Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield: ‘We have all the pieces’

TAMPA — Baker Mayfield has heard the predictions and likes his team’s familiar predicament. Not many NFL pundits believe the Bucs will repeat as NFC South champions, despite three consecutive division crowns.

“I joined in on that train that was already rolling. We’ve just got to keep it going,” Mayfield said Saturday. “For me, it’s the same thing. One year doesn’t go to the next, but we have all the pieces. We have all the potential. There’s no doubt about it, so now it’s just about putting the work in and having the success.”

That work begins Wednesday, when the Bucs hit the practice field at 8:30 a.m. for their first training camp workout.

Mayfield, 29, took a break from his youth football camp at Land O’Lakes High School to talk about his upcoming second season in Tampa Bay. After spending time with the Browns, Panthers, Rams and Bucs since 2021, he’s grateful to have found a home, signing a three-year, $100 million contract in March.

The stability agrees with Mayfield. He said he has lost a significant amount of weight since the team’s mandatory minicamp June 15. Gone is the soft midsection he has played with the last couple of seasons.

“I’m definitely in the best shape I’ve been in in a long time,” Mayfield said. “I’ve got to do it. I just found my routine, found a gym with some trainers I really liked, and that’s important. You learn that throughout the process as the years go on. Being able to stay in one place in the offseason helps. But I found some great people to help me.”

Likewise, the Bucs have surrounded Mayfield with some upgrades on the offensive line, at receiver and at running back.

He also has a new offensive coordinator in Liam Coen, the Bucs’ third in as many seasons. Mayfield worked with Coen for five weeks in 2022 with the Rams, and there is some carryover from the scheme he ran under Dave Canales a year ago.

Despite winning the division, beating the Eagles in a wild-card game and going into the fourth quarter of the division game tied with the Lions, Mayfield said the momentum from the 2023 season won’t carry over.

“It’s about the mentality, the way we approach it, I think, is how you connect and carry that over to extend that chemistry,” he said. “For us, we have to use that same mentality. We have to start faster and start better, just so we’re not in the same predicament we were in last year having to win on the road just to make the playoffs. Just have the mentality of starting faster.”

Continuity is what wins in the NFL. A year ago, Mayfield was in a pseudo training camp battle for the starting job with Kyle Trask. Then he went out and set career highs for passing yards (4,044), completion percentage (64.3) and touchdown passes (28).

Saddled with the worst rushing attack in the NFL the past two seasons, the Bucs used their first-round pick on Duke center Graham Barton and signed a pair of free-agent guards — the Giants’ Ben Bredeson and the Eagles’ Sua Opeta.

“Obviously, Graham is a stud. He wouldn’t have been drafted that high without that,” Mayfield said. “But the best five are going to play. We saw last year, we had some guys rotate, too. I don’ t think anybody expected Luke Goedeke to play the way he did at right tackle. Now, we have two anchors at tackle on the outside. Just firm it up and go from there. It will be a lot better.”

Left tackle Tristan Wirfs, who is scheduled to play under the fifth-year club option of $18.2 million, is seeking a long-term extension. Mayfield doesn’t think Wirfs will have to wait long for a contract that could make him the highest-paid tackle in the NFL.

“I think it will be just fine,” Mayfield said. “I know those front office guys pretty well. They like the guys they draft, the homegrown talent they evaluate, and they found a good one.”

Mayfield will begin camp having developed chemistry with receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. He’s also been impressed with rookie Jalen McMillan, who is likely to become the No. 3 receiver. Godwin will move back into the slot position, while McMillan will play outside.

“Obviously, anytime you can say you’re putting Chris Godwin somewhere where he’s back in the comfort mode, that’s pretty good,” Mayfield said. “That’s a pretty good thing to be able to adjust. Jalen McMillan is a young stud. I think he’s got a ton of potential. For him to be able to step into a receiver room with guys like Mike and Chris, even somebody like Sterling (Shepard), who has a lot of experience, to be able to learn from those guys and understand as they prepare, that’s what separates those guys.”

How does Mayfield get better after a career-altering season?

“I think I talked about it at the end of the year: management of the line of scrimmage,” Mayfield said. “Putting us in the best position to have success with the adjustments. But this system also allows you to do that. So for me, whether it might be just a different look in preparation, understanding that these looks, OK, this is the best play to get to in this system. For me, taking care of the ball as always, still having that fiery edge, and just being the same guy every single day for these guys.”

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