The Tampa Bay Buccaneers don’t have much uncertainty at the top of the offense, but the depth chart behind the starters is still very much in motion. One of the quieter battles in camp has landed at quarterback, where Connor Bazelak and Jalon Daniels are fighting for the QB3 job.
Bazelak enters as the incumbent after winning the spot last season over an injured Michael Pratt. Daniels, meanwhile, arrived as an undrafted free agent out of Kansas and is already making a strong impression.
That’s especially true in the eyes of offensive coordinator Zac Robinson, who didn’t hold back when talking about Daniels. Robinson, a former NFL quarterback, said the rookie’s arm stands out in a big way.
“His arm is explosive,” Robinson said of Daniels. “You guys have seen it out there.
There’s not a throw he can’t make or a throw he doesn’t believe he can’t make, which obviously [it's about] finding the right balance with a young cat. He’s done a great job.
He just continues to learn to play the position... His arm, like I mentioned, it’s one of the better ones I’ve been around.”
Daniels’ path to Tampa Bay came with plenty of intrigue and just as much baggage. He spent six seasons at Kansas, and after a standout 2022 season in which he posted 25 total touchdowns and only five interceptions, expectations were high. But injuries and poor play slowed him down over the next three years.
Even so, Daniels still brings the kind of mobility and physical tools that can catch a coach’s eye. He’s also earned praise inside the building for his attitude, and that combination has helped him carve out a real shot at the QB3 role.
For now, he appears to have the momentum over Bazelak as preseason gets going. Daniels’ mobility gives him an edge as a scout team option, and his ceiling looks higher. He still has work to do before anything beyond a backup role comes into focus, but the Buccaneers clearly think enough of him to keep pushing this competition.
The Bucs are off from training camp Wednesday and will return Thursday for another pair of practices.
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There is still obvious tension here because Vea has requested a trade, but the broader picture has shifted. Tampa Bays front office has made clear it is not looking to move him, and there is also a sense that the door remains open for continued contract talks, including a possible extension with a salary bump. For a player as important as Vea, that keeps the standoff from feeling like a deadline story and makes it look more like a negotiation that could yet find a landing spot. [Read more 🡒]
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Ayden Garnes Is Giving Bucs Fans A Rookie Story To Love
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Garnes has also brought a backstory that adds to the appeal. Before his NFL career, while at Duquesne University, he was identified as a bone marrow match during a collegiate drive and went through the donation procedure, a selfless act that may have saved the life of a woman in her 20s. Between that character and the athletic burst he showed in the preseason opener, he has become the kind of rookie storyline Tampa Bay can root for as the roster battle unfolds. [Read more 🡒]