| [DOUGLAS R. CLIFFORD | Times] |
| Another redshirt year in the books |
| Bucs rookie quarterback Kyle Trask, hardly a stranger to biding his time, finds himself four quarters from completing the second redshirt year of his life. With one regular-season contest remaining, the Bucs still haven't gotten a solitary snap out of their second-round draftee, inactive for all 16 games. All five of his fellow draft picks who made the final roster have appeared in at least eight games. Aside from three preseason contests, Trask hasn't even suited up, much less mopped up. Which seems exactly how the former Gator's bosses envisioned the inaugural autumn of his professional life. With Tom Brady in tow and veteran Blaine Gabbert backing him up, Trask had the luxury of learning the pro game at his own pace, while observing how the NFL's greatest quarterback goes about his daily business. "This kid's putting in a lot of work to not be playing a snap," offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich said in late October. "And that's how you get better in this league, and you just appreciate that as a coach." But as Leftwich or any coach worth his white board attests, no substitute exists for game reps, and Trask has zero. He'll remain at — or near — that number if Brady opts to play the final season of his contract in 2022. So what does the future hold for Trask, who played in only four games his first three years at UF? Hard to say. While one can surmise he's being groomed as Brady's heir, the Bucs also could be inclined to sign another proven free agent once Brady retires, at which point Trask would seem a squandered No. 64 overall pick. Like Trask, we're simply left to wait. |
No comments:
Post a Comment