angeles Rams and the Panthers just to lead the Buccaneers to an 8-9 record.

Fast forward a year later and not only is the NFC South a stronger division with Derek Carr leading the Saints and Bryce Young now on the Panthers, Tampa Bay’s roster is weaker after being forced to let go of multiple veterans due to salary cap restraints.

Do you really think Mayfield is going to lead a watered-down Buccaneers roster to a better record than Brady did?

The more likely scenario sees Tampa Bay enter the season with playoff aspirations, only to quickly find out they won’t be able to contend this season. Mayfield will likely begin the season as the starter, only to eventually allow Trask to find his way into the starting lineup when the losses pile up.

The Buccaneers are trying to figure out who will be their franchise quarterback for this season. Soon enough, they’ll be looking for their true franchise quarterback in next year’s draft.