The national media fell in love with Tampa Bay the minute legendary quarterback Tom Brady signed with the Bucs. Brady and the Bucs were in heavy rotation on ESPN and national writers and reporters descended on Tampa Bay for the three years he was in red and pewter.

And with good reason.

The Bucs won Super Bowl LV in 2020, Brady’s first season with the team. And then followed that up with back-to-back NFC South championships.

But after three years of mostly favorable coverage, the national media have (predictably) turned on Tampa Bay after Brady’s retirement. And what has ensued is just some awful takes and the creation of three terrible national media narratives.

With the exception of Tampa-based reporters Jenna Laine of ESPN and Sara Walsh from NFL Network, the national media has stayed away from the AdventHealth Training Center this offseason. So, the rest of the national media doesn’t have any real perspective or first-hand accounts on how the team has fared in OTAs.

Read on and learn about the three terrible narratives the national media has whipped up about the team this offseason. And stick to PewterReport.com – the best local media source providing daily coverage about the Bucs.

Terrible Bucs Narrative No. 1

Baker Mayfield Is Struggling In OTAs (Kyle Trask, Too)

Over the past two weeks, there have been a couple of short, edited video clips showing new quarterback Baker Mayfield missing on a throw or two during the team’s OTAs. These videos have been circulated on Twitter by NFL Memes, Bleacher Report and others with a large number of followers to create the narrative that Mayfield and Kyle Trask are struggling.

WTSP reporter Evan Closky attempted to set the record straight about Mayfield after some of his video news footage was used – and selectively edited – by some national media types on Twitter.

If you think Tom Brady completed every pass in Tampa Bay in individual periods, you’re kidding yourself.

Bucs QBs Kyle Trask and Baker Mayfield – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Keep in mind that Mayfield and Trask are operating in a new offensive system under offensive coordinator Dave Canales and throwing to a bunch of new tight ends and wide receivers. It’s understandable that it will take some time to get the timing down, especially for Mayfield, who has never thrown to any of the Bucs tight ends and receivers before.

With four out of the six tight ends being new and six of the 11 receivers being new, even Trask has yet to build on-field chemistry with all of the team’s targets.

Ask anyone in the local Tampa Bay media and they would tell you that in the two open OTAs so far, both Mayfield and Trask – and even third-stringer John Wolford – have completed far more quality passes than they’ve had misfires. Whoever ends up as the starter this year should complete between 62-67% of their passes for the Bucs, which is well within the league average.

Terrible Bucs Narrative No. 2

The Bucs Are Tanking For Caleb Williams

Most way-too-early mock drafts have the Bucs picking in the Top 5 next year and selecting either USC QB Caleb Williams or North Carolina QB Drake Maye. That coincides with many of the latest NFL Power Rankings from ESPN, Fox Sports, NBC Sports and others that have Tampa Bay in the bottom five teams in the league.

Bucs GM Jason Licht and head coach Todd Bowles – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

The narrative that the Bucs are tanking this year to get one of the top quarterbacks next year is absolutely false. Tampa Bay was salary cap-strapped this offseason as a result of $75 million in dead cap room – with $35 million of it coming from Tom Brady. It’s not like the team didn’t want to spend money to improve their roster. It simply didn’t have much money to spend.

Yet, even in a post-Brady environment, the Bucs were still able to hang on to star players like cornerback Jamel Dean and linebacker Lavonte David. Both players wanted to return, and David turned down more money elsewhere to remain in red and pewter.

And the Bucs were able to lure quarterback Baker Mayfield, nose tackle Greg Gaines, safety Ryan Neal and running back Chase Edmonds all on cheap deals because they wanted to play in Tampa Bay – even without Brady. The reason? The Bucs are the two-time NFC South champions and still have plenty of talent despite Brady’s retirement.

Tampa Bay has nine players who have made at least one Pro Bowl. That’s more than any other NFC South team.

Bucs OLB Shaq Barrett and NT Vita Vea – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

New Orleans also has nine players with at least one Pro Bowl, but that’s including kicker Wil Lutz (2019) and backup QB Jameis Winston (2019). Wide receiver Michael Thomas also last made the Pro Bowl in 2019 and has battled injuries ever since. Running back Alvin Kamara made the Pro Bowl in 2021, but could miss at least the first six games this season due to a possible NFL suspension.

Atlanta has six players with at least one Pro Bowl, including kicker Younghoe Koo. New safety Jessie Bates was a second-team All-Pro in 2020. Meanwhile, Carolina has just four Pro Bowlers, including backup quarterback Andy Dalton, who last made the Pro Bowl in 2016, and 32-year old receiver Adam Thielen, whose last Pro Bowl was in 2018.

The NFC South is still wide open. The only quarterback in the division with a playoff win under his belt is actually Baker Mayfield. The Bucs may not win the NFC South this year, but it’s hard to imagine Tampa Bay finishing last and winding up with a Top 10 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Terrible Bucs Narrative No. 3

The Bucs Should, Would Or Could Trade Mike Evans

It’s June, and it’s the dog days of the NFL offseason. There aren’t many fresh topics to cover in the summer as NFL OTAs are winding down. So why not hypothesize about potential trades?

And why not suggest that Tampa Bay trade team icon Mike Evans?

Bucs WR Mike Evans – Photo by: USA Today

Stupid idea.

But that’s what SI.com recently did.

On the heels of Pewter Report reporting that a contract extension for Mike Evans is on the horizon this summer, SI.com says that the Bucs should trade Evans.

Sheesh. Awful take.

Evans isn’t going anywhere – except the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the Bucs Ring of Honor after he retires in red and pewter. Given he’s still in his prime, Tampa Bay wants and needs Evans in 2023 – and beyond.

Evans will go down as one of the Top 5 Bucs of all time when his career is over. And there is no way general manager Jason Licht is trading the first ever first-round pick he made back in 2014.

Trading Evans would leave the team way too thin at wide receiver with just two veterans on the roster with Chris Godwin and Russell Gage. No way Evans gets traded.