NFC evaluator praises Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield has played some great football in his two years with Tampa Bay, and his success is part of a wider movement when it comes to evaluating quarterbacks.

Many QBs have been eaten alive once they got to the NFL from college — game speed, talent and the spotlight are all bigger at the next level. And in recent times, that could have been quarterbacks like Mayfield, the Las Vegas Raiders' Geno Smith and the Seattle Seahawks' Sam Darnold, but teams have taken a chance on players like those once it looked like their careers were on the brink. It certainly paid off for Mayfield, who went from a largely dysfunctional Cleveland Browns team to a Tampa Bay Buccaneers team that had a great foundation, strong coaching and a wealth of talent.

That molded Mayfield into a quarterback who threw over 40 touchdowns for the Bucs last year, and the league is taking notice. Sports Illustrated's 32 Teams in 32 Days preview for the Bucs included a quote from an anonymous NFC personnel evaluator, and that evaluator mentioned that quarterbacks like Mayfield who were once cast aside could rebound and play great football with the right tools surrounding them.

“I think Mayfield is proof of the concept of coaching matters, systems matter, team build matters. But more than anything, if you can process quickly and get the ball out on time from the pocket, you don't have to be 6-foot-5 to play in this league," the evaluator said. "He has become a professional quarterback as opposed to a college kid just running plays.”

Offensive coordinator Liam Coen certainly helped transform Tampa Bay's offense, and it gave Mayfield a career year. But now Coen is the head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars, and it will be up to new offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard to keep the ball crossing the plane. And to Mayfield's credit, he's already played great football with two different OCs in a row, so there's little reason to believe he'd take a huge downturn on his third.

Mayfield called Tampa Bay "home" earlier this offseason, and the Tampa Bay area has embraced him just as well. Now, he'll look to continue his momentum from the last two seasons and attempt to win the Buccaneers their third franchise championship.