Ehinote wrote "The Bucs will have the best quarterback in Baker Mayfield (assuming he can shake off the struggles of his last nine games in 2025)."
What if Tua performs at the level he played in 2022, 2023 and 2024 where his rating was above 100 while Mayfield's best rating has never in his career been above 100?
think the merit is on the offensive line being a make shift offensive line - that certainly impacted the offense
1st year OC who was fired? Scheme and selection might impact a QB? Coen is credited with the 24 offense but Grizz is not " credited" with the failed 2025 offense?
Ehinote wrote "The Bucs will have the best quarterback in Baker Mayfield (assuming he can shake off the struggles of his last nine games in 2025)."
What if Tua performs at the level he played in 2022, 2023 and 2024 where his rating was above 100 while Mayfield's best rating has never in his career been above 100?
Tua has never surpassed 30 TDs in his career. Baker was damn near Hall of Fame bound back in 2024.
19 TD passes in 2024? that's pretty weak.
his 2022 and 2023 were very similar to Baker's 2025 which was mid.
Plus, Tua won't start until like week 5 after they bench Penix.
Baker is the best QB in the division and i would agree Tua is not far behind though.
think the merit is on the offensive line being a make shift offensive line - that certainly impacted the offense
1st year OC who was fired? Scheme and selection might impact a QB? Coen is credited with the 24 offense but Grizz is not " credited" with the failed 2025 offense?
Brady is credited with the success of 2021 season but Leftwich is credited with the failure of the 2022 season.
Somehow we were led to believe that "golf cart" Bruce Arians had a heavy hand in the offense and Leftwich was just a puppet in 2021. So Arians leaves and we are led to believe that Leftwich was stupid enough to change what worked in 2021....or was it maybe a combination of Leftwich not having Arians to lean on as well as Brady not fully being into it/wanting to take hits/father time?
probably a combination of both.
Sort of like Coen success, hard to not credit Baker for being HOF caliber back then either, right?
truth is probably in the middle but to discredit all of Bakers down play to the OC.....ehhhh....yeah could be a contributing factor but i think the health of the offensive line probably the most critical....
heck did Grizz get a fair shake with that OL?
could be a contributing factor but i think the health of the offensive line probably the most critical.
Maybe
the reality is that it is a team sport so everyone's performance is influenced by many things that are out of an individual player's control.
the early Red Board take on Mayfield was that he was going to be got the Bucs what he was before the Bucs.
wrong
the next Red Board take was that he was going to get overpaid and it would set back the team.
wrong.
your current take is that the team has not prematurely extended him because 11 games in 2025 shook their confidence.
that might be true but it's counter to their words and ignores external factors like cap space SO believe what ever you want but most would probably require a little more to reach your space.
especially in a forum where we are all more wrong than right. And bored. lol
could be a contributing factor but i think the health of the offensive line probably the most critical.
Maybe
the reality is that it is a team sport so everyone's performance is influenced by many things that are out of an individual player's control.
the early Red Board take on Mayfield was that he was going to be got the Bucs what he was before the Bucs.
wrong
the next Red Board take was that he was going to get overpaid and it would set back the team.
wrong.
your current take is that the team has not prematurely extended him because 11 games in 2025 shook their confidence.
that might be true but it's counter to their words and ignores external factors like cap space SO believe what ever you want but most would probably require a little more to reach your space.
especially in a forum where we are all more wrong than right. And bored. lol
so when they signed him, i was pretty suggestive that he was the starter over Trask and that there was no real competition
then when they went on a run and finished 9-8 with a playoff win and his best season, i started a "Baker Appreciation thread"
I also correctly stated, he would likely get a 3 year, 100M deal.
the fact that a restructure of Wirfs/AWJ, etc. could easily add $30m+ in cap space makes me think it's not a cap space issue. I'm simply suggesting he 100% would have already been extended if he finished the 2025 season strong, meaning the 5-1 start or 2024 replica year. The fact that he didnt, made him less of a priority to the front office.
I think it's likely the Bucs re-sign Baker....just saying it will be after the season most likely for nothing else then they want to ensure the collapse was a fluke and that his hot/cold play has made him less of a slam dunk to give a 4 year, $200M deal too.
Division should be more competitive next year. I don't have us as a top undisputed favorite. We still have a solid team capable of winning it but other teams have gotten closer over the years and maybe better at this point..
i mean, it really shouldn't be a competition. The fact that we lost it last year after starting 5-1 is insane. We had 6 cup cake games to end the season and we went 2-4 when we were relatively healthy. Literally insane. It broke me as a fan, that's for sure. Then we go ahead and double down with the clown head coach who it happened under....
don't get me wrong, i'm a Buc Fan and have experienced much worse (think 2009 through 2019 pre Brady, post Gruden decade) but hard to be excited or confident about this team.
on paper, we should take this division. You can say rosters have normalized and that is fine but QB wise....even as much as i was disappointed in Baker last year, he's still, on paper, head and shoulders better than any other QB in the division.
Bucs are favorites but to your point because of the ineptness of them, it's not a slam dunk. I mean shit, we can start 7-0 and i would still be cautious of our ability to make the playoffs now.
The Saints, Panthers and Falcons had contributions from their young talent which allowed them to keep pace. Egbuka ran out of steam while Morrison and Parrish were up down while playing brilliantly in spurts. Bucs had David Walker out before the season began so the Bucs were hoping the 2026 class could carry them that extra hurdle but it did not materialize while it did for the other NFCS foes.
Normally the Bucs rookies the last few years post SB have carried this team to new levels of competition but last year was an anomaly because of the fast hot start and then collapse. That collapse still should not have happened even if the rookies hit a wall as the Bucs have plenty of veteran leadership on this squad.
think the merit is on the offensive line being a make shift offensive line - that certainly impacted the offense
1st year OC who was fired? Scheme and selection might impact a QB? Coen is credited with the 24 offense but Grizz is not " credited" with the failed 2025 offense?
Brady is credited with the success of 2021 season but Leftwich is credited with the failure of the 2022 season.
Somehow we were led to believe that "golf cart" Bruce Arians had a heavy hand in the offense and Leftwich was just a puppet in 2021. So Arians leaves and we are led to believe that Leftwich was stupid enough to change what worked in 2021....or was it maybe a combination of Leftwich not having Arians to lean on as well as Brady not fully being into it/wanting to take hits/father time?
probably a combination of both.
Sort of like Coen success, hard to not credit Baker for being HOF caliber back then either, right?
truth is probably in the middle but to discredit all of Bakers down play to the OC.....ehhhh....yeah could be a contributing factor but i think the health of the offensive line probably the most critical....
heck did Grizz get a fair shake with that OL?
People keep saying Grizzard didn't use TEs enough but the TEs were used to block because Licht couldn't bother to trade or sign a competent guard to protect Mayfield. Mayfield's shoulder has been an issue since Cleveland. Ironically Otton finished with nearly identical numbers last season as the year before due to WR injuries of 2024 Anyways when you have small QBs you have to protect the A Gaps with higher caliber players. It was an issue for Brees too given his similar stature like Mayfield which is why SP would beef up the interior of the OL. Also Canales first order of business was signing two guards to protect the dimnuitive Bryce Young. Licht? Ever since Marpet retired the Bucs have done what at LG? Yeah that is a problem because after the two tackles (LT, RT), LG is the most important position on the line. Some say it is center but really LG because they combo block often with the center but are also important for pulling to the stronside of formations to create alley ways.
Licht's failure to draft a stud LG or even sign one may doom Mayfield's career or chance to ascend IMO. Marpets early retirement is still haunting this team.
could be a contributing factor but i think the health of the offensive line probably the most critical.
Maybe
the reality is that it is a team sport so everyone's performance is influenced by many things that are out of an individual player's control.
the early Red Board take on Mayfield was that he was going to be got the Bucs what he was before the Bucs.
wrong
the next Red Board take was that he was going to get overpaid and it would set back the team.
wrong.
your current take is that the team has not prematurely extended him because 11 games in 2025 shook their confidence.
that might be true but it's counter to their words and ignores external factors like cap space SO believe what ever you want but most would probably require a little more to reach your space.
especially in a forum where we are all more wrong than right. And bored. lol
so when they signed him, i was pretty suggestive that he was the starter over Trask and that there was no real competition
then when they went on a run and finished 9-8 with a playoff win and his best season, i started a "Baker Appreciation thread"
I also correctly stated, he would likely get a 3 year, 100M deal.
the fact that a restructure of Wirfs/AWJ, etc. could easily add $30m+ in cap space makes me think it's not a cap space issue. I'm simply suggesting he 100% would have already been extended if he finished the 2025 season strong, meaning the 5-1 start or 2024 replica year. The fact that he didnt, made him less of a priority to the front office.
I think it's likely the Bucs re-sign Baker....just saying it will be after the season most likely for nothing else then they want to ensure the collapse was a fluke and that his hot/cold play has made him less of a slam dunk to give a 4 year, $200M deal too.
Bake has multiple reason to not want to sign anything but s great deal now
could be a contributing factor but i think the health of the offensive line probably the most critical.
Maybe
the reality is that it is a team sport so everyone's performance is influenced by many things that are out of an individual player's control.
the early Red Board take on Mayfield was that he was going to be got the Bucs what he was before the Bucs.
wrong
the next Red Board take was that he was going to get overpaid and it would set back the team.
wrong.
your current take is that the team has not prematurely extended him because 11 games in 2025 shook their confidence.
that might be true but it's counter to their words and ignores external factors like cap space SO believe what ever you want but most would probably require a little more to reach your space.
especially in a forum where we are all more wrong than right. And bored. lol
so when they signed him, i was pretty suggestive that he was the starter over Trask and that there was no real competition
then when they went on a run and finished 9-8 with a playoff win and his best season, i started a "Baker Appreciation thread"
I also correctly stated, he would likely get a 3 year, 100M deal.
the fact that a restructure of Wirfs/AWJ, etc. could easily add $30m+ in cap space makes me think it's not a cap space issue. I'm simply suggesting he 100% would have already been extended if he finished the 2025 season strong, meaning the 5-1 start or 2024 replica year. The fact that he didnt, made him less of a priority to the front office.
I think it's likely the Bucs re-sign Baker....just saying it will be after the season most likely for nothing else then they want to ensure the collapse was a fluke and that his hot/cold play has made him less of a slam dunk to give a 4 year, $200M deal too.
Bake has multiple reason to not want to sign anything but s great deal now
If Baker was offered 4 year, $200 million, he'd sign immediately
but yes he's likely not being offered that so that would be the main reason he plays it out to show he's closer to 2024 guy then he is 2025 guy.
2025 guy isn't atrocious but it's 2 years, $90M with Bucs likely drafting a QB versus 4 years, $200M and it's clearly his team
Licht couldn't bother to trade or sign a competent guard to protect Mayfield
That you JC?
i mean for a team that was apparently derailed by Mauch missing 15 games and Brederson missing 5 games, yeah.....Licht not adding interior support other than a 5th round pick is alarming.
Robert Hainsey type guy was pretty awesome having able to play anywhere on the interior. Solid depth piece. We don't really have that type of guy anymore. Unless Klein or Schrauth show their worth, we would have a similar issue if one of our starter goes down.
again, i get your point that there is no way we have Wirfs, Geodeke, Brederson missing 5 games each and Mauch 15.....so just by law of averages should be better but just surprised Licht wasn't snake bitten by the experience to bulk it up a bit more. Maybe they have more confidence in Klein this year. dude had like 80 snaps last year
Bake has multiple reason to not want to sign anything but s great deal now
Bingo.
And, it some of those reasons started about 16 months ago.
Wow I've surrendered to the typos.