The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are heading into the offseason ready to explore nearly every potential option possible to upgrade over Jameis Winston. However, head coach Bruce Arians is reportedly unlikely to pick up the phone and pursue a trade for Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr.
Despite Carr being shopped around the league, the Buccaneers are not particularly high on him and don’t view Carr as a fit for Arians’ offense, per The Tampa Bay Times’ Rick Stroud.
It’s surprising given the 28-year-old quarterback has looked impressive in recent seasons and showcased plenty of arm strength. Despite playing without a No. 1 receiver this past season, Carr completed 70.4% of his passes, threw for 4,054 yards and posted a 21-8 TD-INT ration.
Instead of pursuing Carr, the Buccaneers are reportedly exploring their free-agent options with Teddy Bridgewater, Tom Brady and Philip Rivers. While all three options aren’t specifically known for their arm strength, Arians might place greater emphasis on their consistency and accuracy compared to Winston’s erratic play.
While the Buccaneers haven’t closed the door on Winston returning in 2020, it’s clear that Arians has several quarterbacks in mind he’d like to pursue first.