NFL Rumors: Buccaneers eyeing shock replacement for Tom Brady

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are in the process of doing one of the hardest things in the NFL...replace Tom Brady. The seven-time Super Bowl champion finally called it quits this offseason after 23 years in the NFL.

For the Bucs, attention now turns to exactly who can take over from Brady as the team looks to improve on its one-and-done effort in the postseason last year.

With the free agency pool for quarterbacks rather deep this offseason, head coach Todd Bowles and his front office staff are looking at two options that no one would have envisioned.

Per Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, the two 'veteran' quarterbacks Tampa is looking at are Baker Mayfield and Drew Lock.

However, neither was a guaranteed starter in the league last year. Mayfield only played due to Matthew Stafford's injury and Lock didn't play any for the Seattle Seahawks. So, the thought of either of them starting in Tampa isn't exactly ideal.

Still, both could be cost-effective options and the Buccaneers' offense has weapons in Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Leonard Fournette (if he stays) and Russell Gage.

Of course, these are just rumors at this point, but it appears that Tampa's quarterback search to replace Brady is taking them down the veteran path.

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Bucs' Tom Brady replacement already on the roster?

Is Tom Brady's replacement already on the roster of the Bucs?

While Mayfield and Lock appear to be where the Buccaneers' eyes are going, could there already be a potential Tom Brady replacement on the roster? Drafted in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft, Kyle Trask is yet to get his opportunity as a starter.

He has only briefly appeared in one game (2022) where he threw for 23 yards on nine attempts. Are the Buccaneers at the 'let's find out what we have' stage with Trask?

Mayfield and Lock are already proven commodities in the NFL. We know what we will get out of the pair, less so Trask, and 2023 could be a good season to find out what he has in his locker.

Or...

Tampa may want him to sit another year and develop, but is Mayfield or Lock the answer at quarterback for Tampa? The answer is likely not.