The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are one of the teams that could be taking a ride on the quarterback carousel this offseason. After Baker Mayfield put together a career season in 2023, he could cash in as a free agent and move elsewhere.
The Buccaneers will assuredly attempt to retain Mayfield, who got his career back on track in Tampa Bay. After bottoming out with the Carolina Panthers in 2022, he latched on with the Los Angeles Rams and played solid football given the circumstances.
He was given a chance to compete for the starting job in Tampa Bay with Kyle Trask and made the most of it. Replacing a legend such as Tom Brady is no small task, but Mayfield performed at a level only Brady had reached in Buccaneers’ franchise history.
NFL News & Rumors: Baker Mayfield, Michael Penix Jr., 2024 NFL Draft, Tampa Bay Buccaneers Updates
Some NFL analysts believe that Mayfield is going to seek the largest possible payday he can find in free agency. If that happens to come from another team in the league, he could very well jump ship and continue his playing days elsewhere.
While the Buccaneers will do everything they can to keep him, they need to have a contingency plan in place just in case Mayfield does leave. In the opinion of Matthew Davis of Heavy, that player could be Michael Penix Jr.
Penix is a Tampa Bay native and coming off a huge season at Washington. His draft stock is all over the place as there are some teams worried about his medicals, as he suffered four season-ending injuries; two to his knees and two to his shoulders. His collegiate career began in 2018, so he will be a little bit of an older prospect coming into the 2024 NFL Draft.
That isn’t always a bad thing, as he will be bringing a ton of experience to the table. Staying healthy for two seasons at Washington is certainly a plus and the production he put on tape is truly impressive.
NFL News & Rumors: Baker Mayfield, Michael Penix Jr., 2024 NFL Draft, Tampa Bay Buccaneers Updates
Considered the most polarizing quarterback prospect in the draft, and potentially ever, the Buccaneers could certainly take a risk on bringing in Penix and having him compete for the starting job. Having two quarterbacks on rookie deals on the depth chart would certainly help keep their books clean, enabling them to focus using salary and assets on other areas of the roster.
Ultimately, the Buccaneers would love to have Mayfield back and continue building on the success they had in 2023. But, they have to keep their options open, as nothing is guaranteed in free agency.
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