“You Deserve A New Deal In Tampa”
January 8th, 2024
“Let’s do this again, Kyle.”
It would be such a old-Bucs-like move to let a successful, 28-year-old starting quarterback walk in free agency for no good reason.
So from that perspective, NBC Sports super insider Peter King is on the money in his latest take. King’s 7-million-word column today included about 25 words on the Bucs.
King, a notorious Baker Mayfield basher, is smitten with the Bucs’ signal-caller and thinks he shouldn’t leave Tampa in free agency.
Baker Mayfield, I raise a glass to you. Seventeen starts, gritting teeth through injury after injury, 4,044 yards, 28 TDs, a division title. Fantastic comeback. You deserve a new deal in Tampa.
It was a strong year for Mayfield. Anyone who says otherwise is spinning nonsense or is a charter member of the cult of Kyle Trask.
So what will the Bucs do? Joe is convinced the Bucs will be forced to pay handsomely for Mayfield, at least $30 million a year on a multiyear deal with no outs — maybe 2 1/2 years of guaranteed money. All it takes is one other team (Atlanta or Pittsburgh?) to court Mayfield and his price will be signficant.
Might Team Glazer think, ‘Hey, we’re not winning a Super Bowl with Mayfield, so why invest?’ Today, Joe would put that chance at just 15 percent.
January 8th, 2024 at 10:42 am
Bowles, Canales and Mayfield are a package deal
January 8th, 2024 at 10:42 am
Sign him and keep building around him. 30 million is what we spent this year on a starting qb if you factor in Brady’s dead cap hit. I think he signs for 25 per year which is a great number for him and the Bucs. But what do I know? Go Bucs!
January 8th, 2024 at 10:44 am
Totally disagree !!!
Let Mayfield test his market.
If another team wants to give him that much cash, let them do it.
Groom Trask to start next year and draft Penix….
The funds you save, you beef up the surrounding players.
UPGRADE Center, UPGRADE left guard, UPGRADE Tight end, get a decent RB to partner with White…
January 8th, 2024 at 10:56 am
@ Joe
Signing Baker is fine but at what cost?
$40M per season? $35M per season? It takes two to tango and the Bucs are going to be limited by the cap again this off-season. Not to mention we have a slew of free agents to bring back including a few very expensive ones like Winfield, LVD and Evans…
January 8th, 2024 at 10:58 am
Sign a mediocre qb for 30 mil a year? Are you delusional? Not winning a Super Bowl with him so build the rest of the team and draft a qb.
January 8th, 2024 at 10:59 am
Franchise tag and draft a guy imo
January 8th, 2024 at 11:05 am
Doctor Berto, I get it, but look around the league, trash QBs make 20 or more. Just the world we live in
January 8th, 2024 at 11:06 am
30mil a year after one very good season?! Get serious. Don’t let the door hit ya where the good lord split ya. Look what happened to the Seahawks when they did that. Are you all nuts? Give him a 2 year deal worth 20 guaranteed and let’s draft his replacement this year (a historically great QB year). Y’all wanna bet the future cap stability on a 30 year old w one good year and a 30 year old (stud) WR? I don’t. Strategy over Tactics here y’all.
January 8th, 2024 at 11:08 am
Why sign Baker when you can get a Browning, Flacco, Minshew for less. Gives the Bucs time to hunt for a studd.
January 8th, 2024 at 11:12 am
You only pay him if you can keep Evans… without him to pair with Godwin it will be more bad than good baker next season…Go bucs
January 8th, 2024 at 11:15 am
lol look at Trask fans in here LOSING THEIR MINDS. Pure entertainment.
And Kalind, soooo the solution is to go 5-12 next yr with Trask? What makes you so sure the Bucs will draft a franchise guy. When have the Bucs EVER Drafted a franchise guy in their 45yr history. Fan being worried about cap stability kills me, I DO believe Jason Licht is aware of the f’ing cap and is mindful of how to negotiate business deals. I do believe he is aware to negotiate a deal that is team friendly and pallatable for all parties involved. But by all means, lets keep pretending we know how to do business better
January 8th, 2024 at 11:17 am
Franchise tag for QB is something like $37 million. Letting him walk and going with Trask is gambling your entire season and associated $250 million payroll that he will be at least serviceable
January 8th, 2024 at 11:20 am
I’ve been a mostly Mayfield supporter all season. He’s been handcuffed with Canales, our running game, and our interior line play … but he is far from a guy deserving close to top dollar… I think he still needs to prove himself… no matter who signs him. If Mayfield is serious about a big money deal, he takes a little less for a shorter period of time to let whatever team he signs with more talent to help them compete. To me, he’s worth three years, $20-25 million… TOPS… That’s it. If he wants more, let him find it somewhere else. Let’s see if he’s loyal, let’s see if he’s happy here. If he is, he’ll see that $60-75 total contract and want to see the end of it and get to the next one (he’ll be 31-32 by then) and able to sign a HUGE deal.
January 8th, 2024 at 11:24 am
You can both re-sign Mayfield — why fix something not fully broken? — and draft a quarterback. Yes, a ‘studd.’ [sic]
January 8th, 2024 at 11:24 am
People wanting us to draft Penix are the same blind folks that thought Hendon Hooker was a first round pick last year. You just don’t get it. Both players were 6th year seniors (over age) that took until their 5th seasons to be good, both players have serious health concerns (Hooker with a recently torn ACL, Penix with two previous ACL injuries), and both players won’t see round one. I’m calling it now.
Michael Penix will not be a first round pick. I said Hendon Hooker was a 3rd-4th pick for a reason, and I was right. And Penix isn’t being taken top 50 for those same reasons.
January 8th, 2024 at 11:24 am
Draft out guy round 1, and sign Cousins to a one year deal. Baker Exceeded expectations but a new deal for him will be an actual multi year deal – no thanks. Lets take advantage of this draft having a potential franchise QB even at our pick. and can sign Cousins to a cheaper deal at this point. I know Cousins sounds boring, but hes flat out better than Mayfield – thats just a fact.
January 8th, 2024 at 11:25 am
He played well in 4 of the last 13 games. Thats isn’t good. He deserves nothing more than a 2 year deal at 20M a season with only 1 season guaranteed. Tom Brady signed for 25M a season, no way I’m giving Baker 30M. Baker played great this year for his role as a bridge QB at 4M a season. Giving him 30M plus would be a mistake. He would longer be good value. Let another team over pay for an inconsistent bridge QB that will never make a team a super bowl contender. You don’t want to be like the Giants, Saints, or Seahwaks dishing out big money for average QB play at best. Having Baker as your starting QB is being in QB purgatory which is the worst spot to be in. They should try to get Michael Penix Jr in the first round. Hell, even signing Kirk Cousins to a 2 year deal would be the better move
January 8th, 2024 at 11:27 am
Baker is a top 12 QB and the best QB in the division. The last time a team walked away from a division best, playoff bound top 12 QB to take their chances in free agency or the draft was the Patriots. How did that work out for them?
January 8th, 2024 at 11:35 am
This team will have another 5 yrs of lost decade misery. Mayfield’s not good enough. Man this would be bad. Handicap a teams cap for a player that drags them down regularly on offense. If they do it the team is screwed. No doubt about it. Sign him and the dark cloud will descend. Total fail on the organization.
January 8th, 2024 at 11:43 am
Brandon Says:
January 8th, 2024 at 11:24 am
People wanting us to draft Penix are the same blind folks that thought Hendon Hooker was a first round pick last year. You just don’t get it. Both players were 6th year seniors (over age) that took until their 5th seasons to be good, both players have serious health concerns (Hooker with a recently torn ACL, Penix with two previous ACL injuries), and both players won’t see round one. I’m calling it now.
Michael Penix will not be a first round pick. I said Hendon Hooker was a 3rd-4th pick for a reason, and I was right. And Penix isn’t being taken top 50 for those same reasons.
————————
Brandon, I’m blind???
Bro, Penix is not Hendon Hooker, so just stop it 🤦🏻♂️!!
He WILL be a 1st round pic.
He throws the MOST ACCURATE deep ball of any of the top QB’s. That’s a fact.
I watch a lot of college football.
Suggest you go back & watch some yourself.
January 8th, 2024 at 11:45 am
Still chasing the latest shiny object I see, so what have we got here after a 17 game sample, We still have a sub .500 quarterback, and all the Mayfield sycophants quickly point to his passing yardage , almost 4000 they swoon , and when you point out that you don’t win by passing yardage you win by points scored an area where We only put a measly 20 points on the board per game this season and just finished putting up an anemic 9 points against the worst team in professional football and would have lost if Carolina had not had two touch downs negated , one by a fumble right before going into the end zone and another brought back by a penalty , ( and next year our schedule is going to be tougher!), but they are still determined to sign Mayfield to an undeserved long term contract with a starters compensation packet, and also want to bring back Bowles ,which will be disastrous for the team, burning up cap space so we will not be able to bring back players we can’t afford to lose and will keep us from going after draft choices we wont be able to afford ,setting us back for years and even discouraging affordable free agents from giving us a chance . Long time Bucs fans talk about the lost decade where We were not competitive, well, We are in danger of moving into a dark era that will make the lost decade seem like a golden age of football competency.
January 8th, 2024 at 11:47 am
It’s laughable when the Baker Haters on this site say that Baker has had one good season. In fact, Baker had a great rookie season in 2018 breaking Peyton Manning’s record for most TDs by a rookie with 27. And he threw for almost 3700 yards. Plus he did it in only 13 GAMES!
In 2020, he was 11-5 (26 TDs and 8 Ints) with the Browns and brought them to the playoffs for the first time in 20+ years.
And then this year, he finishes in the Top 10 in passing yards (told you so) and Top 5/6 in a bunch of other categories. And helped bring the Bucs to the Playoffs!
THATS HARDLY SOMEONE WHO IS AN AVERAGE QB. So you can stick your negative comments and get real.
And he accomplished most of that in a corrosive Brown’s environment where he had multiple HC’s and OC’s. Hardly ideal for a young QB learning to be a pro.
Mayfield wants to play for the Bucs, so his compensation will be team-friendly. And yes, other teams will want his services but I think he’ll stay here.
January 8th, 2024 at 11:52 am
.500 is “success” only to the Cult of Baker.
January 8th, 2024 at 11:55 am
Licht will get the $$ job done. Man, did the Glazer Boyz luck out when they hired him. He’s been here 10 years now, and he and his family have settled in. I’m a Rich McKay fan (sentimental), but Licht is better than Rich was. If BM starts and the feathered uglies lace their ears back and nail him, Trask will replace him. Trask will be ready. Who do you think is going to take practice reps with the Offense?
January 8th, 2024 at 11:56 am
@ Wyoming
I hope you are right.
My question for you is – What do you consider “team friendly compensation”?
Here is what I believe that looks like – 3 year $75M deal with $40M guaranteed.
January 8th, 2024 at 11:59 am
@ Bucsfan1988
I agree.
Penix is the most accurate deep ball thrower in this draft class.
Hooker was more of a dink and dunk kind of guy.
I would be shocked if Penix wasn’t a first round pick.
January 8th, 2024 at 12:07 pm
D-Rome … ‘Baker is a top 12 QB and the best QB in the division.’
Assuming all teams agree with you, at least 8-10 of them will be looking at Baker this off-season (that’s roughly how many teams NEED starting QBs right now). If he is that good, he’ll command $30-$40 mil per year on a 3-4 year contract. And there are a number of teams needing QBs who’d be willing to pay that (the Falcons & Steelers for starters as Joe mentioned). The Bucs can’t afford to spend that much on a QB due to (1) salary CAP constraints; and (2) higher priorities for re-signings.
If Baker isn’t considered to be that good, other teams won’t be lining up to sign him. Assuming there’s no substantial market for his services, he’d still command $25 mil or so on a multi-year contract from someone. I don’t even think we can pay that. Nor should we. Baker needs a solid surrounding cast to be effective. We’ve already seen what he can do with our existing 53-man roster; we’d have to upgrade our OLine, TE & RB stables as a minimum to do any better than the 9-8 we did this season (and that’s assuming we have another Top-10 defense).
Looks to me D-Rome that Bowles is trying to build a team that mirrors the 49ers, Ravens, etc … top defense, solid in the trenches, solid running game & OK passing game so that it can be run by an ‘average’ QB. He didn’t get there this year, but I think it’s pretty easy to see what we’ll focus on in the draft & in free agency. For all his presumed ‘toughness’, Baker is really just an average QB IMO.
January 8th, 2024 at 12:11 pm
“”Mayfield wants to play for the Bucs, so his compensation will be team-friendly. And yes, other teams will want his services but I think he’ll stay here””
That’s a key point here. Baker wants Tampa to be his home indefinitely and will most certainly take a team friendly contract but fair at the same time.
January 8th, 2024 at 12:15 pm
LOL…you said “penix”
……uh huh huh
January 8th, 2024 at 12:20 pm
Its either sign Mayfield OR draft a QB in the 1st round….
Makes zero sense to do both
January 8th, 2024 at 12:22 pm
The same old Bucs would be if they sign Baker without letting him test the Market.
January 8th, 2024 at 12:25 pm
Bucfan1988 Says:
Groom Trask to start next year
——
We’ve been grooming him for so long his bride gave up and married some guy in Istanbul.
Kyel sucks
January 8th, 2024 at 12:32 pm
Resign Baker, get a good center, and a physical running back to balance White, and the offense will put up the points we are accustomed to
January 8th, 2024 at 12:33 pm
Baker is just OK? He’ll never sniff a Superbowl. Why bother when that is the ultimate goal.
January 8th, 2024 at 12:34 pm
Who’s the short fat guy in the photo?
January 8th, 2024 at 12:34 pm
JD stills says:
you don’t win by passing yardage you win by points scored
—–
Bakers 28 TDs (at rank 7) puts him in range of every other QB or more except Prescott
You lose.
January 8th, 2024 at 12:34 pm
Got the usual negative nellies/yellies on here. Hope you’re cleaning $$up$$, joes. 🙂
January 8th, 2024 at 12:35 pm
Re-sign Baker!
January 8th, 2024 at 12:35 pm
Baker is not going anywhere. He will be here for at least the next three seasons. Next year will be his first year with the same offensive coordinator if he stays here.
January 8th, 2024 at 12:36 pm
Re-sign baker, taker the best center you can with the first round pick. Upgrade the secondary and pass rush through the draft and FA.
Or let Baker walk, draft a QB and win 2-3 games next year.
January 8th, 2024 at 12:40 pm
If Licht re signs baker for 30 million a year he’s gonna have to resign Evans too cause without Evans baker isn’t producing much. No rookie wr is gonna do what Evans can do not even Harrison, neither is another free agent receiver. So if I’m the gm (which I’m clearly not) I would tell baker to test the market or take a 2 year extension for 40 million, 25 guaranteed. That’s really good imo for a guy who was inconsistent, and a offense that sputtered in pretty much every first half of every game.
January 8th, 2024 at 12:46 pm
As Geno Smith is brought up often. How’s has he done once getting his big deal? He may not even be the starter next season @ Seattle.
Does Joe actually think that when the Falcons compare how Mayfield and their Kid did playing against the Saints one week apart they are going think it’s worth another 20-25 million a year to sign him?
Tomlin at Pittsburgh knows quite well of Mayfield’s limitations and would never sign him.
Maybe San Francisco or Dallas will be looking for an upgrade at QB next season.
January 8th, 2024 at 12:47 pm
He’s gonna get some other offers, count on it. After watching the rest of the games yesterday, I don’t know about Canales and his offenses.
Almost every OC calling plays yesterday looked alot more lethal than what Canales served up. Cowboys looked great, that’s some kind of O line
January 8th, 2024 at 12:51 pm
Let me see if I got this right. Tampa Bay is with out a doubt the worst team in the NFC South. They very well could be so bad that they have the number 1 pick in the draft. If they win 5 games the fans should rejoice. This is what was said by many of the great minds before the season. Come on man. Why don’t you people give credit. This team had a really good season, to bad you were to busy hating Baker and the coaches to enjoy it. I said before I thought we could make the playoffs and it would take some work. No one was perfect but they played hard and never gave up. To bad only a few real fans enjoyed watching the absolute worst team in the NFC South win the division. With a QB that can’t throw a TD.
January 8th, 2024 at 12:53 pm
Tony Marks Says:
January 8th, 2024 at 12:25 pm
Bucfan1988 Says:
Groom Trask to start next year
——
We’ve been grooming him for so long his bride gave up and married some guy in Istanbul.
Kyel sucks
—————-
Tony, as much as you want Kyle to suck so you can continue your Mayfield man-crush, grooming him means actually giving him starts and experience.
Letting him make mistakes and seeing how he corrects them.
Regardless, I’d like to see Bucs grab Penix as well,
There’s something about this kid I really like.
January 8th, 2024 at 12:55 pm
There’s a lot of teams outthere that would pay good money for Bake rn
January 8th, 2024 at 1:01 pm
QBs dont grow on trees let alone one who by nearly every statistic has produced a top 15 season. You can do a whole lot worse than Baker Mayfield. If the Bucs dont resign Mayfield it shows their not serious about being a contender next year and instead would rather expirment with Trask or a rookie.
But I dont see Licht doing that, he loves Mayfield.
January 8th, 2024 at 1:02 pm
They way some of the pro-Baker comments read you would think some of these dudes are writing from prison. Name calling, hurt feelings, insults. What a bunch of whiney Baker fan bois.
January 8th, 2024 at 1:02 pm
Folks never mention how mediocre the O-line is and how subpar the running game is. Playing being beat up and injured, he gets them to the playoffs. He deserves a team friendly contract. His haters have already forgotten he had a perfect QB rating in Lambeau a few weeks ago. Now, if he heals up, Canales calls good games, and the defense plays consistently well, I think they could win next week and perhaps the week after. Go Bucs!
January 8th, 2024 at 1:06 pm
The Baker/Kyle debate is old. Reality is they both aren’t that great so moving forward with either player next year doesn’t matter because they’ll likely be a short term starter.
Want to resign Baker to a reasonable contract, fine. Want to spend the money elsewhere and role with trask for a year, fine. It all depends on what you can do in FA. I think Evans and Winfield should be the top priorities along with Center and TE.
Penix is absolutely a 1st round talent. Ony thing holding him back is injuries, which is the also only reason he’s a 6th year starter. Would love to roll the dice on him.
January 8th, 2024 at 1:21 pm
Why do you knuckeheads keep thinking that drafting a QB in the first round will get you a so called “Franchise QB” better than Mayfield. The odds are totally against you yet you persist in this noncense.
January 8th, 2024 at 1:22 pm
After this year there will be several teams coming after Baker. Unless we just want to start over we better sign him and not let him hit the free agent market. Sorry Trask fans even the Bucs braintrust don’t believe Trask is the guy. I wish they would give him a chance in a real game so he can show everyone what he can or can’t do.
January 8th, 2024 at 1:25 pm
@WyomingJoe,
I REALLY hope that the Steelers make Baker a decent offer. He deserves to go play for a class organization and a good football coach, and being able to take on the Browns twice a season might be just enough incentive. TB does not deserve him – they would not know quality QB play if it bit them.
Yesterday is a perfect example… Yes, he was hurt. But the reason for the terrible game was directly in front of him… Hainsey was OWNED by Derrick Brown and Frankie Luvie on every pass play… Baker could not step up into the pocket, cause Hainsey was being driven back through the pocket on every pass.
And our OC goes away from the 1 thing that WAS working (quick slants and maybe some screens or crossers to White???). Instead, somehow we decided to try to pick on Horn (their best defender, by far) for the whole game. Who’s genius idea was that?
PS: I HATE the Steelers worse than anybody, but I would root for them over the Browns if they signed Baker.
January 8th, 2024 at 1:26 pm
Sign him at $25,000,000 per for 3 years,… Two years guaranteed.
January 8th, 2024 at 1:27 pm
Sign Russell Wilson to a min deal and let him collect the rest of his salary from the Broncos. Draft a rookie and sign another lower cost vet to fill out the room. Canales knows Wilson well. Let Mayfield sign a big contract with someone else and cut Trask. From a business perspective, this would be the best scenario for the Bucs. Mayfield has been great this year, not so sure he can repeat it though. Don’t want to turn into a Broncos situation for them.
January 8th, 2024 at 1:34 pm
@bucfan1988,
Your losing your mind.
Trask is an interception machine and doesn’t move around the way baker can
Michael Penix while being a Tampa product has a huge injury history.
No thanks on that.
January 8th, 2024 at 1:39 pm
So Trask fans want to let Baker walk and see if Pittsburgh, NY Giants, Las Vegas, New England, Washington, Atlanta, Denver, or possibly even Tennessee/Chicago (depending on the whole Will Levis and Justin Fields situations), {basically a quarter of the NFL} will want him, and let Trask take over and groom or compete with a rookie QB the Bucs would get in a draft?? If the Bucs get EXTREMELY lucky (along with some draft day trading and or magic) they might get a Bo Nix or a Drake Maye but honestly that is VERY doubtful..So you want to go into 2024 with an unproven commodity in Trask, despite having a tough, fiery QB that completed more than 60% of his passes, threw for over 4,000+ yards and had a nearly 3 to 1 TD to INT ratio (28-10), and led the team to a winning record, 3 straight Division Title that gets us a home playoff game, and also even improved on last year’s record?? Need I remind you people that the Bucs were picked by many NFL experts to finish dead last in the league, or close to it, post Tom Brady era.
Man, you Trask fans are DELUSIONAL at best.
January 8th, 2024 at 1:39 pm
Bucfan1988 Says:
Tony, as much as you want Kyle to suck so you can continue your Mayfield man-crush, grooming him means actually giving him starts and experience.
Letting him make mistakes and seeing how he corrects them.
—————–
ALL of that is just fantasy land. A bottom of the 2nd round pick is not the designated Saviour of the Franchise you let make all the mistakes he wishes.
IF you are not a recognized top round pick in this league you have to earn your minutes and prove yourself in practice. This asinine idea you Kyle cultists have that ANY coach is going to give a lower round pick QB a season to see how he progresses just marks your insanity.
I always knew all this – “we just want to see what Kyle can do” – was a crock. What many of you want is to designate Kyle as the presumed franchise QB and give him most of a season to prove you right even if we became the next panthers in the process.
Bowles was right to decline that nonsense.
January 8th, 2024 at 1:51 pm
It cost a lot less to upgrade the offensive line than to upgrade quarterback
January 8th, 2024 at 1:52 pm
Show Me the TDs Says:
January 8th, 2024 at 1:02 pm
They way some of the pro-Baker comments read you would think some of these dudes are writing from prison. Name calling, hurt feelings, insults. What a bunch of whiney Baker fan bois.
—-
Thats FANTASTIC!!! Dang I am good.
Like I said a few weeks ago when I started saying Kyle sucks – the mission ( ACCOMPLISHED) was to be as negative and nit picky on Kyle as you cultists/haters are on Baker. Since no one could talk any sense into you for months it was always about giving you what you give others as reflection of who YOU are.
and you are right!!! – You haters are a whiny bunch. Glad I am so good I can give you a good look in the mirror.
I actually look forward to rooting for Kyle – when he plays for another team. Sems like an upright kid – unlike his central florida fan base .
January 8th, 2024 at 2:00 pm
Peter King is a clown and Baker proved he’s a pro QB, and maybe a starter, but not a franchise QB. If he’s paid like a middle of the road QB, fine, if that’s what the Bucs decide. But I suspect he’ll want a huge deal and he’s not that guy, so let him walk.
January 8th, 2024 at 2:06 pm
Neither is a failed 1st round QB on his 4th team in 2 years. But Bowles had no trouble letting him “make all the mistakes he wishes” yesterday. And the week before. And against SF (1 INT, 1 FUM, 3 dropped INTs). And against BUF (1 FUM, 2 dropped INTs). And against IND (1 INT, 2 FUM).
He’s had 3, maybe 4 good games this year (GB, JAX, NO#1, HOU). The rest have been boring at best, runaway losses at worst. I hope he gets his big contract, and I hope ATL gives it to him.
January 8th, 2024 at 2:10 pm
If you sign Baker, you will be allowed to trade away the 1st and 2nd round for the next two drafts. We can trade David, White, JTS, Hall, Dean, and replace them with people already on the roster.
We have learned that we waste 1st and 2nd round picks, but strike gold in the later rounds, UDFAs, and they costs less against the salary cap.
This will give us multiple 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th round picks for 4 seasons. It will also give us the money to keep Evans, Goodwin, bring back Jensen next season, play Tucker and most of all go out in free agency and BUY a real edge rusher like JJ WATTS!
We do not need any receivers, backs, defensive linemen but we do need a good corner and safety which could come in round 4. They can learn and play 25 percent like Izien who was a UDFA.
We do need a better offensive line even if Jensen comes back.
We need to draft for depth, youth, speed, and football IQ.
If we draft these players this draft, make these changes which are simple we will be in the Super Bowl next year.
January 8th, 2024 at 2:12 pm
Toney , Tony, Tony, you’re wasting your time doing what ever it is you do, because with your ability to tell the future without ever seeing a player play , you should go into fortune telling and playing the lottery, after making a few billion dollars off of winning lotto tickets and picking what rounds successful quarterbacks will be picked in ,(excluding Brady and Purdy of course, they obviously needed to be picked earlier but you probably tried to tell em that didn’t ya?).Yes us normal mortals are held in awe of your ability to prognosticate , Nostradamus had nothing on you! LOL!
January 8th, 2024 at 2:13 pm
lanshark Says:
Yesterday is a perfect example… Yes, he was hurt. But the reason for the terrible game was directly in front of him… Hainsey was OWNED by Derrick Brown and Frankie Luvie on every pass play…
——
Thats because he holds the ball too long. NO that’s not my answer. Thats the answer you will hear from a lot of buc fans here and even the local media. They’ve ben been giving the line credit all season long because Baker escapes sacks and any time he doesn’t or can’t its his fault.
I cannot tell a lie. Baker in Pittsburgh would be EPIC. What a rivalry that would be? Every game against the Browns personal. I’d be compelled to finally get NFL ticket. Would miss him from the bucs but I could live with it.
January 8th, 2024 at 2:16 pm
Sacker58 Says:
January 8th, 2024 at 1:34 pm
@bucfan1988,
Your losing your mind.
Trask is an interception machine and doesn’t move around the way baker can
Michael Penix while being a Tampa product has a huge injury history.
No thanks on that.
—————————-
Sacker58, where in the hell did you get that Trask is an “interception machine” 😂😂😂??? Bro, stop being a clown. I’m sure you have the FACTS to back that comment up???
Kyle moves around well in the pocket. He lost 15 lbs training this past season. Looked fine in training camp games. That’s not an issue.
You’re like reaching at straws cuz you don’t wanna have to give your Buccaneer Mayfield stuffed teddy bear to Goodwill when he’s no longer the starter for us….
January 8th, 2024 at 2:28 pm
realistic-optimistic Says:
January 8th, 2024 at 2:06 pm
Neither is a failed 1st round QB on his 4th team in 2 years. But Bowles had no trouble letting him “make all the mistakes he wishes” yesterday
—-
Baker has led a team to the NFL playoffs before
THrown for over three thousand yards before
has multiple TDs
and now has a low INt ratio
YOU LOSE – no matter how much you whine
The teams he has played for are actually points AGAINST you. He has convinced 4 teams to make him start and is leading his second team in four years to the playoffs
Your beloved Kyle has failed to convince even one team he should start. NOT EVEN WHEN QB1 iS INJURED
He has 23 yards
Nine is his longest completion ( despite the clap trap he moves the ball down the field
and is 30% in completions
You only solidify your status as dufus to not understand why Bowels prefers Baker. IN some point in Bakers life he was considered good enough to draft in the first round.
NO TEAM IN THE LEAGUE EVER THOUGHT TO DRAFT KYLE IN THE FIRST ROUND
All you do is lose.
January 8th, 2024 at 2:34 pm
D.R.
I can see why you say Baker is an “average” NFL QB. I guess I’d perhaps split hairs on the definition of “average”. I do not believe he’s exceptional, or that he is talented enough to carry a team, but IMHO he is talented enough to lead a talented team to the promised land ala Dilfer or Brad Johnson.
This team hasn’t done him any favors! How many drops did ME13 have early? How many drops does Palmer continue to have. How long has the learning curve been for Canalas to figure out play calling and scheming? How long for this YOUNG OL to develop with at least one more spot still needing replacement.
Bottom line for me is that Baker’s Int % this season was 1.8% significantly lower than his career 2.6%. BTW Mahomes career is also 1.8%. I think Baker has simply matured and learned how to take care of the ball. Perhaps too much at times when I thought he should cut it loose even if to the cheap seats.
I do not think Baker Mayfield has the talent to carry the Bucs to another SB. He ABSOLUTELY has the leadership and motivational skills required and in his new take care of the ball mode I do not believe he’ll be a handicap going forward. Not the savior, but not the curse either.
January 8th, 2024 at 2:38 pm
JD Still Says:
January 8th, 2024 at 2:12 pm
Toney , Tony, Tony, you’re wasting your time doing what ever it is you do, because with your ability to tell the future without ever seeing a player play
—
Hey dufus – I aint the head coach so I don’t give a rip
the coach that has seen him play far more than you says he isn’t ready
I don’t need a crystal ball to agree with benching Kyle. He is an end of the second round pick. Its YOU that think you have a crystal ball that tells you 32 teams coaching and scouting staff members missed seeing this franchise changing talent of Kyles when they skipped taking him – 31 of then TWICE
Logic always bites your arguments in the rear
January 8th, 2024 at 2:41 pm
Baker is average really sure beats below average like alot of teams in the nfl,& 1 other good points to make is all u people with u r negative post bout baker is u r below average site post morons u r opinions r well below average I get more sensible post from green bay than u knuckleheads,we had a winning season but u had a losing season as post the garbage
January 8th, 2024 at 3:02 pm
The only reason we like Baker right now is that we spent $4M on him this season, plus incentives… we would have hung Licht off of a streetlight over Dale Mabry through our losing streak if we had paid Baker $30M/season. Lot of mouths to feed in the off-season, and some of those mouths will help Baker repeat his performance.
To be clear, Baker doesn’t elevate the performance of other players, it’s skilled/elite players that elevate Baker’s performance… and that is the difference between him and guys like Mahomes. The one thing we will not do is regret NOT signing Baker, even if it means we slip in the division and we start racking up L’s. No one that is willing to shell out $30M/yr for his Baker is going to a Super Bowl, sorry, not going to happen. Prove me wrong.
January 8th, 2024 at 3:08 pm
7 game skid… wins that were because of the defense and not 200 1 and 1 mayfield.. and back to back garbage performances in division clinching games vs rivals. This Joe is a massive troll and a huge baker fan. Nothing more. Please continue the baiting nonsense joe.
January 8th, 2024 at 3:08 pm
It’s funny to hear so many people say Baker is the best qb in the division, that’s a great compliment for a division that is the weakest of all of the NFL. If the bucs were in any other division they would not be in the playoffs. Face the facts, all of you who believe he is a great qb is telling the truth as long as he is in a division where 9-8 or 8-8 is considered a successful year, if Tampa bay keeps the head coach and the oc and Baker then we will be a sub 500 team. The talent on the bucs roster offense, excluding Baker and defense is as good as the beat top 5 teams in the league, and to go into the playoffs at 9-8 and celebrate like its a great achievement is an embarrassment to the community and the fans, and as far as Baker goes I am tired of hearing him say he is having so much fun again, news flash one game over 500 is not fun unless you’re mediocre, let’s see how fun the playoffs are against top teams
January 8th, 2024 at 3:14 pm
I like Baker and I hope he stays, but there is no way I give him $30 million a year. I’d say more like 3yrs 20 mil a year with a lot of incentives that can get him to around 30 mil if he continues to play well. Honestly, we are his best option to start and he will be smart to stay in Tampa.
January 8th, 2024 at 3:23 pm
Sign him. He’s earned it. They can win with him, and I’d rather spend 30 million on him than chase another QB for possibly more.
January 8th, 2024 at 3:26 pm
Well actually Toney : I really do believe you are not the head coach ,( Maybe) , But tell me , How Many teams passed on Brady when he wasn’t drafted until the sixth round, or Purdy , Mr. Irrelevant , the very last player drafted now starting for the 49er’s , and as far as the coaches who passed on Kyle you would feel very comfortable with that particular group of geniuses going all the way back to his Junior High days, hey , maybe you guys can all get together and tell each other how incredibly smart you are, you would probably believe that too.
January 8th, 2024 at 3:27 pm
@ St. Pete
I think you nailed it.
Your descriptions of Baker is 100% accurate IMO.
“Not the savior, but not the curse either.”
Also agree – Baker has matured and has done a great job of protecting the football (sometimes a little too much) and that is the most important thing to Todd Bowles and he has stated that several times during his press conferences…
January 8th, 2024 at 4:13 pm
Baker needs to come out and beat the Eagles before you’d consider bringing him back.
He’s choked in these last two games and nearly cost the team their playoff spot, and against the 31st ranked pass defense of the Eagles, if he comes out and bombs yet again, then he needs to go.
But play well and win the game, then he’s back.
That seems like a fair deal to me, and if the Baker Bois actually believe in him, and weren’t just part of a TV commercial fan club cult, they’d come out and say he’s going to destroy the Eagles terrible pass defense and there’s no chance he’s not the MVP of the game.
January 8th, 2024 at 4:17 pm
@TB Bolts, 200, 1 and 1 doesn’t add up to 4044, 28 and 19 now does it. Keep your strawman argumentamongst your friends. You are embarrassing yourself here
January 8th, 2024 at 4:22 pm
@Rod Munch, if Baker wasn’t physically beat up to the point of limping, I would feel confident that Bqker would do what he has most of the year. 2.8 TDs, 1 Int, 240 pass yards, and a 10 critical rushing yards to move the chains.
The way he is right now, with the injuries, nobody would say that. You picked a very cowardly time to bow up and try and bet against him. I hope he proves your sorry ass wrong, but he is at about 60% right now and you know it.
January 8th, 2024 at 5:08 pm
Tampa Bay might be the most trashy fanbase Baker has ever played for. It is actually just kind of disgusting.
January 8th, 2024 at 5:19 pm
Joe,
You said it yourself, “Peter king lost his fastball”.
Baker is mid, and he can come back if he wins a home playoff game for a market deal- meaning $15-20m tops. And for thst price, I’m going dumpster diving again and drafting the best QB available on round 1. No thanks to
Committing to a mid-level QB.
January 8th, 2024 at 5:47 pm
PAY THE MAN.
January 8th, 2024 at 6:04 pm
How do you know that any first round QB in the draft is a Franchise QB. Statistically they have a 75% chance of not being a Franchise QB. You are not going to be able to sign Mayfield for under 30 million. You people are the most unknowledgeable fans in the NFL.
January 8th, 2024 at 6:37 pm
Jason Anthony Sturgess,
That’s how I feel about the whole thing. It’s the devil you know vs. the devil you don’t know. We had a #1 overall pick and he was a bust. It’s funny how most of the same people who thought the Bucs should have resigned Winston are the same ones who clamored for Trask all year.
Also, $30 million is the going rate for a quality starter. Maybe he’d give the Bucs the hometown discount. Perhaps the Bucs will franchise him. I think with a few more pieces on the team the Bucs can genuinely contend for another Super Bowl. That’s not happening with a rookie at the spot they are drafting at.
January 8th, 2024 at 6:42 pm
Defense Rules,
I think many of those 8-10 teams will take their chances in the draft because rookie contracts are cheaper. There will be a market for Baker. There are teams that will want a guy that threw for 28tds, 10ints, 4000+ yards, on 64% passing. This isn’t Jameis Winston all over again where he drew no interest.
Your comments are fair and thoughtful, but I don’t see the Bucs drafting a franchise QB at the spot they’ll be drafting at. We shall see. In the meantime I’m looking forward to the home playoff game the team deserves to be in.
January 8th, 2024 at 6:58 pm
StPete … ‘Bottom line for me is that Baker’s Int % this season was 1.8% significantly lower than his career 2.6%. I think Baker has simply matured and learned how to take care of the ball.’
I agree with everything you wrote St Pete, but with a caveat. Baker won the starting gig and kept it because he did precisely what Bowles & Canales wanted & expected. PROTECT THE FOOTBALL above everything else. Do NOT turn it over. I saw what I’d consider to be relatively few risky throws. Haven’t taken the time to do the research, but I’d bet that Mayfield threw a lot fewer intermediate & deep throws than Tom Brady did. Short passes are historically a lot safer than deep passes.
Of course Brady set the record last year with his 751 pass attempts (Baker had 568 this year in comparison … almost 200 fewer). Tom Brady threw 9 INTs & Baker threw 10 INTs. Brady though was only sacked 22 times in 2022; Mayfield was sacked 40 times this year). One big difference though IMO is that Mayfield is credited with 1 x 4th Qtr Comeback; Brady was credited with 4 of them last year.
January 8th, 2024 at 7:07 pm
D-Rome … ‘I don’t see the Bucs drafting a franchise QB at the spot they’ll be drafting at.’
Better than break-even chance that you’re right, UNLESS someone who JL & TB really like falls into their lap. We’ve got a lot of NEEDS, and we can’t afford to waste our 1st Rnd pick on a gamble. I think they’d roll with Kyle Trask as their starter before taking a gamble like that (TB seems to me to be quite risk-averse and JL has already taken that risk on Trask).
I’m looking forward to next Monday night’s game too. We didn’t match up very well with the Eagles first time we met them, but you could say the same thing about 2020 when we lost 3 games in the regular season to the Chiefs & Saints but whooped them in the playoffs.
January 8th, 2024 at 11:53 pm
For the dude that said draft Penix….yeaaaaa no…
He got shellacked in the Michigan game..threw 2 picks and was ineffective for all 4 quarters…He is nowhere near being a franchise QB…
Stick with Baker.
January 9th, 2024 at 9:02 am
LET ME ASK YOU A LEGIT QUESTION …
What other team would pay Baker $30M a year?
Every team that needs a new QB has a draft pick. This draft is loaded with quality QBs (Caleb, Maye, Daniels, Penix, Nix, JJ, Ewers). Why would any QB-needy team pay a journeyman with one good year (and several bad years) $30M instead of drafting a QB? Bucs are only bidding against themselves.
January 9th, 2024 at 5:49 pm
Sign Baker ASAP and put this thing to bed. Baker plays like he grew up in Tampa a Bucs fan. Can’t put a value on that. A 2nd year in the system with the team around Baker improving and the team will be that much better. Heck sign Trask too. The longer your backup is in the system, the better.