Even with 100 days until the start of the NFL season, the start of OTAs has ignited football discourse. With the draft complete and almost all the prominent free agents under contract, most rosters are in place, and it’s the perfect time to try to analyze the current league landscape.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are an easy “dark horse” candidate in the NFC, with a history of matching up well against the Philadelphia Eagles and playing in one of the worst divisions in the league, but are they being undervalued thanks to their signal-caller?
One FOX analyst suggested that Baker Mayfield only generates headlines when he plays poorly and deserves more love.
On “First Things First,” Nick Wright gave Baker Mayfield his flowers and pointed out a blatant double standard.
“When Baker wasn’t great, he was over-discussed,” Wright said. “And now that he’s really good, I think he’s under-discussed. The fact that he’s established himself as a conventional-wisdom top-ten quarterback is pretty remarkable. Take the guys on the rookie scale deals out—it makes him the best bargain at the position in the league.”
Mayfield is at the helm of a high-powered offense, with four above-average wide receivers, a decent offensive line, and a potentially excellent running game.
Even if Mike Evans and Chris Goodwin can’t stay on the field, Jalen McMillan and rookie Emeka Egbuka have a great chance to pick up the slack.
Having Bucky Irving as the lead back for a year will take pressure off Mayfield on early downs and be crucial to success in the red zone.
If the 30-year-old can eliminate a few turnovers from his bottom line, he can have Tampa contending for a championship.
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