“Baker Is Good Enough To Screw Them Out Of A Quarterback”
September 9th, 2023
Too good for Bucs’ future?
Joe remembers a story famed JoeBucsFan.com columnist Ira Kaufman had about Bill Walsh.
The legendary famed offensive guru once was invited by Chucky to come to One Buc Palace to talk to Bucs players and maybe inspire them. Afterward, the Bucs allowed Walsh to have a press conference before Ira privately asked Walsh about Steve DeBerg, the former Bucs starting quarterback who played for Walsh in San Francisco.
Walsh told Ira of DeBerg, “He’s just good enough to get you fired.”
The translation: DeBerg wasn’t horrible but when Walsh got rid of hime he couldn’t put a team on his back and lead it to postseason glory. And if a coach doesn’t make the playoffs, sooner or later, he will get canned.
Joe thought of this while reading Mike Sando’s recent NFL insider exclusive in The Athletic. Sando, who has enough street cred that NFL suits trust him not to blow their cover, spoke with several NFL shot-callers about each and every team.
Collectively, it seems all his sources believe the Bucs will be the 14th-best team in the NFC. No, these guys don’t believe in Baker Mayfield.
But one NFL suit seemed to channel Walsh’s comment on DeBerg and apply it to Mayfield. The suit thinks Mayfield could do damage in the short-term, but the Bucs will mess themselves up in the long-term.
“Baker has won games before,” the exec who placed the Buccaneers 10th said. “Baker is good enough to screw them out of a quarterback (early) in the draft.”
Joe knows where this suit is going, but it may be too doom and gloom. At least in most years.
Next spring’s draft is shaping up to be like it was in 1983, when so many solid quarterbacks were picked in the first round, including three Hall of Famers (John Elway, Jim Kelly and Dan Marino).
The current quarterbacks’ skill level seems pretty sick. So even though the Bucs may have a record this year that normally would put them in quarterback purgatory, there is a shot that Michael Penix or Shedeur Sanders or Sam Hartman will be in striking distance if the Bucs have, say, the 10th overall pick in the draft.
But guess who doesn’t give a s(p)it about drafting a quarterback in April as we sit here only hours from the Bucs’ first game of the 2023 season?
That would be Todd Bowles and Mayfield.
September 9th, 2023 at 8:08 am
Shedeur Sanders
September 9th, 2023 at 8:09 am
Michael Penix looks nearly unstoppable!
September 9th, 2023 at 8:14 am
This is one Bucs fan, and I suspect among many others, who have the same opinion who would hate to miss out on drafting a QB from this exceptional draft class unless we make a run in the playoffs. Even if Mayfield has a decent year he could turn out to be a “ one hit wonder”. I would rather shoot for a young possible long term franchise QB from draft class 2024.
September 9th, 2023 at 8:19 am
I am going to be optimistic and say Baker plays well and the Bucs are picking in the second half of the first round. And they go with a receiver in round 1.
September 9th, 2023 at 8:20 am
I hope the Bucs draft a stud OL (maybe Center) or defensive pass rushing juggernaut with their first pick. There are so many NFL caliber QBs in the next draft, they can still grab a top-notch one in the 2nd or even 3rd round.
September 9th, 2023 at 8:22 am
Yes… Let’s tank our season and squander the remaining good years of our really good veterans so we can do what this franchise has never done in many attempts to draft and develop a young QB. Sounds like a great plan.
I hate the tank talk. I want to see the BUCS in the playoffs every single year.
September 9th, 2023 at 8:23 am
Maybe Jason can find a QB from a division 3 school. Lol.
September 9th, 2023 at 8:24 am
Hopefully Baker Mayfield sorry as won’t screw Todd Bowels out of a job
September 9th, 2023 at 8:27 am
Well, it seems like some of the Baker Haters have already responded! Baker is going to prove to the NFL suits and every other “fan” on this site that they’re wrong about his talent and that he’s a franchise QB. And that begins Sunday.
September 9th, 2023 at 8:28 am
I think they’ll be drafting a future QB regardless. If Mayfield is solid and gets an extension, the clock on Trask is ticking. Trask has another year left on his contract and I would imagine after that he wants to compete for playing time elsewhere. Good organizations continuously pursue young QBS… it’s a great problem to have. 49ers would have never found Purdy if they were content, Patriots found Garrapolo and Brisset even though they had the GOAT. Dallas just traded for a Lance with Prescott running the show. Hopefully Licht sees the value in this approach.
September 9th, 2023 at 8:32 am
I agree!!
I know the plan is to win but the Bucs plan got quarterback cannot be free agency or baker long term. They don’t know if he’s good enough just like the rest of us unless they are hoping he’s not and Bucs always rely on hope for some reason
September 9th, 2023 at 8:36 am
Penix is the qb that really intrigues me and he will be coming into the league with 3 plus years of starting experience. I would stay away from sanders and you will inherit all of the Prime drama with him and it will be a public relations cluster to deal with criticisms from his Dad
September 9th, 2023 at 8:39 am
When you see the talent that’s coming out in this upcoming draft at QB you best play for the draft. We already know what Baker can and cannot do. Don’t screw this up Bucs!
September 9th, 2023 at 8:47 am
enough weenies masquerading as Bucs fans who think the team should tank, you man up and play to win
September 9th, 2023 at 8:51 am
Bobby M … ‘Good organizations continuously pursue young QBS’.
THAT is the truth that far too many overlook IMO. Starters go down every game. Starters get too expensive too keep. Starters get old. Starters sometimes play very well in 1 system, but terrible in others. Thus it always pays to be ready to implement Plan B.
If Mayfield does well, he’ll want a lot of money to stay (strike while the iron’s hot?). Bucs have too many mouths to feed next year & we’ll still have salary CAP problems. Trask’s still under contract next season, but that’ll be his last on the discount rack. Thus Bucs NEED to draft a QB next year in any event. How high we draft will simply depend on how well we do this year.
Canales’ system doesn’t seem to depend on a superstar QB; seems to be favorable to more of a game manager (preferably one with some mobility). I suspect there are any number of 2024 QB prospects who could fit his system. I’m not picky; I just want one good enough to get us back to the Super Bowl.
September 9th, 2023 at 8:54 am
Mahomes was the 10th pick of that year, Watson the 12th. Not hard to trade up into that
September 9th, 2023 at 8:59 am
Yes by all means lets channel Bill Walsh and lose just enough to draft yet another 1st round bust QB!
Geez!
Go Bucs!
September 9th, 2023 at 9:01 am
All quarterbacks are only as good as the system they run. Jared Goff in Detroit is a good example. Rams basically gave up on him and the national media used him as a punching bag. Same with Alex Smith and many others. Geno Smith was always considered as no more than a back-up until last season. The point is, if this system plays to Mayfield’s strengths, he may come through and surprise many with a breakthrough season. The physical tools are there. Lets hope Canales’ system is right for him.
September 9th, 2023 at 9:03 am
Below is a list of all the first round QB’s selected since 2013. The number to the right of their name is their selection order. I omitted this year because none have played in a regular season NFL game.
Doesn’t take a genius to surmise that, despite the sprinkling of a few stars, most have been less than franchise saviors.
Some of you here wish the Bucs would tank to grab a first round “star” in the 2024 draft. And some, in both the media and here, have proclaimed Kyle Trask to be a failure.
But there’s one thing you’re overlooking. The failures below were given one thing Trask has yet to get—a chance to prove what they can or cannot do.
None of us knows what we have in Trask until he plays in multiple real game conditions, including the coaches and GM. Brock Purdy comes to mind as a player nobody saw coming. But he, unlike Trask, was given a chance to prove himself.
As the old saying goes; be careful what you wish for. Caleb anybody? He might be great, but lots of broken dreams are still wafting around NFL cities from the failures listed below …
2013 EJ Manuel-16 Overall
2014-Blake Bortles-3, Johnny Manzel-22, Teddy Bridgewater-32
2015-Jameis Winston-1, Marcus Mariota-2
2016-Jared Goff-1, Carson Wentz-2, Paxton Lunch-26
2017-Mitchell Trubisky-2, Patrick Mahomes-10, Deshaun Watson-12
2018-Baker Mayfield-1, Sam Darnold-3, Josh Allen-7, Josh Rosen-10, Lamar Jackson-32
2019-Kyler Murray-1, Daniel Jones-6, Dwane Haskins-15
2020-Joe Burrow-1, Tua Tagovialoa-5, Justin Herbert-6, Jordan Love-26
2021-Trevor Lawrence-1, Zach Wilson-2, Trey Lance-3, Justin Fields-11, Mac Jones-15
2022-Kenny Picket-20
September 9th, 2023 at 9:20 am
Bill Walsh was a smart guy. Moved on from QB’s at just about the right time.
When Tampa was drafting the ‘Next Best Thing’ in 1987 Walsh picked up a QB that had been given up on after a couple years.
Six years later Testaverde was 24-48 and Steve Young was on his way to a win/lose career of 94-49, Super Bowl MVP and the Hall of Fame.
Baker may be just good enough to cost the Bucs the ‘Next Best Thing’ and maybe even one in the wings.
I am sure in that day there were plenty of Bucs Fans crying Tank for Testaverde.
Walsh on the other hand was looking for a Gem for a Ring.
September 9th, 2023 at 9:24 am
Total silliness! Maholmes wasn’t picked at the top. Brady wasn’t picked at the top. Indeed, last year’s. Best, young quarterback was the last person drafted. Drafting a quarterback is a total crap shoot.
September 9th, 2023 at 9:30 am
The Bucs have never, ever, I mean never succeeded in drafting and developing a quarterback and keeping him as a “franchise quarterback”, in 47 years of trying.
On the other hand, the Bucs won two Super Bowls with cast off quarterbacks drafted in the 9th round and the 6th round, respectively. Most of our playoff runs and division championships were also won with hand me down quarterbacks.
It just amazes me the level of stupidity that governs the talking heads, and it doesn’t matter whether they work for NFL Network or any of the alphabet networks.
Aside from having zilch franchise success in drafting and then developing quarterbacks, most people, and apparently 100% of the talking heads in NFL world also don’t know that only 1/3 of the quarterbacks now in the Hall of Fame were drafted in the first round, any slot at all. And that of the next two quarterbacks who inevitably will be named to the Hall in their first year of eligibility, Tom Brady was drafted in the 6th round, and Aaron Rodgers late in the 1st round.
Even if the Bucs could somehow succeed where they’ve never ever succeeded before, it is clear to all but the stupids who make their living as talking heads that IT MATTERS NOT WHERE YOU DRAFT BUT HOW WELL YOU DRAFT.
I don’t know how well Baker Mayfield will play, or whether it really matters all that much (way way way too much digital ink has been spilled arguing his pros and cons this past 5 months) because it is a team sport and all 53 guys on the roster and their coaches determine our Ws vs. Ls.
Just play the damned games, and yak after the season is over.!
September 9th, 2023 at 9:30 am
Trask seem to show enough progress to feel somewhat hopeful with him as QB1. If we don’t make the playoffs just let Baker walk.
September 9th, 2023 at 9:30 am
And Bowles is just good enough as a HC to keep the Bucs right in the middle of the pack and also screw the Bucs out of a top QB. I suspect mediocrity.
September 9th, 2023 at 9:33 am
And if what JBF and the talking heads say is true, that the 2024 draft will be overloaded with quarterback talent, then why the anxiety over a few spots earlier or later in the draft order.
Again, IT MATTERS NOT WHERE YOU DRAFT BUT HOW WELL YOU DRAFT.
September 9th, 2023 at 9:38 am
HomerSimpson – so Coach Bowles will screw us out of drafting, say, Jameis Winston? Or Baker Mayfield? or Sam Darnold? Or Justin Fields?
So maybe we’ll be so screwed that we draft the next Aaron Rodgers at the 25th pick … or trade down a bit and draft the next Drew Brees at the top of the 2nd round.
Wow, we’d really be screwed!!!
ROFLOL
September 9th, 2023 at 9:40 am
WyomingJoe Says
Well, it seems like some of the Baker Haters have already responded
Late for Baker Hater Party again. Rats.
With support he is much too good to be lumped in with Howell and a bunch of Rookies at the bottom of the list.
Problem is Tampa O Line is projected 14th with Jensen and Mauch in the lineup.
When Baker is not rattled he plays well. When he is not so much. If he’s protected and out in the open he will do well. If he’s balling up in the Fetal Position in the backfield in the first quarter it’s going to be a long day.
If he gets rattled it leads to all the things that makes him seem like a bottom of the barrel QB.
September 9th, 2023 at 9:41 am
Watch ND, UNC, UW and CU College games this year. See who is accurate and consistent. See how the QBs perform in the big games (top 20 teams and big rivals). Anybody can look good against Sister Mother of the Poor or Directional University. Then decide who looks good in January.
Also consider Parcell’s rules: 3 year starter, at least 2:1 ratio of TDs to interceptions, won 23 of 30 games as a starter and at least 60% completion rate. This is why you don’t pick 1-year starters.
September 9th, 2023 at 9:44 am
Do you know who does give a spit? Me because next year Bowles and Mayfield will be gone and I’ll be a Buc fan for years to come. So really all that’s happening this year is those two sticking it to us for the next five or six years.
September 9th, 2023 at 9:56 am
I hope someone prints Mike Sando’s article and tapes it to Mayfield’s locker.
September 9th, 2023 at 9:57 am
When Chucky invited Walsh to One Buc Palace, was Jeff Garcia the QB? A QB just good enough to get you fired sounds exactly like him!
September 9th, 2023 at 10:01 am
OUR first pick in the afore-mentioned 2017 draft? (The one where Mahomes went #10, Watson #12)
We picked OJ Howard at #19
September 9th, 2023 at 10:04 am
Mahomes wasn’t the first pick in the draft. Same for Brady, and Purdy. Jameis was. Get my point?
September 9th, 2023 at 10:13 am
@ DCone: Give us all a break with Baker getting rattled. NO QB in the NFL succeeds without talent around him. Mahomes proved that Thursday night. Burrows without Chase looks average. Mahomes without Kelce looks average. I could go on and on, but then I’d sound like, we’ll, like you.
September 9th, 2023 at 10:44 am
“WHAT IS CLEAR” IS THAT THIS ORGANIZATIONS “”FAN BASE”” NEEDS AN INJECTION OF YOUTHFUL FANS, NEW BLOOD, AND TESTOSTERONE!!
Yeah, us idiots that want a game changer are doomed to fail considering it’s my Buccaneers that need a generational talent..
So according to you people BUSY Making EXCUSES for why You wallow in failure, we shouldn’t even try…. PATHETIC! AND WEAK ARSE ARGUMENTS!
Misery DOES LOVE COMPANY AFTERALL. Yeah, it would be STUPID to take a shot at the “most likely to succeed” Now wouldn’t it?
Who said that every draft pick is a guaranteed winner? NOBODY! What you’re really saying is that You Have No Confidence in Licht to have grown to one of the BEST GM’s in the game. He didn’t have a choice the first time around. IN FACT he picked the BEST QB in that draft!!! One way or the other, THAT’S A FACT! What was he supposed to do people? Pick NO QB???
This time around HE HAS A SHOT TO PICK THE VERY BEST! MAYFIELD WILL GUARANTEE THAT WE END UP REGRETTING that’s what Mayfield is going to do for you people.. Or Mayfield finally like the REST THAT ARE NOW AT THE ENDS OF THEIR CAREERS at ALMOST 30 YEARS OLD, might FINALLY put 2 and 2 together… FINALLY. And if so it’s ONLY A FLASH IN THE PAN! ZEBRAS DON’T CHANGE STRIPES AND LEOPARDS DON’T CHANGE SPOTS PEOPLE! THAT’S WHAT’S REAL!
Your Dammmm RIGHT I WANT A DYNASTY LEVEL QB! Trask “might be it” BUT IT LOOKS LIKE WE’LL NEVER KNOW BUT one thing is FOR SURE, MAYFIELD IS NOT IT! HE WILL “AT BEST” drop us RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE HE!!…
I can’t stand the idea of SUCH A RETARDED IDEA AS MATCHING MAYFIELD AND BOWLES TOGETHER! I WANT TO PUKE!!!!!
And YOU PEOPLE are SO IN LOVE WITH THE DEN OF DEPRESSION I Can’t even believe after such a great run that some of you people are NOT ONLY WILLING TO GO BACK THERE BUT YOU ARE LIVING FOR IT!!!!!!! What is wrong with you guys?
Are YOU ALL SO OLD that you have NO TESTOSTERONE LEFT IN YOUR NUT SACKS TO EVEN TRY FOR GLORY?
What is needed in TAMPA BAY is an INJECTION OF NEW BLOOD YOUTH! We Must Have New Blood FANS because this crowd has no Manhood left as is willing to BEG!!!
PATHETIC AND WEAK AND SAD AS HE!!
NONE OF YOU WANT GLORY IT SEEMS. YOU ARE TO OLD AND FRAGILE TO COMPETE. IT’S THE SAD TRUTH AND IS REFLECTED IN YOUR COWARDLY WORDS.
“OLD MISERY LOVES COMPANY” And many of you seem to be no more than a breathing for now, ghosts.. Sad that YOU’VE FORGOTTEN what LIVING IS ALL ABOUT and your words and sentiment spells you out for the whole world to see…..
I’m “Obviously” not willing to join you in the grave but when you WAKE UP STILL ALIVE I’ll be HAPPY to join you in the WINNERS CIRLCE!
GO BUCS!
September 9th, 2023 at 10:47 am
Don’t you people know that the Bucs have invested in that crystal ball reading AI software??? That’s why this year’s additions like Palmer, Kancey, Jarret, and Tucker (to name a few) are going to kick ash!! Don’t worry about next year’s draft!! We’re good!!
September 9th, 2023 at 10:48 am
If he shines he is the bargain of the century. All we can do now is hope for the best.
September 9th, 2023 at 11:18 am
Look I’ve seen this story for far too long. Mediocrity will only get you so far. This day and age you need a franchise QB and I’m telling you Baker will not get it done. I would rather have my choice at the cream of this years QB crop than to be forced to take someone that’s a what if….I’ve been watching this team since the early 90’s and I couldn’t stand all of the years of just being a 500 club and missing out on QB talent that changed franchises. Don’t overthink this thing guys. Sooner or later the Bucs are going to hit on that drafted franchise QB. Go Bucs! One season of misery for a decade of bliss. Think about it.
September 9th, 2023 at 11:38 am
Once again I say; The Glazer family has boxed themselves into a corner AGAIN. Jason Licht will have to become David Copperfield. This franchise is once again stuck in a doom loop. The only way I see the Bucs getting out of this mess is to win another Super Bowl. If they win 1 playoff game Mayfield will want to be PAID BIG and so will White, Winfield, Wirfs, Evans (if he’s still here) and so on and so on. If they don’t make it to the playoffs that creates the mediocrity problem I described in another post. If the decision is made to totally tank, how do they make that happen ? The only way for the Glazers’ to find stability is to accept whatever results this season brings, draft whatever QB they can, retain Bowles and Canales and build for the future. Does anyone envision that happening ? I can’t see that happening unless we win it all. So as Brady would say, LFG.
September 9th, 2023 at 12:32 pm
The best thing Baker can do for this team is play just good enough that some other stupid team signs him to a decent contract, but not so good that it takes the Bucs out of position to draft a QB. Then the Bucs can draft a QB and get a compensatory pick for Baker leaving in FA.
September 9th, 2023 at 12:32 pm
Better to keep building up the offensive line before a young qb anyways. For all we know all the QBs next year being hyped up get hurt and/or end up as busts. It’s a crap shoot. I remember the hype for Winston and Marriota
September 9th, 2023 at 1:31 pm
If we don’t get Caleb Williams we are screwed
September 9th, 2023 at 2:00 pm
I remember the 2018 draft was a great quarterback draft and only 2 of them became good quarterbacks. Sam Donald was a can’t miss prospect. Baker Mayfield was supposed to be good. Josh Rosen was NFL ready because of his experience in college. How did that class turn out?? None of those quarterbacks coming out of college this year is a guarantee hit . I rather give Kyle Trask a chance and keep trying to win . Tanking ain’t never worked out for the bucs. And by 2025 you guys will be saying the same thing about the 2026 draft class is a good quarterback class. At some point you guys have to have a winning mind set stop settling for being a losing fan base. This is why you don’t put a NFL team in a college town because all most of you guys care about is the names on back of the jersey instead of the name in front of the jersey!!
September 9th, 2023 at 2:58 pm
Drafting a 1st round QB doesn’t guarantee you anything. No matter how “ready” the experts claim someone is. For reference, please see:
Jameis Winston
Marcus Mariota
Brandon Weeden
EJ Manuel
Josh Rosen
Johnny Football
Carson Wentz
Paxton Lynch
Mitch Trubisky
Sam Darnold
Zach Wilson
Trey Lance
Oh, and Baker Mayfield
And that’s just from the last 8-10 years
September 9th, 2023 at 3:09 pm
We have Trask if you forgot Joe. He will be the QB1 next year if not this year. Sando is right. Bake will enough game to kick us out of high draft pick. He is a cancer.
September 9th, 2023 at 3:16 pm
Oh no, Joe didn’t. This is exactly why Joe is focused on a quarterback in the first round.
September 9th, 2023 at 3:29 pm
Draft Sanders and politely ask his dad to come coach the Bucs. Wouldn’t THAT be something? (Sarcasm). Or is it?
September 9th, 2023 at 10:54 pm
Well said Joe
September 10th, 2023 at 2:01 am
There is so much angst because many of you are already drinking the Kool-aid about Caleb Williams. He may well be as advertised , but there is no guarantee. Tanking is immoral anyway. There are other QB’s in the draft that might be good enough to be the face of a franchise. Tanking is just another form of cheating. Bowles is not looking to tank, but he can’t control everybody on the roster. Just talking about it might give some of the less respectable players bad ideas.