Why Kyle Trask could use a good performance vs. Titans

TAMPA — Don’t expect to see Baker Mayfield — or even newly-signed backup Teddy Bridgewater — take the field in the Bucs’ preseason opener Saturday against the Titans. Coach Todd Bowles indicated Mayfield could receive extended action in one preseason game, but it won’t be this one.

As for Bridgewater, who arrived in Tampa earlier in the week, he could suit up but likely would only play if needed to mop up the final minutes.

What happened to Bowles’ declaration that starters would play more in the preseason?

“I’m saying a little more in the game they play in,” Bowles said. “It doesn’t mean they’re playing in more than one, but we’re doing more ones-on-ones than we did in the past. In the preseason game, they need to play probably a little longer than they’ve played.

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“I expect to see a lot of young guys on Saturday.”

The Bucs gave starters extended work in their joint practice with the Titans on Thursday.

That said, there are some intriguing position battles to be waged, including at receiver, defensive line and defensive back.

“I like that fifth, sixth, seventh spot — however many we keep — at receiver,” Bowles said. “I like the depth that we see in the secondary. There’s going to be some guys vying for jobs, and somebody’s going to be the odd man out at defensive line, too. There’s a lot of these positions. … Running back, when we get Josh Williams back — he was really impressing us. So, it’s just kind of spread throughout.”

If you’re looking for a subplot, understand that a good preseason performance may be more important than ever for quarterback Kyle Trask.

Here’s what Bowles and general manager Jason Licht will be keeping a close eye on against the Titans:

Can Trask hold onto the No. 2 QB spot?

No matter how hard they tried, the Bucs didn’t make Trask feel more secure in the No. 2 quarterback role by signing Bridgewater.

Trask has attempted 11 passes in NFL regular-season games in four seasons. Bridgewater has appeared in 79 regular-season games. Trask played in seven. Bridgewater has passed for 15,120 yards while Trask has 28.

Trask will start Saturday’s game against the Titans and could see extended playing time in the preseason. He’s proven to be a better game-day quarterback than practice player.

But Bridgewater wouldn’t be in Tampa Bay if he didn’t have a chance to be Mayfield’s primary backup. It’s more important than ever that Trask play well in games, and he has the stage virtually all alone against the Titans, sharing it only with Connor Bazelak, an undrafted rookie free agent from Bowling Green.

“We still have some preseason games to play and all that,” general manager Jason Licht said. “But right now, Kyle is our backup — that’s the intention and that’s what we’re hoping for. But everybody’s competing.”

Battle for the sixth (maybe seventh) receiver spot

Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Jalen McMillan and rookie first-round pick Emeka Egbuka are locks. Objectively, it’s one of the deepest positions for the Bucs if not the league. And that’s even if Godwin (dislocated ankle) begins the season on the “physically unable to perform” list and misses three to four games.

Rookie Tez Johnson, the team’s seventh-round pick from Oregon, has made a great impression as a receiver and kick returner but likely will miss Saturday’s game with a leg injury. So will second-year pro Kameron Johnson.

But that leaves some very experienced players who have made big contributions to the Bucs’ success battling for the final spots. The list includes Sterling Shepard, Trey Palmer, Rakim Jarrett and Ryan Miller. Garrett Greene, a converted quarterback out of West Virginia, had some good moments against the Titans in practice. The Bucs just signed Nevada receiver Jaden Smith, a 6-foot-6 prospect.

“Shep and I have always had good chemistry, but he’s a guy that even at his old age, he’s still running free,” Mayfield said of the 32-year-old Shepard. “… He feels extremely healthy right now. So, a guy with that experience that feels good is great for that room. Depth-wise — you guys saw it last year — we need depth in that room.”

Logjam at defensive back

The Bucs invested in the defensive back position during the NFL draft, selecting Notre Dame cornerback Benjamin Morrison in the second round and Kansas State’s Jacob Parrish in the third. Both have had an exceptional training camp and are pushing for starting jobs.

Unfortunately, Morrison is sidelined with a hamstring injury and isn’t likely to play vs. Tennessee. But the Bucs love what they’ve seen from cornerbacks Kindle Vildor and Bryce Hall, who is coming off a dislocated ankle sustained in the 2024 season opener. Undrafted rookie safety Shilo Sanders has impressed but faces a tough challenge from J.J. Roberts, who had a spectacular interception in Thursday’s joint practice.

Up next

PRESEASON OPENER

vs. Titans, 7:30 Saturday, Raymond James Stadium TV/radio: WFLA-Ch. 8; 97.9-FM

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Why Kyle Trask could use a good performance vs. Titans

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