CBS: “Baker Mayfield As Bucs’ Starting QB” Reality Or Overreaction?
July 10th, 2023
Bucs QB Baker Mayfield.
So what’s going on? After underwear football season does Kyle Trask still have a shot to become the Bucs’ starting quarterback? Or has the franchise already decided?
Over at CBS, Jeff Kerr typed a column on various NFL topics and tagged them under either “reality” or “overreaction.”
For Kerr, there is no debate that Mayfield will start when the team travels to Minnesota to start the 2023 regular season.
…While Todd Bowles won’t name his starting quarterback, all signs appear to be pointing toward Mayfield for the job.
Mayfield said he feels comfortable in processing the offense, even if both quarterbacks admitted to having turnover issues on offense (remember it was June). He also admitted he has to make sure everyone else on the offense is comfortable.
Of course, Mayfield is only getting $2 million guaranteed from Tampa Bay. His deal is incentive-laden, going up to $8 million. With the NFC South being wide open and Tampa Bay still having talent on the roster, Mayfield seems to be the best choice to lead the Buccaneers come Week 1.
There’s a competition, but Mayfield is the favorite.
Yes, Mayfield is the favorite but Joe thinks the competition is still open. However, with Todd Bowles’ career riding on a successful season, Joe cannot picture Trask starting over Mayfield unless Trask performs so well in training camp and the controlled scrimmages with the J-E-T-S Jets, Jets, Jets that the Bucs cannot take him off the field.
Think about it: a lousy season puts Bowles’ job and head coaching career in grave jeopardy. If you are Bowles, and all things are even, are you going to trust a quarterback with nine total pass attempts, or a guy who has already led a team to the playoffs and was a former No. 1 overall pick?
That’s a no-brainer from Bowles’ point of view.
Really, Joe believes Trask still has a shot to win the job. But Trask would have to ball out in nearly every practice this summer — in ways he hasn’t the past two seasons.
July 10th, 2023 at 12:07 am
Trade Trask for a 5th rounder already.
July 10th, 2023 at 1:14 am
“controlled scrimmages with the J-E-T-S Jets, Jets, Jets”
What?
Go Bucs!
July 10th, 2023 at 4:53 am
What coach in their right mind would depend on Baker Mayfield to save his job??
July 10th, 2023 at 5:37 am
I’ll keep saying it. Baker will start, but will he finish. Either injury, or poor play, Baker has only made it through one season. I hate defending Bowles, but when every expert says our roster sucks, no cap space for good players, we have no real QB, and we’re only supposed to win 6 games, again why would losing be on Bowles?
July 10th, 2023 at 5:56 am
Garro: To respond to your inquiry. The Bucs and Jets are holding joint practices the week before the Bucs play the Jets in week 2 of preseason.
July 10th, 2023 at 6:34 am
‘Joe cannot picture Trask starting over Mayfield UNLESS Trask performs so well in training camp and the controlled scrimmages with the J-E-T-S Jets, Jets, Jets that the Bucs cannot take him off the field.’
Impressive caveat Joe, and almost surely spot on. Todd picking a 6th-year veteran over a 3rd-year ‘rookie’ seems reasonable UNLESS that ‘rookie’ significantly outperforms that veteran. It’s STILL a competition, albeit one in which equal performance favors the veteran. Very reasonable from the staff’s perspective IMO.
And Trask MAY happen to win the competition to start the season (and hopefully that does happen IMO), BUT … Hodad nailed it. If Mayfield starts & we end up being the ‘2022 Panthers Revisited’ to start the season, Mayfield won’t last long. Bowles (and Canales) won’t wait very long to pull the plug & see what Trask can do with that same team. IF he does well, we good. But IF he does poorly also, that’d mean we have a bad record, get to pick high in next year’s draft AND welcome a new rookie QB. Mayfield would be gone, Trask would still have 1 year left with us (and would probably start 2024 but ultimately get replaced by the rookie), and oh ya, we’d welcome Blaine Gabbert back as the veteran backup. Perfect scenario. Well, except for Todd Bowles & his coaching staff who’d all be gone.
July 10th, 2023 at 6:36 am
Bowles has a 5 year deal. Bowles continues to be paid if he is canned. Bowles will play the QB that he believes gives him the best chance to win. Nobody knows who that will end up being at this juncture.
July 10th, 2023 at 6:52 am
Trask To The Future Says:
July 10th, 2023 at 12:07 am
Trade Trask for a 5th rounder already.
^^^^^^^^
They probably couldn’t give a 5th rounder for Trask.
July 10th, 2023 at 7:19 am
Um last time I checked, Baker Mayfield got a few coaches fired before the Browns finally gave him the boot; granted it’s Cleveland who has one of the worst front offices in football…
That being said, Baker has done nothing in his career after 5+ years to justify his draft position…So trying to make a case that Todd Bowles will automatically choose Baker as his starter because it’s safer than going with the unknown commodity (Kyle Trask) is weak logic…
Kyle is a much better passer of the football imo…4000+ yards passing & (43) TD passes in the SEC is very hard to do…
July 10th, 2023 at 7:27 am
I have Zero faith in Todd Bowles….and the jury is out on Mayfield & Trask….also out on Canales.
If I had to predict a season at this point it would be 7-10
July 10th, 2023 at 7:52 am
Couldn’t get a 5th at this point
July 10th, 2023 at 7:52 am
Mayfield is not The Goat. And he never will be. But does he have to be for the Bucs to be semi-successful? No. With Canales offense, I think you are going to see Mayfield play closer to his single playoff season than his time in Carolina. Does everyone forget how @#$% Carolina was before the coach got fired and how they looked once gone? And tell me, did Mayfield look that bad once he got to the Rams? No, he didn’t.
Go Bucs!
July 10th, 2023 at 8:02 am
What a predicament Bowles is in. Who is to blame for the QB situation. Licht or Bowles. I can see this entire team playing well while the QB position cr@ps the bed.
July 10th, 2023 at 8:18 am
“What a predicament Bowles is in. Who is to blame for the QB situation. Licht or Bowles.” Since 76 we had Jaymiss (number 1 talent) the goat and now another number 1 talent at qb is on the roster….. yeah really slumming it with our qb investments lately???
July 10th, 2023 at 8:27 am
Trask To The Future UPS Driver, the only person who would trade for Trask is you.
July 10th, 2023 at 9:09 am
What is guaranteeing Captain Checkdown as the starter?
Career INTs lead?
60% completion rate?
Low and continuing decline of yardage totals?
How many times do we need to revisit how bad these numbers are?
Start this guy and we won’t win a game.
July 10th, 2023 at 9:50 am
A lot of the fans in Tampa obviously have no idea what went down in Cleveland. After years and years of nothing but losing, Mayfield became starter as a rookie and instantly the Browns were good. Nothing else changed except the QB and we went from being last place laughingstocks to the play-offs. Then the idiots got rid of him and all the sudden the trash Browns are last-place losers again. End of story.
His last season in Cleveland he was playing injured all season unable to throw with broken ribs and a broken shoulder and unable to run at all. The rumor is that the coach knew he was too hurt to play- but his only chance to keep Mayfield as QB was if he won the superbowl that season because the idiot con-man criminal russia-loving owner was determined to sign the criminal predator serial-sicko QB from Houston. That’s not a reflection of the player, not when the coach didn’t want to get rid of him. The trash browns are now paying 400 million for a far inferior QB, because the know-nothing owner muddled. Now you know that part of the story.
I’d bet money Mayfield will have an above-average season and that will be enough for the Bucs to win the crap division they reside in. I wouldn’t expect him to be an all pro because he never checks down. Mr. Check-down?!? Whoever said that obviously never saw him play. He could be an all pro if he ever freaking checked down. All he does is throw deep- it’s his strength and weakness. He will occasionally win a game single-handedly making hero throws. He can blow a game like that too. He has a big arm but his footwork is inconsistent. If he ever learns to play smart and consistently, he’ll be an all pro. Otherwise you got an above average but inconsistent QB. He’s good enough to win with a good team. He won’t make a bad team good. That’s the basic picture.
July 10th, 2023 at 9:51 am
If the Bucs are 1-4 by the week 5 bye Mayfield will be benched and Trask will take over from there.
It would be very interesting if Trask wins the job in training camp but I only give it a 15% chance of happening.
The Bucs really need to add another running back before training camp starts. Kareem Hunt would be cheap, he has experience and some tread left on his tires…
July 10th, 2023 at 10:22 am
The real question is how long a failing Baker will be left in.
So Trask is lacking experience, but slightly distances himself from Baker in camp. That will be the big win for Baker; the starting job.
If he blows it will management pull him before the whole season is wasted.
July 10th, 2023 at 10:39 am
dome & gloom! if u r a real bucs fan shut up grab a seat & back baker let’s look at the so called goat last year he sucked. so I don’t think baker is that pressured from what bucs season looked like last year.brady was embarrassing.so shut up & enjoy the coming season.go baker!
July 10th, 2023 at 10:40 am
Oh yah BRADY is a cheater remember!!!!
July 10th, 2023 at 12:04 pm
Trask will have this job if not by game 1 but definitely by game 6.
Then we will have fun.
July 10th, 2023 at 12:05 pm
So many writers trying to will Captain Checkdown into the starting gig.
It’s not about what’s best for the Bucs, but what gets them more clicks. Remember that.
July 10th, 2023 at 1:01 pm
Mike C……Jaymiss is not on the roster and he was terrible. The goat is not on the roster he was great we got a Superbowl. What those two players have to do with this year in your eyes I have no idea. If you think that #1 talent of Mayfield is great, why has he been toting his suitcase from team to team. We definitely went slumming at our Qb position. I just hope our team ends up like Richard Gere.
July 10th, 2023 at 1:52 pm
Daniel D, I really enjoyed your insight on Mayfield. After reading it I have a lot of hope that Canales can help him with his footwork and checkdowns. Mayfield has been present all through the Spring trainings, and I believe he has come to a point where he will accept some help with his performance.
July 10th, 2023 at 2:18 pm
Trask To The Future Says: “Trade Trask for a 5th rounder already.”
That highlights the Bucs’ gross mismanagement of Trask. By allowing him absolutely zero reps with the starters during his first two seasons – not even in preseason games! – there is no film of what Trask can or cannot do. Hence the Bucs have no chips to deal. Terrible case of mismanagement of a quarterback.
July 10th, 2023 at 5:44 pm
Buccee. That’s why I don’t believe the bucs will develope the quarterback they drafted next year. But people keep saying tank for Caleb Williams if we are 2-
4 and they have no indication that the bucs will develop him actually the odds are against the bucs developing Caleb Williams if you’re betting man !!
July 10th, 2023 at 5:54 pm
Marine Buc: Please commit this name to memory — Sean Tucker.
Daniel Dreamer: Thanks for your post. Most Bucs fans are extremely biased by Mayfield stats that don’t figure in relative context. I witnessed what you witnessed and was shocked by Cleveland’s actions to effectively dump him after he was fully healed up from his injuries. Totally dumb move in my book.
TB faithful: Get ready for a fun year! Go Bucs!
July 10th, 2023 at 6:05 pm
@ Ex-Bowns02
I appreciate your enthusiasm. I hope you are right.
I hope Sean Tucker is medically cleared and good to go. He was probably the 4th or 5th best RB in the draft until his heart issue was discovered.
If things work out we basically got a 3rd or 4th round pick for free…
I also like Ronnie Brown but he is probably a practice squad guy this year.
July 10th, 2023 at 6:06 pm
@ Ex-Bowns02
I appreciate your enthusiasm. I hope you are right.
I hope Sean Tucker is medically cleared and good to go. He was probably the 4th or 5th best RB in the draft until his heart issue was discovered.
If things work out we basically got a 3rd or 4th round pick for free…
I also like Ronnie Brown but he is probably a practice squad guy this year.
July 10th, 2023 at 9:32 pm
“TD passes in the SEC is very hard to do”
20% of SEC players make the NFL, easily the strongest Conference.
BUT 20% cut roughly in half Offensive/Defensive means that Trask faced defenses with 1 in 10 NFL quality. And that stat is skewed by the powerhouses like GA, Alabama, LSU. So many games Trask saw no defender of NFL quality.
The SEC is great as a COLLEGE conference is NOT the NFL!!!
July 10th, 2023 at 10:26 pm
Point was Jason has put top shelf talent at the qb position, but I thought that was obvious….
July 10th, 2023 at 11:30 pm
Joe Says “Really, Joe believes Trask still has a shot to win the job. But Trask would have to ball out in nearly every practice this summer — in ways he hasn’t the past two seasons”.
Joe,
This is a comedy. The only way you get the fans attention more is to write these irrational takes on Trask more than any other player.How do you come up with making a statement that Trask has to ball out in ways he hasn’t the past two seasons. He didn’t play and nor was he a back up or being in uniform on Sundays. No Trask will be the starter within week 5 even he doesn’t start in week one.
July 11th, 2023 at 3:09 am
Thanks Scubog
Had a brain fart. Just realized it about 3 seconds before reading your post.
Go Bucs!
July 11th, 2023 at 3:23 am
When the “bullets” start flying Baker will be Baker (Picks and more picks) Trask will be Trask (The underdog hes been throughout his entire career that shocks everyone.
July 11th, 2023 at 12:44 pm
Hey Stpete. Trask played games against those teams too. You play who your opponent is, you can play above them, with them, or below them.