Why Baker Mayfield is excited about Buccaneers despite losing Mike Evans to 49ers

On paper, Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield has had a rough offseason due to the fact that top wide receiver and favorite target Mike Evans left the club to sign with the San Francisco 49ers in free agency. 

Mayfield is experiencing somewhat of a new beginning of his own, as the Buccaneers hired Zac Robinson as their new offensive coordinator earlier this winter. While speaking with reporters on Wednesday, Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht discussed Mayfield's working relationship with Robinson.

Will Baker Mayfield have "more confidence" playing under Zac Robinson?

"I know Baker is very, very excited — very excited about Zac with the time that he had with him," Licht explained, per the JoeBucsFan website. "And I think just because of — and this has nothing to do with [former Tampa Bay OC Josh Grizzard] at all because [he and Baker] were very close and I’m not going to throw any gasoline on that whatsoever — but I think there’s going to be more confidence [from Mayfield]." 

Robinson was Mayfield's passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach during the signal-caller's cup-of-coffee stint with the Los Angeles Rams during the 2022 season. Mayfield has long credited that experience for helping to jumpstart his career after both the Cleveland Browns and Carolina Panthers gave up on him. 

Mayfield will now have plenty to prove, as the perception exists that Evans no longer believed the Buccaneers were capable of competing for a Super Bowl. Additionally, Evans left some money on the table to relocate to San Francisco. 

Why Baker Mayfield may like new-look Buccaneers coaching staff

Meanwhile, Tampa Bay head coach Todd Bowles made numerous changes to his coaching staff earlier this winter. Licht seems to think Mayfield will ultimately benefit from working with coaches who have experience playing the position.

"I think just the fact that Zac was a former quarterback, [new Buccaneers passing game coordinator T.J. Yates] played in the league for quite a while as a quarterback and [quarterbacks coach Chandler Whitmer] being an ex-quarterback himself, I think the like-mindedness is going to be very beneficial for us," Licht added. 

That's all well and good, but different coaches won't make up for what the Buccaneers lost on gamedays and behind the scenes due to Evans' departure.