Jared Goff And The Bucs – JoeBucsFan.com

“Jason, tell me about this Caleb Williams.”

UPDATED 9:50 am – We are less than three months from the combine — and no, Joe’s not talking about a $750,000 farming implement used to harvest corn, beans and wheat.

In less than three months, the first week of March to be exact, the NFL world will flock to wintry Indianapolis and despite all their tampering rules, that’s when the foundations of just about every move made between the combine and the draft will be ironed out .

And in the eyes of Terry O’Neil of Outkick, that is when the NFL quarterback carousel begins turning.

O’Neil types that he simply cannot see Tom Brady returning to what O’Neil described as a “disorganized mess” that Bucs coach Todd Bowles has created. Those are O’Neil’s words, not Joe’s. O’Neil thinks the Bucs’ only shot of retaining Brady is massive changes to the coaching staff, specifically on offense.

Joe has been a proponent of one such move for weeks and is still a little baffled why it hasn’t happened. This non-move has convinced Joe there is no accountability among the coaching staff.

So Brady bolts. What then?

Well, O’Neil believes the Bucs, barring an immediate and unexpected epiphany by coaches, will finish with a losing record (but still may win the putrid NFC South) and therefore the Bucs will draft somewhere in the teens, between Nos. 10-20 **Per NFL rules, the four teams eliminated in the wild card round of the playoffs pick in slots Nos. 21, 22, 23, 24, with the team with the worst regular season record getting the earliest pick.**

In the Pick Nos. 10 through No. 20 range, O’Neil said the Bucs have to decide between, say, AR-15, quarterback Anthony Richardson with the Gators, or Hendon Hooker with Tennessee.

Or what O’Neil thinks is more likely, the Bucs fight with other teams for the services of either Jimmy GQ or Jared Goff. O’Neil believes the Lions will cut Goff, and Goff does have an out in his contract after this season.

Just think, in part because of what has been wrought upon this once great offense, the Bucs chase off the greatest quarterback who ever lived for a Lions reject. Talk about sinking to a new low! What, the Throwin’ Samoan Jack Thompson is not available?

Joe noticed Friday night on Twitter there was tons of chatter that the Bucs should tank next season for USC quarterback Caleb Williams (“Collapse for Caleb”). In a perfect world, Joe would have zero problems with this and likely would support such a move.

However, the Bucs have too many good players. For the Bucs to tank badly enough to get Williams, it would immediately raise suspicions with the NFL and in particular NFL warden Roger Goodell. This likely would result in grave consequences for the Bucs.

But as a follower of Joe pointed out, the Bucs are on the cusp of having a losing season with a good defense and Tom Brady. So the Bucs wallowing with the dregs of the NFL as they wrestle for the No. 1 overall pick in 2024 with Kyle Trask at quarterback isn’t so preposterous.

Duly noted.