Looks like a 3 year $55 mil extension for Baker is more likely each day.
For all we know, the Bucs and Mayfield were waiting for that deal to set the market.
maybe, but the market has been pretty clear the last 2-3 years that 50-55M is the range.
The Bucs, now, more than ever, have the bargaining power (given Baker's play the last 11 games of 2025) but they surely aren't waiting to sign him over 5M per season, are they?
Could there be another reason they aren't pulling the trigger?
You have to wonder if Baker replicated the 2024 season in 2025......would he not already be under contract for 2027 season?
Maybe but then again the Bucs FO have shown they are motivated to re sign their own and are willing to overpay for their own guys alone this decade. The PR staff and many media outlets thought it was a singular choice this off season between Otton OR Evans. But the Bucs overpaid for Otton and were willing to overpay for Evans too. A recent PR article is positioning a similar argument between Diaby or Vea to be re upped next off season. In fact I think if the Bucs do work out a deal for Mayfield this off season it just indicates to me the Bucs are motivated to re sign Diaby and Vea if possible next off season.
So Mayfield's contract is the key to understanding the Buc cap picture and how to make decisions regarding Diaby, Vea, Mauch, Kancey for 2027 and beyond. I can't imagine Licht letting this drag on if he is motivated to make a deal happen and wants Mayfield re signed. Diaby, Kancey and Vea are 3 of the 7 key players in the Bucs defensive front seven and that is something Licht has to be mindful of as well while negotiating a deal with Mayfield.
Teams can't spend over the cap for the current season. Thw Bucs have less than 9 million in cap space this season. That is 27th in the NFL. That means 26 teams have more cap space than the Bucs. Without trading a high priced player, the Bucs options are limited. The Bucs could offer a contract that gives him a modest raise this season, with much bigger raises in following seasons. Mayfield would probably want further seasons fully guaranteed. Trading a high placed player at this junction is hard to do. It takes 2 to tango and finding a team that is able to afford an expensive contract would be difficult.
I am not saying that Mayfield isn't worth 50million, I am saying that at this point it would be difficult under the salary cap restraints.
Teams can't spend over the cap for the current season. Thw Bucs have less than 9 million in cap space this season. That is 27th in the NFL. That means 26 teams have more cap space than the Bucs. Without trading a high priced player, the Bucs options are limited. The Bucs could offer a contract that gives him a modest raise this season, with much bigger raises in following seasons. Mayfield would probably want further seasons fully guaranteed. Trading a high placed player at this junction is hard to do. It takes 2 to tango and finding a team that is able to afford an expensive contract would be difficult.
I am not saying that Mayfield isn't worth 50million, I am saying that at this point it would be difficult under the salary cap restraints.
Bucs can't restructure a few more contracts to make it work?
Teams can't spend over the cap for the current season. Thw Bucs have less than 9 million in cap space this season. That is 27th in the NFL. That means 26 teams have more cap space than the Bucs. Without trading a high priced player, the Bucs options are limited. The Bucs could offer a contract that gives him a modest raise this season, with much bigger raises in following seasons. Mayfield would probably want further seasons fully guaranteed. Trading a high placed player at this junction is hard to do. It takes 2 to tango and finding a team that is able to afford an expensive contract would be difficult.
I am not saying that Mayfield isn't worth 50million, I am saying that at this point it would be difficult under the salary cap restraints.
all i'm saying that if Baker continued his MVP type performance first month and a half of season, coming off his Hall of fame trajectory 2024 season, the dude would have been extended by Thanksgiving last year.
In the past 2 years the Bucs have restructured a lot of contracts. Just about all the high earners have restructured their contracts. After the Bucs restructured contracts this year, they had about 20-30 million in cap space. The Bucs prioritized signing free agents over extending Mayfield.Teams can't spend over the cap for the current season. Thw Bucs have less than 9 million in cap space this season. That is 27th in the NFL. That means 26 teams have more cap space than the Bucs. Without trading a high priced player, the Bucs options are limited. The Bucs could offer a contract that gives him a modest raise this season, with much bigger raises in following seasons. Mayfield would probably want further seasons fully guaranteed. Trading a high placed player at this junction is hard to do. It takes 2 to tango and finding a team that is able to afford an expensive contract would be difficult.
I am not saying that Mayfield isn't worth 50million, I am saying that at this point it would be difficult under the salary cap restraints.
Bucs can't restructure a few more contracts to make it work?
Teams can't spend over the cap for the current season. Thw Bucs have less than 9 million in cap space this season. That is 27th in the NFL. That means 26 teams have more cap space than the Bucs. Without trading a high priced player, the Bucs options are limited. The Bucs could offer a contract that gives him a modest raise this season, with much bigger raises in following seasons. Mayfield would probably want further seasons fully guaranteed. Trading a high placed player at this junction is hard to do. It takes 2 to tango and finding a team that is able to afford an expensive contract would be difficult.
I am not saying that Mayfield isn't worth 50million, I am saying that at this point it would be difficult under the salary cap restraints.
Bucs can't restructure a few more contracts to make it work?
The Bucs can't spend cap money they don't have. Right now the Bucs have about 8.6 million in cap space for the 2026 season. To get there the Bucs had to negotiate a number of contracts.
In the offseason Wirfs restructured, Godwin restructured last offseason, Winfield restructured last offseason, Vita Vea restructured this off season, Bredeson restructured this offseason, Goedeke restructured this off season, Anthony Nelson restructured this offseason, McCollum restructured this off season, Otton restructured this offseason, and Sean Tucker just signed a new contract this offseason.
There are not too many players left to restructure and most of them are earning less than 2 million a season.
Right now the Bucs have 42 million in cap space for the 2027 season. But that cap space includes only 11 million for Mayfield and 2.5 million for Veta Vea. Give Mayfield a 50 million a year contract and you just wiped out all of the 2027 cap space and still need to sign Vea.
Give Mayfield a 50 million a year contract and you just wiped out all of the 2027 cap space and still need to sign Vea.
Any new deal with Baker would have a manipulated cap structure. It wouldn’t be $50M per year.
And, for the umpteenth time, WE DON’T NEED TO RE-SIGN VEA!
Give Mayfield a 50 million a year contract and you just wiped out all of the 2027 cap space and still need to sign Vea.
Any new deal with Baker would have a manipulated cap structure. It wouldn’t be $50M per year.
And, for the umpteenth time, WE DON’T NEED TO RE-SIGN VEA!
agree on Vea.
question on Mayfield...
I thought I read that the franchise tag for a would be around $44 next season? If that's right aren't they likely to cut a compromise deal next season because they will have the leverage of the tag and more cap space? Mayfield might be worth more but the tag leverage helps offset that risk?
Give Mayfield a 50 million a year contract and you just wiped out all of the 2027 cap space and still need to sign Vea.
Any new deal with Baker would have a manipulated cap structure. It wouldn’t be $50M per year.
And, for the umpteenth time, WE DON’T NEED TO RE-SIGN VEA!
agree on Vea.
question on Mayfield...
I thought I read that the franchise tag for a would be around $44 next season? If that's right aren't they likely to cut a compromise deal next season because they will have the leverage of the tag and more cap space? Mayfield might be worth more but the tag leverage helps offset that risk?
yeah as much as i like Vita Vea, he is entering his age 31 season. Some phenoms play to like 35 (Darnold to 33, Suh, Sapp, Wilfork, Randle all 35ish) but most fizzle out by 33. If he test market and he is cheap, he can consider resigning because we still need somebody to man the position but Vea's age makes him a risk
The franchise tag for QBs in 2026 was $44M. Next year, would expect it to rise, maybe in the $46-$50M range but to your point, the tag leverage is our friend. Some wise poster has been slamming the table to let this season play out...ill see if i can dig it up and find out who that poster was.
Some wise poster has been slamming the table to let this season play out...ill see if i can dig it up and find out who that poster was.
65% of the time that wise poster is right 100% of the time
Give Mayfield a 50 million a year contract and you just wiped out all of the 2027 cap space and still need to sign Vea.
Any new deal with Baker would have a manipulated cap structure. It wouldn’t be $50M per year.
And, for the umpteenth time, WE DON’T NEED TO RE-SIGN VEA!
agree on Vea.
question on Mayfield...
I thought I read that the franchise tag for a would be around $44 next season? If that's right aren't they likely to cut a compromise deal next season because they will have the leverage of the tag and more cap space? Mayfield might be worth more but the tag leverage helps offset that risk?
Of course they can tag him. But, what if he wants out after this season (he wasn’t happy going into last season)?
Thats a recipe for disaster.
I think it’s more of a matter of 2 camps who are still far apart on numbers. Which also means both sides are doing their jobs.
Quepo did a nice video laying out both arguments and likely compromise, and rolling his $40m salary into a year zero deal if they get a deal done.Give Mayfield a 50 million a year contract and you just wiped out all of the 2027 cap space and still need to sign Vea.
Any new deal with Baker would have a manipulated cap structure. It wouldn’t be $50M per year.
And, for the umpteenth time, WE DON’T NEED TO RE-SIGN VEA!
agree on Vea.
question on Mayfield...
I thought I read that the franchise tag for a would be around $44 next season? If that's right aren't they likely to cut a compromise deal next season because they will have the leverage of the tag and more cap space? Mayfield might be worth more but the tag leverage helps offset that risk?
Of course they can tag him. But, what if he wants out after this season (he wasn’t happy going into last season)?
Thats a recipe for disaster.
I think it’s more of a matter of 2 camps who are still far apart on numbers. Which also means both sides are doing their jobs.
I agree, both sides are doing their jobs.
Give Mayfield a 50 million a year contract and you just wiped out all of the 2027 cap space and still need to sign Vea.
Any new deal with Baker would have a manipulated cap structure. It wouldn’t be $50M per year.
And, for the umpteenth time, WE DON’T NEED TO RE-SIGN VEA!
agree on Vea.
question on Mayfield...
I thought I read that the franchise tag for a would be around $44 next season? If that's right aren't they likely to cut a compromise deal next season because they will have the leverage of the tag and more cap space? Mayfield might be worth more but the tag leverage helps offset that risk?
Of course they can tag him. But, what if he wants out after this season (he wasn’t happy going into last season)?
Thats a recipe for disaster.
I think it’s more of a matter of 2 camps who are still far apart on numbers. Which also means both sides are doing their jobs.
I am not saying they will tag him I am saying that there is the cap issue now and both sides have leverage forward. That suggests a compromise in the future.
if the team flounders this year all best are off anyway. Mayfield would likely leave for more $ and a new start, unless they hire a HC for him lol