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Spotlight - QB Jeff Garcia, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Posted on 7/30, exclusive to Footballguys.com

Colin Dowling's Thoughts

In the final scene of the movie "Rounders", a Russian mobster named Teddy KGB complains that the movie's hero has "alligator blood....he keeps haaaaaanging around."  The same can be said of Tampa Bay quarterback Jeff Garcia.  The San Fransisco 49ers cut bait on Garcia more than three seasons ago.  Garcia moved on to Cleveland and suffered through an abysmal single season before latching on with Detroit, which wasn't much better as he played in only six games.  After 2005, Garcia signed with Philadelphia as a backup leaving most folks thinking that Garcia's best days were far, far behind him.  But, like Mike McDermott in the aforementioned movie, Garcia kept "haaaaaaanging around."

Perhaps Jeff Garcia had outfoxed us all. He wisely chose a destination where he could lay in waiting for the annual Donovan McNabb injury, then played better then he had in a very long time.  Garcia was simply masterful for the Eagles, playing so well that even Donovan McNabb's mother had her feathers ruffled over how much attention was being given to her son's backup.  Garcia completed 62.5% of his passes for 7.1 yards per attempt and a solid 10 touchdowns against only 2 interceptions in what was essentially a six game stretch as starting quarterback.  If ever there was a demonstration of managing games, protecting the ball, and rallying his team, Jeff Garcia was it.

In the offseason, the Eagles chose to fortify their quarterback ranks with other players and Garcia headed to Tampa Bay. At first glance, it appeared that Garcia would be starting the season as the backup to a rehabilitated Chris Simms.  However, it only took a handful of mini-camp workouts for coach John Gruden to anoint Garcia the starter.  All indications are that the Buccaneers are Jeff Garcia's team for the 2006 season.

So what can we expect?  For starters, it is important to note that the Tampa Bay offensive line, while improving, is not as solid as the line of Philadelphia.  Similarly, Garcia benefited a great deal from the presence of Brian Westbrook, who averaged 138 yards from scrimmage per game with Garcia at the helm.  The Eagles are a veteran unit with good coaching and good chemistry, and clearly these things meshed well with Garcia's ability in 2006. 

With that said, what is there to like about Garcia's situation in Tampa Bay? The receiving options are similar to the Eagles with a downfield speedster in Galloway and a solid pass-catching tight end in Alex Smith.  Carnell Williams should improve from the backfield, and as mentioned before, the offensive line is getting better.   Furthermore, Garcia has shown over the years the ability to use his feet and mind to make something out of nothing.  Garcia isn't the rushing threat he once was, but his scrambling ability does allow him extra chances that would result in sacks of less mobile passers.  He doesn't have a super-strong arm, but he continues to be extremely accurate and capable of utilizing all the tools in a complex offense. 

Positives

• Appears to have already won the starting job meaning he will have a full training camp working with the first team
• The offense of Jon Gruden has revitalized a few older quarterbacks in the past such as Rich Gannon and Brad Johnson. Garcia could find new life in Tampa
• Consistent, solid performance last season showed that his time in Detroit and Cleveland may have been a fluke

Negatives

• This will be Garcia's 5th different offense and team in 5 years. Acclimation to yet another new situation could be cause for concern
• Garcia will be 36 years old when the season begins, making him one of the oldest quarterbacks in the league
• The Tampa Bay offensive line should be improved, but their poor performance in recent years may not be entirely cured

Final Thoughts

Many people will pass on Jeff Garcia on draft day, and will do so for some fairly solid reasons. That said it is very difficult to deny that he has been an effective -- and sometimes spectacular -- starting quarterback over his career. He should be a lock for a high completion percentage and better touchdown numbers than a number of other starters, and if the Tampa Bay offensive line can come together and the young skill players (Michael Clayton, Carnell Williams) improve, Garcia could have a surprisingly good year in Tampa Bay.

Quotations from the Message Board Thread

rzrback77:
I look at the Tampa Bay team and I see opportunities, especially at QB. Jeff Garcia has been soundly criticized since he left San Francisco. Even last year, as he turned the Eagles around, most pundits were slow to give him any credit. I believe that he is poised for another season similar to last year and can be had for a bargain basement price.

Tampa's QB play has been pathetic for the past three years. In 04, they had three different starters, Brian Griese, Brad Johnson, and Chris Simms. Griese was fairly effective, but only played 11 games. They passed as a team for 3076 yards and 21 TDs. In 05, they started with Griese and switched to Simms. Neither was very effective, yet they passed for 3323 yards, but slipped to 15 TDs. Then in 06, they chose Simms as the starter. He went down in game three and Gradkowski struggled all season long. Even Rattay outperformed Gradkowski. As a team they still passed for 3247 yards and 15 TDs. The potential for a solid passing in there for Gruden's system.

Let's consider the WRs for Tampa Bay. Galloway finished as the #5 and #15 WR in the past two seasons even with the pathetic QB play. He could surprise in 07. Clayton, Hilliard, and Stovall all return from last year so there is continuity with the WRs and I expect improvement as well.

Now, let's look at Garcia. He has a career 6.9 ypa and if he starts all year in Tampa, they have averaged 511 attempts per year for the past three seasons. I see another potential bargain late in the QB drafting.

Jason Wood, FBG Staff:
He's really an ideal fit for what Jon Gruden likes: Veteran experience, Moblity, West Coast mastery. Arm strength in this case is overrated. But what's not overrated is the offensive line. The last few seasons the O-line has been a struggle in Tampa; can the changes this offseason lead to much improvement? Without them, Garcia could struggle much as he did in Cleveland and Detroit; versus Philly where the larget offensive line in the league resides.

shadyridr:
Jeff Garcia is a solid NFL QB. But he has no arm strength and plays in a piss poor offense with a below average receiving corps, below average OLine, and a still questionable RB. Garcia should go undrafted in most leagues IMO as he has no fantasy value. He was a stud in SF and was a good play in Philly but that was because of the systems. He was an absolute dud in Det & Cle and I expect the same here (fantasywise).

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