Baker Mayfield added some late-season high notes with the Rams — most notably via a stunning 98-yard game-winning drive against the Raiders two days after being claimed off waivers — but the former No. 1 overall pick is coming off another down season on the whole. He ranked last in QBR by a substantial margin.
The Panthers benched Mayfield before his Charlotte tenure wrapped, and a quarterback once on the extension radar in Cleveland settled for a one-year deal worth $4MM in base value this offseason. Other teams pursued the former Browns playoff starter, however. The Ravens are believed to have made him an offer. But the Buccaneers offered appealing components that enticed the sixth-year veteran to take on the task of succeeding Tom Brady.
“I finally had some [time] to think; I think that’s the key word,” Mayfield said, via SI.com’s Albert Breer. “And, yeah, just looking at it from a big-picture standpoint, I want to play this game for a long time. So where’s the next spot that’s going to be the most stable position, where I can come in and compete, and do the best I can to showcase what I’m capable of? This is a great opportunity to do so.
“Normally when a spot like this opens up, it’s because bad things have happened. But this one, it’s just because Tom retired. So it’s a perfect opportunity for me.”
Mayfield said he targeted the Bucs early in free agency, per Breer. Although $4MM is nowhere close to what the expected free agency goal was when the former Heisman winner entered his contract year with Carolina, he will land on a team with two Super Bowl starters at wide receiver — Mike Evans and Chris Godwin — along with $10MM-per-year pass catcher Russell Gage. The Bucs also will have center Ryan Jensen back, after he missed most of last season with MCL and PCL tears (and a partially torn ACL), along with All-Pro tackle Tristan Wirfs in the fold. Tampa Bay needs more help up front, with a Shaq Mason trade following a rough year for most of the team’s blockers. But Mayfield did join a team with many accomplished players — and one that resides in what was last season’s weakest division.
Heading into his age-28 season, Mayfield may only need to beat out Kyle Trask, whom the Bucs chose 64th overall in 2021. Trask sat behind Brady and Blaine Gabbert for two seasons. Bruce Arians, who was Tampa Bay’s HC when Trask arrived, has offered praise for the third-year passer’s pocket presence, per Breer, who adds new Bucs OC Dave Canales is a fan of the catchable balls Trask throws. While the Florida product has supporters in the building, he has just nine career pass attempts. Still, Mayfield’s past two seasons would not stand to make him a prohibitive favorite here.
Sam Darnold retook the Panthers’ reins after losing a training camp competition to Mayfield, who finished with a QBR figure nearly 10 points worse than any other qualified passer in 2022. Mayfield did complete 86% of his passes and account for three touchdowns during a Christmas Day blowout of the Broncos, but he is attempting to shake off two disappointing years. Mayfield led the Browns to the playoffs in 2020, snapping one of the longest playoff droughts in NFL history (18 years), but suffered a shoulder injury early in the 2021 season. Mayfield’s struggles that year prompted the Browns to give Deshaun Watson an astonishing guarantee — one that kept him out of the NFC South — and complete the trade with the Panthers.
The Bucs will host Hendon Hooker on a pre-draft visit next week, but the team’s No. 19 overall draft slot would likely require a trade-up maneuver to land one of this year’s four higher-profile passers. Absent a high draft choice, the Bucs are set to hold a Mayfield-Trask competition during a season overshadowed by the Brady period’s dead-money bills. Tampa Bay’s $75.3MM in dead cap leads the league by nearly $25MM. This might be Mayfield’s last shot to prove he is an NFL starter. Doing so would mean a more interesting 2024 market or a Bucs extension.
Hendon Hooker is a very intriguing choice. He is old and injured, but he flourished under a system that was QB-developed (albeit only half-field centric). Is he worth a middle-round pick? Can he really read defenses or was he a scheme guy? Can he fully recover in order to at least be the third QB option in 2023? My guess is he should be a middle round pick for someone who already has an established QB…
This is probably the best situation for Baker if they have a healthy o-line. If he can play like he did for the LA Rams at the end of the season, he could rejuvenate his career in a weak division.