Jameis Winston is not the answer in Tampa Bay. For the Buccaneers, that is as clear as day, as Winston, in his fifth season with the team, has not developed into the quarterback they had hoped he'd be when selecting him at No. 1 overall in 2015. His turnover issues, coupled with lack of development and off-the-field incidents, make for a need at shot-caller.
Where would Buccaneers go to replace him? While there are intriguing names on the free agency market in 2020 — and the team does have cap space — the NFL Draft may pose as the better option. A rookie contract quarterback would allow the Buccaneers to spend more money to fill pressing needs. Of course, that rookie quarterback must be “the guy.”
Oregon's Justin Herbert could be “the guy,” and he should be a target for Tampa Bay, who sits at No. 6 overall in the draft order with a 3-7 record.
Herbert is a prototypical high-end quarterback prospect. He, emphatically, checks the boxes off for size at 6-6, 237, arm talent, experience, and intangibles — by all reports, he is a leader on the field and a boy scout off of it.
In 39 career starts, Herbert has amassed 9,732 passing yards, 91 touchdowns, and 20 interceptions on a 64.4% completion rate. In 2019, he has gone for 2,662 yards, 28 touchdowns, and three interceptions on a 69.6% completion rate, good for a career-high 167.7 passer rating.
A senior in Eugene, Herbert looks the part of an NFL quarterback on tape. Mentally, he goes through his reads quickly, shows an understanding of coverage, and is not scared of throwing downfield or in tight spots (a must for a Bruce Arians passer, who insists, “No risk it, no biscuit.”).
Where Herbert truly wows sits within that big frame. He has the arm to laser any throw — a game of his is a display of NFL-ready arm talent, throwing bombs downfield and deep outs with anticipation and precise accuracy. Though not a true “dual-threat,” he isn't a slow-moving pocket-passer; Herbert can get around with his legs.
He does have his knocks, however. Often times, Herbert can look like a deer in the headlights while throwing under pressure; his base and footwork isn't quite where he'd want them to be; durability isn't great; he must navigate the pocket better.
Nonetheless, Herbert is a top-10 guy and one that makes for a perfect fit in Arians' Buccaneers. The Duck has all the talent in the world to be a perennial MVP candidate and the aggressive (though, not as much as Winston) mindset to gel with Arians' scheme. If the 21-year-old falls to Tampa Bay's range, a match made in heaven may happen in April.
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