Buccaneers 'Expected' to target former No. 1 overall pick in Free Agency per NFL Insider
According to Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have zeroed in on former first-overall pick, Baker Mayfield, as a player they will target once free agency opens up later this week.
Mayfield has had a tumultuous career, to say the least. He is entering his sixth year in the NFL, and despite the fact that the Browns drafted him with the first overall pick in 2018 — with hopes of him becoming the face of their franchise — he's already played on three different teams.
Although Mayfield experienced some success early in his career, injuries combined with a lack of consistent execution ultimately led to a lack of results on the field. During his time in Cleveland, Mayfield was surrounded by a talented cast of players on both sides of the ball. The Achilles heel for the team was their inability to put points on the board. Right or wrong, Mayfield was the player who took the fall for the lack of offensive production for the Browns, and he found himself on the open market because of it.
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After landing in Carolina, Mayfield was outplayed by P.J. Walker and Sam Darnold, which led to him being placed on waivers last season. He finished the year on the Rams, and despite an impressive debut performance on Monday Night Football with little time to prepare, he wasn't really able to move the needle in LA.
Baker Mayfield's name has been floated around in Tampa since last season. And as to be expected when discussing a player whose brash, confident personality hasn't translated into success on the football field, not all fans have been enthused about the suggestion.
The difference now is that the suggestion the Bucs will target Mayfield in free agency is coming from extremely reliable sources.
Whether or not the Buccaneers are able to strike a deal with Mayfield is a different story. But considering Kyle Trask is the only quarterback on the roster, Baker Mayfield would be hard-pressed to find a scenario that presents a better opportunity to compete for a starting job, than the one that exists in Tampa Bay.
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