Baker Mayfield

Buccaneers, QB Baker Mayfield Begin “Preliminary Talks”

February 24th, 2024 at 10:57pm CST by Ben Levine

Previous reports indicated that the Buccaneers would like to re-sign Baker Mayfield before the start of free agency, and the organization is apparently making progress on that goal. According to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times, the Buccaneers and Mayfield have had “preliminary talks” about a new deal.

While nothing is imminent, it’s a positive sign that the two sides are already engaging in negotiations. Per Stroud, Tampa Bay general manager Jason Licht is expected to meet with Mayfield’s agent, Tom Mills, next week, and both camps have expressed interest in completing a new contract.

Following a standout season that saw Mayfield pass for a career-high 4,044 yards and 28 touchdowns while guiding his squad to the postseason, the Buccaneers have already started preparing for the former top-overall pick to be under center in 2024. After offensive coordinator Dave Canales left to become the Panthers head coach, the Buccaneers brought on Kentucky offensive coordinator Liam Coen, who previously worked with Mayfield when the two were in Los Angeles.

While the Buccaneers seem to be making it clear that they want Mayfield back, the feeling is apparently mutual. Per Stroud, Mayfield wants to stick in Tampa Bay because he believes it would give him the best opportunity to win. Mayfield’s 9-8 record in 2023 was only the second time in his career that he’s finished with a winning record, and the veteran is surely looking to carry that momentum into the 2024 campaign.

Of course, while both sides are interested in a new pact, it may be easier said than done. Mayfield will surely earn a significant raise on the $7MM he earned this past season (including incentives), and as Stroud notes, a deal worth $40MM-plus wouldn’t even necessarily put the QB into the upper echelon of his position.

Friday afternoon’s unveiling of the 2024 salary cap brought clarity to the QB franchise tag, which would come in at $38.3MM. That could be an option for the Buccaneers if they can’t agree to a long-term deal with Mayfield, although Stroud cautions that the organization isn’t “expected to use that designation.”

Buccaneers Want To Re-Sign Baker Mayfield Before Free Agency

February 14th, 2024 at 10:14pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Buccaneers have made a habit of letting their top free agents test the market in recent years. Jamel Dean, Carlton Davis and Shaquil Barrett each re-signed with the Bucs but did so after being unattached going into the legal tampering period.

It does not appear Tampa Bay wants to take that chance with Baker Mayfield. Mutual interest exists between the Bucs and their 2023 starting quarterback. While no known talks have transpired, the team wants to have Mayfield re-signed before free agency begins, per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport, Tom Pelissero and Mike Garafolo.

Dean spent nearly five hours unattached to start the 2023 legal tampering period. The Bucs, who had made several maneuvers to create cap space following the Tom Brady retirement bill ($35.1MM), reached a four-year, $52MM deal to re-sign the cornerback that afternoon. Operating on a near-identical timetable, the Bucs reached an agreement to re-sign Davis (three years, $45MM) just more than five hours into the 2022 tampering period. Barrett did not make it through to the afternoon unattached, with a Bucs team determined to keep its Super Bowl LV-winning core together authorizing a four-year, $72MM deal. The veteran edge rusher committed to re-sign less than an hour into the 2021 legal tampering period.

The club’s ability to convince its top in-house free agents to stay even after speaking with other teams has made for an interesting trend. It might apply to the situation surrounding Mike Evans, who is weeks away from his first free agency bid. The Bucs have shown an interest in re-signing Evans, but after the sides could not reach an agreement before the start of last season, the accomplished wide receiver vowed to test the market. Antoine Winfield Jr. profiles as a more likely candidate for the franchise tag, though the Bucs’ past locking down Davis and Dean could pertain to the standout safety.

A Winfield tag would cost the Bucs approximately $17.22MM. That would be preferable to the team having a quarterback tag ($35.95MM) on its books going into free agency. It remains to be seen if the Bucs value Mayfield that highly, but just about everything to surface since December indicates the team wants to keep its quarterback. The Bucs giving Mayfield input into their OC search, which ended with ex-Rams OC Liam Coen replacing Dave Canales, furthers the notion the Bucs are operating as if Mayfield will be back in 2024. But it will cost far more than $4MM — eventually bumped to $7MM via incentives — for Tampa Bay to retain Mayfield this year.

Teams without a clear path to land one of this draft’s top QB prospects could loom as Mayfield suitors. The Falcons, Broncos and Raiders would make sense as potential buyers. The Bucs’ exclusive negotiating rights with Mayfield expire at 11am CT on March 11, when this year’s legal tampering period begins. If the team determines the franchise tag as necessary here, it has until 3pm CT on March 5.

Representing a major value spike from his low-key 2023 free agency foray, Mayfield joins Kirk Cousins as the top UFA options at quarterback this year. Teams without top-three draft choices will undoubtedly be monitoring these two options, and interest and price points often circulate at the Combine. It will be interesting to see if the Bucs can re-sign Mayfield before that point, but they certainly want to prevent their Brady successor from having the chance to shop around come March 11.

Baker Mayfield Addresses Bucs Future

February 7th, 2024 at 3:42pm CST by Adam La Rose

Baker Mayfield made his first career Pro Bowl appearance last weekend, but his attention will now turn to his impending free agency. A deal allowing him to remain with the Buccaneers is still very much in play, and the veteran signal-caller recently spoke about where things stand on that front.

Mayfield enjoyed a strong campaign in 2023 with Dave Canales operating as an offensive coordinator for the first time in his career. The latter parlayed that into the Panthers’ head coaching position, leaving Mayfield in line for yet another new face to work with in terms of coordinators. Tampa Bay tapped Liam Coen, however, allowing he and Mayfield to reunite after their brief time together with the Rams in 2022.

“It’s important to me,” Mayfield said of the coordinator move, via Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. “I’ve had so many offensive coordinators to this point, to me it’s, ‘Okay if I do come back, let’s keep the continuity for the other guys, build on what we’ve already grown from and go from there.’”

Keeping Canales in place no doubt would have been a welcomed development for Mayfield, but the 28-year-old endorsed bringing on Coen to replace him. As SI’s Albert Breer notes, the Buccaneers were receptive to the vote of confidence Coen received before hiring him for his second NFL OC stint (and first which will involve calling plays). Similarities to Canales’ scheme could help ensure a smooth transition and help the chances of Mayfield repeating his Tampa Bay success in 2024.

A mutual interest exists for a new Bucs deal, but Mayfield and his camp have yet to take part in serious negotiations on a contract. The franchise tag could also be in play, locking the former No. 1 pick into a 2024 salary of roughly $36MM or at least buying extra time to hammer out a long-term pact. The presence of not only a familiar OC in Coen, but also fellow pending free agent Mike Evans is a key factor for Mayfield as he weighs his options, however.

“I would love to be back with [Evans], so there’s a lot of contingencies that go in that” Mayfield added. “Obviously, getting an OC, that helps. That’s Step 1. And [Evans] sees that so we can talk to him about it and see his thoughts. But we both have to do what’s best for us.”

Evans earned second-team All-Pro honors in 2023, proving himself to still be a durable and consistent producer with a 79-1,255-13 statline. The 30-year-old is projected to be one of the top available wideouts in this year’s free agent class, and the Buccaneers also need new contracts for the likes of linebacker Lavonte David and safety Antoine Winfield Jr. Retaining Mayfield will still be a top priority, though, and having an OC whose arrival he co-signed is another indication that a new deal should be expected at some point in the near future.

Buccaneers Want To Re-Sign LB Lavonte David; No Baker Mayfield Talks Yet

January 30th, 2024 at 7:55pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Buccaneers’ interest in retaining Mike Evans and Antoine Winfield Jr. has been fairly well documented at this point, but the organization wants to retain one of its other Super Bowl starters. Lavonte David remains in the team’s plans.

Wrapping his 12th year with the Bucs, David is still playing at a high level. The veteran defender led the team with 134 tackles — his most since 2015 — and produced 4.5 sacks (his most since 2016). While Devin White‘s propensity for freelancing has undercut his athleticism, David has offered the team much more consistency. And the Bucs are placing a priority on David finishing his career in Tampa, Jenna Laine of ESPN.com notes.

While White could well be on the move after a disappointing contract year in which he saw his role decrease, David still looks to have a great chance of playing another season in Tampa. David, 33, played out a one-year, $4.5MM contract. If the Bucs do not re-sign David before the start of the 2024 league year on March 13, they will be hit with a $2.67MM dead-money charge. That is unlikely to faze a team that spent a season with a $35.1MM in Tom Brady dead money on its books.

One of this era’s best off-ball linebackers, David’s Pro Bowl count is lacking (one) due to the NFL still grouping rush linebackers and non-rush ‘backers together. David, however, is a three-time All-Pro who is the team’s second-leading tackler. Only Derrick Brooks (1,713) has more than David (1,480) among Buccaneers. David played 15 games this season, rating as Pro Football Focus’ No. 28 overall linebacker.

After carrying more than $70MM in dead money this year, the Bucs are projected to hold more than $37MM in cap space. The statuses of Evans, Winfield and Baker Mayfield will likely cut into that figure and require more work. The franchise tag figures to come out, with Winfield the cheapest of Tampa Bay’s options (the safety tenure is projected to be $17.2MM). The Bucs, however, have done quite well in retaining their top free agents in recent years. They let Shaquil Barrett, Carlton Davis and Jamel Dean test free agency before re-signing each over the past three years.

Barrett acknowledged recently he is probably on the cap-casualty radar. If the Bucs designate the veteran sack artist as a post-June 1 cut, they would save $4.9MM. Void years and a restructure have Barrett’s through-2024 deal (four years, $68MM) sitting as a rather onerous figure on Tampa Bay’s payroll. Barrett is due a $15MM roster bonus if he is on the team as of the fifth day of the 2024 league year, Laine adds. The 31-year-old veteran’s situation will be one to monitor; coming back from an Achilles tear, Barrett tallied just 4.5 sacks in 16 games.

Both Mayfield and the Bucs want to extend this partnership, but the quarterback confirmed (via The Athletic’s Mike Jones) no talks have taken place yet. Mayfield put together a strong playoff outing to lead the Bucs to a Round 1 win over the Eagles. That brought the 2023 UFA signing an additional $250K, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

March 2023, which saw three midlevel veterans sign for between $25MM and $40MM per year, can be labeled a broad price range for Mayfield. Even eclipsing the Geno Smith AAV — on a three-year, $75MM deal — would be an achievement for Mayfield, who could only command a one-year deal worth $4MM. Then again, Smith’s contract represents the floor for established QBs. Mayfield could conceivably move toward the Daniel Jones price point, with ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano mentioning $40MM as a logical place for talks to end. That would put the Bucs to the test, seeing as Brady never topped $25MM per year (though, his money was fully guaranteed).

Building a roster with Mayfield at $40MM per annum would be much more difficult, but the market the former No. 1 pick would command if he reached free agency — as a few teams will be looking for veteran options — will work against the Bucs this time around. Given his value fluctuation in recent years, Mayfield will be one of this year’s most interesting free agents.

Bucs Interested In Baker Mayfield Extension

December 24th, 2023 at 9:57am CST by Sam Robinson

In Tampa due in large part to the extension Tom Brady signed — one that created a $35.1MM dead-money hit this offseason due to void years — Baker Mayfield expressed interest in staying beyond this season. The Buccaneers, who added Mayfield as a way to save money this offseason, are coming around on the resurgent quarterback.

The team has shown “definite interest” in an extension that keeps Mayfield around beyond this season, CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones reports. Both Jason Licht and Todd Bowles are believed to be onboard with a second Mayfield contract, according to the Tampa Bay Times’ Rick Stroud. Although Stroud notes no discussions have commenced, those appear on tap.

Earlier this month, Mayfield said he is interested in sticking around. Days after expressing that desire for another Bucs deal, he put together the first perfect passer rating by a visiting quarterback in the history of Lambeau Field. Mayfield slicing up the Packers’ defense for 380 yards in Week 15 preceded a Saints Thursday-night loss to the Rams. The Bucs control their own destiny in the NFC South, and ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter adds the former No. 1 overall pick can earn a $1MM bonus if Tampa Bay repeats as division champion. That is on top of the $2MM he can earn by playing 85% of the Bucs’ offensive snaps this season.

The 2017 Heisman winner is finishing out a one-year, $4MM contract — one that has already begun paying out incentives. Mayfield would also have an interesting opportunity ahead of him — the chance to test free agency coming off a much better season — the QB remains high on the prospect of re-signing. The Bucs have exclusive negotiating rights with their starter until the March legal tampering period, and NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport adds the team has seen a more mature Mayfield, who has meshed in the locker room.

“I mean, that would be great,” Mayfield said, via Jones during an NFL Today segment, of the prospect of re-signing. “But winning takes care of a lot of that. So we’ll handle that after the year. But that’s up to my agent and obviously the people here to decide. And so all I can do is control what I can and put myself in the best position to have options.

“… Understanding that this is somewhere where I can revive my career and enjoy it. That’s what made the decision to come here so easy. The pieces around the staff, the organization, knowing that they were going to put me in the best position to thrive.”

The Bucs have been able to re-sign a few key players despite letting them hit the market this decade. Cornerstone defenders Shaquil Barrett, Carlton Davis and Jamel Dean all reupped with the team after making it to the tampering period unsigned, but Mayfield being a quarterback makes the timeline here a bit riskier. The Bucs not having a deal in place by the time the 2024 league year begins would run the risk of another team outbidding them.

The Giants and Seahawks did not take that risk this year, respectively re-signing Daniel Jones and Geno Smith to new deals before the 2023 league year. Both could be relevant here. At 28, Mayfield is two years older than Jones but four years Smith’s junior. The Giants’ Jones deal (four years, $160MM) drew rampant scrutiny, but Mayfield does have a longer track record of success.

While Mayfield’s woeful Panthers stretch and injury-plagued Browns finale will undoubtedly come up as reasons for a midlevel contract, Smith displayed a much longer stretch of mediocrity and had settled into backup roles. He re-signed on a three-year, $75MM accord this offseason. Working with former Seahawks QBs coach Dave Canales, Mayfield could be poised to eclipse that in AAV and, more importantly, guaranteed money. The Seahawks only guaranteed Smith $27.3MM at signing, providing flexibility. It may well take more from the Bucs to keep Mayfield.

After carrying an NFL-most $81.5MM in dead money this year, the Bucs will have some more room in 2024. They are projected to hold $47MM-plus in cap space (11th in the NFL) next year. Mayfield needed to beat out Kyle Trask to become Brady’s successor this season. How he performs down the stretch will factor into the Bucs’ plans, and he was once on the doorstep of a Browns extension before seeing his value tank. Tampa Bay also has Mike Evans and Antoine Winfield Jr. as free agents-to-be. But the sixth-year passer is moving close to a much better Bucs contract.

NFC South Notes: Fitterer, Mayfield, Saints

December 15th, 2023 at 10:23am CST by Sam Robinson

With the Panthers bottoming out and David Tepper firing another head coach, it has seemed likely the team will move on from its GM as well. Given Tepper’s comments, it is worth wondering how much power Scott Fitterer has held since Matt Rhule‘s October 2022 firing. But Fitterer is clearly on a hot seat in Carolina. Following Frank Reich‘s ouster, the team should be expected to move on from its third-year GM, per the Washington Post’s Jason La Canfora. Fitterer ran point on the decision to reject the Rams’ two-first-rounder offer for Brian Burns before the 2022 trade deadline, and his negotiations with Ryan Poles led to the March blockbuster for the Bryce Young draft slot.

Of course, it is widely believed Tepper drove the Panthers’ effort to select Young first overall. That process will lead to the Bears holding the Panthers’ 2024 first-round pick, which currently checks in at No. 1 overall. Fitterer hot-seat rumors surfaced before Reich’s firing, and although a November report pointed to Tepper keeping his GM around to help attract Lions OC Ben Johnson shed light on a possible lifeline for the ex-Seahawks exec, a 2024 housecleaning seems likelier given the events of 2023.

Here is the latest from the NFC South:

Baker Mayfield signed a one-year, $4MM Buccaneers deal in March, earning a starting job despite a rough 2022. Incentives exist in the sixth-year quarterback’s contract, and Fox Sports’ Greg Auman notes he has cashed in on some of those already. Mayfield has collected $500K by staying in the Bucs’ lineup, with Auman noting the team included $250K bumps for hitting the 55%, 65%, 75% and 85% snap rates. Mayfield staying healthy the rest of the way would lead to him adding $1MM in incentives. Additionally, Auman indicates a bonus exists for a Bucs playoff win. Although the Bucs are 6-7, they currently hold the NFC West tiebreaker. Mayfield is interested in staying with the Bucs beyond this season, though no known extension talks have occurred yet.
One of Mayfield’s current division rivals has not enjoyed a healthy season. Derek Carr has sustained two concussions and dealt with shoulder trouble, but the Saints‘ big-ticket QB addition has not missed a start. In addition to the head and shoulder issues, Carr has sustained three rib fractures this year, per NewOrleans.football’s Brooke Kirchhofer. In 10 seasons, Carr has only missed three career games due to injury. But his playing hurt has affected the Saints this season. While Carr’s completion percentage is up significantly from 2022, his QBR has dropped. Given a four-year, $150MM contract that includes $70MM fully guaranteed, Carr ranks 23rd in QBR through 13 games.
Michael Thomas has once again seen an injury take him out of New Orleans’ equation. The eighth-year wide receiver, who has dealt with persistent injury issues during the 2020s, is on IR with a knee injury. The former All-Pro will be eligible to be activated in Week 16, but NewOrleans.football’s Nick Underhill doubts he comes back until at least the Saints’ regular-season finale. Should that game not mean anything for the team, Thomas would have little incentive to return. The 30-year-old pass catcher’s 10 games this season are his most since 2019, but he has now missed 43 games since the 2020 season.
As Carr dealt with the first of his 2023 injuries, New Orleans attempted to sign a player off Denver’s practice squad. The Saints tried to add Ben DiNucci off the Broncos’ P-squad in September, per the Denver Gazette’s Chris Tomasson. DiNucci, who returned to the NFL after an XFL run, opted to stay where he was for continuity purposes. After DiNucci’s decision, the Saints added Jake Luton to their 53-man roster instead. DiNucci said the Broncos are expected to make up the difference he would have made as part of the Saints’ active roster. Denver elevated DiNucci in Week 13, allowing him to pick up a $48K game check. Doing so two more times would match the total DiNucci would have earned while on the Saints’ 53-man roster for the mandated three weeks.

Baker Mayfield Wants To Re-Sign With Bucs

December 13th, 2023 at 10:19pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Buccaneers will be one of the teams exiting this season with quarterback uncertainty. They have Baker Mayfield on a one-year, $4MM deal, one that came about due in large part to the $35.1MM dead-money hit from Tom Brady‘s expired contract. Mayfield has recovered from a 2022 regression, though he is still three months from free agency.

Tampa Bay is believed to be open to a second Mayfield contract (though, no talks are believed to have taken place), and it is not a lock the quarterback commits to testing free agency now that he has reestablished some momentum. Mayfield said (via Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio) he is interested in staying with the Bucs beyond this season.

After ranking last in the NFL in 2022 QBR, Mayfield sits 18th. He rallied the Bucs on a go-ahead scoring drive to topple the Falcons in Week 14, moving Tampa Bay into first place (via tiebreakers) in the again-underwhelming NFC South. The former No. 1 overall pick has thrown 20 touchdown passes compared to eight interceptions, forming a strong connection with Mike Evans, who joins him as a free agent-to-be.

It will be interesting to see if Mayfield’s showing will garner first-year OC Dave Canales any HC interest, but for now, the Bucs have a chance at their third straight division title — in a season that was loosely deemed a retooling year due to the void years-driven Brady bill that hit the 2023 cap sheet.

In addition to Mayfield, the Bucs have Evans and Antoine Winfield Jr. as looming UFAs. Playing at an All-Pro level, Winfield will be in position to command a deal in the Jessie Bates neighborhood — should the Bucs let him reach the market. Although the Bucs were able to re-sign DBs Carlton Davis and Jamel Dean after letting each hit free agency, the team may well consider the franchise tag for the former second-round pick. Mayfield would not seem an especially strong tag candidate.

The Bucs’ draft position may also help determine their path with Mayfield. Should Tampa Bay not close out its bid for another division title, its pick could land near the top 10. That would put the team in range to potentially trade up in Round 1 or nab the best non-Caleb Williams/Drake Maye prospect. Tampa Bay defending its NFC South title and landing at No. 19 or below would alter its draft equation.

Mayfield, 28, stands to join Kirk Cousins as a top QB available in free agency. Gardner Minshew and Ryan Tannehill are set to accompany the NFC duo as starter-level arms unsigned beyond this season. Mayfield has done well to earn himself a better market, but there probably will not be many teams looking for free agent QB1s next year — especially if the Bears decide to trade Justin Fields and select a quarterback with their Panthers-obtained pick. Moving parts exist here, but wherever Mayfield ends up in 2024, he should be attached to a higher salary.

Buccaneers Open To Extending Baker Mayfield; Latest On Mike Evans, Antoine Winfield Jr.

November 15th, 2023 at 3:14pm CST by Sam Robinson

Baker Mayfield‘s 2021 and ’22 seasons tanked his 2023 free agent market. He settled for backup money from the Buccaneers, who were looking to cut costs after the Tom Brady $35.1MM in dead money hit their cap. Mayfield fit the bill, signing a one-year deal worth $4MM.

Midway through the season, Mayfield is on pace to fare better on the 2024 market — should he land in free agency. Mayfield, 28, entered the season joining Kirk Cousins and Ryan Tannehill as starting quarterbacks in contract years. With Tannehill benched and Cousins out for the season, Mayfield is the only one left who has a clear path to adjusting his 2024 stock. The Bucs are an interested party, which makes sense given their standing.

The Bucs are open to the idea of a second Mayfield contract, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com notes. They have exclusive negotiating rights with their current starter until March’s legal tampering period. That said, Fowler adds the sides have not engaged in negotiations just yet. It would make sense for both parties to let more of the season play out. Mayfield could elevate his stock with a strong finish, but given his inconsistent career, the Bucs also may still be leery of a more lucrative payment to a middling quarterback.

Far from middling in 2021 and ’22, Mayfield was with three teams last year and finished with league-worst QBR. Some Panthers staffers viewed Mayfield’s late arrival in Charlotte, which came to pass because of lengthy negotiations between Cleveland and Carolina regarding both draft compensation and an adjusted contract, impacted his poor Panthers performance. Mayfield played through a shoulder injury for most of his 2021 season in Cleveland, and the Browns moved on via the controversial Deshaun Watson trade/extension.

Mayfield ranks 14th in QBR through nine games, and he is completing passes (64.6%) at a career-high rate while carrying 14-5 TD-INT ratio. While the Bucs lost four straight after a 3-1 start, Mayfield had them in position to upend the Texans before a C.J. Stroud last-minute drive. He has tossed two touchdown passes in each of the past three games while throwing just one INT in that span.

While Cousins has been one of the game’s most consistent quarterbacks during his Minnesota stretch and Tannehill has seen ankle trouble (and the Titans’ second-round Will Levis investment) ding his stock, Mayfield can change his perception over the next two months. It would be highly unlikely to see Mayfield rival Cousins for AAV in 2024, but a midlevel QB accord could be in play.

Mayfield’s top target is also in a contract year. Mike Evans came up briefly at the trade deadline, but the Bucs showed no indication then or in August — when the Jets initially called — they were open to dealing the nine-time 1,000-yard receiver. Blazing toward a record-extending 10th straight 1,000-yard year to start a career, Evans is playing out a contract he inked in 2018. The Bucs are not believed to have proposed a second extension to the best wideout in franchise history, but Fowler adds some around the league believed the door is not shut on Tampa Bay revisiting talks and finding a way to retain the free agent-to-be.

Evans set a Week 1 extension deadline, making his dissatisfaction with contract talks public late in the summer. Nothing materialized, but GM Jason Licht has continually praised the likely Hall of Fame-bound talent, and although Evans said no offer has come despite off-and-on talks over the past two years, the longtime GM said in August the team wants Evans to stay in Tampa long term. Considering how close Evans would be to becoming a first-time free agent, the Bucs may have to battle other teams on the open market.

Then again, Tampa Bay has done well in that department. Over the past three offseasons, the team has re-signed Shaq Barrett, Carlton Davis, Jamel Dean and Lavonte David after letting them gauge the market during recent tampering periods. An Evans departure would obviously create a glaring need for the Bucs, which would point to the organization being interested. It remains to be seen, however, if the team is ready to pay upper-echelon money to convince the 30-year-old weapon to pass on outside interest come March.

The best bet for a Bucs franchise tag, though, might be Antoine Winfield Jr. Much younger than Mayfield and Evans, the 25-year-old safety would be on track to become one of the top 2024 free agents. A summer rumor indicated the Bucs were interested in extending Winfield, but nothing has come of it yet. At midseason, Fowler adds the Bucs have not made aggressive attempts to re-sign their young players just yet. Given the timelines of the Davis and Dean deals, it is not too surprising the Bucs have not gotten serious on a second Winfield contract yet.

This year’s safety market largely settled in south of $10MM per year, but Jessie Bates was the outlier, signing a four-year, $64MM Falcons pact. Winfield’s age and productivity would put him in line to rival Bates’ accord, which could conceivably bring the tag into play. A few teams have cuffed safeties during the 2020s. The Broncos tagged Justin Simmons twice, while the Bengals (Bates), Vikings (Anthony Harris), Saints (Marcus Williams) and Jets (Marcus Maye) unholstered the tag as well. Those tag prices all came in south of $13MM. OverTheCap projects the 2024 safety tag to be north of $18MM, which would make such a decision more difficult.

While the Bucs exercised Tristan Wirfs‘ fifth-year option to extend his negotiating timeline, they have until early March to keep their 2020 second-round pick off the market.

QB Notes: Taylor, Cardinals, Bucs, Ridder

October 29th, 2023 at 8:12pm CST by Sam Robinson

Tyrod Taylor left Sunday’s game with a rib injury and needed to be hospitalized. The Giants announced they are keeping their backup-turned-starter in the hospital overnight for observation on his ribcage ailment. Taylor has a history of rib trouble, of course, as just more than three years have passed since the rib injection that ended his brief run as the Chargers’ starter. The pregame shot before Week 2 of the 2020 season resulted in a punctured lung. During Taylor’s one-season stint as the Texans’ starter, he missed a third of the season due to a hamstring malady. The journeyman came back as a backup, with Houston giving Davis Mills a shot to close that season.

Taylor almost certainly will be welcomed back as the Giants’ starter when he is ready, as the team pivoted to nearly run-only blueprint with practice squad elevation Tommy DeVito under center. Daniel Jones is not expected to be back until Week 10, as he continues to battle a neck injury. The latest coming out of that situation points to the well-paid starter dealing with a disk issue and weakness in his nonthrowing shoulder.

Here is the latest from the QB ranks:

The Cardinals have joined the Giants in playing a backup this season, and while they have pronounced Kyler Murray fully healthy after his December 2022 ACL tear, the team will once again hold out the Pro Bowler. Jonathan Gannon announced postgame Joshua Dobbs will start in Week 9. Murray remains on Arizona’s reserve/PUP list, having been designated for return on Oct. 18. The Cardinals do not have to activate him until Nov. 8, giving them one more game to keep Murray off the roster. Early reports indicated an early-season return would be in play for Murray, and Michael Bidwill doubled down on that in April. But the organization has proceeded cautiously with the former No. 1 pick, who has also needed to learn a new offense. It will be interesting to see if the sinking Cardinals redeploy Murray as their starter immediately upon activating him.
Baker Mayfield did not escape Thursday’s loss in Buffalo unscathed, with ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler noting the free agent pickup is dealing with a knee contusion. Mayfield is planning to play through this injury, but it has caused him discomfort. The Buccaneers QB’s MRI did not reveal any structural damage, however.
While Kenny Pickett was initially expected to return to Sunday’s Steelers-Jaguars matchup following his rib injury, via ESPN.com’s Brooke Pryor, the Steelers ruled out their starter and kept Mitch Trubisky in the game. Pickett left the game before the half but was warming up to come back; instead, the team shut him down. Benched early during his first Steelers season, Trubisky became needed on multiple occasions due to Pickett’s two-concussion rookie year. It is not yet known how much time (if any) the 2022 first-rounder will miss as a result of his latest injury.
Desmond Ridder‘s midgame exit did not stem from performance issues, Arthur Smith said (via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). Ridder was evaluated for a concussion, but while he was cleared of a head injury, Smith said he “didn’t think Des was right” following the exit. The Falcons kept Taylor Heinicke in the game as a result. Heinicke logged one of the most active QB2 seasons in NFL history two years ago, replacing Ryan Fitzpatrick in Week 1 and keeping the Washington reins the rest of the way. The Falcons gave the multiyear Washington starter a two-year, $14MM deal this offseason. Ridder has delivered an uneven season thus far, but the Falcons passed on chances to acquire a starter-caliber QB in order to keep him in place. With the team proclaiming Ridder the starter in March, it does not appear he is in danger of being pulled.

Bucs Considered Drew Lock In Free Agency

October 13th, 2023 at 9:54am CST by Sam Robinson

During the 2022 offseason, Drew Lock competed with Geno Smith for the Seahawks’ starting job. That months-long battle ended up swinging decisively for Smith, who has made one of the more surprising re-emergences in recent NFL history. But Lock showed enough for the Seahawks to keep him around for a second season.

Lock also made an impression on his 2022 quarterbacks coach. After hiring Dave Canales as offensive coordinator, the Buccaneers looked into Lock as a possible starter option, Jason Licht said (via ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler). The Bucs’ eventual solution as a cheap Tom Brady successor — Baker Mayfield — did not require more money to sign compared to Lock.

While Mayfield has shown early-season indications of a comeback, he is only attached to a one-year deal worth $4MM. Those are the terms Lock agreed to upon re-signing with Seattle, though Mayfield received more guaranteed money. Lock receiving only $1.75MM guaranteed is a moot point now, as both vested veterans’ $4MM salaries are locked in. But it does illustrate both where Mayfield’s value checked in after a rough 2022 and the Bucs’ limitations in the wake of Brady’s void-years bill hitting.

Brady’s three-year Tampa Bay tenure ending led to a $35.1MM dead-money hit due to the void years the Bucs tacked onto the legendary quarterback’s contract. Brady’s retirement pushed the Bucs into Saints-level cap territory, with the team more than $50MM over the 2023 salary ceiling in February. Although the Bucs carved out enough cap room — via cuts and restructures — to re-sign Jamel Dean and Lavonte David, they did not intend to venture into the QB market’s deeper waters. This ruled out a genuine pursuit of Derek Carr or Jimmy Garoppolo, but Fowler adds the Bucs did zero in on free agents due to a belief they were not in position to land a top QB prospect and that 2021 second-round pick Kyle Trask could not simply be handed the job. Jacoby Brissett and another Blaine Gabbert deal were in play for the Bucs.

A 2019 second-round pick, Lock has thrown six passes as a Seahawk. Smith’s early-30s return to relevancy relegated Lock, 26, to QB2 certainty. Lock has been a backup since the Broncos traded for Teddy Bridgewater in 2021. An uneven 2020 season cost Lock his shot as a potential long-term Denver starter, and the Broncos saw their fortunes crater when Lock needed to replace Bridgewater — who had suffered a second concussion — in December 2021. Losing narrowly to the Bengals after Bridgewater’s injury, the Broncos dropped their final three with Lock back at the helm and opted to include him in the blockbuster Russell Wilson trade.

As Lock remains Smith’s backup, Mayfield will attempt a Smith-like recovery. Although Mayfield has more early-career promise to hang his hat on compared to Smith, having piloted the Browns to their first playoff berth in 18 seasons, he ranked last in QBR in 2022 and did not draw much starter interest this offseason. The Ravens discussed a deal with Mayfield as a Lamar Jackson backup, but the former No. 1 overall pick signed with the Bucs and beat out Trask late in the preseason.

Through four games in Canales’ offense, Mayfield ranks sixth in QBR and is completing 69.6% of his passes while having thrown seven touchdowns to two interceptions. The trade to the Panthers was billed as Mayfield’s value-reestablishing opportunity, but his stock tumbled further in Carolina. Multiple ex-Panthers staffers viewed Mayfield’s July arrival — after Carolina and Cleveland haggled for months over terms of the trade — as a key reason for the struggles, Fowler adds.

That situation helped lead to Mayfield being in the Bucs’ price range. He will attempt to use this season as a path toward a lucrative Bucs extension or a Smith- or Garoppolo-like free agency accord in 2024.

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