Todd Bowles Speaks To Baker Mayfield’s Maturity
August 10th, 2023
Head coach Todd Bowles
In the Tampa Bay starting quarterback for Preseason Game 1 — tomorrow night! — head coach Todd Bowles sees a mature QB.
Bowles went there yesterday on SiriusXM NFL Radio.
Co-host Pat Kirwan told Bowles that he’s talked to Mayfield over the years (including yesterday) and he sees a matured man. Bowles agreed.
“In this league it’s about survival and growth,” Bowles said.
“He’s been through some things where he’s learned some things. He’s learned how to be a professional. He’s learned humility on the outside. He’s learned how to fight and come back on the inside. And he has a chance to do something special if he starts here.”
Bowles then quickly noted that competing quarterback Kyle Trask is a super fast learner, “quiet” and “reserved.” But Bowles emphasized that Trask is not shy and has been solid as a leader.
“They both command the huddle differently but both effectively,” he said.
Yes, there is a quantifiable leader in the quarterback race. Bowles made that clear yesterday, though he didn’t offer a name.
Joe has little doubt that Mayfield is the top dog, though there’s still time for change. Everything in the NFL is a fluid situation.
August 10th, 2023 at 10:28 am
I have 100% no doubt Trask is the top dog. So were gonna see whos right.
August 10th, 2023 at 10:38 am
How many “mature” NFL QBs start headbutting offensive linemen with their helmet off because they’ve been benched?
Let’s hope Baker has grown up since… last season.
August 10th, 2023 at 10:54 am
I am not seeing Baker Mayfield as the top dog to beat. I do see Mayfield as the safer pick to start. This way they would not get the blame if Trask did start and played poorly. Going with the most experience guy is always the safer pick, not necessary the best pick.
August 10th, 2023 at 10:58 am
JBF never had a doubt what his preference was for starting quarterback, so only confirms his own biases.
There is absolutely nothing communicated by Bowles or any other member of the coaching or management staff that indicates a preference for one particular player … only that they have developed a preference.
By the way, suffering adversity does not mean that one is good at dealing with it. Overcoming adversity is what matters.
Kyle Trask has continually, since his high school playing days, overcome adversity in the form of low expectations by recruiters and coaches and NFL drafters, yet he has shined greatly while doing so. Baker Mayfield has experienced adversity and produce mostly failure by any rational standard.
August 10th, 2023 at 11:09 am
is bm the new jw???
start Trask and stop F ing around.
August 10th, 2023 at 11:14 am
The lame sales job will backfire on Bowles. This will start the fan revolt that will get him fired for sure.
August 10th, 2023 at 11:32 am
It’s going to be Mayfield…and if we want Todd Bowles fired, that’s a good thing.
By the bye week, everyone will be screaming for Trask.
Unless Baker gets injured, we won’t see Trask before that…even if he throws 6 touchdowns in the preseason.
August 10th, 2023 at 11:33 am
33-39 with the most INTs since he entered the league, that’s what I would hang my coaching career on if I was Bowles….
August 10th, 2023 at 11:34 am
Duane Says
“JBF never had a doubt what his preference was for starting quarterback, so only confirms his own biases.”
I have not once seen Joe voice a personal preference to win out.
What he HAS stated is that he believes Todd Bowles will go with the veteran. He has not said whether he agrees with it.
August 10th, 2023 at 11:36 am
I like Kyle Trask. But anyone who thinks the decision will be based on interceptions in preseason practices is not paying attention.
August 10th, 2023 at 11:53 am
Hope he’s mature enough to accept his backup quarterback role.
August 10th, 2023 at 11:58 am
I don’t believe in Mayfield. I’ve watched enough of his tape to know he is a worse version of Jamies Winston. I see his presence as nothing more than a publicity stunt, a story line, and mere marketing to keep people interested this season.
What I don’t understand is the Bucs front office invested in Trask a 2nd round pick. Let the kid have this season and if he is successful you have your QB for the future. If he isn’t draft one next year. Ownership should step in and give Bowles and Canales this year to do that. Especially while transitioning from the TB era and balancing the checkbook. I mean even Roberto Aguayo got more of a shot to prove himself than Trask has at this point. It just doesn’t make a lot of sense.
P.S. if I’m wrong about Baker I’ll admit it but I do not see him being successful.
August 10th, 2023 at 12:01 pm
He may have a leader in his mind, but in the immortal words of someone special, That is why they play the game!
We shall soon see how this unfolds
Oh, the anticipation!!!
August 10th, 2023 at 12:03 pm
ROFL,…Bowles. The football guru.
August 10th, 2023 at 12:03 pm
Based on Bowles comments, it sure looks like the deck is stacked against Trask no matter what he does. Wonder what stories Bowles will tell once Mayfield fails miserably?
August 10th, 2023 at 12:04 pm
Mayfield is the best up the gut handoff specialist. Bowles dream QB.
August 10th, 2023 at 12:36 pm
Wow. If A Quarterback that has not performed well in games played is your best option the scouting and Gm failed on a 2nd round pick. Would you trust them next year with your #1 pick. Don’t think I would.
August 10th, 2023 at 12:43 pm
Mature? Does that mean he is at the best he can be? With enough interceptions to have one for every practice and one to spare?
Trask is the one growing into the role, so he has the upside the Bucs need to move on from the Brady curse.
August 10th, 2023 at 12:57 pm
Sounds like they are doing some SERIOUS back tracking from their statement months ago stating who ever turns the ball over the least will start. Now they are saying INTs aren’t bad for the presumed starter. Sounds like someone might have a future job at the White house.
August 10th, 2023 at 1:02 pm
I don’t want Baker as my starter but I will admit, he is much more mature than he was when he first came to the league
August 10th, 2023 at 1:13 pm
training camp is great an all but it really needs to come down to game play in the preseason.
Also its not just the interceptions Mayfield has had in camp. its the near miss INTs, the fumbled snaps, the balls batted down at the line of scrimmage. This is to go on top of the fact that his experience has lead to the most INTs the last 5 years and he is on his 4th team in 6 years. He is what he is.
August 10th, 2023 at 1:24 pm
It sure seems like Trask has improved a lot, finally. A good thing. It also seems quite ignorant for so many to write off Baker Mayfield. Canales turned Geno into a franchise QB, did anyone see that coming?
Looking forward to the issue being decided by performance on the field. There is nothing substantive to support any “certainties” other than gut feel, which is often a lot of fat.
August 10th, 2023 at 1:37 pm
Mayfield was not considered a starter by teams looking for a QB this year. We signed him for less money then backups were signed for. His salary this year is only a cap hit of less the 2 million. Trask on the other hand is a unknown. Let’s said if both were cut who do you think gets pickup first. I just think start Trask and found out what we have in him. We will probably start Mayfield and our record at the bye will be 1-3 or 0-4. Then Trask gets to play after the season is already lost.
August 10th, 2023 at 2:09 pm
No one saw coming what Canales did with Kyle Trask within six weeks. At least those of us who watched around 60 or so of his practices the past three years.
August 10th, 2023 at 2:13 pm
I was thinking about Nick Wright’s smug prediction of Baker being the day 1 starter.
Just a guess here, but other than acknowledging the guy is a smarmy dbag my assumption is that Nick has a reliable source inside OneBuc telling him that Baker is a lock going back before TC and beyond or else he wouldn’t make such a declaration.
If that is true and this whole QB competition has been a scam, then allow me to formally congratulate Todd Bowles on his firing.
What a ish-show – staged to generate interest while the real plan is to feed us all a garbage sandwich that is Baker Mayfield.
The resulting fan revolt will make the French storming the Bastille look like a 6 year old’s tea party.
August 10th, 2023 at 2:16 pm
You’re naive if you think that Baker was not considered by other NFL teams this year. You’re also naive if you look at Baker’s accomplishments over his time with the Browns and think he isn’t a very good QB — a very good QB in a terrible organization. Check out what Joe Borrows said about a Baker and how he said he couldn’t beat him in the three games they played against each other; the last of which Baker threw 5 TDs. The last TD with :27 seconds to play. Btw, Baker completed 22 or 23 passes in a row in that game. So, stop with all the Baker hate crap. Whoever wins the QB job at Tampa will deserve it. Period. Go Bucs.
August 10th, 2023 at 2:16 pm
Yes, Joes, you’ve been witness to Trask’s on-field practice work, unlike anyone else posting on your site. The “let’s see what we have” argument from casual fans is a lame reason to pick a starter. Coaches, like Joes, have been seeing what they have since 2021.
August 10th, 2023 at 2:24 pm
The “let’s see what we have” argument from casual fans is a lame reason to pick a starter. Coaches, like Joes, have been seeing what they have since 2021.
We have seen Baker STARTING since 2018
August 10th, 2023 at 2:28 pm
@Da Bucs Guy As if the Glazers give a sp!t about fans and what they want. If they had, Leftwich would have been gone after the Steelers game, but believe what you want
August 10th, 2023 at 2:33 pm
The “lets see what we have, give Trask a chance” folks are also the ones who want to give Mayfield 4 games, but want to give Trask the whole season, regardless of how he performs.
They both should be on equally short leashes.
August 10th, 2023 at 2:41 pm
WyomingJoe I’d rather start the dog doo scraped off my shoe. Its stinks less.
August 10th, 2023 at 2:57 pm
Bucs will have Equity. HC/DC and QB. Equally awful.
August 10th, 2023 at 3:12 pm
Buccaneer Bonzai – are you nuts? JBF has continually stated his preference for starting quarterback as Mayfield. Earth to Bonzai – wake up.
Of course JBF is biased for Mayfield and against Trask – he has made that abundantly clear in hundreds of posts since Mayfield was signed.
August 10th, 2023 at 3:16 pm
Buccanstopit:
“We have seen Baker STARTING since 2018”
We’ve also seen Baker cut from all three teams he played for prior to taking a cheapo contract with the Bucs, because he was not thought worth keeping by all three of those teams.
My o my, all these confused fans and sports writers who fail to see the difference between experience of failure, followed by failure to improve thereafter … and experience of succeeding, absent any failure, despite coaches and others having very low expectations.
You know, there IS a difference there.
Blake Bortles is experienced. You wanna sign him?
August 10th, 2023 at 3:21 pm
Duane Says:
You might have read my post wrong, his starting has been terrible
August 10th, 2023 at 3:41 pm
@Duane
He had a separated shoulder in 2021 which if you watch his throwing mechanics changed after that,
Before injury: 66.9% 248 ypg 4 TDs 2 INTs
After: 53.5% 196.7 ypg 13 TDs 11 INTs
But sure, make stuff up. The fact was that Cleveland had a chance at Watson and decided to go all in with him. How did that work out for them? Oh yeah, they went 3-3.
Baker was 14-7 between 2020 and 2021 before he was injured. You people just try to spin this as he was and always will be horrible. The fact Carolina did BETTER after they got rid of McCaffrey tells me all I need to know about that dumpster fire
August 10th, 2023 at 3:42 pm
Like QB with a hard count that gets the D to jump at the Goal Line for a 1st.
Like a DB who gives the WR a big cushion to bait the QB for a Pick 6.
JBF puts up a post painting Mayfield as a probably choice for QB1 and it’s gonna be good for 60 comments for Trask, 10 for fighting for Baker, and a handful all for tanking @ 1-16 to get Williams or Maye.
I can understand the guys pulling for Trask. My eyes still work fine.
I can understand the folks pulling for Mayfield. Mom and Dad are always gonna fight for their Baby.
As far as the One’e looking for an early 1st round pick. Do they really thing these’s a snowball chance that the Glazer’s are going to pay 25-30 million signing bonus to a kid that played good college football? How do you justify paying a guy 8 million right out of college and pay your star running back 5 after giving you 3 great seasons.
First week of football is here and the things I am going to look for is.
Why was Cleveland happy to pay a guy 10.5 million to go away and play for another team? That should not take long.
What did CAR, HOU, and INDY got for their big money? They can always pay 2/3rds of their salary if someone is stupid enough to think that a change of venue might transform them. One man’s junk is another man’s treasure is just something to tell your wife when you bring it home. One man’s junk is another man’s junk. If it’s junk in week 6 of 2022 it’s still junk week one of 2023.
Keep stirring the Pot Joe.
August 10th, 2023 at 3:48 pm
No one here has seen Baker after Canales’ coaching him. We are about to. Geno Smith suddenly transformed into a franchise QB under Canales. I guess it’s cool to pretend that didn’t happen. Best case scenario – both options ball out in the preseason and makes the decision for starter in Minnesota really hard.
August 10th, 2023 at 4:02 pm
It does not matter who starts. It matters who gets the job done and finishes. If Bakers history plays out, he will not be the starter for long. Just be ready Trask. Guaranteed you will get your shot before midseason. GUARANTEED.
August 10th, 2023 at 5:23 pm
@ JOE
“No one saw coming what Canales did with Kyle Trask within six weeks. At least those of us who watched around 60 or so of his practices the past three years.”
This is music to my ears…
I feel like Loyd Christmas from Dumb and Dumber – “So your telling me there’s a chance!?!?!”
LOL!
August 10th, 2023 at 5:49 pm
Baker is apt to get hurt anyway and if there is one thing he learned
August 10th, 2023 at 7:27 pm
If Baker starts I will root for him to do well. However, If Trask was clearly the best QB in camp, Bowles is going to lose credibility with the players if he starts Baker. Especially after Trask having worked so hard over the summer and Mayfield eating bon bons. Its going to be discouraging to say the least.
August 10th, 2023 at 7:32 pm
WyomingJoe Says:
August 10th, 2023 at 2:16 pm
You’re naive if you think that Baker was not considered by other NFL teams this year.
Wyoming!! Name one team that was considering Baker to be their starting QB.
August 10th, 2023 at 7:43 pm
Buccaneer Bonzai – are you nuts? JBF has continually stated his preference for starting quarterback as Mayfield. Earth to Bonzai – wake up.
Duane- True but Joe has been fair towards Trask when reporting the Practice notes and Trask’s progress.
August 11th, 2023 at 2:45 am
Bowles blowing more smoke.
SKIP
Go Bucs!