At a press conference to announce the re-signings of cornerback Jamel Dean and outside linebacker Anthony Nelson, Bucs general manager Jason Licht confirmed that the team had agreed to terms with free agent quarterback Baker Mayfield. The Bucs were looking for an experienced veteran to compete with third-year quarterback Kyle Trask. They found a very tough competitor in Baker Mayfield.
“All of us in the front office and coaches as well, Todd, he has a history with Baker competing against each other,” Licht said. “We’ve seen a fiery competitor. Very confident. Smart. He has a very good arm.”
Bowles has coached against Mayfield before, and the Bucs beat Mayfield and the Browns in overtime in 2018 during his rookie season. That familiarity wasn’t lost on Tampa Bay.
Despite his experience and his status as the former No. 1 overall pick by the Browns, Mayfield won’t be given the starting job in Tampa Bay. He’ll have to earn it by beating out Trask in training camp and the preseason.
“He’s had a lot of success,” Licht said of Mayfield. “He took Cleveland to the playoffs for the first time since 1994 when Coach [Bill] Belichick was coaching. That says something. We’re excited to have him, and add him to the fray.
“It’s going to be a great competition. It’s going to be – since I’ve been here – the first real, legit QB competition in training camp, which will be a lot of fun to watch. It’s going to make both of them better, I feel real confident about what [new offensive coordinator] Dave [Canales] is going to do with the offense and with these quarterbacks.”
Bucs GM Jason Licht: Baker Mayfield Is “A Great Teammate”
Licht said that he didn’t expect Trask, who has very little experience over the last two years, to back down from the competition now that Mayfield is in Tampa Bay. The Bucs general manager said that the team’s second-round pick in 2021 is also quite competitive in his own way.
“Both of them are great competitors,” Licht said. “One (Mayfield) is a little more outwardly competitive than the other. The other one (Trask) is just as competitive, just more of a quiet competitor. But they are both equally competitive.”
Licht shot down speculation that Mayfield might not be a great teammate due to his brash and somewhat cocky demeanor. The Bucs expect Mayfield and Trask to get along and work well together.
“We did our homework and we got the same [feedback from the Browns, Panthers and Rams], which is that he’s an awesome person, a fiery competitor, very smart and very driven,” Licht said. “And a great teammate.”
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