It looks like the Buccaneers are setting Jalon Daniels up with a prime opportunity to shake up the quarterback room
Jalon Daniels has been sensational during the preseason and the Buccaneers could be positioning him to officially take over the backup QB job.
Another week, another sign that Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jalon Daniels could win the backup job behind Baker Mayfield.
First, he played over Connor Bazelak in the second preseason game and the Buccaneers intentionally sat Bazelak so Daniels could get plenty of work after a fine performance against the Jets in Week 1.
Then came Tuesday and Wednesday’s joint practice sessions with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Per reports, Daniels was taking the bulk of snaps after Baker Mayfield and specifically took the majority of second-team snaps ahead of Jake Browning (the presumed QB2) on Wednesday.
Todd Bowles was asked who’d start the actual game against the Jaguars on Friday and he said the team hadn’t decided. It’s highly unlikely Mayfield plays due to the fact he went through two joint practices, therefore, Daniels has a very good chance to start the game.
Jalon Daniels getting the start would all but seal the deal for QB2
It’s pretty wild to think a rookie UDFA could supplant a fourth-year player who has 10 starts under his belt, but that’s the upside Daniels brings and we’ve seen it through two preseason games.
I mean, Daniels is literally the only Buccaneers quarterback to lead the offense on a touchdown drive this preseason. Neither Baker Mayfield, Jake Browning, nor Connor Bazelak have accomplished that and only Bazelak has gotten close to even sniffing the end zone.
Daniels has shown he can make plays. If he can show a greater grasp of the offense, eliminate the presnap mistakes, and play turnover-free football, then it’s more than safe to bet he’ll win the backup job.
Zero, or minimal growth, could flip that on it’s head, however.
At the same time, it’s hard to envision Daniels folding under pressure when the lights come one because he’s done anything but, thus far.
Jake Browning’s Week 1 bonus proves nothing is safe for the veteran QB
Browning has a $187.5k roster bonus if he’s on the 53-man roster come Week 1, which tells you all you need to know about his job security. Just $400k of his $1.45 million base salary was guaranteed and he has a chance to earn an extra $167.5k in playtime incentives.
In other words: It’s an extremely fluid deal that hangs a lot on Browning’s performance. Cutting Browning would also net $532.5k in savings, which is a positive for the Buccaneers.
So, it’s easy to see why the path is laid out for Daniels. He just has to show out one more time.
