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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have decided to keep wide receiver Mike Evans in the fold for a pair extra years, saying an settlement on an extension Monday. Now Baker Mayfield is sitting round ready for that very same name or textual content from his agent with the identical information Evans acquired. It only makes sense after the duo’s first year together, which wound up going significantly better than anybody exterior their facility might’ve imagined. In truth, until the Buccaneers have a clear-cut higher choice, it’d be insane in the event that they didn’t convey Baker again.
“It is a good signal for Bucs offense. You don’t signal Mike Evans should you don’t plan on signing Baker Mayfield.” – Keyshawn Johnson
It truly is wonderful the distinction one journey across the solar could make. This time final 12 months no person (not even Baker) knew what the long run would maintain for Mayfield. Final spring, he was coming off a marketing campaign the place he’d managed to win simply two video games in stints with two groups and his inventory was in all probability the bottom it’d ever been. He bounced again in 2023 proving his detractors (together with me) improper by main Tampa to a division title and making his first Professional Bowl.
So, Mayfield has earned a brand new contract from the Bucs after which some. It received’t set the market or break any data, however it makes much more sense realizing that Evans is coming again. Evans’ future was up within the air getting into the offseason, however with the announcement of his extension, you’d assume the franchise would wish to hold this good factor getting in that depressing NFC South division.
Tampa actually got here out of nowhere to win the division with a 9-8 file final season. There weren’t many who predicted them ending with a profitable file particularly as soon as it was confirmed that the quarterback battle in training camp would be between Mayfield and Kyle Trask. Some even questioned whether or not Mayfield might beat out Trask in camp. Properly, he did that and extra.
Now it’s time to provide him his due. That doesn’t imply the Bucs ought to go overboard on the deal, however he deserves an extension, nonetheless. Johnson hit the nail on the top on “Undisputed” Monday morning. Conserving Evans means Tampa Bay should be inclined to do the same with Mayfield. With the beginning of the brand new league 12 months simply across the nook (March 13), we should always know extra about Mayfield’s future in Tampa, or elsewhere, quickly. Nevertheless, with different groups, like division rival Atlanta, exhibiting curiosity, the Bucs brass shouldn’t wait too lengthy.
Until the Bucs have one thing up their sleeve in free company or on the commerce market, count on Baker’s NFL dwelling to be in Tampa Bay for the foreseeable future. Of the highest free-agent QBs available on the market this offseason, Mayfield ranks third based on Professional Soccer Focus, sitting behind solely Kirk Cousins (1) and Ryan Tannehill. If Cousins wasn’t coming off an Achilles damage, he’d be an excellent choice for Tampa, however it’d be laborious to promote him over Mayfield proper now to that fan base.
Possibly Tannehill would have been a significantly better choice a few years in the past however at this level, he’s in all probability not the man you wish to hitch your wagon to. The Bucs might discover a QB within the draft, which might be clever anyway, however the odds of a rookie QB coming in and overthrowing Mayfield are slim. Twelve months in the past, it might’ve sounded loopy, however right now Baker Mayfield is the best option the Bucs have for one more profitable season. Now, we simply sit again, wait and see if the group makes the correct name.
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