NFC Notes: Baker Mayfield, Buccaneers, Panthers, Saints

Buccaneers 

Buccaneers QBs coach Thaddeus Lewis reflected on an impressive play by Baker Mayfield in Week 10 against the 49ers when the team was down 20-17. On a fourth-and-seven situation, Mayfield avoided San Francisco’s Nick Bosa with a stiffarm before lobbing a completion to Rachaad White. 

“That right there was a ‘gotta have it,'” said Lewis, via Scott Smith of the team’s site. “That was a ‘gotta have it’ moment. So I would want that guy show up in the ‘gotta have it’ moments. Early in the game, if it’s not there I would prefer him to throw it away or get down, or check it down, add to the punt. Let’s play a little team ball; we have a good defense. Let’s flip the field. We don’t have to get it all in one shot. In certain instances, he thought he had to put us on his back, and make some plays like that. Which he did…it’s a fine line. That’s the thing that you fine-tune – when and when not? If we can get that under control and limit the turnovers, I think we can be unstoppable as a team for sure.”

Lewis wants Mayfield to avoid taking so many hits now that he’s 30 years old. 

“He’s always out to prove himself, but he’s his own worst enemy,” said Lewis. “We’ve just to get him out of harm’s way. I like his competitive nature, but I don’t like it to the extent where he keeps getting hit and he won’t be available. He’s getting older, he turned 30, so I joke with him now, ‘Welcome to the 30 Club. You’re older now, so that’s hits you took in your 20s might affect you a little differently in your 30s. Just to get him to start being smart, take less hits, throw it away, maybe get down. Be competitive in situations called ‘gotta have it’ situations – first down, touchdown, end of the game, things like that. But I love him to death. I wouldn’t trade him for nothing or his competitive nature.”

Lewis reiterated that Mayfield’s next step is to be smarter with his body and get himself “out of harm’s way.”

“All the time, even in practice,” said Lewis. “I might say, ‘Hey man, you’ve got to get down there.’ ‘You don’t think I can run him over?’ ‘I know you can run him over but I’d rather you’d get down and I have you for the next play.’ But that’s just him joking and his competitive spirit. But that’s the next step for him moving forward, because the older you get your mobility and ability goes away sometimes. So you have to be smart. Just start getting him to play heady and understand situations and getting out of harm’s way. That would help us a lot because that would also limit turnovers because he’s thinking in that manner. You don’t have to be a Superman.”

Panthers

The Panthers added fifth-round TE Mitchell Evans in the draft after a strong final season at Notre Dame. Carolina HC Dave Canales expressed his excitement regarding Evans’ athleticism, and he outlined what he’s liked through their first on-field practices together. 

“We’re excited about Mitch,” Canales said, via Joseph Person of The Athletic. “He’s a fantastic athlete.”

“Just looking at Mitch, what carries over from the film is just a really versatile guy. Whether it was the individual drills, going through blocking with (tight ends coach) Pat (McPherson), the footwork stuff, and then just being a reliable target.”

“He’s a really smooth mover in his routes, plays compact at the top. So just all of those things, we just felt like a really well-rounded, clean football player and certainly fits into what we do.”

Saints

• Saints HC Kellen Moore said TEs Taysom Hill and Foster Moreau are going through the rehab process for their knee injuries so they won’t be participating during OTAs. (Nick Underhill)
• Moore also downplayed the positional shuffling on the offensive line, with last year’s left tackle Taliese Fuaga moving to the right side and last year’s right tackle Trevor Penning moving to guard to accommodate first-round LT Kelvin Banks. He said he thinks it’s often blown out of proportion: “I don’t really care about left tackle, right tackle components in this league.”