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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers outlook for the upcoming 2023 NFL campaign isn't particularly great, thanks largely to legendary quarterback Tom Brady retiring for good this offseason. And unless he comes out of retirement again, which doesn't seem very likely to happen, chances are they will end up being one of the worst teams across the league this upcoming season.
The Bucs have some talented players spread out over their roster, but they don't have a clear-cut answer at the quarterback position right now (more on that in a minute) which could end up severely hampering them in the 2023 season and beyond. If Tampa can get anything out of the QB spot, they have enough talent to win a handful of games, but that's a very big “if” right now.
Beyond that, though, there are several enticing position battles across the Buccaneers roster that have helped show that the talent level on this team is higher than many folks are giving them credit for. So with training camp and preseason action winding down, let's take a look at two starters who may be at risk of losing their jobs ahead of Week 1 and see why that's the case.
2. Robert Hainsey, RG
Robert Hainsey filled in admirably for the Buccaneers on their offensive line last year, but he may not have a starting spot on the o-line come Week 1 this season. Ryan Jensen is back at the center spot for Tampa Bay, and while Hainsey seemed like a lock for another spot on the line, he may end up reverting back to his jack-of-all-trades role off the bench that he originally seemed set to employ in 2022.
Tristan Wirfs is obviously holding down the left tackle spot, Matt Feiler was brought in during free agency to play at left guard, and 2022 and 2023 second-round picks in Luke Goedeke and Cody Mauch will likely be holding down the fort on the right side of the line. That leaves Hainsey, who was solid for the Bucs in 2022, as the odd man out for the time being.
Hainsey seemed like he had the inside track at the right guard spot in particular over Mauch, but with one preseason game left, it seems like Mauch has overtaken him for the starting job there. Given how much attrition Tampa's offensive line dealt with last year, though, it seems likely that Hainsey will find his way onto the field at one point or another, but for a guy who seemed like a shoe-in starter, it is somewhat surprising to see his grip on a starting spot loosening.
1. Baker Mayfield, QB
Many of the big quarterback competitions across the league have already been settled, but the Buccaneers battle between Baker Mayfield and Kyle Trask is coming down to the wire. Tampa didn't really make a massive move to replace Brady, signing Mayfield in free agency to come in and compete with Trask for the starting job, which is a fairly frightening proposition for Tampa.
Mayfield's 2022 campaign was messy, as he struggled with the Carolina Panthers (119/206, 1313 YDS, 6 TD, 6 INT) and ended up getting released in early December. He was then scooped up by the Los Angeles Rams a day later, and performed somewhat better (82/129, 850 YDS, 4 TD, 2 INT), but it's clear that you cannot count on him for consistent production in 2023.
Still, Mayfield has the inside track to be the team's Week 1 starter given that Trask has thrown just nine total passes over the first two seasons of his career. Trask has upside, which is why he was drafted in the second-round back in the 2021 NFL Draft, but he is still unproven in the NFL, which makes starting him a massive risk.
Given how this competition is still ongoing, it seems like Trask could have a shot at stealing this job away from Mayfield. Head coach Todd Bowles refuses to name a starter, and reports from training camp haven't been overwhelmingly positive regarding either of these guys. Tampa has a tough decision to make on their starting quarterback, and they aren't making things any easier on themselves by extending this competition.
Considering how Mayfield has proven he can kind of play in the NFL, he will likely be the Week 1 starter for Tampa Bay. But again, you cannot rule out Trask here, simply because Bowles has refused to do the same. This is easily the Bucs biggest position battle on their roster, and the longer this competition is dragged out, the more likely it seems that Mayfield will end up losing his starting job to Trask.
