Buccaneers Predicted to Land Former $32 Million No. 1 Pick Quarterback

Getty The Buccaneers are preparing for life after Tom Brady.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are searching for a new quarterback, and there is some speculation the team could make a run at Baker Mayfield. Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport offered his predictions for the offseason quarterback carousel and has the Bucs landing Mayfield as Tom Brady’s potential successor.

“There won’t be any megadeal for Aaron Rodgers,” Davenport wrote on February 13, 2023. “Or signing higher-end free agents like Carr or Garoppolo. The choices are essentially stick with what they have in journeyman backup Blaine Gabbert and youngster Kyle Trask or go the veteran journeyman route. At least one veteran Tampa beat writer believes that the Bucs could choose Door No. 2 — and a former No. 1 overall pick.

“The Buccaneers have already interviewed a pair of coaches in Georgia offensive coordinator Todd Monken and Rams assistant head coach Thomas Brown who have a history with Mayfield,” Davenport wrote. “Mayfield was admittedly awful in Carolina last year, but he played his best football of the season in Los Angeles. Mayfield isn’t going to make Buccaneers fans forget about Brady — at best, he’s likely a bridge to the rookie Tampa will probably be using a high pick on in 2024.”

The Bucs Considered Signing Baker Mayfield in 2022 During Tom Brady’s Brief Retirement: Report

According to Tampa Bay Times’ Rick Stroud, Mayfield was one of the Buccaneers’ potential targets when Brady was briefly retired during the 2022 offseason. Mayfield could be easier for the Bucs to land this time around given the former No. 1 pick is a free agent, and Tampa Bay would not need to trade anything to add the signal-caller. The Buccaneers could have increased interest in Mayfield if the team hires Georgia assistant Todd Monken as their new offensive coordinator, per Stroud.

“Absolutely [could consider adding Mayfield], I think a lot of it depends on who the coordinator is, but listen they were looking last year for quarterbacks when Brady was out for those 40 days,” Tampa Bay Times’ Rick Stroud said during a February 2 interview on the “Dan Patrick Show.” “Baker was on that list.”

Mayfield found a new home with the Rams after being released by the Panthers last season. The former $32.6 million quarterback’s market value is projected to be a two-year, $13 million contract, per Spotrac. Mayfield may be one of the few veteran quarterback options that Tampa could find a way to afford given their salary cap woes.

Kyle Trask Is the Favorite to Be the Bucs Next Starting Quarterback, Says Insider

Publicly, Tampa Bay continues to express confidence in Kyle Trask’s upside as an NFL quarterback. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported that Trask is the “favorite” to be the Bucs QB1 for 2023.

“With the three-year Tom Brady window now closed, the Bucs could take calculated risks in efforts to remain a contender,” Fowler wrote on February 14. “Answers at quarterback are not clear-cut, but they could inquire about Derek Carr, Aaron Rodgers and others — or roll with Kyle Trask, a second-round pick in 2021. The sense I get from Tampa Bay players is that Trask is the favorite as of now.”

Trask has played in just one NFL game during his two seasons in Tampa Bay and was unable to win the backup job during Brady’s tenure. The 24-year-old quarterback still possesses a strong SEC pedigree having a standout career at Florida. Trask threw for 4,283 yards, 43 yards and eight interceptions while completing 68.9% during 12 appearances for the Gators in 2020.