Actions speak louder than words. After the Bucs renegotiated / restructured a number of contracts during the postseason, the Bucs had 25 tp 30 million in cap space. The Bucs chose to spend that money on free agents rather than sign an extension with Mayfield.Sure, that’s why the organization floated an extension. Smart to try an minimize your star QB, seeking to capitalize on generally positive and unexpected play, aside from the one year the team saddled him with a not-ready-for-prime-time OC, the starting receivers, starting running back, and starting offensive line injuries that exposed him to punishment that led to numerous injuries, after he was responsible for winning games on his own the first half of the season.
I’m sure they’ll play that card. Equally sure they’ll assume that there won’t be any interest from 13 teams still needing a productive QB.
In fact - focusing on one year with extenuating issues, and 19 teams that may jut be in the market for a starting QB with playoff experience, and a win, that plays well in a McVay scheme that many teams currently use the same scheme if not elements of - probably makes a lot of sense, to some.
Market dynamics are part of the rationale, we’ll see how it plays out. Could be they franchise him too (even though the team doesn’t like that approach), but that could happen too.
Good that we have these what-if topics to kill time during the offseason.
The same organization that was talking up Kyle Trask for several years up until the week they cut him. Yes, it's smart for them to talk up the starting QB, heck 100% of the teams do it. I wouldn't read too much into anything they say unless you see a contract extension before the season. We are now in June, so it's still possible obviously, but actions speak louder than words.
Baker is "likely" our guy in 2027. But it could have been the phrase " IS OUR GUY" if he didn't blow it last year. I'm all for the suggestion that a make shift offensive line is the key reason. Or we can call it Baker was injured, yadda yadda yadda...but he put doubt in many peoples minds and if anything, a hungry Baker is a good thing for us. Let's see him earn that new contract.
and my question to you is that if Baker replicated his 2024 performance in 2025, would they not have extended Baker by Thanksgiving last year?
EDIT: A bit sarcastic here with Thanksgiving but more so, as soon as season ended!
Actions speak louder than words. After the Bucs renegotiated / restructured a number of contracts during the postseason, the Bucs had 25 tp 30 million in cap space. The Bucs chose to spend that money on free agents rather than sign an extension with Mayfield.Sure, that’s why the organization floated an extension. Smart to try an minimize your star QB, seeking to capitalize on generally positive and unexpected play, aside from the one year the team saddled him with a not-ready-for-prime-time OC, the starting receivers, starting running back, and starting offensive line injuries that exposed him to punishment that led to numerous injuries, after he was responsible for winning games on his own the first half of the season.
I’m sure they’ll play that card. Equally sure they’ll assume that there won’t be any interest from 13 teams still needing a productive QB.
In fact - focusing on one year with extenuating issues, and 19 teams that may jut be in the market for a starting QB with playoff experience, and a win, that plays well in a McVay scheme that many teams currently use the same scheme if not elements of - probably makes a lot of sense, to some.
Market dynamics are part of the rationale, we’ll see how it plays out. Could be they franchise him too (even though the team doesn’t like that approach), but that could happen too.
Good that we have these what-if topics to kill time during the offseason.
The same organization that was talking up Kyle Trask for several years up until the week they cut him. Yes, it's smart for them to talk up the starting QB, heck 100% of the teams do it. I wouldn't read too much into anything they say unless you see a contract extension before the season. We are now in June, so it's still possible obviously, but actions speak louder than words.
Baker is "likely" our guy in 2027. But it could have been the phrase " IS OUR GUY" if he didn't blow it last year. I'm all for the suggestion that a make shift offensive line is the key reason. Or we can call it Baker was injured, yadda yadda yadda...but he put doubt in many peoples minds and if anything, a hungry Baker is a good thing for us. Let's see him earn that new contract.
so they restructured Goedeke and McCollum to free up $26M
if they would have did Wirfs and AWJ, they would have freed up another $32M......but they didn't
they might have if Baker played great again 2025....
the fact that he played MID.....gave them hesitation
This thread clearly shows who watches film and who watches box scores.
Actions speak louder than words. After the Bucs renegotiated / restructured a number of contracts during the postseason, the Bucs had 25 tp 30 million in cap space. The Bucs chose to spend that money on free agents rather than sign an extension with Mayfield.Sure, that’s why the organization floated an extension. Smart to try an minimize your star QB, seeking to capitalize on generally positive and unexpected play, aside from the one year the team saddled him with a not-ready-for-prime-time OC, the starting receivers, starting running back, and starting offensive line injuries that exposed him to punishment that led to numerous injuries, after he was responsible for winning games on his own the first half of the season.
I’m sure they’ll play that card. Equally sure they’ll assume that there won’t be any interest from 13 teams still needing a productive QB.
In fact - focusing on one year with extenuating issues, and 19 teams that may jut be in the market for a starting QB with playoff experience, and a win, that plays well in a McVay scheme that many teams currently use the same scheme if not elements of - probably makes a lot of sense, to some.
Market dynamics are part of the rationale, we’ll see how it plays out. Could be they franchise him too (even though the team doesn’t like that approach), but that could happen too.
Good that we have these what-if topics to kill time during the offseason.
The same organization that was talking up Kyle Trask for several years up until the week they cut him. Yes, it's smart for them to talk up the starting QB, heck 100% of the teams do it. I wouldn't read too much into anything they say unless you see a contract extension before the season. We are now in June, so it's still possible obviously, but actions speak louder than words.
Baker is "likely" our guy in 2027. But it could have been the phrase " IS OUR GUY" if he didn't blow it last year. I'm all for the suggestion that a make shift offensive line is the key reason. Or we can call it Baker was injured, yadda yadda yadda...but he put doubt in many peoples minds and if anything, a hungry Baker is a good thing for us. Let's see him earn that new contract.
The Bucs were prepared to do more restructures to pay Mike Evans to stay and that is with Otton already under contract. You are under impression the Bucs don't have room to maneuver but the fact the Bucs were willing to overpay to keep Mike Evans this off season with the Bucs tells me the Bucs held back a lot this off season with their free agent activity.
As soon as Mike Evans left the Bucs entire strategy changed on a dime and the Bucs clammed up.
so they restructured Goedeke and McCollum to free up $26M
if they would have did Wirfs and AWJ, they would have freed up another $32M......but they didn't
they might have if Baker played great again 2025....
the fact that he played MID.....gave them hesitation
Yup or they could have used that money to sign more free agents since they failed to re up Mike Evans and were hesitant to re sign Myafield. Nothing wrong with the Bucs being judicious with their restructures.
But they were willing to restructure for Mike Evans no hesitation but for Mayfield they are definitely fence sitting on this one. Which is fine if they don't want to pay Mayfield this year but they should have at least tried to surround Mayfield with more talent or even helped the defense a lot more. Asking Mayfield to play like 2024 is asking a miracle with this coaching staff and a defense that has question marks. Players should succeed or fail on their own accord and not because of circumstances outside of their control. But you are right that even if Mayfield plays average or sub par in 2026 that he is most likely still the Bucs starting QB for 2027.
Nothing wrong with the Bucs being judicious with their restructures.
"Instead, the choices general manager Jason Licht and assistant G.M. Mike Greenberg made are very telling.
Bucs Restructure The Contracts Of CB Zyon McCollum And RT Luke Goedeke
General manager Jason Licht and assistant general manager Mike Greenberg chose to restructure the contracts of Luke Goedeke and Zyon McCollum, according to Greg Auman of Fox Sports.
What This Means For Luke Goedeke and Zyon McCollum
These restructures do not change the amount of cash either player actually gets paid this year. McCollum still gets the $14.594 million he was due this year and Goedeke still gets the $22 million he was due this year. Neither has taken a pay cut, just as Mike Evans never did throughout his career in Tampa Bay. Restructures merely adjust how the cash paid to a player is accounted for, by spreading the accounting out over future seasons.
Why These Contracts And Not Others?
Luke Goedeke’s restructure makes sense. He is one of the best right tackles in football and both his cash and cap hits are extremely reasonable going forward.
However, McCollum’s restructure is more curious. After a strong 2024 season, McCollum struggled in 2025, giving up five touchdowns on the year. But the reason for the restructure, and Goedeke’s as well, becomes clearer when you look at the details of their contracts. Both players had contract triggers that recently went into effect that guaranteed future salaries.
By restructuring these two deals the Buccaneers have given themselves maximum flexibility with every other significant contract on their roster.
The 2026 season has all of the markings of crossroads year in Tampa Bay. Head coach Todd Bowles is facing a make-it-or-break-it season, and quarterback Baker Mayfield is in the last year of his contract. If the team does well this season they could lean in with additional investments.
But 2027 is also the first season of a new three-year cash spending window for the league. The Buccaneers could decide to cut and/or trade several of these players and start all over with a roster rebuild and a new regime if the 2026 season ends the way it did last year with another losing record and without a playoff appearance."
so they restructured Goedeke and McCollum to free up $26M
if they would have did Wirfs and AWJ, they would have freed up another $32M......but they didn't
they might have if Baker played great again 2025....
the fact that he played MID.....gave them hesitation
Yup or they could have used that money to sign more free agents since they failed to re up Mike Evans and were hesitant to re sign Myafield. Nothing wrong with the Bucs being judicious with their restructures.
But they were willing to restructure for Mike Evans no hesitation but for Mayfield they are definitely fence sitting on this one. Which is fine if they don't want to pay Mayfield this year but they should have at least tried to surround Mayfield with more talent or even helped the defense a lot more. Asking Mayfield to play like 2024 is asking a miracle with this coaching staff and a defense that has question marks. Players should succeed or fail on their own accord and not because of circumstances outside of their control. But you are right that even if Mayfield plays average or sub par in 2026 that he is most likely still the Bucs starting QB for 2027.
i mean 41 TDs is pretty amazing so let's not set the bar there but is 2 TDs/avg a game too much to ask for? Let's call it 34 TDs. Bucs likely at least 12-5 last year if he had 34 TDs instead of 26.
The offensive line was in shambles and while the team has suffered injuries in prior years they have never seen the likes of 2025 injuries so if that returns to law of average, that should be a boost right there.
Loosing Mike Evans hurts but there's still plenty of talent with the WR core if they can stay healthy. Knocking on wood that "stay healthy" and Godwin/McMillian in the same sentence, gives me the heebie jeebies.
Who knows with Zac Robinson...Atlanta offenses were just as talented as Bucs. I guess QB play was a big question mark. So if i understand the red board correctly, we blame the OC for Buc QB troubles but blame the QB for current BUC OC struggles. just trying to keep up!
all kidding aside, no way Robinson is worse than Grizz and hopefully he is in head coaching discussions because of how well our offense did in 2026!
A lot to be positive about but yeah either way, a 2025 repeat or a 2024 repeat, and Baker is our QB next year. It's just the 2024 repeat likely leads to more money and years where a 2025 repeat likely looking at a deal similar to Daniel Jones at 2 years, $90M, or something like that
he put doubt in many peoples minds
This is probably the bridge too far, suggesting that a "premature" extension has not happened because the FO has doubts lol. That would mean the FO sees Mayfield as 65% of 2025
Well played.
i don't know what Licht was thinking back in 2018. Through 3 games, Fitzpatrick had 11 TDs and 4 INTs averaging like 400 yards per game. Guy was playing at MVP level.
He played a total of 8 games that year, one might suggest they looked at his last 5 or 62.5% of the season ;)
It’s downright Masonic, no offense.
Atlanta offenses were just as talented as Bucs.
This is a complete lie.
Bijan Robinson, Kyle Pitts, and Drake London would be the #1 RB, TE, and WR on our team. Tyler Allgeier was their #2 back and he had 514 rushing yards. Our leading rushers were Bucky at 588 yards and White at 572 yards.
I would argue we had a deeper WR room than them.
but their offense was not deprived of talent. As i said in the quote that you didnt snip it......the QB was the big question mark. I just haven't learned when it's the QB fault they suck or the OC fault. It seems to vary depending on the situation. When Kirk Cousins does well against Bucs, it's Bowles fault....or Robinson credit.....oh that's a good one!