NFL Network: Baker Mayfield “At The Top Of The List”
March 13th, 2023
Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht.
Joe is glad to see the Bucs are prioritizing the most important position on the field in free agency.
The free agency bell rings today at noon. That’s when all teams can start negotiating with other teams’ pending free agents. Deals may be agreed to immediately and then made official on Wednesday afternoon when the new league fiscal year begins.
Word broke yesterday that the Bucs will be chasing 2018 No. 1 overall draft pick quarterback Baker Mayfield in free agency. The Bucs didn’t back off the chatter. In fact, NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport, who has league-sponsored pipeline to the Bucs, was on the air this morning saying the Bucs’ priority in free agency is Mayfield — no Jamel Dean or Lavonte David, but Mayfield.
Rapoport reiterated that the Bucs’ won’t (and can’t) be a big spender in free agency “but “it does seem, according to sources, Baker Mayfield is at the top of the list.”
Joe will add that contract incentives given to Mayfield, if earned, count against the 2021 salary cap. So, for example, the Bucs could pay Mayfield $8 million in salary and add another $12 million in incentives. He could get something like $500,000 for every game he starts (if he wins the starting job) plus money for making the playoffs, winning a playoff game and making a Pro Bowl.
Joe already can hear fans saying ‘$8 million for Mayfield’? Well, he proved last year in Los Angeles he can be a quality backup, and that’s at least what those guys earn when they’re not old and have a pedigree.
From @GMFB: Baker Mayfield and the #Bucs appear to be a good match. pic.twitter.com/IylvYu2gWO
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 13, 2023
March 13th, 2023 at 9:16 am
eh
March 13th, 2023 at 9:16 am
Licht must be getting pressure from the Glazers a la “Draft Day” He has a guy that he drafted in Round 2, in addition to the salary cap issues. I think this is just all smoke to blow up the Glazers’ butts to make it look like he tried for a big name QB. Or at least I hope BM plays fir Jameia money if it’s true. That’s all he is worth.
March 13th, 2023 at 9:18 am
Gross, I get how it effects the overall plan moving forawrd, but still it’s gross to even think about for me.
March 13th, 2023 at 9:19 am
I hear R. Gage just restructured his deal… Bucs save another $7M or so of much needed cap space…
Next up –
– Evans
– S. Barrett
– D. White
– S. Mason
– Succop
It will be interesting to see how the Bucs handle these guys.
March 13th, 2023 at 9:22 am
Well Licht and Bowles did say they would add veteran competition. If they are truly cash strapped then the 3rd quarterback should be a rookie and an undrafted guy for training camp or practice squad
March 13th, 2023 at 9:23 am
SVB=OBP
March 13th, 2023 at 9:23 am
According to Gator fans we just need to draft a few o-lineman, let Kyle Trask cook yall…15-2, number one offense in the league. Kyle Trask AP All Pro First team. Say the name with me, Kyle – Trask. Just rolls off the tongue. A laser rocket arm, and a face that screams SUPERSTAR which should be on billboards everywhere. Sellouts and nationally televised games every week would be coming
March 13th, 2023 at 9:24 am
OBT!
Tom Brady will play for the Dolphins
If
Aaron Rodgers signs with the Jets
March 13th, 2023 at 9:25 am
2021 salary cap?
March 13th, 2023 at 9:26 am
LOL who needs a secondary anyway? pfft. I take back what I said earlier when I didn’t realize they were going to let both Dean and Murphy-Bunting walk. Loss of one can be overcome, but loss of both will not be good.
March 13th, 2023 at 9:32 am
Hard to access. On the one hand, Mayfield has shown flashes of greatness, leading the Browns to an 11-5 record and a playoff win. On the other hand, he once had an alcohol issue and he has a reputation as a hothead. He won the Heisman trophy hands down and he has more talent than any other available quarterback. Also, no question he will be motivated. He will provide a serious challenge to Trask I think it is a deal the Buccaneers have to make to be taken seriously. I don’t see any risk.
March 13th, 2023 at 9:37 am
This guy been cut from 3 different teams he’s been cut by 2 teams in 1 year and some of yall are excited for singing him lol 🤣🤣🤣??
March 13th, 2023 at 9:37 am
Really Baker Mayfield ? No no, please. I was discouraged for the Seasons, now Im panicking.
March 13th, 2023 at 9:40 am
Let’s evaluate Jason Licht’s draft talent evaluation for the Last Dance Season of TB12:
Round 2: Logan Hall, DE, Houston = Only significant contribution to the Bucs was blowing out Ryan Jensen’s knee in a no contact practice per NFL collective bargaining agreement. Thank you Logan for being a no contact practice player warrior and thank you Todd Bowles for allowing such conditions to happen in complete violation of the CBA. Licht, Bowles and Arians told us that he would play better than Suh, and that’s why they let Suh walk.
Round 2: Luke Goedeke = Not even qualified to hold the velvet rope at a popular night club as he lets anybody in who pressures him at all.
Round 3: Rachaad White = great #2 back, unable to be the bell cow 3 down back.
Round 4: Cade Otton = Cam Brate 2.0, which isn’t a bad thing.
Round 4: No. 133 – Jake Camarda = Awesome punter who by saved the Bucs season. Without him and his amazing play the Bucs miss the playoffs in TB12’s Last Dance.
Round 5: Zyon McCollum = has the defensive back covering abilities that are equivalent to a twin bed sheet trying to cover a king size bed.
Round 6: Ko Kieft = great full back in a league where that position is extinct.
Round 7: Andre Anthony = didn’t even make the team.
March 13th, 2023 at 9:42 am
They keep saying they “really like Kyle trask” every move they make say’s different you don’t run out first day of free agency as a cash strapped team and sign a qb. If they really “like Kyle trask”
Insert *I don’t believe you * anchorman will Ferrell gif here
March 13th, 2023 at 9:42 am
Bridge gap quarterback since we get any of the top qb’s who else is there Brissett? Neither one sounds appealing at all.no choice but to either wait for cap space or suck really bad
March 13th, 2023 at 9:43 am
I won’t hate it. Anything is an upgrade over the incapable Kyle Trask
March 13th, 2023 at 9:43 am
Beggars cant be choosers….we’re broke…as long as he’s cheap, give the kid a chance. Mayfield/Trask/Hooker….in a tough 2seasons coming up…i can roll with that.
March 13th, 2023 at 9:46 am
As much as I believe that Kyle Trask is a promising candidate to be the Bucs starting quarterback, we still have to bring a couple more quarterbacks into the room to compete with him and back him up. Baker Mayfield seems like a perfectly reasonable candidate to either take the starting job, or at least provide a high quality backup should Trask get injured – always a possibility.
It’s up the Jason Licht to work the contract and the numbers, which he’s always been able to do.
March 13th, 2023 at 9:47 am
If we’re not going to try to compete this year, I’d at least want to contend for the #1 pick. Signing Mayfield and starting him is antithetical to either of those goals. He doesn’t make us good enough to compete, and he’ll win just enough games to put Caleb Williams out of reach. Makes no sense to sign him, it’s just a sideshow.
March 13th, 2023 at 9:49 am
Trask offers zero hope for 2023. Guaranteed 2-4 win season. Mayfield, with the right coaching, could keep the Bucs competitive. 8-9 wins maybe.
March 13th, 2023 at 10:00 am
Even ole Jameis Winston is better than Mayfield. Get your head paper bags ready guys. its gonna be a long season.
March 13th, 2023 at 10:04 am
The kid brings his own type of attitude. The idgaf let’s f*ckin go attitude.which is what this the needs after what Brady implemented in them. What a great marriage it would be with Baker and our new OC.
March 13th, 2023 at 10:04 am
Mayfield is like a six or seven on a scale of 10. Trask is somewhere between a 2 and a 8, we really have no idea. At least Mayfield is a known quantity, though he gets a lot of passes batted down at the line of scrimmage
March 13th, 2023 at 10:15 am
Three teams in two years says it all. If we sign him for more than three million with all of our priorities Licht is an idiot.
March 13th, 2023 at 10:16 am
No no no no no…..god no please
March 13th, 2023 at 10:19 am
If Mayfield starts for the Bucs, it is not a good sign. How many teams has he played for in the last two years? His stats are not good, and I am not being negative. It’s a fact.
March 13th, 2023 at 10:19 am
We all know what Mayfield is. When he is having a good day he can win you games for sure. But he has way too many bad days to be the long term answer. Our goal this year should be to stay the course with Trask to see if he can be our long term answer. The potential is there. I am concerned about Mayfield’s presence in the locker room. He’s not exactly a team guy. If he’s not “the man” he is not going to be supportive of Trask. He could become a detriment.
March 13th, 2023 at 10:20 am
I’d be ok with it but LJ is coming here so it won’t matter
March 13th, 2023 at 10:22 am
Backer over Lamar 🤦🏾‍♂️ what are we doing
March 13th, 2023 at 10:25 am
I don’t get what everyone sees in Mayfield? He is kinda like Jameis as you never know what you are going to get. Good Jameis or bad Jameis?
Why isn’t Brissett in the discussion?
March 13th, 2023 at 10:32 am
Only if they get him on the cheap! I hope he’s at best #2 because Trask beats him out.
March 13th, 2023 at 10:36 am
$8 million is about an 80% discount if he turns into a franchise quarterback here
March 13th, 2023 at 10:40 am
@ Tampa Bandit
Lamar Jackson isn’t coming here bruh…..
…..stop drinking and hitting the pipe this early in the morning
March 13th, 2023 at 10:50 am
Lamar to Evans. Touchdown Tampa Bay!! We season tickets holders would love to see it and it’s happening
March 13th, 2023 at 10:58 am
Why is he telling everybody? Screen?
March 13th, 2023 at 10:59 am
I’m well aware that it’s most likely not going to happen, SO U GOTTA SPEAK IT INTO EXISTENCE. I’m not like you boring fans I like to have fun during the boring off season and think about the what if’s. There nothing else to do
March 13th, 2023 at 11:00 am
He carried Baltimore on his back by himself. Can anyone name someone in the nfc that would be better except for maybe Hurts?
March 13th, 2023 at 11:02 am
Can somebody! Anybody! Name one qb that would be better in the nfc except for maybe Hurts. ANYBODY?! I’ll wait..
March 13th, 2023 at 11:13 am
Bandit, it ain’t happening. Now if it’s fun for you to leave numerous posts proclaiming your wish for this to happen, well go on with your bad self. But if you want to engage in realistic conversation about the possibilities for this team that I’m guessing you like, seems like a waste of time. But… Have fun.
March 13th, 2023 at 11:14 am
This point in time my thought process is that this is not a roster that has enough talent to go to the show. We did for the previous three or four years minus quarterback prior to Brady.
But on the defensive side of the ball after the Shaq parrot injury we don’t really have any good pass rush from the defensive line. We are about to lose arguably our best or second best cornerback might lose Murphy Bunting and might lose all of our safeties outside of Winfield.
Sort of a couple of home run pics in the draft like we did with wharf’s and Winfield we have way too many holes to fill to have a competitive roster this year.
Even within our own division right now with the Panthers likely taking Stroud or Young at number one and with the unknown of our young Desmond Ritter and with a talented though underperforming Derek Carr , it is possible that for the next several years if Kyle Trask doesn’t pan out we do not have a quarterback to compete.
So either we go all in on a guy like Lamar Jackson who I love but do not like running quarterbacks who run as much as he do as they are injury risks which has happened to him in two consecutive years.
Option two is we see what we have in Trask and he is either good in which case we have our franchise quarterback or he is terrible in which case we are now in the sweepstakes for next year’s top pick and our future franchise quarterback.
I would rather have a season like the Jaguars did before drafting Lawrence and have another six to eight win season with Baker Mayfield at quarterback.
March 13th, 2023 at 11:17 am
Isnt it all somewhat a waste of time until the season starts? This is how I choose to waste mine. Thanks for allowing me to do so I appreciate that big boss
March 13th, 2023 at 11:24 am
Licht is a fat man skating on thin ice any Mock Draft AI compilation could have done better, he is a run of the mill NFL mucky muck telling the clueless owners what they want to hear.
We do have a excellent capolgist
March 13th, 2023 at 11:29 am
Bandit, no one cares how you waste your time man! We all waste time in different ways, and yes, many of us do that here. I guess when I see a post about a certain player or topic, typically the commentary is about that topic or player. This particular one seems to be about Mayfield and so most of the commentary is about the pros and cons of that. You’ve got a hard on for Jackson but Joe has posted numerous posts about Lamar Jackson in the past few days. Way too many in my opinion since he’s not coming here. The way I look at it, I would waste my time as a Jackson stan commenting in Jackson threads. But, people hijack threads all the time. Not saying that’s what you’re doing here of course.
March 13th, 2023 at 11:31 am
I’m not reading all that. LAMAR FOR THE WIN!!
March 13th, 2023 at 11:33 am
Sounds like maybe its already a done deal. A late round QB in the draft and they’ll be set, I guess. Trask should see the field some this year, regardless.
March 13th, 2023 at 11:40 am
Haha, of course you read it!
March 13th, 2023 at 11:42 am
20 minutes until the rumors fly in earnest
March 13th, 2023 at 11:42 am
We’ll find out soon enough.
March 13th, 2023 at 11:48 am
BAKER PERFECT FOR BUCS
He has Evans, Godwin, and Gage. He has a little mobility. The new OC runs a scheme that made Geno Smith successful. Baker is the perfect one year man.
March 13th, 2023 at 11:58 am
Good choice, the fact that they aren’t pushing hard on Trask, the coaches must see something they do not like. Mayfield is as good as any as a bridge QB, he did take Cleveland to the PO’s. Maybe he works out, who knows? There are worse choices.
March 13th, 2023 at 12:04 pm
How the mighty have fallen.
March 13th, 2023 at 12:08 pm
It is what it is. A big sh1t sandwich for 2023.
March 13th, 2023 at 12:12 pm
I’d rather have Baker than Lamar. Running QBs don’t live long
March 13th, 2023 at 12:31 pm
Baker runs like his pants are too tight. Maybe they are??
March 13th, 2023 at 1:32 pm
BM!!! I’m all in too!!
March 13th, 2023 at 1:38 pm
GoForTheFace…You must be Kyle’s agent!! Let them earn the job!!