A Developmental Position
February 23rd, 2024
Baker Mayfield was very strong in his first, third and sixth seasons, including setting the rookie record for touchdown passes with 27 in just 14 games.
That’s four more than C.J. Stroud pumped out this year in 15 games.
No, Mayfield wasn’t a Pro Bowler until the 2023 campaign, but he was developing nicely until he got injured in his Year 4 and was booted from Cleveland in favor of creepy Deshaun Watson.
The story is well known. Mayfield was traded to Carlolina in late July of his fifth season. By Week 5, the Panthers were trading players and tanking. Mayfield finished up that year a positive note with the Rams before landing in Tampa.
Former Jets GM Mike Tannenbaum was gabbing this week on SiriusXM NFL Radio about how it’s too easy to forget that quarterback is a developmental position. Not everyone enters the league slinging it like Justin Herbert.
Tannenbaum used Mayfield as an example of a guy who, at 28 years old with the Bucs, his fourth team, “now looks like a really good player.”
Sure, there’s reason to doubt Mayfield because of his inconsistent history. But there’s also reason to believe he would benefit greatly from stability with the Bucs this season, plus film shows he has all the arm talent he could need and the will to lead successfully.
Lots of people call that a franchise quarterback.
Carson Palmer, a No. 1 overall pick like Mayfield, had a roller coaster carer until he landed with Bucco Bruce Arians in his 30s. Jared Goff revived himself at age 28 (and 29).
If Team Glazer sees Mayfield as a blossoming player reaping the fruits of his development, they’ll be happy to cut him a massive check to re-sign in the coming days.
February 23rd, 2024 at 1:18 pm
If they pay 35 mil and add the 4 mil it is only 20 mil a year for 2 years work.
February 23rd, 2024 at 1:23 pm
Go Bucs
February 23rd, 2024 at 1:23 pm
Let’s hope! Gotta get Mike, and AWJ too.
I think though, the only chance we have at keeping Mike, is re-signing Baker. Otherwise that CJ Stroud fella, an hometown crowd, and a whole lotta cash, could be very distracting to Mike Evans.
February 23rd, 2024 at 1:28 pm
HC Grover Says:
February 23rd, 2024 at 1:18 pm
If they pay 35 mil and add the 4 mil it is only 20 mil a year for 2 years work.
Interesting logic. I will play along. The last 5 years the Bucs have been paying Mike Evans a sub prime deal of about 16.5Mil per year. Well below his market value. They should pay him 26mil per year for the next 3 years. That will put him at 20mil a year for 8 YEARS OF WORK. Still well below his market value. SO PAY MIKE EVANS PLEASE. THEN PAY BAKER
February 23rd, 2024 at 1:31 pm
There have been 38 quarterbacks picked in the first round since 2011, and collectively , including Mayfield, they have a sub .500 win percentage , that’s a lot of wasted money, sounds like some metrics need to be changed .
February 23rd, 2024 at 1:41 pm
The QB position has the market by the balls right now and that needs to come correct. The more teams pay $40 million for a scrub like Daniel Jones the closer we get. It will always be the most important position, but WR is breaking the bank in a passing league. That makes RB a tough position to play and what kids will be inspired by that? It just leads to more and more great WRs and a lack of RBs. It really is dumb that WRs make 3 times as much as RBs. The next decade will be interesting as far as salaries go. In the days of Jerry Rice the cap was 35 million. It’s not like we just printed more money since then.
February 23rd, 2024 at 1:48 pm
It frequently happens that the most talented QBs land on the worst teams when they are drafted.
The talent that surrounds any given QB is the #1 factor that will help or hinder whether said QB “looks like a franchise QB”….
Bryce Young comes out the gate looking like a wasted #1 overall pick – and last pick in the draft Mr Irrelevant Brock Purdy starts his pro career leading his teams to Championship games and Super Bowls – looking like HE should have been the #1 overall pick…..
The surrounding talent level might have had just a little something to do with our collective perceptions of those 2 QBs…
February 23rd, 2024 at 1:55 pm
Thanks, Joe, for getting the Mayfield story right. For all the doubters and haters they have now something to read ( if they know how) that tells the truth about Baker. What you have written is consistent what actual teammates have said about Baker. Only a handful of disgruntled types like OBJ’s daddy have ever criticized Baker. Myles Garrett took a shot or two at Baker because Baker didn’t endorse Garrett swing a helmet at Mason Rudolph in a Steelers game. Inept Browns management made a big mistake by signing DeMassage Watson instead of keeping Baker. Baker will get to a Super Bowl before the Browns.
February 23rd, 2024 at 1:56 pm
Thanks, Joe, for getting the Mayfield story right. For all the doubters and haters they have now something to read ( if they know how) that tells the truth about Baker. What you have written is consistent what actual teammates have said about Baker. Only a handful of disgruntled types like OBJ’s daddy have ever criticized Baker. Myles Garrett took a shot or two at Baker because Baker didn’t endorse Garrett swing a helmet at Mason Rudolph in a Steelers game. Inept Browns management made a big mistake by signing DeMassage Watson instead of keeping Baker. Baker will get to a Super Bowl before the Browns. ‘
February 23rd, 2024 at 2:09 pm
Pickgrin,
Of course you are right. Tampa Bay fans who are old enough must surely remember Steve Young’s troubles in Tampa. Things worked out pretty well for Steve with San Fran. Your perspective is measured and true. Most of the negative stuff on this blog just isn’t. Thanks.
February 23rd, 2024 at 2:22 pm
DEVELOPMENTAL QUESTION:
So how many more years until Jameis Winston develops?
February 23rd, 2024 at 2:28 pm
My take on Baker is pretty much what Joe describes here: lots of talent early, followed by some hard knocks, and now reaching the point where he’s ready to win. My only concerns are 1) he still needs the maturity to balance his ego/style with minimizing injuries, and 2) he needs to bring his best game even when he’s not the underdog.
February 23rd, 2024 at 2:45 pm
Just visiting- I think his maturity is fine, I think his teammates love exactly how baker is now, he’s been humbled and he’s matured enough everything else about baker is working for him and his teammates because they love him
February 23rd, 2024 at 3:30 pm
Baker Mayfield has a 106 playoff rating with the Bucs.
Thats the highest rating in Buc History.
Higher than Tom Brady, the year he won the SuperBowl.
Higher than Brad Johnson, Jeff Garcia, Doug Williams.
In the biggest games, he was our best Qb in team history.
And all that with no running game, a horrible O-line, and a very poor TE room.
Yeah, He is a FRANCHISE QB, and it would be unimaginably bad management to let him leave this team.
No matter what some simpletons think
February 23rd, 2024 at 4:10 pm
BillyBucco Says:
“The QB position has the market by the balls right now and that needs to come correct. The more teams pay $40 million for a scrub like Daniel Jones the closer we get. It will always be the most important position, but WR is breaking the bank in a passing league. That makes RB a tough position to play and what kids will be inspired by that? It just leads to more and more great WRs and a lack of RBs.”
There’s a reason. Trying rolling out Sam Howell, Desmond Ridder and Jacoby Brissett type QBs to more than the bottom 15 teams in the league – and see how bad more teams will be. And how you will feel when it’s your team that has one of these QBs. First Round draft pick QBs rule the league. 7 or 8 divisional round teams had one. Only SF did not. Unless you have Shanahan coaching all these teams. Does anyone think Purdy would be a top 10 QB on any other team not running the Shanahan QB friendly offense? See how Garoppolo went from 65% games won to benched 1/3 into the season.
Consider the top 10 QBs are making $45M annual average. The top 11-15 should be getting at least $35M. Have one of those lowered tiered QBs starting for you and then you’ll feel differently.
February 23rd, 2024 at 4:13 pm
@Capt.Tim
With due respect O-Line was not horrible and TE was not very poor, agree with the running game, that got better at the end of the season but far from being good….
Oline was good and TE were average, I still think that Otton can be very good….
February 23rd, 2024 at 5:14 pm
Chad – Yeah, it’s a balancing act; definitely don’t want to lose the fire. I have high hopes for next year!
February 23rd, 2024 at 5:18 pm
Zzbuc,
Well, that will be your lil secret.
31 run game in the NFl tells you that our Oline couldnt block.
Mauch was worst rated starting guard in the league, Stennie was also in bottom among Guards. Hainsey rated at a 50.2, a c- for last season
Our TE group ranked 28th out of 32
Our run game rallied a bit. We we last in rushing attack most of the Season. I think we ended up at 29.
So, yeah. The line sucked, despite having good tackles. The TEs sucked, even though I also have faith in Ottman and Durham.
If you didnt know how bad our running game is, then you must be new to JoeBuc.
We talked about it all season long.
Think you might be looking thru Pewter colored glasses. Its cool to support the team, it really is.
But we have some GLARING weaknesses on offense, that are easy enough to address
February 23rd, 2024 at 8:25 pm
Just visiting says Ditto that for me
February 23rd, 2024 at 10:17 pm
Funny when people roll out that stuff about R1 QBs win percentage. If you’re picked R1, you’re usually going to a really crappy team.
February 23rd, 2024 at 11:01 pm
Developing a qb, hmmmm since when has that ever happened in Tampa Bay??? We were supposed to develop one but since Blowles didn’t draft him so he went to the scrap heap for the one he wanted. I watched every game and sure Baker did some good things but there were alot of not so good as well, the sign of a mediocre qb win some lose some. He’s just another Jeff Garcia that you male cheerleaders be hootin and hollering for a guy who doesn’t make others around him better. He was lucky that the tie goes to the vet because as a 5th year vet learning a new system just like his competition who’d never started a game he needed the coaches vote because he sure enough didn’t out play anybody. He plays poorly against good teams and even bad teams as well. You guys can drink the Baker juice all you want. He’s never had back to back good seasons and after last years better than decent showing and a new OC he’s due for a down year
February 24th, 2024 at 8:39 am
So Jamies gets 5 years to develop while playing on trash teams but Baker gets 6 to 7 years and he played on a good Cleveland Browns and a ok bucs teams . Lol 🤣 ok it’s only one different between the two and it’s the paint job and you know what I mean. One guy got 6 chances to start on 4 different teams and the other guy had 1 real shot on one team. Lol 🤣🤣
February 24th, 2024 at 8:52 am
I still think in the next CBA they should exempt the highest paid offensive and defensive players from the salary cap. That way one or two players don’t handicap the rest of the team.
February 24th, 2024 at 11:09 am
I’m a former Browns fan who followed Baker to Tampa. When he came to the Browns, they were the ideal of a tanking team The previous two years, they were 1-31, their only win coming when the Chargers botched not one, but two fourth-quarter field goal attempts. In his first year, inserted only because of injury, he made the pitiful neo-Browns respectable. A couple years later, they were beating the hated Steelers in the playoffs on the Steelers own turf. Last year, when I read about his going to Tampa, the predominant mood was characterized by the question of how deep should the Bucs go in the tank. At the end of the season, the Bucs were winning a playoff game. What do y’all think the team’s record would have been with one of the other QB options? And, by now, we would have peddled Evans and Winfield before FA, instead of trying to keep them
February 24th, 2024 at 5:40 pm
Go Bucs, go Baker!
February 24th, 2024 at 9:26 pm
When have we ever won 3 Division titles in a row? Winston? Williams? Testaverde? Young?