Bucs Mailbag: What Is Baker Mayfield Worth?

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Pewter Report’s Scott Reynolds answers your questions from the @PewterReport Twitter account each week in the Bucs Mailbag. Submit your question to the Bucs Mailbag each week via Twitter using the hashtag #PRMailbag.  Here are the Bucs questions we chose to answer for this week’s edition.

QUESTION: Bucs fans are wondering, what is the ideal money the Bucs should or shouldn’t give Baker Mayfield? So put on your G.M. hat. What would you offer or not offer Mayfield?

ANSWER: I think Baker Mayfield has a chance to really cash in during free agency after a great bounce-back season in his first year with Tampa Bay. With the Vikings possibly moving on from Kirk Cousins, there could be interest in Mayfield from Minnesota, as well as Atlanta and perhaps Denver. The more teams that are interested in Mayfield the more his price tag goes up in free agency.

It’s important to remember that Mayfield only made around $7 million in his first year in Tampa Bay when factoring in his incentive bonuses. And there is the report that he lost $12 million in an investment scheme. With most NFL veteran starting quarterbacks making at least $20 million per season, Mayfield needs to make up for some lost time and lost salary, especially since he turns 29 in April. His earnings window is closing and he needs to capitalize on a big contract this year.

Bucs QB Baker Mayfield at the 2024 Pro Bowl – Photo by: USA Today

If I’m Mayfield I’m not necessarily looking at the $25 million that Geno Smith made in Seattle last year with his three-year $75 million contract. I’m looking at the fact that Deshaun Watson, his replacement in Cleveland, and New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones are making $46 million and $40 million per season on average, respectively, and I’m telling the Bucs, “I’m better than either one.” And if he’s better than either one, he probably deserves to get paid like it.

Mayfield is also better than New Orleans’ Derek Carr, who makes an average of $37.5 million, and Tennessee’s Ryan Tannehill, who averaged $29.5 million on his deal with the Titans. But that doesn’t mean he’ll necessarily get offered – or receive – a deal worth $40 million per season. Of course the Bucs shouldn’t be penalized for other teams’ bad deals.

Yet I have to think that maybe this past season is Mayfield’s ceiling or close to it. Is there a chance he regresses next year or the year after? Who knows? But do I expect him to produce a 4,000-yard season with 28 touchdowns, both of which are career highs, with just 10 interceptions every year for the next three years? No, I don’t.

As a result, I think a three-year deal worth $32 million in base salaries with annual incentives that could push the deal as high as $35 million annually is probably the red line that I wouldn’t cross. And I would only guarantee the first two years because he is not the biggest quarterback and prone to getting banged up. We’ll see what happens in the next month and a half.

QUESTION: Can you explain the Pro Bowl alternates deal? If they participate, they get the accolades. But does that mean the original roster member is also still considered a Pro Bowler?

Baker Mayfield Pro Bowl – Photo by: USA Today

ANSWER: Yes, anyone who is named as a Pro Bowler – whether as a selected starter or as a replacement due to injuries or opt-outs – gets credit for being a Pro Bowler. Jameis Winston made one Pro Bowl in his Bucs career during his rookie season in 2015 for being an injury replacement and it still counts as a Pro Bowl distinction.

The same holds true for Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield this year, who made the Pro Bowl for the first time as an injury replacement for Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott. Mayfield capitalized on the opportunity, not only winning the precision passing skills competition but also the Offensive MVP of the Pro Bowl flag football game as well. Both Mayfield and Prescott are considered Pro Bowlers this year.

Left tackle Tristan Wirfs also gets to keep his Pro Bowl string intact for three straight years now. Wirfs first became a Pro Bowler in 2021 and again in 2022. With 49ers left tackle Trent Williams practicing for the Super Bowl, Wirfs got the chance to fill in. So both Williams and Wirfs count as Pro Bowlers this year.

QUESTION: Not fully knowing how contracts work, or if Baker Mayfield and others are actually part of the team right now after the season. Is Mayfield still allowed on property and able to work with our coaches and at the facilities? What is the relationship between he and others like Mike Evans when they are free agents in the offseason?

Bucs QB Baker Mayfield and LT Tristan Wirfs at 2024 Pro Bowl – Photo by: USA Today

ANSWER: Yes, every pending Tampa Bay free agent is still a Buccaneer until contract expires at 4:00 p.m. ET on March 13, which is when free agency officially begins. Bucs players can be in the facility, but are not supposed to have any work-related contact with members of the coaching staff, including the strength staff outside of rehabilitating injuries.

As for quarterback Baker Mayfield, he is well-liked by his Bucs teammates, including wide receiver Mike Evans – on and off the field. Mayfield and left tackle Tristan Wirfs hung out a bunch at the Pro Bowl in Orlando this past weekend and found time to get together to further bond over some beers.

Mayfield is definitely “one of the guys” in Tampa Bay, and enjoys relationship-building and team-building time with his teammates away from the facility, too. He has plans on taking some of his Bucs teammates to the Bahamas this offseason, likely before free agency.

QUESTION: Hey Scott, any ideas of some of the offensive staff that Liam Coen may bring with him to Tampa?

ANSWER: Well, new Falcons head coach Raheem Morris has done a good job raiding the Rams staff already, taking five Los Angeles assistants with him to Atlanta. Zac Robinson is the new offensive coordinator for the Falcons after being a passing game coordinator with the Rams. Jimmy Lake, who was the assistant head coach to Sean McVay, is now the Falcons defensive coordinator.

Bucs OC Liam Coen – Photo by: USA Today

Morris also took pass game specialist/game management coach Tim Berbenich and offensive assistants K.J. Black, who will work with the quarterbacks, and Nick Jones, who will work with the offensive line. So there aren’t many assistants left in L.A. for Liam Coen to choose from and import to Tampa Bay.

The Bucs did interview Rams pass game specialist Jake Peetz, who worked with Coen in his first season in L.A. in 2022 as an offensive assistant. His name comes to mind as a possibility to help coach wide receivers, although internally offensive assistants David Raih and/or Jeff Kastl could receive a promotion to that position, as they assisted Brad Idzik last year.

Another name that could be considered is Kentucky offensive line coach Eric Wolford. The Wildcats have put a couple of offensive linemen into the NFL under his tutelage, including Jaguars center Luke Fortner, Saints tackle Landon Young and Chiefs lineman Darian Kinnard. Wolford also coached South Carolina’s offensive line from 2017-2020 and helped put Chargers lineman Zack Bailey and Cardinals lineman Dennis Daley in the league.

I actually went to Kansas State with Wolford in the early 1990s, who coached two years with the 49ers from 2015-16, and he was the head coach at Youngstown State from 2010-14. Wolford also coached locally at USF from 1997-99 as part of Jim Leavitt’s early Bulls staff.

QUESTION: Any rumors around our special teams coach? It’s such a crucial part to our success, especially with a more conservative head coach like Todd Bowles. Would love a home run hire on this one.

Bucs head coach Todd Bowles and Keith Armstrong – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

ANSWER: I agree that the hiring of a good special teams coach is crucial for Tampa Bay. I get the sense that Keith Armstrong was essentially forced into retirement the way that former quarterbacks coach Clyde Christensen was after the 2022 season. I could be wrong, as I haven’t confirmed that, but I did hear some grumblings within the organization that the Bucs special teams were a stagnant, middle of the pack team in terms of coverage and returns – specialists aside. It sounded like the Bucs wanted to go in a different direction this offseason regardless.

Former Bucs safety Keith Tandy has been an assistant special teams coach in Tampa Bay since 2020 and helped Armstrong, so he could be an in-house option. Tandy played six years for the Bucs from 2012-17 as a defensive back and core special teamer. He also helps Tampa Bay’s defensive backs.

The Bucs did confirm two interviews for special teams coordinators on Monday. Former Giants special teams coordinator Thomas McGaughey and former Titans special coordinator Craig Aukerman interviewed for the job, so we’ll see.

Whoever gets the job should put an emphasis on boosting the return game for sure. Also being more aggressive when it comes to blocking kicks and even running fakes. The Bucs have one of the fastest and most athletic punters in the league in Jake Camarda and have never run a fake with him in his two seasons in Tampa Bay.