Proven veteran Jake Browning faces off against dynamic dual-threat rookie Jalon Daniels as Tampa Bay searches for a reliable safety net behind their established offensive starters.
Training camp is 23 days away for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the competition between Jake Browning and Jalon Daniels for the third-string quarterback position is the most interesting battle this year.
Browning and Daniels are the newest additions to the Buccaneers' quarterback room. Tampa Bay signed Browning to a one-year, $1.3 million contract, featuring $400,000 guaranteed on March 13. Daniels signed a contract including a $247,000 base guarantee and a $25,000 signing bonus.
Backup and third-string quarterbacks are reliable safety nets when starters deal with injury. Browning is a prime example with his experience leading the Cincinnati Bengals when Joe Burrow dealt with injuries.
Burrow suffered a season-ending torn ligament in his right wrist, which required surgery. Browning stepped in for the injured star and led Cincinnati to a 4-3 record.
He threw for 1,936 yards, 12 touchdowns and seven interceptions across nine games (seven starts). The Bengals' backup also led the NFL in completion percentage at 70.3%.
Browning had another opportunity to hold down the fort last season, but the results were the complete opposite. He went 0-3 in his starts and threw eight interceptions to six touchdowns. His performance prompted the team to trade for Joe Flacco from the Cleveland Browns.
Daniels is unproven, but earning a contract worth over $250,000 means the Buccaneers see potential in the Kansas product. Pewter Report's Scott Reynolds also sees a bright future for Daniels, should he pan out in the NFL.
"If the KU kid can live up to his potential and promise, I think he has the talent to be more of a dynamic backup as a quarterback and thus ideally a more effective quarterback should he have to start somewhere down the line," Reynolds said.
The 6-foot rookie quarterback finished his career at Kansas second in passing yards (9,282), passing touchdowns (67), pass attempts (1,194), pass completions (734) and is tied for the most career rushing touchdowns by a quarterback (23).
He became one of two Jayhawks to accumulate 10,000 or more career yards, joining Todd Reesing, who played at Kansas from 2006 to 2009.
Daniels has the dual-threat ability to edge out Browning in the competition. He rushed for 1,451 yards as a Jayhawk and had four seasons with 400 or more rushing yards.
His dual-threat ability will allow him to extend plays out of the pocket and find open receivers. While he may have an athletic advantage over Browning, it all comes down to who fits offensive coordinator Zac Robinson's scheme the most.
Training camp will be the start of the competition, but preseason is when plays are put on the field and execution matters the most. A battle between a veteran and a rookie for the third-string quarterback position may draw more eyes than other position battles.
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