Buccaneers expected to target QB Baker Mayfield in free agency
The Buccaneers could be on the verge of signing a win-now option in free agency.
The Kyle Trask QB1 era for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers could be over long before it ever got close to starting.
It may have been nice for the franchise to act like it was going to stand behind its former second-round pick despite the criticism of the selection from almost everyone else, but jobs are on the line.
Todd Bowles would be silly to stake his job on Kyle Trask as a starter, and the Buccaneers were always going to have to win big in this area in free agency to save the 2023 season.
It looks like Bowles has finally found that better option to save his future with the team.
While there are obviously still some moving pieces and time for this option to come off the table, the Bucs focusing on Mayfield made too much sense from the jump.
The combination of a cheap price tag mixed with legitimate NFL upside makes Mayfield the perfect guy to come onto a team like the Bucs and at least give the impression that the team isn't trying to tank.
After making making the Browns look good and finding playoff success, Mayfield should have little trouble fitting in with a team like Tampa Bay and their weapons.
While Mayfield is still a mixed bag as both a player and an off-field personality, football evaluators would have no trouble seeing him as a much better fit with the Bucs than Kyle Trask.
This is a perfect no-lose situation for the Buccaneers. If Mayfield comes in and wins the job, the quarterback play is upped and the team is in a good position to compete for the NFC South again.
If Mayfield comes in and struggles, which is a possibility, the team did little in terms of investment and is able to finally prove that Trask has earned the role.
This likely doesn't change much in the future outlook for the Buccaneers in the long run, but it is good to see that they aren't putting all their eggs in one basket at the most important position in the sport.
