Buccaneers Hold Favorable Odds To Acquire Former No. 3 Overall Pick

Should Tampa Bay take a risk for what the reward could end up being?

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers squashed their quarterback conundrum earlier this week after naming veteran Baker Mayfield the starter over Kyle Trask. With that being said, there's no telling if Mayfield will turn out to be the long-term option for the franchise after up-and-down performances over the last few years.

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It would be wise for the Buccaneers to continue exploring all avenues as the franchise tries to find the right fit to replace Tom Brady. That could mean in the 2024 NFL Draft, free agency, or on the trade market.

It's no secret that the San Francisco 49ers are ready to part ways with former No. 3 overall pick Trey Lance. Second-year quarterback Brock Purdy is the sure-fire starter entering the 2023 season and the team has tabbed former top pick Sam Darnold as his backup, dropping Lance down to the third spot on the depth chart.

This is a scenario where a change of scenery could benefit both parties, especially considering the draft capital San Francisco surrendered to trade up for Lance in 2021. According to odds developed by Bookies.com's Adam Thompson, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are one of the top favorites to acquire the third-year signal-caller.

The Buccaneers are listed with +550 odds to bring in Lance this season. That is only behind his current team, San Francisco (+300), and the Minnesota Vikings (+400). One of Thompson's reasons to have Tampa Bay and Minnesota so high on the list is because both teams are starting quarterbacks whose contracts will expire following the season.

Other teams listed as suitors include the Los Angeles Rams (+750), Arizona Cardinals (+1000), Chicago Bears (+1000), Washington Commanders (+1200), Atlanta Falcons (+1200), and Detroit Lions (+1400). 

There's no question that Lance possesses plenty of potential if he can get back on track and reach his high ceiling. To this point of his career, lack of playing time and injuries have set him back immensely. Lance spent the majority of the 2021 season as a backup to Jimmy Garoppolo. He was named the starter to begin last season but suffered a season-ending ankle injury in Week 2. Lance had another surgery on his ankle in January to relieve irritation.

Lance spent his college career at North Dakota State, developing into a star in the FCS. He ended up guiding the Bison to two national championships while winning the Walter Payton Award (2019) and Jerry Rice Award (2019) in the process. Lance only appeared in 19 games at the college level due to the COVID-19 pandemic limiting his final season at North Dakota State.

The Minnesota native completed 192/287 passes (66.9%) for 2,786 yards with 28 touchdowns to zero interceptions while rushing for 1,100 yards and 14 more scores on the ground during his lone year as a starter for the Bison in 2019.

During his two years at the NFL level, Lance has completed 56/102 passes (54.9%) for 797 yards with five touchdowns to three interceptions. He's also rushed for 235 yards and a touchdown. 

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