Does Tampa Bay Buccaneers Baker Mayfield Represent a New Way of Finding NFL Quarterbacks?

When the Tampa Bay Buccaneers signed Baker Mayfield, nobody expected they'd find their franchise quarterback, but maybe he's a signal that there's a new way to do business in the NFL.

Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers agreed to a three-year contract this offseason. / Tork Mason / USA TODAY NETWORK

When the Tampa Bay Buccaneers signed quarterback Baker Mayfield in 2023, the detractors cried out — doing so would likely leave the team in NFL Draft purgatory, too high to draft a new franchise leader but too low to make any real noise in the grand scheme of things.

Supporters of the Buccaneers' move said that with the team still having receivers like Mike Evans and Chris Godwin on the roster the team had to do whatever it took to stay as competitive as possible until a long-term solution could be found later.

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Not many were saying "Tampa Bay is signing its franchise future in Mayfield," when the move happened. But that has all changed this offseason to the point where re-signing Mayfield may have even been a bigger priority than locking Evans into a new deal this offseason.

And it's a sign of changing times perhaps, according to Rich Eisen of The Rich Eisen Show.

Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers agreed to a three-year contract this offseason. / Tork Mason / USA TODAY NETWORK

"At some point, will a team, instead of paying a quarterback what the market price is — 40 million, 45 million — like the (New York) Giants paid Daniel Jones, and you're still wondering if he's the guy or not, will somebody just say, 'I know we used you a high draft position on you at some point, but we're going back in the draft," Eisen pondered on his show recently. "We're going to draft another one just like they do at a running back. Just like the Giants just did with Saquan Barkley. We'll send you somewhere else. Someone else can pay you. But we're going to go back into the draft pool for running back, for cornerbacks, for wide receivers. Will somebody ever treat the quarterback position like that?"

While that hasn't occured yet, Eisen speculates we're closer to seeing an NFL team do just that considering the trend of, "chewing 'em up and spitting 'em out," that he referenced as it relates to recently drafted quarterbacks.

"We're seeing just again where Baker Mayfield has now come back around," Eisen continued. "The Bucs have now paid him (and) he performed better than the guy who got the market deal in Daniel Jones."

And Mayfield isn't alone. When it comes to formerly highly drafted and highly hyped quarterbacks who initially flamed out to come back and have solid careers Mayfield is really just the latest. And that list includes Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff and Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith.

"Having coached Geno, I'm wondering how many more Genos are out there?" Eisen recounted from a conversation had with a coach who worked with the Seahawks quarterback. "Sat for years and still is talented. Now look at him. Now Baker didn't sit for years, he just played for a couple other teams for what, two or three years."

Eisen went on to discuss other quarterbacks in similar situations to Mayfield entering 2023 like Sam Darnold who was highly drafted by the New York Jets and has since bounced to a couple of other teams before signing with the Minnesota Vikings this offseason.

Most expect the Vikings to make a move to get a top quarterback in this year's draft, but if they are unsuccessful, perhaps Darnold will get his chance to do what Goff, Smith, and Mayfield did before him.

READ MORE: Mike Evans Snubbing Continues

Ultimately, Eisen predicts former Jets quarterback Zach Wilson may be the most likely to be the next in the string of "chewed up and spit out" quarterbacks getting second or third chances and making good on them.

It's an interesting conversation, and a trend worth watching over the next few years in the NFL. And one that the Buccaneers will thankfully be on the outside of after finding theirs this time last offseason.

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