Baker Mayfield picture courtesy of the Tampa Bay Bucs
With the Bucs again collectively for offseason exercises, new offensive coordinator Dave Canales is getting his first probability to work along with his gamers. On Wednesday, he took the rostrum on the AdventHealth Coaching Heart and for the primary time, opened up on the quarterback competitors that may quickly unfold between Baker Mayfield and Kyle Trask.
For starters, he spoke in regards to the worth of creating this a real competitors between Mayfield and Trask.
“For me, it’s a win-win if you create a contest,” Canales mentioned. “Right here’s why: when you title a starter in the present day, the backup man begins considering like a backup. However when you say, it is a competitors, we’re going to permit us to enter the preseason and allow them to present us that they will handle to get us into the proper play, they will handle the ball – that’s going to be the figuring out issue, actually, who takes care of the ball. The bonus is who pushes it down the sector.
“If we are able to play nice protection, run it, and handle the ball – we’re going to be an amazing crew. The man who can present that’s going to win the job.”
Dave Canales Is No Stranger To Quarterback Competitions
Bucs OC Dave Canales – Picture by: Matt Matera/PR
Canales went on to debate being a part of final yr’s competitors in Seattle between Geno Smith and Drew Lock. Smith in the end received the job and took the Seahawks to the playoffs, incomes NFL Comeback Participant of the 12 months honors within the course of.
“For me, what I find yourself getting out of Drew and Geno, is 2 guys who needed to mentally put themselves in a spot the place I might be, I’m going to be the starter this yr,” Canales mentioned. “They skilled that approach right through the final sport of the preseason. We’re in Dallas and Drew is taking part in for his job, Geno is taking part in for his job – they each know that.
“Recreation one, I’ve bought a starter in Geno and I’ve bought a backup who’s been considering he’s a starter for six months. Whoever received the job was going to be the starter, however the different man was going to carry a lot extra worth and confidence to our room. That’s been our philosophy and I’d prefer to take it so far as I can, however in fact the top coach, the final supervisor – we’re going to all have discussions. Like I informed [General Manager] Jason [Licht] early on, ‘I’ll coach the crap out of whoever you give me and whoever we determine to – however I’ll have them each prepared.’”
The Bucs’ quarterback competitors is a bit totally different than the one the Seahawks held final yr. Smith was a journeyman who hadn’t began in years, whereas Lock had latest beginning expertise in a nasty state of affairs in Denver. Tampa Bay has Mayfield (who’s equally searching for a profession revival like Smith, although at a youthful age) and Trask, who has simply 9 profession cross makes an attempt to his title.
Bucs QB Kyle Trask – Picture by: Cliff Welch/PR
Trask’s lack of alternatives within the final two years make it tough for a direct comparability between the 2 competitions Canales has seen within the final two years. That’s one thing he pointed to on Wednesday earlier than talking extra usually about how nicely the crew is about up for a prolonged quarterback competitors.
“I feel circumstantially, if Kyle [Trask] would have had extra alternatives, I might have liked to see what would have occurred with these,” he mentioned. “I don’t suppose we have to rush to make any selections, is my opinion. Wait so long as you’ll be able to, so long as potential. Our offense and protection don’t want us to call a starter. Belief me. We’ve bought studs up entrance on the offensive line – veteran presence – we’ve bought veteran presence on the extensive receiver place, we’ve bought a extremely good group of backs there.
“The protection is implausible, and the best way we’re constructing it, even with the draft. This isn’t a crew that’s like: we’ve bought to know who the starter goes to be in order that we are able to transfer ahead and determine who we’re going to be. I don’t suppose so. I feel the best way we’re going to play it [is] I’ll have each guys able to be actually profitable and environment friendly in what we’re doing.”
What Has Dave Canales Seen From Baker Mayfield And Kyle Trask?
Bucs QB Baker Mayfield – Picture courtesy of the Buccaneers
This part of the offseason has been Dave Canales’ first probability to work with the Bucs’ offense as a complete. Which means he’s gotten an opportunity to work firsthand with the 2 quarterbacks vying for the beginning job. And, unsurprisingly, he’s been happy with what he’s seen from each.
“From Baker: what’s cool about him is that he’s bought a ton of sport expertise,” Canales mentioned. “There’s numerous conversations occurring about issues that he did or noticed or did in video games. With Kyle, what’s cool is – speaking about being round Tom [Brady] for 2 years – you see his tempo and management in his drop[back] mimicking a man that was the best of all time. It’s like, okay, he’s bought an amazing place to begin. If you happen to have been going to play behind anyone, who higher than [that]? And that body, that 6’5” body.
“And truthfully, the blokes are each lots sensible sufficient to deal with any of our alerts or our checks, getting us to the proper kinds of performs – I’ve seen that. I’ve additionally seen two guys the place I stroll into the room within the mornings they usually’re already in there, they’re speaking, they’ve bought their books out, they’re watching a sport. So, they’re already cohesive in that nature. They simply form of are doing rather well collectively.”
The Bucs signed their No. 3 quarterback on Tuesday, agreeing to phrases with former Rams signal-caller John Wolford. Canales is joyful to stay with three guys within the room, and he’s thrilled to have Wolford on board, who has some familiarity with the system from his time in Los Angeles.
“We simply signed John Wolford, too, which is a big get for me as a result of he walks in and he’s the neatest man within the room on day one,” Canales mentioned. “He’s actually dialed in [and] excited in regards to the alternative. He simply moved to Miami so it couldn’t be a greater state of affairs for him and his spouse. I’m excited for him to carry that worth. He’s performed video games and he actually is aware of our system – there’s numerous good carryover from what they did on the Rams to what we have been doing the final two years in Seattle.”
