TAMPA, Fla. — Coming into his second season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, quarterback Baker Mayfield stated that he is seeking to be “extra in command” and “be himself much more.”
“Clearly final 12 months was lots of attempting to be taught the system on the fly, get to know teammates as properly, balancing that efficiency versus attending to know everyone and attempting to be a frontrunner,” Mayfield stated after Tuesday’s OTA follow.
“However now, going by means of it — clearly you could have some new faces right here — however going by means of a 12 months with these guys, attempting to be extra in command. I’m vocal, however more often than not I am solely vocal once I have to be. I am type of a ‘lead by instance’ sort man. So actually now it is taking the following step within the vocal facet — getting everyone on the identical web page.”
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The Bucs signed Mayfield to a one-year deal in March 2023 to show himself final offseason with a $4 million base wage. Following a season that noticed Tampa Bay win the NFC South and attain the playoffs’ divisional spherical, Mayfield was given a three-year, $100 million contract with $50 million assured in March.
Now, it is unquestionably his workforce — though he is no stranger to the volatility of the NFL.
“You by no means need to really feel comfy,” Mayfield stated. “Yeah, is it nice that I do know I will be right here for the following couple of years? After all. It means I get to settle in right here, be myself much more so and push these guys to the following degree. It is a good feeling.”
The Bucs have been Mayfield’s fourth workforce in lower than one calendar 12 months, because the Cleveland Browns traded him away in July 6, 2022 to the Carolina Panthers, who then waived him in December 2022. He was then picked up by the Los Angeles Rams, the place he led a 17-16 come-from-behind victory over the Las Vegas Raiders a mere 48 hours after signing.
That point in Los Angeles was sufficient to have a minimum of one workforce satisfied he might begin and win on this league: The Buccaneers, who had a sudden emptiness on the quarterback place following Tom Brady’s retirement.
Mayfield not solely led them to a 9-8 common season file, however to a 32-9 wild-card victory over the Philadelphia Eagles and earlier than falling to the Detroit Lions within the divisional spherical in a 31-23 loss. Mayfield produced two of the 4 highest passing yardage totals in Bucs’ postseason historical past in these video games, with 349 and 337 yards, respectively.
“I imply, I feel we proved to ourselves final 12 months what we actually believed in, what we knew we have been able to,” Mayfield stated of final 12 months. “Clearly we fell in need of the final word aim — just one workforce will get to have that. However if you get that shut, it virtually makes you extra hungry, if you’re just some performs away, on the highway, in a troublesome setting, figuring out that it got here right down to a two-minute drive.
“I imply the fellows are placing within the work now to be on the identical web page, and to hit the bottom in August, late July, we’re able to go.”
Mayfield’s five-game Rams stint would show invaluable, as he was launched to Liam Coen, then the Rams’ offensive coordinator and whom the Bucs employed on Feb. 3 to steer their offense. The Bucs ran an analogous system final 12 months beneath now-Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales. However, there are variations in that there is extra on the quarterback’s shoulders, which Mayfield known as “mentally taxing.”
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“There’s much more accountability — line of scrimmage, much more double play calls the place you are having to get the fellows in the proper positions,” Mayfield stated. “However as a quarterback, you need to have that accountability and accountability. You all the time need to put your guys in the very best place to have success, so now Liam’s giving us the chance with a pair play calls to have the ability to try this.
“Like I stated, it is extra mentally taxing, however [I’m] simply relearning the system and never taking it with the mindset that I have been right here earlier than however actually ranging from sq. one.”
From a person efficiency standpoint, Mayfield’s centered on slowing his ft down and never passing up his progressions in favor of utilizing his legs. To assist him really feel extra secure within the pocket, the Bucs invested a first-round draft decide in heart Graham Barton, who’s already rotating in with the first-team offense.
Additionally they used a sixth spherical decide on guard Elijah Klein, and signed veteran inside offensive linemen Sua Opeta and Ben Bredeson in free company. The inside enforcements is not going to solely assist shield Mayfield’s physique but in addition his line of sight as a shorter quarterback at 6-foot-1.
Coach Todd Bowles stated he hasn’t seen a distinction in Mayfield’s strategy regardless of the brand new system and his standing because the franchise’s chief for the following three years.
“It is the identical Baker,” Bowles stated. “… The drive and the vigor is all the time there, however the maturity of how he is dealing with the scenario proper now — studying a brand new offense — has been nice.”
