What the return of Mayfield, Evans means for Bucs

TAMPA, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Buccaneers found a way to retain quarterback Baker Mayfield — on a three-year deal worth $100 million — Sunday, and the move keeps Mayfield from entering free agency.

The league’s negotiation window opens Monday at noon ET, and free agency will officially begin Wednesday (4 p.m. ET), so getting a deal done for their starting quarterback was essential.

“I’m very happy for Baker. He’s been through so much in the last couple of years,” Mayfield’s agent Tom Mills said to ESPN. “On Dec. 5, 2022, he was waived by the Panthers. … He never complained and always believed in himself.”

For the Bucs, Mayfield was it, and they made it a point to convey that publicly. General manager Jason Licht was asked about potentially drafting a quarterback at the scouting combine last week and said, “You can never rule it out, but I’d say right now, the focus is on signing Baker.”

The Bucs did meet with five quarterbacks at the combine, and Licht said this week, “We also like door No. 2 that’s right here,” referring to backup Kyle Trask, who competed with Mayfield for the starting job last year.

But the team was built with every intention of luring Mayfield back and giving him the chance to build on last year’s career-defining season. The Bucs not only hired former Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator Liam Coen — who worked with Mayfield for five games in 2022 after the Rams picked him up shortly after Carolina released him — but they sought Mayfield’s opinion on the candidates while interviewing.

Sources close to the situation said they believe Coen might be a step up from previous offensive coordinator Dave Canales, now head coach of the Carolina Panthers, because Coen is already coming in with NFL playcalling experience, something Canales did for the first time last year.

While a report suggested Mayfield wasn’t going to give Tampa Bay a “hometown discount,” money was not the determining factor for Mayfield’s return. The 28-year-old has long coveted organizational stability and the right culture. He found that in Tampa Bay, a team that knew how to win after three seasons with Tom Brady and has one of the best receiving tandems in the league in Mike Evans and Chris Godwin.

“What they tell you is what you’re getting,” Mayfield said in September. “There’s no behind-the-scenes drama — it’s all about winning here.

“‘How can we put our guys in the best position to win?’ It’s rare, unfortunately, in the NFL to have an organization like that. That’s why I’m so happy to be here.”

Plus, Mayfield and his wife, Emily, already had planned to spend the offseason in Tampa as they anticipate the birth of their first child next month. It was important for them to reestablish their roots after being with four organizations in less than a year. That doesn’t always come from the highest bidder or the team with the first overall draft pick, as Mayfield saw in Cleveland when the Browns selected him No. 1 overall in the 2018 before trading him to Carolina in 2022.

This deal, which averages $33.33 million per year, is undoubtedly a step up from the $4 million deal he played under last season, and it’s a reward for a nine-win season with a 10th coming in a 32-9 win over the reigning NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles in the wild-card round of the playoffs. But it also leaves room for Mayfield to have a strong supporting cast.

The Bucs were still able to reward Evans with a new contract Monday and franchise-tag safety Antoine Winfield Jr. on Tuesday. It also allows the Bucs to give Winfield a new deal that is at, or near, the highest at his position, which would be in excess of $19 million per year, and they’re working hard to re-sign inside linebacker Lavonte David, as well.

According to ESPN’s Matt Bowen, Mayfield was the No. 2 quarterback on his free agency rankings and Evans was the No. 2 wide receiver. Winfield came in as the No. 1 safety, and they all ranked within the top 15 overall.

Then there’s left tackle Tristan Wirfs‘ entering the final year of his contract, as he’s set to play under the fifth-year option from his rookie deal. The Bucs have had what Licht described as “beginning discussions” with Wirfs’ agent, Jeremy Newberry, regarding an extension.

This is what Mayfield had to say after the Bucs’ loss to the Detroit Lions in the divisional round of the playoffs: “To get everybody back, there has to be sacrifices made, and this team is about winning. We have a group full of guys that they were all about that. It’s not about individuals guys, it’s not about that, and so that’s what made it special.”

Look for David — the longest-tenured Buc at 12 seasons, who continues to turn back the clock at age 34 — and kicker Chase McLaughlin to be the next priorities, with the Bucs’ focus on re-signing their own.

They’ll still need to fill holes at strong safety and their interior offensive line, and there are questions at outside linebacker with Shaquil Barrett‘s departure, although the team was adamant that it hasn’t closed the door on a possible return for him. Coach Todd Bowles was also noncommittal on K.J. Britt being the replacement for inside linebacker Devin White, who fell out of favor in Tampa and is not expected to re-sign.

But Licht had this to say, in putting things into perspective: “I mean, if we can re-sign Mike and Baker and Lavonte, Chase, Antoine and Tristan — I mean, we should be throwing another boat parade. So, that’s a pretty good class there.”