Shaun King Talks Baker Mayfield, Bucky Irving
August 23rd, 2024
“Jason, strong pick in Bucky Irving.”
In the mind of one of only four quarterbacks to lead Tampa Bay to the NFC title game, improvement is required if the Bucs want to make another run at the Super Bowl.
And former Bucs quarterback Shaun King certainly believes the Bucs can have a better record because Baker Mayfield is mature and the Bucs beefed up their roster.
While King isn’t ready to put Mayfield in the same company as Joe Burrow or Josh Allen, King recognizes Mayfield has talent. More importantly, King believes Mayfield has grown up with the Bucs, as King explained while appearing on CHUM-AM in Toronto.
“Some of it, Baker is more mature as well,” King said. “Sometimes when you win the Heisman and you’re the No. 1 pick, you’re on every national commercial, you can make some bad decisions.
“So what you are seeing in Tampa is a much more mature version of Baker. Shout out to him for recognizing the deficiencies and fixing them.”
So what does King expect and want to see from the Bucs, his childhood team?
“Improvement in the record and competing for the division title again,” King said, adding those “are fair expectations.”
The offense has potential to improve, King believes.
“Mike Evans, I don’t know when he’s ever going to show his age,” King said. “Chris Godwin is moving back inside.
“I really like the addition of Bucky Irving to give us more in the backfield than Rachaad White.”
Super Bowl? King’s not ready to go there yet. King said fix the run game, be more balanced, improve your record and then he’ll make a further assessment.
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August 23rd, 2024 at 7:29 am
Solid take by King, I’m not usually a fan of his, but this take is solid.
August 23rd, 2024 at 7:47 am
That’s what annoys me about these talking heads and this organization right now. Seems the goal is another division title. King skipped right to us not being a Super Bowl contender. You would think we were on the verge of a team that can win the divisional round and conference championship? I look at this roster top to bottom and we’re going to spank Detroit and Philly this year just can’t get past another twiner tight end instead of trying to replace Logan hall with worse starting DL in the entire nfl.
August 23rd, 2024 at 7:50 am
Saying he “led” us to a championship game is…. exaggerating a bit
August 23rd, 2024 at 7:54 am
He was the QB of the offense. Yeah, those teams were led by the defense but someone still had to play QB and run that offense… even if it was sorry.
August 23rd, 2024 at 8:06 am
Bucky’s got juice and by the end of the season I think he will be starting over White.
August 23rd, 2024 at 8:08 am
King was along for the ride. That’s all.
August 23rd, 2024 at 8:15 am
He needs to gain more weight. Then he’ll be ready for his Sumo career.
If Dilfer was the QB of that Rams game, Bucs are in the Super Bowl.
August 23rd, 2024 at 8:16 am
“Super Bowl? King’s not ready to go there yet. King said fix the run game, be more balanced, improve your record and then he’ll make a further assessment.”
I’m pretty sure it’s not up to Shaun king how far this team will go.
August 23rd, 2024 at 8:19 am
Nice to see an interception machine posing as an expert. Pfft.
August 23rd, 2024 at 8:57 am
King was ahead of his time. Small, average, meandering, game managing, run around QBs are all the rage these days!!!
HELLO!!!
August 23rd, 2024 at 8:59 am
Plus, King never had ME13 to through too. Just imagine what Shaun of the Dawn could have done for us than!!!
Super Bowl King would be his handle NO DOUBT!!!
August 23rd, 2024 at 9:00 am
*”throw to”
August 23rd, 2024 at 10:56 am
It’s kind of amusing how many people listen to football Talking Heads only to complain about the Talking Heads as if they would do any better.
It’s an opinion, people are paid for opinions. Nothing more.
August 23rd, 2024 at 10:57 am
I will make one criticism that needs to get fixed if the Super Bowl is the goal …
The Bucs only beat one team with a +.500 last regular season. If they lose to the +.500 teams and beat the -.500 teams, the Bucs will finish 11-6. Beating up on bad teams doesn’t work in the post-season. We need to beat the best to the be the best.
August 23rd, 2024 at 11:07 am
I’m sick of the narrative that Mayfield was immature… he wasn’t groping Uber drivers or high off his butt in South Tampa or something.
He didn’t take abuse from some jackhole reporters, and he was on a crappy dysfunctional team. And so he made enemies, but that’s not because he needed to “grow up”.
Enough of this garbage about him.
August 23rd, 2024 at 11:08 am
It’s pretty good what Shaun said.
WiseCrack is right. He didn’t have Mike Evans to throw to.
August 23rd, 2024 at 11:16 am
When Hurt Emanuel was your most gifted target… smh
August 23rd, 2024 at 12:00 pm
Joe, hadn’t heard his name in a very long time. Forgotten about him. Having a bad memory now.
I always liked Shaun. Glad he is still doing well.
August 23rd, 2024 at 1:48 pm
Shaun King is just another talking head. It’s not that “Baker has grown up” but rather he escaped from a dysfunctional Cleveland Browns organization headed by Jimmy “the rebate king” Haslam. Browns tried to punish Baker by sending him to the second most dysfunctional organization in the NFL, the Carolina Panthers. Baker is a tough dude and he refused to be held down by fools requesting his Carolina release. Doesn’t matter what any of the pundits think. Baker’s peers know he is a gamer with one of the best arms in the NFL. That comes from no less an authority than Josh Allen.
August 23rd, 2024 at 2:16 pm
Why has everyone seemed to cede the division to ATL? They signed an old QB coming off a major injury as their starter. Yet I am seeing a lot of these same pundits picking the Jets to finish 3rd in their division. Anyone want to hold up their hand and say Cousins was ever better than Rodgers? Not to mention that the Jets D is much better than the bird brains. And if ATL does get to the playoffs, let them hang their hat on a QB that has ONE playoff win in 12 years in the league.
While I do think the Bucs have some holes, I still think they are better than last year.
So let me make these two predictions. (1) The Bucs win the division again and (2) Penix is the starter for ATL before the end of the season.
August 23rd, 2024 at 2:56 pm
King lives near me and I see him pretty regularly at the cigar lounge. He is very large to say the least but, the worst part is he’s a diva. I’ll pass on whatever he has to say. Our defense got us to the 1999 NFC title game. Not him
August 23rd, 2024 at 4:09 pm
All these low IQ morons talking trash about Super Bowl winning QB Shaun King who actually got his team to the NFC Championship game, which is further than Baker has ever got his team.
August 23rd, 2024 at 6:11 pm
I met Shaun after he was drafted with the Bucs. He was a humble and considerate guy back then. It’s always great when a hometown kid gets on their local NFL team. It seems he is doing well now. Happy for him.