Baker Mayfield Isn’t Moving The National Needle
March 19th, 2023
Regular readers here know Joe obsesses about all things Bucs 24/7, which includes soaking in all kinds of NFL radio, podcast and TV chatter.
So it really struck Joe that the Bucs signing big-name quarterback Baker Mayfield on Wednesday barely moved the needle on SiriusXM NFL Radio. It generated barely more than a passing mention there on multiple shows that aired on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Even former Bucs general manager Mark Dominik, while co-hosting The Blitz on Friday, didn’t raise the topic during the three-hour show. And Dominik loves to talk Bucs.
Show after show had no segment on Mayfield. No Buccaneers players interviewed. No former Mayfield teammate on the air for feedback.
The Bucs being absent from the spotlight happened on many other networks, Joe observed. Joe even dialed into Cleveland media and found little.
When entertaining loud mouth Stephen A. Smith of BSPN was told of the Mayfield signing soon after news broke on the air and was asked for feedback, his response was, “So?”
Damn, interest in the Buccaneers has plummeted outside the Tampa Bay area. The Brady era of national relevance is gone. (Thankfully, Bucs interest is alive and well on these pages across the local region. Joe can’t speak for other sites or the twice-weekly subscription community newspaper.)
Lots of Bucs fans yearn for night games and late-afternoon contests. But after last week’s reaction to Mayfield, Joe is convinced the Bucs will get only two night games.
Between uncertainty at starting quarterback (TV network execs will want no part of Kyle Trask this year), the Bucs playing the weak AFC South and the team desiring a run-heavy offense, Joe doesn’t see the Bucs moving any national needles unless they can get to Halloween with a winning record.
From 2013 through 2019, seven consecutive seasons, the Bucs were 3-5 or worse at the season’s halfway mark — with four different head coaches.
Joe is convinced the Bucs must avoid that level of stink this season to convince observers that the post-Brady Bucs are not picking up where they were in 2019. (Yes, Joe knows the Bucs were 3-5 last year with Brady.)
March 19th, 2023 at 11:47 am
W/O Brady, there is no national interest in the Bucs.
March 19th, 2023 at 11:51 am
Reporters seem to hate Baker. It is one of the reasons I like him.
March 19th, 2023 at 11:53 am
The Bucs are irrelevant just like they were before Brady…..I’m fine with the Bucs & Mayfield flying under the radar.
March 19th, 2023 at 11:55 am
Fine. Screw the National needle. Under the radar is best.
If Jared Goff can resurrect with the Detroit Lions, and Geno Smith can with the Seahags, and we now have Geno’s position coach, why not a blossoming for Mayfield.
Oh yeah. One word.
Bloweszo.
March 19th, 2023 at 11:56 am
I’m fine with no/fewer Monday night/Thursday night games, they do no favors to the players
March 19th, 2023 at 12:00 pm
When I hear the opinion of the “entertaining loud mouth Stephen A. Smith of BSPN”, my response is “so”.
“From 2013 through 2019, seven consecutive seasons, the Bucs were 3-5 or worse at the season’s halfway mark — with four different head coaches.” Talk about WTF! That fact is hard to believe, fathom, accomplish, comprehend etc…
March 19th, 2023 at 12:00 pm
Baker has a lot to prove.
March 19th, 2023 at 12:04 pm
Don’t care. National media opinions have nothing to do with what they’re trying to accomplish.
March 19th, 2023 at 12:06 pm
I hate it when we have Thursday Night games
I really prefer the Bucs playing 1:00 games.
March 19th, 2023 at 12:07 pm
I for one prefer the 4:00 games. Night games suck when you have to drive back to Orlando. The drive from Tampa to Orlando (and vice-versa) is much longer than it used to be. I will not miss the night games.
March 19th, 2023 at 12:08 pm
Joe,
You are the only one who thinks Mayfield is a big name free agent.
March 19th, 2023 at 12:11 pm
Dude needs a good season or he’s the next Carson Wentz
March 19th, 2023 at 12:11 pm
his name is baker…
no last name 🙂
March 19th, 2023 at 12:14 pm
Aaaaaaahahaha….Stephen A. Smith ?
March 19th, 2023 at 12:15 pm
The Bucs only mattered to the national media when we signed the “has been, washed up” Tom Brady. We only won respect after we beat New Orleans in the playoffs that year, nobody gave us a chance against the Chiefs in the Super Bowl.
Then everything changed.
Whatever attention the Bucs ever get is always after the fact, not before. Now that TB-12 is gone, we are simply the same ole Bucs until we prove differently. Regardless of who the quarterback is today, it was certain the Bucs would not be in the market for the truly big names like Rogers or Jackson.
March 19th, 2023 at 12:16 pm
Maybe it’s because Baker is a backup caliber QB who signed for backup money?
March 19th, 2023 at 12:19 pm
All things considered probably had the best offseason I could imagine this team having…..Only issue is I don’t believe trading Shaq Mason to save 5 million was worth it at all.
Aside from that fine overall.
March 19th, 2023 at 12:20 pm
i wish there is a way we could pry away trevor lawrence from the jags in the coming years…
let’s hope the jags start acting like the jags again…and pederson leaves and trevor wants out…
trevor lawrence as a buccaneer is a thought…pry the mofo away from jacksonville – somehow…someway
March 19th, 2023 at 12:28 pm
By which preseason game will the fans start calling Baker Mayfield, “Backup Mayfield”.
March 19th, 2023 at 12:31 pm
Waste of 8.5 million in resources that could have gone elsewhere…………
March 19th, 2023 at 12:40 pm
i think he will need to have a pretty darn good season to get 8.5 mil…
i hear the initial contract is 4 mil plus 4.5 in incentives…
if he is flopping out for the bucs he probably wont hit a lot of those incentives and will max out at like maybe 5 mil…
so if he has a great season and hit the 8.5 mil number, he might have turned out to be quite the bargain…
and if he flops out at like 4 to 5.5 mil, that’s really not much to invest in a starting qb for a season…
i’m talking off the cuff, i don’t know the exact contract details or specifics…but from the sound of it and from what quarterbacks are being paid, we got quite the bargain in the range of 4-8.5 mil…
if he pulls a geno smith this year, he’s gonna turn around and say he wants 3 years 90 mil moving forward
March 19th, 2023 at 12:41 pm
Blaine Gabbert met with the Raiders
March 19th, 2023 at 12:51 pm
The Baker show has no audience – it’s his last chance to turn it around or become Jameis/Blaine/Brissett – backup to stop gap starter for life
Look the money ain’t bad, but the ego has to hurt…
March 19th, 2023 at 12:51 pm
Couldn’t have anything to with the fact that he was one of the worst QB’s in the league last year and absolutely sucks, could it?
March 19th, 2023 at 12:54 pm
Joe … ‘Damn, interest in the Buccaneers has plummeted outside the Tampa Bay area. The Brady era of national relevance is gone.’
There was never any REAL interest in the Buccaneers, UNTIL Tom Brady happened along. The GOAT brought us relevance, especially after we won the 2020 Super Bowl. The Bucs’ ‘national relevance’ was ALWAYS (understandably) about Tom Brady.
IF the Bucs expect to be nationally relevant again, we’ll have to EARN IT. Oh wow, what a concept.
March 19th, 2023 at 12:57 pm
The only time the Bucs were relevant is when Brady was here. Pre Brady no respect post Brady ne respect sounds like thr Rodney Dangerfield of the nfl. Last week during the NFLs networks free agent frenzy they were talking about Lamar Jacksons landing spots mentioning teams that needs a quarterback. One of the hosts said there is a team in the nfl south that needs a quarterback very bad but can’t afford Jackson and we all know who that is and they looked at each other and started laughing without a mention of the teams name. If thats no respect I don’t know what is.
March 19th, 2023 at 12:58 pm
It’s scary to think that Jameis Winston AND Baker Mayfield were both #1 picks for the 2 worst teams in the NFL at the time and neither really developed into franchise QBs. Makes one think that being drafted #1 by a bad team isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.
March 19th, 2023 at 12:59 pm
Reading comments from other articles. One can conclude the obvious. Only in Tampa Bay do the fans believe that Mayfield is an upgrade over Brady. Question is if the Bucs win the SB next year as many of you believe raving about the gm and the job he did then what should the extending contracts of Mayfield and Bowles be?
March 19th, 2023 at 1:00 pm
Kicked out of Cleveland and replaced by a pervert, cut by the Panthers during his first season for horrendous play, and “loved” so much by the Rams they let him go after five games. And how long did it take for this to unfold? ONE YEAR!
For the life of me, Joe, I cannot understand why a player of this caliber is not on the tip of everyone’s tongue.
As a Bucs fan, I hope he does well, but he was given his shot and failed miserably. Before deferring to to this unmitigated underachiever, Trask deserves the same opportunity to succeed or fail.
March 19th, 2023 at 1:16 pm
Most of yall on here get your beliefs about football from the national media! And now y’all down talking the national media? Lol 🤣🤣 I been telling y’all about the national media and how they push narratives.
March 19th, 2023 at 1:26 pm
Being drafting number one over all doesn’t automatically mean you are good. QB is a very difficult if not the most difficult position in the NFL. I feel it says more about the player than anything if there is talent there but deficiency’s out weigh the talent really doesn’t matter what number you are drafted at.
March 19th, 2023 at 1:32 pm
Great article. It’s something I didn’t really realize.
March 19th, 2023 at 1:37 pm
Oneil- in addition to listing the 9 wins the defense achieved in an 8 win season, please specify who “y’all” is.
On the quarterback front, all the negatives that have been stated about Mayfield are true.
And yet, coaches, management and ownership have observed Trask daily for two years, and come to the conclusion that the thing he deserves is to hold the clipboard. Those of you saying he deserves to start, why? Have you been at practice? Have you seen him command the huddle, go through his progressions, perform in the situational drills?
If not, STFU.
March 19th, 2023 at 1:39 pm
At least the Brady fan boys are mostly gone
March 19th, 2023 at 1:48 pm
That’s because he sucked last year
March 19th, 2023 at 1:53 pm
I would guess no one in the national media is certain that Baker will win the starting job. Only Seminole fans and the Joe’s believe Baker has been crowned QB1 just by waking in the door.
March 19th, 2023 at 1:59 pm
Drafting some rookie qb certainly is not going to change that!
March 19th, 2023 at 2:13 pm
Evan last year, after about the 3rd or 4th game, the national media were avoiding discussing the Bucs. The Todd Bowles way of doing things did not appeal to the national media!! Games that were very boring and had very little offensive punch does not appeal to them. Don’t expect anything different unless BM and the run game set off the cannons way more!!!
March 19th, 2023 at 2:15 pm
Let ‘em sleep on us
March 19th, 2023 at 2:22 pm
Goat they brought in the guy for 4 mil base. That tells me the exact opposite – they aren’t investing heavily in a QB to be brought in because they believe in Trask.
But because Baker had some funny commercials you’ve already gifted him the job. Haha
March 19th, 2023 at 2:26 pm
I’m a former fan of the Cleveland Massage Perverts. I been following Mayfield since my old team brought in that program. Mayfield has the talent to be in the top half of starting NFL QBs. He needs a few things to be successful. A decent line, he struggles when heavily rushed. He needs receivers that run the correct routes. Mayfield is all about timing. This is why OBJ failed him. OBJ may have looked open but that was because he would change the route on the fly. This put Mayfield on his heels. OBJ with the RAMs ran short patterns mostly, Sean McVay knew this, that’s why he had no problem bringing in Mayfield. He knew the real problem. Finally, Mayfield needs a running game and a blocking fullback to be available when he faces top-shelf DE. If you have this, granted a big ask, he will win for you. And he has a big arm, don’t underestimate that tool.
March 19th, 2023 at 2:29 pm
Was the Baker Mayfield signing supposed to move the needle???
Glazers have no motivation to move the needle this season…They rooked the fanbase into 2yrs of season ticket commitments & off loaded a ton of Bucs merch in Munich, last off-season in leu of TB12’s return.
(IE…The Bucs don’t need to re-energize the marketing dept’s local sales pitch until next spring.)
You can damn well bet the FO would have pursued Lamar or would be in serious discussion to move up for top draft QB, if that were not the case…If they were under the gun right now to sell tickets & merch…Cause Trask sure wasn’t going to do that for the organization.
March 19th, 2023 at 2:31 pm
Believe in Trask? You bet.
Most teams like to have a 3rd string QB around.
March 19th, 2023 at 2:38 pm
I’d become accustomed to listening to Buc’s games on the radio. Over on the SE coast, it’s Dolphins, Dolphins, Dolphins (although this year, that may be interesting). And then Brady came to Tampa. Last year, I was able to see all but 2 games on TV, even the 1:00 PM matchups. Back to the radio this year, unless as Joe said, the Bucs are putting up winning numbers come November.
March 19th, 2023 at 2:40 pm
@Jeffs Grandpa, sure Brady was the problem. Don’t know about you but I liked winning. Did you here the report that it was Tampa or retirement? How about a little loyalty and respect to the man who delivered a ring. Talk about fake bucs fans. You and Oneilbuc must be jumping for joy at the prospect of going 5-12
March 19th, 2023 at 2:41 pm
Hear
March 19th, 2023 at 2:48 pm
Contrary to most comments her, I believe Baker will be good for us. It doesn’t matter what the hollering media says. Most of the time they all end up being wrong. Anyway is better to be under the radar, they won’t see us coming. Trust destiny. We’ll be alright. In Licht I trust. Just go Bucs!!
March 19th, 2023 at 2:50 pm
AFC South?.. Did I miss something?..
March 19th, 2023 at 2:50 pm
Oh awesome! We’re back to the yearly @Carolina TNF game! YES!
March 19th, 2023 at 2:51 pm
If nothing else, I’m happy that Brady is gone because the Bucs won’t be forced to play all of those late and night games. Nobody ever mentioned it, but one of the Bucs major home field advantages is the heat and Brady took that advantage away from the Bucs due to him being a magnet for national exposure. The Bucs had very few 1:00 PM games the past few years (especially last year), which took away that major home field advantage.
March 19th, 2023 at 2:56 pm
ScottyMack …. you sir are retarded.
March 19th, 2023 at 2:57 pm
Mike S Said: “they aren’t investing heavily in a QB to be brought in because they believe in Trask.”
In my opinion, there wasn’t a single veteran QB on the market worth investing in – even if the Bucs did have the money. Mayfield was by far the best choice for the Bucs in their current situation. I’m so glad they didn’t waste future cap money on always injured “stars”, ones who aren’t sure they even want to play, or ones whose career record are even worse than Mayfield’s (even though they played on better teams).
March 19th, 2023 at 3:27 pm
I believe Mayfield can be successful in the right situation. I have no idea if this is that situation but I’m hopeful. You don’t get picked No.1 overall with no talent. Maybe Canales’s infectious enthusiasm can inspire Mayfield and this offense to want to try. Last year the offense looked like they gave up..
March 19th, 2023 at 3:32 pm
Who would care about this garbage ? Trask is an unknown in NFL with a lot of upside and will get a lot more attention than failed Baker. Bucs wasting and betting $8M on a dead horse. Baker can’t even get a pass over the D-Lines with his short 5′-11 5/8″ height. There will be a Trask chant after a game or two even if Baker starts.
March 19th, 2023 at 3:34 pm
Scotty, fine. All 1pm games and suck for next 10 years. This must be the most inane thing I’ve ever read on here. Good teams play primetime games. All that heat advantage did shat for us for nearly two decades. Are you crazy or just misinformed?
March 19th, 2023 at 3:40 pm
So far he has been a bad NFL QB. Not sure why he would move any needles.
March 19th, 2023 at 3:41 pm
LOL Scotty wants to get his drinking in early on Sundays. He’s probably the kind of guy who buys nosebleed tix, sits in them for 5 mins at the start of the game and then goes down to the bar patio under the ship to get sauced and watch the game on the monitors there.
Then again, we’ve all done that at least once.
March 19th, 2023 at 3:46 pm
Darin lol right? The hype is only in Tampa where fans still reminisce over what could have been with Josh Freeman (LOL Goat).
March 19th, 2023 at 4:09 pm
Some good wins from Baker and this team will be in the national spotlight, otherwise we won’t move the needle. Last season was so overhyped even with bad play from Brady. It will be kind of good to fly under the radar this season.
March 19th, 2023 at 4:12 pm
Honestly the Bucs and Mayfield need each other. Mayfield is on his last chance looking to resurrect his career. He also wants to shed the perceived immature loudmouth reputation.
The Bucs needed to maximize value this offseason. Let’s be honest he’s the best QB Tampa could afford. The upside with Mayfield is high. The down side with Mayfield is he plays terrible and Tampa gets a top 5 pick in 2024. I don’t think it’s a stretch that Mayfield has the physical talents to be successful. I’m hoping the new offensive coordinator can put players in favorable positions that give them an advantage. The whole offensive game plan last year seemed to rely on talented guys making a play.
March 19th, 2023 at 4:17 pm
The way Licht is spending this offseason, and using next years cap money to do it … I just don’t know. If Mayfield or Trask is starting, you’re talking about a team that, on the highest possible end, could win 7 games if everything goes perfect. However they’re much more likely to be a 5 win team. Todd Bowles was handed a SB roster last year and went 8-10, what exactly is he going to do with this roster? I don’t get it. Just tear it down for a year, then start your rebuild.
Watching Mayfield’s tape from last year, the good and the bad, and he’s NOT the guy, there is no way. Rewatching the limited snaps that Trask had, and he’s going to need to take a huge step up just to be a bad starter.
Makes me wonder more and more if they really are going to take a Hooker in the 1st. Otherwise I don’t get what the Bucs have been doing. They defense isn’t going to be as bad as expected since they brought a bunch of guys back, and the offense was already mostly set, but if you don’t have a QB, you don’t have anything, and right now the Bucs don’t have a QB.
March 19th, 2023 at 4:18 pm
Winning super bowls moves needles. Bucs have the best 1-2 combo at qb to do just that.
March 19th, 2023 at 4:25 pm
Jeffrey, you forgot one thing. If they win 8 games, It doesn’t move the needle either way. You’re either in it to win it, or jocking for picks. Ownership knows they’re in a terrible division. They covet that home playoff game, as meaningless as it is. Even if they did win the south, it’s almost assuredly a one and done proposition.
March 19th, 2023 at 4:28 pm
Joe is delusional. Baker is not a big name QB. If he is its not for his success on the field. Maybe for drama with OBJ. Maybe for one liners with the media. Definitely not for being successful.
March 19th, 2023 at 4:31 pm
Redeemer – Well if they win 8 games with Mayfield or Trask at QB, then Bowles is back for at least another year since it means he did a good coaching job. Also it would prove how worthless and stupid Leftwich was. But 8 wins, sounds beyond the reach of this team unless they get some unexpectedly good QB play. I mean it’s possible, I guess, but it’s also possible I’ll win the lottery, and it’s possible I’ll run into Gisele at Winn Dixie tonight and she’ll want to show me a good time. It’s possible.
March 19th, 2023 at 4:31 pm
Rod Munch … ‘If Mayfield or Trask is starting, you’re talking about a team that, on the highest possible end, could win 7 games if everything goes perfect. However they’re much more likely to be a 5 win team’.
So between 5-7 wins; got it. Care to be more specific Rod in terms of WHICH GAMES we’re gonna win (and lose)?
At this point (not knowing what our roster will look like come Game 1, what injuries we’ll suffer during the season, how much our opponents will improve, etc), I’d project us as winning anywhere from 4 to 11 games. Pure guess on my part, because there are a ton of variables that I don’t have a clue about. For now though, I’ll stay ‘cautiously optimistic’ and HOPE for the high side.
The keys this year are to (1) right the ship (no, we did NOT have a Super Bowl roster last year by any stretch of the imagination); and (2) develop some of this young talent (some of which isn’t even onboard yet); and (3) show PROGRESS. What RECORD comes out of that is anyones guess at this point IMO.
March 19th, 2023 at 4:32 pm
And Rod, hate to burst your bubble, but you running into Gisele at Winn Dixie tonight and her showing you a good time isn’t in play.
March 19th, 2023 at 4:35 pm
Rod … ‘Rewatching the limited snaps that Trask had, and he’s going to need to take a huge step up just to be a bad starter.’
Your enthusiasm for Trask is underwhelming.
March 19th, 2023 at 4:44 pm
Defense Rules Says:
So between 5-7 wins; got it. Care to be more specific Rod in terms of WHICH GAMES we’re gonna win (and lose)?
————-
I always post my full season win/loss, game by game, generally after the schedule comes out, then again right before preseason starts, then one last one before the season starts.
I know, in terms of wins and losses, I went from 2016-2021 getting them perfect. Last year, while I was lower than anyone else here, I was still off as I thought they’d win 10 games. Everyone else was at like 13 or 14 wins, but I didn’t like the schedule (which didn’t actually turn out that hard) and I was worried about how bad Leftwich would be without Arians telling him what to do. That’s where I messed up, I should have went worst case scenario.
March 19th, 2023 at 4:51 pm
Defense Rules Says:
March 19th, 2023 at 4:35 pm
Rod … ‘Rewatching the limited snaps that Trask had, and he’s going to need to take a huge step up just to be a bad starter.’
Your enthusiasm for Trask is underwhelming.
——
I will say when Trask wasn’t under pressure, and could just stand there and set his feet, he could throw with average NFL velocity – but when he had to move or was under pressure, it was back to those soft passes. I think he needs reps if he’s to have any chance of changing that.
If you want to go full Trask fanboi, you could say Brady, early in his career, didn’t throw with a lot of velocity and people actually thought he had a weak arm – which obviously isn’t true. Brady, these last few years, has been throwing with more velocity than just about anyone, even if he was limited to about 55-60 yards in the air. So for Trask fans, they can use that as an extreme example.
March 19th, 2023 at 4:52 pm
Defense Rules Says:
March 19th, 2023 at 12:58 pm
It’s scary to think that Jameis Winston AND Baker Mayfield were both #1 picks for the 2 worst teams in the NFL at the time and neither really developed into franchise QBs. Makes one think that being drafted #1 by a bad team isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.
———————————————–
Does the name Joe Burrow mean anything to you?
March 19th, 2023 at 4:53 pm
NYbucsfan said it best here..Mayfield needs a good season with the Bucs or he’s the next Carson Wentz. Thats pretty true guys. If he stinks it up with us, he’s done. You can stick a fork in’em. And I really think he knows this. But who knows, For our sake, lets hope he’s a late bloomer. He can play. But can he develop any consistency? We will surely find out.
March 19th, 2023 at 4:59 pm
@Rod Munch
Completely agree without Trask. Dude is not good. In all my years of watching football I’ve seen plenty of legitimately terrible QB’s who never stood a chance at being an NFL starter manage to look like competent players in the preseason going up against a 3rd string defense.
Trask hasn’t even managed to do that. Anyone who’s optimistic about Trask is either a Gators homer, blind, stupid, or all of the above.
March 19th, 2023 at 4:59 pm
*about* trask
March 19th, 2023 at 5:03 pm
Goatformer. So your mind you evaluate a quarterback that has never practice with the starters right?? If this coaching staff judge a quarterback if he’s good or not by him practicing with the scout team and practice squad than ever coach on the team needs to be fired. But I guess in your book every quarterback that’s being drafted in the first round or second round should first prove himself with the practice squad and scout team to see if he’s going to be good in the NFL lol 🤣🤣🤣. I guess Travor Lawrence, Josh Allen, Mahomes, Joe Burrow all practice with the scout team and practice squad first and they were evaluated by they’re coaches on how they played with those type of players . Then they let them practice with the starters in your mind right?? Lol 🤣🤣 That’s how every quarterback in the history of the NFL started off in your mind lol 🤣🤣🤣!!!
March 19th, 2023 at 5:07 pm
Scotty makes a valid point–Wish I had a nickel for every time the Bears or Packers were DYING in the afternoon heat. There’s absolutely ZERO advantage to playing MNF, TNF, or SNF
March 19th, 2023 at 5:09 pm
I just read a brilliant forecast that the Bucs will win between 0 and 17 games. It was a long several thousand word dissertation, but induced coma in the readers.
March 19th, 2023 at 5:13 pm
Why would they care about the signing of Kyle Trask’s backup for 1 year 4mil.
March 19th, 2023 at 5:27 pm
disappointed in the negativity. any fan that thinks the bucs miss the playoffs and don’t go deep in the playoffs is a fake fan. Most teams would be lucky to have the qbs that we have.
March 19th, 2023 at 5:37 pm
Who cares? If they’re so smart, why aren’t they wish. Smith thought the Buccaneers wouldn’t last one game in 2020.
March 19th, 2023 at 5:51 pm
R0n@, you’re killing it. My sarcasm detector has been defogged.
March 19th, 2023 at 5:52 pm
Rod, I was being generous. But I think that’s the ceiling. It is more likely to be 5-7 wins. I do however have no doubt that ownership and management thinks they can win an awful division. Owners covet that home playoff game.
March 19th, 2023 at 6:08 pm
He will move the national needle if/when the Bucs are 9-2. If we are winning they’ll be talking. If we aren’t, they won’t.
March 19th, 2023 at 6:14 pm
Also, it is quite hard to believe the amount of hate on here for a Buccaneer player that has yet to even practice with the team. Are you guys fans or not ?
March 19th, 2023 at 6:20 pm
Mike Florio and Dan Patrick covered it on “Pro Football Talk & The Dan Patrick Show, respectively (both on NBCs “Peacock” internet streaming channel – both are also voice-only “podcasted.”
Technically this isn’t national TV, but it is aired nationally by a major network through the internet.
They didn’t have a segment on Mayfield, standalone but did briefly talk about it during a general segment on free agent happenings.
They gave about as much airtime to Baker Mayfield going to the Buccaneers as they gave Derek Carr going to the Saints, or Taylor Heinike going to the Falcons though; so, there’s that.
Unfortunately, Aaron Rodgers is taking up all the oxygen with his usual fabricated-controversy tactics.
Imo, Mayfield is probably the best, reasonable move for a quarterback by the Buccaneers, because he could have a comeback year, and play decently enough to win the division; a lot may depend on how the rest of the division does with regard to improvement over last year of course.
March 19th, 2023 at 6:57 pm
I think it truly benefits the Bucs that no one is talking about them. With Brady here every team had the Bucs circled on the calendar. With the Bucs again being an afterthought we may be able to sneak up on a couple of teams this year. Mayfield has played well at times when he wasn’t hurt, so the Bucs may surprise a lot of people of Mayfield if he stays healthy and they have a decent running game.
March 19th, 2023 at 7:03 pm
@Smooth Bay Rider
Well it’s not like Baker Mayfield has never taken a snap in the NFL. He was one of the worst QB’s in the league last year and had the lowest QBR rating in the league.
Ol’ Izbits would have you believe that his play with the Panthers and getting cut shouldn’t be held against him because he asked to be cut since he didn’t want to tank, but one of the main reasons they decided to tank in the first place was because Mayfield was so bad.
The Panthers literally traded away their best offensive player and Both PJ Walker and Sam Darnold still outplayed Baker Mayfield to a significant degree.
He absolutely sucks and anyone expected him to do anything other than continue to suck is either naive, blind, or stupid.
March 19th, 2023 at 7:21 pm
The lack of interest in the Bucs might be about something other than whatever QB they have.
They have a never before OC, a a HC that also has a lot to prove, after how bad the Bucs looked, not to even mention the Jets.
It is going to be a tough act to just get a competitive product on the field. The O-line could be a sieve, and the running game might not be running.
If Tom Brady could not make a Bowles cleaner team work, Baker isn’t. Trask might, but I don’t know.
March 19th, 2023 at 8:27 pm
Oneil —
1. Who is “y’all”
2. Who were the 9 teams the defense beat in an 8 winb season?
Stop blabbering about mushymush. If you’ve been on the practice field with Trask for two years, tells us what you saw. Otherwise STFU.
I wasn’t there but the people who were there apparently believe Trask is a clipboard holder, and maybe even a backup at that. This is based on action, not wishful thinking.
March 19th, 2023 at 9:15 pm
Goatformer. Again until I see him with the starters than I will make my judgement on Trask. To bad I’m not a guy who follows narratives like most of yall on here. Trask is in the same boat with all of the rookie quarterbacks coming out this year . You don’t know how good either of these quarterbacks are going to be until they play. Just like Brady was great last year and it was everyone else fault on why the offense sucked. Lol 🤣🤣😆
March 19th, 2023 at 9:20 pm
@Oneilbuc
Difference between Trask and this years rookie QB’s is that they don’t have 2 years worth of tape of them absolutely sucking in the preseason against 3rd stringers. Or going 3 for 9 for 23 yards against a terrible Falcons defense.
You don’t have to believe any narratives, you just have to believe your own eyes. The guy is not good.
March 19th, 2023 at 9:48 pm
Well, I think Joe needs a better observation method. Baker is a perfect signing, we don’t have a GOAT anymore, this is what our real life looks like that….again! Which I think is ok.
March 19th, 2023 at 9:54 pm
That is a great sample size – 9 passes. Where is this phantom tape of Trask sucking? Its fabled but not ever talked about outside this Seminole Nation blog.
Last year Baker went:
13 of 26 vs the Seahawks for 147 0 TDs 1 INT and 5 sacks.
14 of 29 vs the Giants for 145 1 TD 0 INT and 2 sacks
11 of 19 vs the Chargers for 132 0 TD 0 INT and 3 sacks
12 of 21 vs the Pack for 111 1 TD 1 INT and 5 sacks
Shawn King without the scramble ability. This is in year 5 too.
This is the guy you want to bury Trask on the bench for?
We’re the homers?
March 19th, 2023 at 9:55 pm
@Mike S
Both are terrible. That’s my entire point.
March 20th, 2023 at 2:15 am
come on, rally around baker tryfield…he’s all we go rn
March 20th, 2023 at 2:15 am
he’s all we got rn *
March 20th, 2023 at 9:07 am
Good. “National relevance” means nothing to me as a fan. I want to watch them win, period. Fortunately, the games have to be played on the field, rather than a popularity poll among talking heads who are never held accountable for their numerous wrong takes.