Jason Licht And The Baker Mayfield Question
March 24th, 2022
Browns QB Baker Mayfield.
The creator, curator and overall guru of Pro Football Talk, author of the popular book “Playmakers,” the great Mike Florio, has a saying that rings so true in the NFL.
“Silence invites speculation.”
There may be no truer words spoken when it comes to the inner workings and backroom dealings of the NFL.
Yesterday, Joe brought word how Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht soft-shoed around a question from popular national sports radio and television personality Adam Schein, who thinks the Dan Orlovsky-fueled social media rumor that the Bucs may be interested in estranged Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield as a backup didn’t make sense.
Still, Schein did the smart thing and asked Licht twice about this rumor. Licht answered, yes, the Bucs are interested in a veteran quarterback for a backup and it may or may not be Blaine Gabbert. When Schein pressed Licht about Mayfield, Licht said he didn’t want to speak about a player on another team’s roster (you know, tampering) and repeated how he would be interested in a veteran backup.
Licht’s response suggested to Schein that the rumor is not unfounded.
“It is interesting,” Schein said later referring to Licht’s answer to his Mayfield questions. “I was expecting a ‘No.’ And he didn’t exactly give me a ‘No’ there. There was no ‘No’ when I asked him about Baker Mayfield.
“So, what does that mean? They are going to add veteran. Now maybe, hypothetically, if Cleveland takes on most of the contract or a portion of the contract, mmmaaayyybbbeee [the Bucs] will be interested in Baker Mayfield?”
Joe agrees with Schein’s first inclination. This makes no sense. The Bucs don’t have enough room to add a big-name quarterback, and for when and for what? In the same interview, Licht did not dismiss the possibility that Tom Brady plays for the Bucs in 2023 or beyond.
Mayfield is in the final year of his contract. Would Mayfield be a quality backup (forget factoring in the salary)? Hell yeah, he’d be better than Kyle Trask or Gabbert.
Even though Mayfield probably needs a serious attitude adjustment, he has won a playoff game. Gabbert never has and Trask doesn’t even have a regular season appearance.
Joe would like to see Licht thieve a pass rusher over a backup quarterback, somewhat like he did when he hoodwinked then-Giants general manager Dave Gettleman to take a third-round pick for Jason Pierre-Paul.
March 24th, 2022 at 4:02 am
It doesn’t matter who the back up is. We got Tom Brady, he goes down it’s over.
March 24th, 2022 at 4:04 am
Pass rusher would be awesome! Baker, not so much.
March 24th, 2022 at 4:13 am
this is kinda crazy…
oh how the mighty would fall — in this situation…
going from the king of cleveland to holding a clipboard under tommy b…
i really can’t see baker handling this too well…
unless he gets to do an entire season longs worth of commercials about living inside raymond james stadium – with the groundskeepers etc… – as his commercials in cleveland seem to resonate
March 24th, 2022 at 4:42 am
The Browns are looking for a first rounder for him. No way Licht gives that up. Besides we have Trask! Ik the opinion of him is 50/50 around these parts, and on top of that, everyone in the media seems to forget about him. Trask gets way too much disrespect already. When his time comes, he’ll be ready… Honestly it’ll probably be Griffin gets resigned, since Gabbert will be too expensive and he’ll be practice squad/qb3
March 24th, 2022 at 4:44 am
Why not he can learn from the best and be gifted with a great roster. Thinking outside the box is what got them where they are now.
March 24th, 2022 at 4:51 am
Brady Arians Leftwich the whole oline needs get marpet back on the team…bring back gronk of course and maybe talk Edelman or julio jones here..offense will be done…
Def needs suh back..n healthy jpp or houston..
Does Bobby Wagner wanna take MLB n let white blitze on the edge
Does honey badger wanna get another ring…
A lot of good cb still on the market..
Patrick Peterson n honey badger are both deciphels of Arians n bowles..
Team friendly deals and we have a mean secondary on paper.
Draft best player dline or oline
Then dline or cb
Then dline or old
I say part ways with the punter..and shop a replacement kicker..if he made that field goal we would of won it all.
Donovan Smith can still be reworked brady also..
I’m sure we can cook the books more we are all in..hit on 2 Draft picks..
Grab up some unsigned Draft picks for depth n camp fodder..
Watch teams release players hawk some gap filling vets..callias Campbell dt type.. pretty sure he played for Bruce too…
We go all in yr this team is very close..
We must have a solid draft plan for the future that actually hits this yr…
Last yr draft was blah yielded no dominating players…
Jason needs to dig deep this time and impress his qb n tune that Def up…
We hold teams to 20 or less we win hands down
March 24th, 2022 at 5:08 am
Too many other priorities, then to trade for Mayfield. Unless Jason can get him cheap, then we are better off with Gabbert. We have DL and CB issues that need to be addressed.
March 24th, 2022 at 5:30 am
Florio: “Silence invites speculation.”
Translation: Throw sh!t against the wall and see what sticks.
March 24th, 2022 at 5:37 am
The Browns aren’t asking for a first round pick at all. I bet the end up trading him for a mid round pick and pay for half of his 18 million dollar ‘22 salary. That deal will get done with some team this weekend at the owners meeting.
March 24th, 2022 at 5:58 am
The way Tom Brady brought us back against the Rams last year with what he had to work with I would’ve been happier if they held off on Gage and went traded for Kahlil Mack. Pass rush is the most important need on our defense abed the biggest reason the Rams went 60 yards in under a minute
March 24th, 2022 at 6:06 am
Stan: I got a notification from the Score or BR that they were initially… You are indeed right, that no one is talking about, he’d cost 18 mil guaranteed… That being said they would probably have to trade a pick as well for a team to be willing kind of like how they got a 2nd from Houston for osweiller back in the day. Full circle, right?
March 24th, 2022 at 6:13 am
I think the 49ers should take him. He’s better than whatever they have right now
March 24th, 2022 at 6:39 am
Can’t quite wrap my head around Joe’s love for the “great” Mike Florio.
Florio’s preponderance for self promotion is rivaled by few and appreciated by fewer.
Joe is weak in the art of self promotion and that’s a good thing. LOL Considering it’s “JoeBucsFan” without a name, yeah, Joe would say it’s not about self-promotion. It’s about football and fans. –Joe I believe it keeps Joe rooted as a Bucs fan first and a reporter second. Florio was an NFL fan who metamorphosed into a Mike Florio fan.
In his book, Playmakers, Florio wants to abolish the NFL Draft, claiming it’s un-American because players are drafted instead of enjoying the freedom to play where they want after college. He says this happens in no other profession.
Tell me Mike, is the U.S. military un-American? Do soldiers get to pick where they are stationed and who they will fight? When I served I asked for Hawaii and received orders for Southeast Asis. Did I do something wrong?
Florio also harps on and on about “Deflategate,” and the secret leniency given to the Patriots.
Even if true, who cares?
It was seven years ago, and nothing more than an argument over a few pounds of air. To prove its meaninglessness, Brady played much better after the footballs were fully inflated. Case closed!
And my last argument: My three books are all doing far better in the Amazon Bookstore than ‘Playmakers.’ I have 25-30 thousand readers who know my name. Florio has millions who see or hear his rambles everyday. Where’s the love?
Read the reviews. Sadly, many claim to have once liked the former lawyer’s work, only to have drifted away when success gave him a Barry Bonds sized head.
Almost forgot … Florio has an incessant compulsion to remind us he was or still is a lawyer.
My retort? Exactly!
Epilogue: With slight paraphrasing, Florio “guarantees” Tom Brady will be the Week 1 starter for the 49er’s in 2022. If that happens I’ll cut him some slack.
March 24th, 2022 at 7:00 am
I really hope Licht doesn’t commit this big mistake.
March 24th, 2022 at 7:14 am
They spent a late second on Trask when they could’ve added a piece for another run. You have to believe they like this kid. They worked on his body last year, and now he has a real chance to learn from the foot of the GOAT. Why muddy the waters bringing in Baker, and his drama? Not going to happen. We might have this year, and next year of Tom. In the mean time, Trask needs all those second reps so when Tom does go, we’ll be ready.
March 24th, 2022 at 7:56 am
Joe in Michigan Says:
March 24th, 2022 at 5:30 am
Florio: “Silence invites speculation.”
Translation: Throw sh!t against the wall and see what sticks.
Joe in Michigan Says:
March 24th, 2022 at 5:30 am
Florio: “Silence invites speculation.”
Translation: Throw sh!t against the wall and see what sticks.
Totally agree with your comment Michigan Joe so I had to repeat it twice,
it is Florio’s preferred Modus Operandi lololol
GO BUCS!!!!!
March 24th, 2022 at 7:57 am
I’m gonna miss those Baker Mayfield commercials though.
Better than the Brady Hertz ones IMHO.
March 24th, 2022 at 8:39 am
can’t we just hire baker on the grounds crew and have him live in a pipe room/irrigation room underneath the stadium grass…in the stadium basement…the bowels of the stadium…
the commercials must continue…
who cares about him as a quarterback…
it’s all about the commercials
March 24th, 2022 at 9:15 am
This would be nice if it could come to fruition. It would help us transition after Brady decides to retire…
March 24th, 2022 at 9:25 am
I can see Mayfield playing in the Canadian Football League in a couple years.
March 24th, 2022 at 9:37 am
I’ll say it for him.
H3LL TO THE NO!
March 24th, 2022 at 9:41 am
Baker sucks trade with Philly for gardener minshew
March 24th, 2022 at 10:56 am
Brady doesn’t need an idiot like Mayfield around. That dude is arrogant enough to think he should start over Tom. No way he is a Buc.
March 24th, 2022 at 12:47 pm
You know what this tells me? They don’t believe In Trask. I said it before and I’ll say it again , Trask was a waste of a 2nd rd pick