Should the Buccaneers use their 1st round pick in 2022 NFL Draft to draft Tom Brady's replacement?
The entire world is buzzing this weekend with the possibility of Tom Brady's retirement from the NFL. Some sources claim it has been made official, but others claim Brady reached out to GM Jason Licht and told him there is no official decision yet. Either way, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers won't have TB12 as their quarterback forever. Even if he doesn't retire now, the Bucs may only have a season or two left with him.
From @NFLNetwork: Tom Brady does intend to retire, per several people close to him. The pushback appears to be based on timing, rather than his eventual decision. https://t.co/GSTqDkKcjF
Buccaneers have 27th pick in a weak QB class in midst of Tom Brady's rumored retirement
The team seems to be content with Blaine Gabbert and Kyle Trask as their backups, but neither is ready to step up and take the team to the NFC Championship game. They have the 27th pick in the 2022 NFL Draft but also have 24 unrestricted free agents this year. With several possible holes on the roster heading into the 2022 NFL Draft, should the Buccaneers use their top draft pick on a quarterback for Tom Brady's heir? Luckily, this year's draft class is not full of clear-cut first-round quarterbacks.
in the 2022 NFL Draft. 
: bccn.rs/3Hg5X5y
We're slated to pick 2️⃣7️⃣ in the 2022 NFL Draft.
📰: bccn.rs/3Hg5X5y https://t.co/8Bwqvi0IBf
Kenny Pickett, Malik Liberty, Carson Strong, Desmond Ridder and Sam Howell are the top five quarterback prospects this year and any of them could end up in the first round. However, any of them are just as likely to be available at #27 for Tampa Bay. After looking at Tampa Bay's salary cap situation, they currently have $11 million available, but a lot of players need to be re-signed. Trading for big-time names like Deshaun Watson and Aaron Rodgers is out of the question, as they won't be able to afford them.
Drafting a top quarterback this year wouldn't necessarily mean they get a gem similar to Joe Burrow. Not to take anything away from this year's prospects, but there's no real QB1 among them and Tampa Bay can't take that gamble at the moment. Focusing in on cornerback might be a better solution in the first round. There's a chance they can still get one of the quarterbacks on their draft board in the second round.
Bad news for Bucs fans: Tom Brady is retiring
Good news for Bucs fans: they still have the franchise's all-time leader in passer rating on the roster (Blaine Gabbert, 108.6) https://t.co/U4rUznGg1X
If Tom Brady is set to retire right now, Blaine Gabbert will step up as the new starter. He's shown good potential, despite his lousy track record as a career starter. Kyle Trask has Bruce Arians fully behind him but would need to have a bigger role in the offseason to see where he currently stands. Going with Gabbert and then possibly changing off to Trask is possible and could still get them to the playoffs in the weak NFC South. The only logical way the Bucs draft a quarterback in the first round is if Tom Brady is 100% retired and Bruce Arians leaves as well.