Sure, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are going to have an open competition for the starting quarterback job in 2023. 

But don't let the overall situation fool you: Kyle Trask is going to have to be almost flawless if he wants to beat out Baker Mayfield.

It's not all Trask's fault that he's in this situation. A lot of it has to do with the 2022 season and the disappointment that surrounded the final result. Todd Bowles and co. are under a lot of pressure this year to produce and it's not going to be easy considering all of the moving pieces that are involved with the Buccaneers roster. 

Just put it this way: Per Sportsbetting.ag, Bowles is dead last when it comes to his chances at winning Coach of the Year. He's a 75-1 underdog and the next-to-last coaches, Sean McDermott and Ron Rivera, are both 50-1 odds.

Whether it's the Buccaneers' overall outlook for the 2023 season or just a lack of faith in Bowles, it's not a good look. 

And it means this team needs to win as many games as possible. So, Bowles isn't going to allow much room for error when it comes to finalizing his starting roster.

He wouldn't, anyway. But the pressure changes things and he's going to make sure he puts even more emphasis on making the correct decisions. 

One of the year's biggest decisions surrounds the starting quarterback position. Third-year QB Kyle Trask will finally receive a fair shot at the gig, but he will have heavy competition in former No. 1 overall pick Baker Mayfield. 

Mayfield's base salary is only $4 million, so the Buccaneers aren't giving him anything. At the same time, that doesn't mean he's on an even playing field with Trask heading into the offseason program.

The fact the Buccaneers are installing a new offense is what really levels things out. Trask would have a slight head start if Byron Leftwich were still around, but he's learning a whole new offense in Dave Canales' system.

In fact, one could say Mayfield has a slight advantage since Canales' offense will feature elements of Seattle Seahawks OC Shane Waldron's offense, which is a byproduct of the Sean McVay system.

And, of course, Mayfield played in five games for the Rams last year, so he will have slight familiarity with what's going on.

"I think there’s a possibility of that, yes," Mayfield said when asked if he thinks there could similarities to LA's offense. "Terminology-wise, I think there’s some similarities. Definitely, scheme-wise, trying to relate it to that."

Either way, Trask is going to have to be nearly perfect to win the starting job. There's an even a world where Mayfield sucks it up during camp, but Trask still doesn't do enough to separate himself. 

Bowles and co. don't have the window to just take a flyer on Trask. They can't afford to roll the dice on him. Yes, Trask hasn't had any kind of chance to show how effective he can really be in the NFL, but at the same time, he's done very little to nothing when it comes to him taking advantage of his preseason opportunities. 

He's going to have be at the top of his game on a day-in/day-out basis. And simply put, Mayfield is a better player.

But, that's the best part about competition and even if Trask can't prove that he's the Buccaneers quarterback in 2023, at least there will be closure around the conclusion that he's not the guy, at all.