The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will begin Baker Mayfield at quarterback in Week 1 once they play the Minnesota Vikings within the season opener.
Tampa Bay Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield makes an attempt a go throughout a preseason sport towards the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium.
Mayfield edged out Kyle Trask because the beginning quarterback. Head coach Todd Bowles tapped Mayfield to start the season as Tom Brady’s successor.
I’ve simply acquired to guide like I understand how, and the actual factor is true across the nook,” mentioned Mayfield. “It’s an thrilling time.”
Mayfield, 28, was the #1 decide within the 2018 NFL Draft. He had a storied collegiate profession with Oklahoma and gained the Heisman Trophy in 2017. Many NFL scouts believed Mayfield lacked the bodily attributes to be an NFL quarterback. However that didn’t deter the Cleveland Browns from taking a flier on him with the primary decide within the draft.
Mayfield led the Browns to an 11-5 report and one playoff victory in 2020. The Browns defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers within the first spherical of the playoffs, however misplaced to the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs within the divisional spherical. That was their high-water mark beneath Mayfield. They went 8-9 in 2021 and missed the playoffs after Mayfield sustained a shoulder harm.
In 59 video games with the Browns, Mayfield was 29-30 as a starter. He threw 92 touchdowns and 68 interceptions whereas finishing 61.6% of his passes.
Final Probability for Mayfield
The Browns gave up on Mayfield final summer time and went all-in on Deshaun Watson. They traded Mayfield to the Carolina Panthers, the place he was anticipated to compete for a beginning job with Sam Darnold.
When Darnold suffered an ankle harm in preseason, Mayfield was tapped because the starter. In six begins with the Panthers, Mayfield was 1-5 earlier than he was benched in favor of Darnold. The Panthers reduce Mayfield in December.
The Los Angeles Rams signed Mayfield late within the season when Matthew Stafford went down with an harm. Mayfield went 1-3 as a starter with the Rams, and gained his first begin on “Thursday Night time Soccer” in a comeback win towards the Las Vegas Raiders. Regardless of the preliminary success, Mayfield misplaced his subsequent three begins.
Mayfield was a free agent within the low season and headed to Tampa Bay after Tom Brady retired for good this low season. He inked a one-year contract value $4 million, however there are incentives the place he might earn as much as $8.5 million.
Heading into coaching camp, Mayfield was anticipated to compete with Trask for the QB #1 place. Mayfield outplayed Trask within the preseason to earn the beginning job and can now begin at quarterback for his fourth totally different workforce within the final three seasons.
Baker’s our beginning quarterback, Kyle’s our quantity two,” Bowles informed beat reporters. “We love all the pieces Kyle has performed, however Baker’s our man proper now experience-wise and understanding the playbook slightly bit higher.”
“I anticipate to be the starter,” Mayfield mentioned. “I understand how gifted I’m, and know what sort of chief I’m. Now it’s time for the actual factor.”
“All-around, Baker can throw it, he’s very sensible, he understands soccer very effectively, he can learn defenses, he’s excellent for the scheme we’re utilizing,” added Bowles.
Trask the Backup … for Now
Trask, a second-year participant out of Florida, was a late second-round decide from the 2021 NFL Draft. He set a single-season landing report at Florida with 43 in 2020. He was a Heisman Trophy finalist and completed fourth total in voting behind fellow quarterbacks Trevor Lawrence from Clemson and Mac Jones from Alabama.
Brady began in each sport he performed throughout his three seasons with the Bucs. Trask appeared in just one sport as Brady’s backup final season, finishing solely 33.3% of his passes and never throwing a landing.
Kyle is on the come up,” mentioned Bowles. “He’s gotten leaps and bounds higher than he was within the spring and he’s persevering with to get higher and we’re enthusiastic about him.”
If Mayfield falters, then Bowles may have no qualms about giving Trask a shot. From what the group has mentioned about Trask, they imagine he’s the quarterback of the longer term. However he’s not fairly prepared but.
John Wofford, who was a backup with the Los Angeles Rams for the previous three seasons, is presently the third-string quarterback on the Bucs.
Betting the Futures Market in Tampa Bay
The Bucs not too long ago misplaced huge receiver Russell Gage to a season-ending knee harm. However they nonetheless have two excellent wideouts in Mike Evans and Chris Godwin.
The Bucs are the defending NFC South champions. They clinched a playoff berth with a shedding 8-9 report as a result of the NFC South was the worst division within the NFL in 2022. The Bucs are a protracted shot to win the NFC South at +800 odds.
The New Orleans Saints are the consensus favourite to win the NFC South at +120 odds. The Atlanta Falcons are +215 odds to win the division as a result of futures bettors are excessive on rookie operating again Bijan Robinson. The Panthers, one among Mayfield’s former groups, are +450 odds to win the division.
The Bucs enter this season with a win whole of 6.5 over/beneath, which is the bottom quantity within the NFC South.
The Bucs are a favourite to overlook the playoffs at -500 odds, in response to a prop guess by DraftKings. You may again the Bucs at +400 odds to qualify for the postseason.
The Bucs start the common season as a +6.5 highway underdog towards the Vikings at U.S. Financial institution Stadium in Week 1.
