Buccaneers Week 2 Mailbag: Players of Concern, Running Back Search, Baker Mayfield Contract Extension

It's that time of the week again!

After an impressive home victory over the Chicago Bears in Week 2, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are one of nine NFL teams yet to experience defeat this season. But despite the team's early season success, there are still questions and concerns being raised by Bucs fans.

So let's dive into this week's mailbag and see what's on the minds of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' faithful, shall we?

Question 1: Submitted by Rob Jackson | @JacksonR1984

Edmonds on IR and White’s hesitant stop/go running style makes me think we need a fresh face. Kareem Hunt on their radar at all?

I think questioning the Buccaneers’ depth at the running back position is totally valid. The injury to Chase Edmonds certainly magnifies that concern. Beyond Rachaad White, the Bucs are depending on Sean Tucker, who despite his excellent production at Syracuse, went undrafted in April because of a serious health concern. Meanwhile, Ke’Shawn Vaughn has been a disappointment.

I think looking into a player like Kareem Hunt would make a lot of sense for the Buccaneers. But as of this moment, there hasn’t been any reported interest by the Bucs. Not to mention, with Nick Chubb suffering a season-ending knee injury last night, it appears as though the Browns have already connected with Hunt about a potential reunion.

It was however reported today (by NFL insider, Jordan Schultz) that the Buccaneers are one of several teams who have reached out to the Rams regarding Cam Akers, who the team is actively shopping. Scott Reynolds of Pewter Report has since chimed in, stating that although the two teams did talk about Akers, it was only because the Rams reached out to the Buccaneers. So in the end, it looks like Tampa Bay is not interested in considering a trade for the former Florida State running back after all.

Only time (or another injury) will tell if the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are indeed interested in adding another player to their running back room.

Question 2: Submitted by Grizz the Wiz | @GrizzThaWiz

Any insight on why the defense plays their CB’s so far off the ball consistently?

I think a lot of fan bases feel as though their corners regularly line up too far off the line of scrimmage. I will say though, Todd Bowles’ defensive philosophy is predicated on limiting explosive plays – with the goal of generating turnovers – which sometimes involves providing a little extra cushion on the outside in order to avoid giving up any big gains over the top.

Question 3: Submitted by Paul | @FLDreamHouse

Is 2020 Baker Mayfield finally back or does Bucs Nation need more convincing?

It feels to me like – at this point anyway – 'Bucs Nation' is fully convinced. Even those loyal Florida Gators fans who were chomping (pun intended) at the bit to anoint Kyle Trask as the team's best option at quarterback, seem to have disappeared into the shadows. But as is the case with any fanbase, if we see Mayfield and the offense start to struggle, the doubters will step out from the shadows in quick order. Trust me on that.

Question 4: Submitted by K Fletch | @kylexcited

What stats/win total does Baker need to achieve to secure a long term contract after this season? What could that contract look like?

I don’t know if specific stats, or even win total, will end up being the determining factor in whether or not the Buccaneers look to retain the services of Baker Mayfield. I think it will come down to their internal evaluation of his performance. For example, if the Buccaneers get ravaged by injury, and end up losing a lot of games because of it, but Baker still performs well enough, I could see the Bucs still trying to re-sign him.

If the Buccaneers make the playoffs, and Mayfield’s TD/INT ratio, QBR, and EPA are all solid, you better believe the Buccaneers are going to be looking to sign him. The way that Mayfield has conducted himself – displaying professionalism, leadership, and maturity – since joining the Buccaneers has been very impactful. He’s already won over a lot of folks in Tampa, and that certainly includes members of the front office, most notably, Bucs’ GM, Jason Licht.

I think the best comparison for a potential Baker Mayfield contract — should he continue to perform like he has early on this season — would be the contract signed by Geno Smith in Seattle this past offseason. Smith signed a 3-year, $75M contract, including $40M guaranteed. Even though it’s a 3-year contract, the Seahawks could theoretically get out of the deal after this season – while incurring a $17.4M cap hit – if they felt so inclined. It’s also worth noting that Baker Mayfield is four years younger than Geno Smith, which would surely enter the equation of contract negotiations.

Question 5: Submitted by @rachaadszn

Who looked great [vs. Chicago] and who looked concerning?

There was a lot of good stuff going on for the Buccaneers on Sunday. Evans, Mayfield, Barrett, Tryon-Shoyinka, Winfield Jr., and Jake Camarda are just some of the players who put together excellent performances. I’d like to also highlight the job that Zyon McCollum did stepping into the starting lineup in place of Carlton Davis. Although the Bears passing offense looks like one of the worst in the league, McCollum's performance was still very promising overall, and he gained some much-needed experience.

Robert Hainsey had a tough day. And despite a solid performance overall last season, I think his struggles through the first two weeks of 2023 are cause for some concern. The fact that Hainsey struggled against the Vikings and Bears does not inspire much confidence regarding how he'll fare against the likes of Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis, and Fletcher Cox next Monday night when the Buccaneers host the Eagles and their dominant defensive front.

Although I wouldn't say I'm concerned about Cade Otton, I would like to see him more involved in the Buccaneers' passing game. So far, his impact has been minimal.

Question 6: Submitted by DC | @DC97430774

What is going on with our run game? Or lack thereof. Is it the line?

The Bucs run game struggled in a big way in Week 1 at Minnesota. This past week vs. the Bears was a different story. The Buccaneers rushed for 120 yards, and Rachaad White averaged a respectable 4.3 yards per carry. Because of the Bucs’ commitment to the run game – they ran almost as many times as they passed – they were able to dominate the time of possession battle, while also setting the Bears' defense up for many of the explosive plays we saw through the air.

We’ll see whether or not the Bucs can muster up any sort of ground game vs. the stout Philadelphia Eagles D-Line on Monday night next week. It will be a massive test for the Bucs’ young offensive line, and one I’m not sure they’re ready for quite yet.

Question 7: Submitted by Yoav Cohen | @YohavCo40711468

What's it like at the press box when most Bucs writers are not bucs fans, spare a few like JBF? Is there any excitement? Is it dead quiet?

This is a really great question, and one I feel especially equipped to answer. Not because I've covered so many Bucs games in person (my first was last season), but because I've been a die-hard Bucs fan since 1997. I don't hide that fact. So getting to cover the team for BucsGameDay has been a dream come true.

It is definitely a professional, and mostly quiet atmosphere in the press box during a game at Raymond James Stadium. But from my experience, when a shocking or exciting play happens, there's still an audible reaction from the collection of writers and reporters that occupy the space. Even if those covering the game don't necessarily have a rooting interest, it's fair to assume the majority still greatly enjoy watching NFL football. For me personally, as a Tampa Bay Buccaneers fan, it was very challenging to contain my excitement.

That's it for this week.

Thanks to everyone who submitted questions. Make sure to stay locked in to BucsGameDay for all your Tampa Bay Buccaneers content. And keep an eye out for your chance to submit a question to be featured in next week's mailbag!

You can follow Collin Haalboom on X.

Stick with BucsGameday and the Locked On Bucs podcast for more coverage of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers throughout the 2023 season.

Follow BucsGameday on Twitter and Facebook