Can’t Call Derek Carr The Best QB In The NFC South
May 26th, 2023
Bucs QB Baker Mayfield.
Joe loved this analysis an astute former receiver with deep knowledge of the Panthers and the AFC West — and no connections to the Buccaneers.
Joe is referering to three-time Super Bowl winner Ed McCaffrey, the father of Pro Bowl running back Christian McCaffery.
The elder McCaffrey lives in the Denver area and stays close to his beloved Broncos, where he was a key target for John Elway in the late 1990s. He’s also a regular co-host on SiriusXM NFL Radio and a devoted follower of his son’s NFL game.
That means McCaffrey knew all the ins and outs of the Panthers the past several years when Christian McCaffrey played there — and when Baker Mayfield was quarterback early in the 2022 season — and he’s seen the Raiders and Derek Carr for years as a fierce AFC West revival.
Pressed on radio this week to name the best quarterback in the NFC South, where Mayfield and Carr now play, Ed McCaffrey said he simply couldn’t name one because the evaluation of Carr and Mayfield is too close.
Joe found McCaffrey’s explanation significant. He saw Mayfield’s rough six starts with Carolina last season. Regardless, McCaffrey saw enough to think Mayfield is on Carr’s level. (Christian McCaffrey was traded after six games when the Panthers decided to tank after firing their head coach).
What a coup it would be for Bucs general manager Jason Licht if Mayfield delivers a good 2022 season, and one better than Carr turns in. If Mayfield hits his contract incentives, he’ll earn about 20 percent of what Carr hauls in this year.
May 26th, 2023 at 12:00 pm
If anyone knows, it’s a dude that shared the huddle with him. Funny that McCaffrey gets traded and Mayfield got cut at week 6… and people say that him getting cut was a bad thing… no, they cut him so they wouldn’t have to pay him and so he wouldn’t lead them to any wins and hurt draft position.
May 26th, 2023 at 12:04 pm
Brandon Bwahwahwahwah!
May 26th, 2023 at 12:08 pm
I’ve not been a Baker Mayfield fan but there seems to be a lot of commenters on here pointing to Baker’s bad start at Carolina last year as who he is as a QB.
Well Matt Rhule did not make any offense look good in Carolina. As an offensive coach, he was bottom 10 all three years he was there.
Both Jon Gruden and Josh McDaniel are wildely smarter than Rhule.
May 26th, 2023 at 12:18 pm
Well it sure the hell ain’t Baker Mayfield. It very well might be that new kid in Carolina.
May 26th, 2023 at 12:25 pm
Well, he’s had 8 seasons to shine and has produced 102 TDs to 64 INTs. That’s not good. Stats speak louder than blather.
May 26th, 2023 at 12:30 pm
Everyone knows nothing.
May 26th, 2023 at 12:31 pm
If we’re only talking about talent, it might be Bryce Young. But until I see a 5’10” QB succeed in the NFL I won’t believe it.
May 26th, 2023 at 12:35 pm
At least to me, Mayfield was a good QB when he was healthy, nothing great, but good….And on a year with cap hell, makes all the sense of the world having him at the position.
Our division is medicore on paper, so why all this pessimism is about?, don´t pay attention to Peter King´s of the world, they´ve always were a joke and always be…..
Let´s see what happens….
May 26th, 2023 at 12:44 pm
Carr is certainly the best right now. That may change.
May 26th, 2023 at 12:53 pm
Baker is the best, just ask Baker.
May 26th, 2023 at 1:18 pm
The used Car is NOT anything to be worried about, we have our own concerns at QB
May 26th, 2023 at 1:20 pm
Trask will be the best QB in the division
May 26th, 2023 at 1:35 pm
Baker got dealt a bad hand in Charlotte.
Cleveland had one good season, but otherwise that whole organization has been a joke.
Also, that Davis mongoloid trying to run LV is a total joke too. Maybe BOTH quarterbacks can enjoy a renaissance with their new teams.
I’d say the two are even for right now.
I have no idea how Young will do
I don’t even remember Atlanta’s QB’S Name and I don’t care enough to bother to look it up.
They’re gonna be a run-first team anyway.
May 26th, 2023 at 1:35 pm
Derrick is a CARR they suck bigtime
May 26th, 2023 at 1:44 pm
Whoever wins the qb competition will be the 3rd best qb in the nfc. Looking forward to start of season! Trask has the bigger upside.
May 26th, 2023 at 1:46 pm
By mid season The Unknown Bucs Fans will be back.
May 26th, 2023 at 1:55 pm
What if Kyle Trask is the best QB in the NFC South?
Wouldn’t that be an interesting turn of events?
May 26th, 2023 at 2:24 pm
I was lmao when I saw a top 5 NFC QB list from PFF on Facebook saying Carr was 5. It is Canalas Geno Smith compared to the $40M below.500 QB.
May 26th, 2023 at 2:36 pm
They also had Carr at 15 and Smith at 16, just the fact that Smith blew up last year and Carr was sitting on the bench.
May 26th, 2023 at 2:45 pm
They’re pretty much the same. Both suck.
May 26th, 2023 at 2:52 pm
Anyone who watched Mayfield and Trask throw in OTA’s against air know that Derek Carr is the best QB in the NFC South.
May 26th, 2023 at 3:08 pm
I can not see how judging a QB in the 2nd day of OTA’s has any merit. Players need to learn the routes before the QB can be judged, IMO.
May 26th, 2023 at 4:55 pm
Observation about Carr her was not just benched before the end of the season he was fired. Teams just don’t cut quarterbacks mid season! BA watched Winston toss 30 picks and finished the session when the team was playing well enough to start Gabert and possibly make the playoffs. The saints have been subpar since Payton exited and there offense is old
May 26th, 2023 at 5:26 pm
Falcons will win division. Bucs will be scraping the bottom of the NFL barrel.
May 26th, 2023 at 5:55 pm
If Baker is as good as “he” thinks he is, Bucs will be back in the Super Bowl.
May 26th, 2023 at 6:00 pm
I hope Trask earns the job. There’s gotta be more upside.
Baker already hit his ceiling, and fell like a rock.
May 26th, 2023 at 6:32 pm
I think Trask or Mayfield both have a chance on winning the battle and being the best QB in the NFC south
May 26th, 2023 at 8:57 pm
I love that the Saints overpaid so much for a half-arsed QB like Carr…..
4- years – $150M – with $60M Guaranteed even if he never plays a down for them.
Meanwhile the Bucs only guaranteed Mayfield $4M. And if we win the Super Bowl and Baker hits ALL of his incentives – it still only costs $8M this year.
If Baker plays well for the Bucs in 2023 – I imagine his cost moving forward would still be somewhat less than what Carr has already been guaranteed.
I think of Carr and Baker as being at about the same level of positive potential – but the Bucs get to have a close look at Mayfield for almost nothing. If he’s not very good – then so what – we discard him and move forward with Trask and/or a newly drafted QB.
If Carr is not very good with the Saints, however, they are stuck with him for at least 3 years and have to pay him a top 10 type QB salary to stink up the field….
May 26th, 2023 at 10:13 pm
Carr. A loser. Always will be. Not a guy to be worried about. Pressure him and he will self-destruct.
May 27th, 2023 at 1:48 am
realistic-optimistic Says: “until I see a 5’10” QB succeed in the NFL I won’t believe it”. Have you seen Russell Wilson? He’s 5’10.73” (NFL Combine) and in 11 seasons has 40,583 yds with 308 TD to 98 INT. And a QB rating of 100.2, which happens to be a better rating than than Brady had with NE or TB.
May 27th, 2023 at 9:29 am
You’re right, technically Wilson is 5’10” and change. My memory had him at nearly 6′. I’ll eat crow. However, Young is nearly a full inch shorter at only 5’10” 1/8 (with shorter arms and smaller hands). Maybe you think that’s splitting hairs, but 6/8″ shorter than the shortest QB to succeed in the NFL is reasonable cause for doubt.
May 29th, 2023 at 11:17 pm
Joe,
You still forgot we have two qb’s soon to be just one called Trask. Baker is loser with poor track record. One wining season in the past 5 years. Please stop show casing him to be better than Derek C. Bucs will be in trouble if Baker will become qb1.
May 29th, 2023 at 11:37 pm
If Joe thought that through research, intel from contacts and what Joe sees with his own eyes on the practice field, he’d type that.