Bucs Still Could Trade for Baker Mayfield, Insider Says

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers haven’t formally determined a succession program for quarterback Tom Brady, and the Bucs may possibly not hold out until 2023.

Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield remains on the schooling block just after the team traded for Deshaun Watson in March. Bucs general manager Jason Licht didn’t shoot down the likelihood of pursuing Mayfield, but almost nothing occurred with that during the draft or the weeks subsequent. Bucs insider Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times reviewed a potential move for Mayfield on the “Rich Eisen Clearly show” on Tuesday, May perhaps 10.

Stroud confirmed the Bucs regarded as Mayfield for the duration of Brady’s 41-working day retirement.

“I have not read Baker getting one particular of those exploratory discounts,” Stroud advised Eisen. “Like when they have been searching for a quarterback to exchange Tom Brady, they did get the job done on Baker, and I really don’t assume they dislike him as a quarterback. In reality, I know a previous mentor in this article, Todd Monken, was the offensive coordinator right here, went to Cleveland one particular year and liked the male. And I regard Todd as substantially as anybody.”

Brady’s March 13 unretirement transformed the landscape for the Bucs as vital no cost agents re-signed. The Bucs have Brady via the 2022 time, but he will turn into a free of charge agent in 2023, but he could also retire and get started his broadcasting occupation with FOX.

“You’re often hunting. You often have a record. He was on that listing,” Stroud advised Eisen relating to Mayfield. “So was Deshaun Watson, which was a no-go for ownership evidently, so that was not going to happen. So I really do imagine they would have finished up with Blaine [Gabbert] and then Kyle [Trask].”

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Nevertheless Place for Mayfield?

Notably, the Bucs re-signed Gabbert as the backup to Brady for a third-consecutive season. Trask will likely have a different redshirt-form yr, Stroud observed. The Bucs also have backup quarterback Ryan Griffin, who joined the staff in 2015, on the roster once more.

“Right now, the [quarterback] place is variety of entire with the four guys they’ve got,” Stroud advised Eisen. “And I really do not believe they are looking to include any individual else, but in this organization, Wealthy, almost nothing surprises you. Correct now, I imagine they are established.”

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Keeping Styles With Mayfield Trade Suitors

Mayfield’s foreseeable future appears nearly anything but established. NFC South Division rival Carolina nonetheless has interest in Mayfield but “isn’t in any rush” in accordance to CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson. Cleveland working Mayfield to Seattle also hasn’t progressed in accordance to United states Today’s Mike Jones.

Teams interested in Mayfield facial area a most likely steep price tag for the reason that of Mayfield’s $18.8 million wage for 2022, according to Spotrac. The Bucs only have $12.9 million in salary cap place, per Spotrac, with a lot of other priorities these kinds of as signing draft picks and absolutely free agents. Tampa Bay and other suitors probably would want the Browns to absorb a chunk of Mayfield’s contract.

Mayfield’s perform dipped last year thanks to a shoulder damage, but he put up good numbers in 2020 with 3,563 yards passing and 26 touchdowns. He went around 3,7000 yards passing his initial two seasons with the Browns, and he threw 49 touchdowns concerning these to start with two strategies.

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