Getty Imag Baker Mayfield of the Cleveland Browns.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been floated as a destination for Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield and general manager Jason Licht didn’t shoot down the idea of his team adding the former No. 1 overall pick.
Adam Schein of Mad Dog Sports Radio asked Licht about adding a veteran backup to come in behind Tom Brady, specifically Mayfield, who has seen his options dwindle since the Browns traded for Deshaun Watson.
“I don’t want to talk about a player that’s on another team’s roster right now, but we may still add a veteran quarterback,” Licht told Schein. “We’re going to have to see how it goes here.”
“I don’t want to talk about a player that’s on another team’s roster right now, but we may still add a veteran quarterback. We’re going to have to see how it goes here.”
@AdamSchein asked #Bucs GM Jason Licht about adding a veteran backup QB, specifically Baker Mayfield.
Bucs Could Make Mayfield Brady’s Successor
The Bucs currently have second-year quarterback Kyle Trask backing up Brady, a role previously occupied by Blaine Gabbert. Bucs head coach offered high praise for Gabbert this offseason, although the former top 10 pick still remains a free agent.
“People may not like the overall record, but Blaine had eight head coaches and eight coordinators his first eight years,” Arians told The Tampa Bay Times. “He beat Jacksonville their best year and beat Tennessee their big year for us in Arizona. And he’s been in the system now.”
The Buccaneers could be waiting to see if the Browns get backed into a corner with Mayfield, who is due $19 million for next season on the final year of his rookie deal. The Browns have already signed Jacoby Brissett to backup Watson and there’s simply no way Mayfield can remain a part of the roster.
The Browns could be forced to either include a draft pick to take on Mayfield and his contract or eat part of his salary. If that ends up being the case, it’d be an interesting proposition for the Buccaneers, who could begin to groom Mayfield as Brady’s eventual heir.
Mayfield has just one year left on his deal, so if that’s the plan, there has to be an agreement that keeps Mayfield in Tampa Bay beyond the coming season.
Baker Mayfield: ‘No Clue What Happens Next’
Mayfield is coming off a year marred by injuries and poor play, tossing 17 touchdowns and 13 interceptions while throwing for 3,010 yards. He was especially bad down the stretch of the season, tossing seven interceptions in his final three games.
Mayfield suffered a torn labrum in his non-throwing shoulder in Week 2 and played with it for the rest of the season. He had offseason surgery to repair the injury and is expected to be ready to go for camp — something his next team can take solace in.
After the Browns initially courted Watson, Mayfield released a statement sounding off on his future.
“I have no clue what happens next, which is the meaning behind the silence I have had during the duration of this process. I can only control what I can, which is trusting in God’s plan throughout this process,” Mayfield wrote in his post. “I have given this franchise everything I have. That is something I’ve always done at every stage, and at every level. And that will not change wherever I take my next snap.”
When it was initially announced that the Browns were out of the sweepstakes for Watson, Mayfield requested a trade. That became irrelevant once Cleveland completed the move for Watson.
The value of Mayfield has tanked but it’s not necessarily only about his value as a player. The Browns have little leverage and the situation will grow more critical for the Browns as the offseason goes on and they look to clear up their cap space.