Peter Schrager: Baker Mayfield Basically Got Dave Canales His New Job
January 28th, 2024
Background on Dave Canales hire.
Few guys are as well plugged-in with heavy-hitter shot-callers throughout the NFL as NFL Network’s Peter Schrager.
He knows personally just about anyone you need to know among coaches and general managers (Joe’s seen Schrager work a room with coaches and NFL suits more than once and let Joe tell you, Schrager is right up there with Ira Kaufman when it comes to mingling and hitting it off with NFL VIPs.)
Maybe not Bill Belicheat, but you get Joe’s drift.
So Joe thought it was cool when Schrager hopped on the “Pardon My Take” podcast with Big Cat and PFT Commenter of Barstool Sports last week. While recording, news broke that Bucs offensive coordinator Dave Canales was hired by the Stinking Panthers to be their next head coach.
Schrager already had the background of why Carolina thought so much of him and offered intel on why Carolina tabbed Canales.
It helped that Canales was tight with new Carolina general manager Dan Morgan, the former Canes star linebacker (who played for then-Canes defensive coordinator Greg Schiano), Schrager said. Canales and Morgan worked together in Seattle for years.
“So he goes to Tampa this season,” Schrager began. “Alright, whatever. A throwaway season, whatever. But juice! Like a ton of juice!
“He is beloved in Tampa and Baker soared, obviously.”
Bucs coach Todd Bowles often gave his players credit for not giving up in the middle of the season and for their continued fight each and every game. Given Schrager’s words, a big part of that was Canales getting his offensive players to believe.
“He was a ray of light in that building in Tampa this year,” Schrager said. “‘Well, we are going to suck.’ And he was like, ‘No, no! We’re going to be good. We have this.'”
Schrager said Carolina initially interviewing Canales was more a favor than anything. He wasn’t seriously thought to be a top candidate. But his interviews blew away the Stinking Panthers suits.
“This was sort of an outside-the-box interview,” Schrager said. “I heard he crushed it in Carolina and was great. Canales was not the lead dog in that room going into this thing.”
Schrager suggested Detroit offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and Houston offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik were thought to be the two leading candidates.
“But all along, [Carolina] wanted to go young [and] offensive to get Bryce Young [to be] that guy,” Schrager said. “What Canales did with Mayfield was tremendous.”
Yes, Schrager believes that how Canales saved Mayfield’s career — and Canales’ work with Geno Smith — were critical factors in Carolina meddling owner David Tepper’s mind. Now Canales has a bigger reclamation project: The 2023 No. 1 overall draft pick.
January 28th, 2024 at 8:11 am
Fire Todd and hire Monken. The Bucs need to shed payroll and start over.
January 28th, 2024 at 8:15 am
Young can not be helped. Total Bust.
January 28th, 2024 at 8:17 am
I’m not for signing everyone and bringing everyone back. I think we are getting close to a reboot. We can’t keep signing everyone. We need better cap long term.
January 28th, 2024 at 8:34 am
Carolina brain trust: if we had Canales in the building two years ago, we’d have Mayfield as our QB, DJ Moore at WR, Jalen Carter at DT, one or two NFC South championships, and some really nice picks in this years’s draft.
We’ll see if that logic plays out.
January 28th, 2024 at 8:44 am
Baker does keep it alive back there. I would have preferred better play calling and more aggressive.
Bubba set an amazingly low bar. As did the rest of the nfc south.
Thank them all. It’s called the best of a bad lot in interviewing terms.
January 28th, 2024 at 9:02 am
Question Bucs fans Why do the OC get most of the credit for a QB development and no to little credit for the QB coach. I mean the OC have to develop a style of play calling that will promote success for the QB but why isn’t it 50/50 QB coach and OC. Maybe I don’t quite understand here.
January 28th, 2024 at 9:05 am
Peter schrager doesn’t know squat he also the chiefs were going to beat the bucs in the superbowl and it won’t even be close. It was the other way around.
January 28th, 2024 at 9:15 am
Canales had to overcome the negativity of the national press who were poisoned by the Browns negative PR campaign against Baker but also the fans especially on this board. The power of positive thinking is not a trite saying. It works. Canales just took care of geneRationS of Canales with it. As far as who saved who it was mutual. I can recall Baker saying during the loss streak that we are finally realizing we are a throw first team. Baker pulled Canales out of his run first habits from Carroll. Baker was already good unlike the Seahawk guy last year who was a lifer Bench warmer. Baker just repeated 2020-21 but even better. Lets interview Alex Van Pelt out of a curtosy to the play caller in Bakers first playoff win vs Pitt.
January 28th, 2024 at 9:20 am
Bucs requested interviews for former buc assistant and current lions WR coach Antwan Randle El and Texans QB coach Jerrod Johnson.
I wonder with all of these outside requests and no public information whether they’ve interviewed Thad means anything about his candidacy?
January 28th, 2024 at 9:22 am
Van Pelt may have wanted an increased role and wasn’t going to get it with the Browns. It’s also possible Stefanski is looking for someone to help him better suit Cleveland’s offense to quarterback Deshaun Watson, who made just six starts before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury and undergoing surgery.Jan 17, 2024
https://www.wkyc.com › nfl › browns
Cleveland Browns coach Kevin Stefanski shakes up offensive staff, fires coordinator Alex Van Pelt and 2 other assistants – WKYC
January 28th, 2024 at 9:28 am
I like Schrager. He’s clearly a Buc fan. But Baker didn’t make Canales. Canales made himself by resurrecting 2 QBs in consecutive seasons. And by being charismatic. He’ll be a good HC, and I’m not looking forward to facing him. I have a feeling he’s going to torch Bowles twice next season.
January 28th, 2024 at 9:30 am
I just want them to make their pick and start working on next season.
January 28th, 2024 at 9:33 am
Today’s NFL , you need a mobile QB.
Unless you have a stellar Offensive Line, which Bucs do not, pocket passers will have limited success.
Brady, his last year, could not extend plays with his lack of mobility.
Canales did a good job coaching Mayfield on fundamentals and progressions.
Mayfield still has a ways to go but he’s definitely a quality starting QB.
January 28th, 2024 at 9:34 am
Mayfield and Canales or is it Canales and Mayfield. Can we not accept that this pair found EACH OTHER at precisely the right time. They were the perfect marriage for the moment.
You guys are way too young, with the exception of D.R. lol..sorry D.R, just had to get that in, to remember anything but the names Martin and Lewis.
Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis had almost Taylor Swift fame in the ’50’s. They had hit movie after hit movie. Their standup routine was all over TV and sold out almost every venue.
Then they broke up and the yammering started. Dean was the straight man, Lewis the clown who got all the laughs. People immediately said Martin was in trouble that it was Jerry who made that duo.
Guess what happened? Dean had an amazing career after that breakup. He starred in several very successful movies…proved he was actually a good actor as well as a singer/straight man. His career was legendary.
Jerry went on to his own hit movies, and became additionally famous for hosting his famous Telethons. His career was legendary.
Is it just possible that BOTH Canales AND Mayfield benfitted from the past year’s relationship.
Is it possible that NEITHER depends on the other. Could we imagine that BOTH
Canales and Mayfield go on to very successful careers.
Is their room for more than ONE winner in life?
January 28th, 2024 at 9:35 am
Thank you Joe, for making the Baker haters heads explode! 🤯 Hahaha
January 28th, 2024 at 9:36 am
“But his interviews blew away the Stinking Panthers suits.”
As Joe has said all season, Canales is the perfect corpoarate representative for the new NFL franchise. It’s why Belicheat is still out of a job. Must be a team player and discuss decisions like a board meeting. Canales will be great for the Panthers.
January 28th, 2024 at 9:39 am
R-O
Good effort. I would change one sentence though for genuine accuracy based on the SUM OF YOUR PRIOR POSTS.
“I have a feeling he’s going to torch Bowles twice next season.”
A simple correction. “I HOPE he’s going to torch Bowles twice next season.’
You’re obviously entitled to your hopes and feelings but perhaps you could express them more accurately.
January 28th, 2024 at 9:48 am
SO: If Baker sucks next year your theory will prove correct. Of course you’ll have changed names like 10x by then and we won’t be able to revisit this
January 28th, 2024 at 9:52 am
Bowles luck is going to run out this year as the other NFCS teams improve and Bucs go downhill. Who will they franchis is the question now. Mayfield or Evans or Winfield.
January 28th, 2024 at 9:55 am
Stpetebucfan…. Remember when Sinatra reunited them on Jerry’s telethon ? That was a moment I remember watching as a boy …
January 28th, 2024 at 10:00 am
Canales was an uplifting and positive voice in The Palace and I can see how that got him the job here. Unfortunately his scheme took a while to develop this season but the end result was a pleasant surprise.
Tepper appears to be an impatient owner wanting instant success that Canales is unlikely to give him in his first year.
January 28th, 2024 at 10:09 am
If you go by how many people here still want Bowles head maybe Canales should try and poach Bowles as his DC.
January 28th, 2024 at 10:28 am
Give the OC to Thad Lewis, sign Baker and Mike. Draft sum OL and fix the middle and get an edge rusher. Different year, same stuff. Go Bucs.
January 28th, 2024 at 10:51 am
HC Grover Says:
January 28th, 2024 at 9:52 am
Bowles luck is going to run out this year as the other NFCS teams improve and Bucs go downhill. Who will they franchis is the question now. Mayfield or Evans or Winfield.
^^^^^^^^
Yeah, you also said the Bucs were going to be terrible in 2023. Why don’t you leave the prognostications to the adults?
January 28th, 2024 at 11:02 am
Wrong. Just saw video last week of when Schrager picked the Bucs to win the Super Bowl.
January 28th, 2024 at 12:24 pm
LetemBake
Yeah that was a great moment although you date yourself. At least you were a boy when it happened I was already an adult! Yikes!
January 28th, 2024 at 12:27 pm
Do you think we could just request an interview with Matt Nagy? He may like Florida and we could pay him with no cap problems. At least we could ask…
January 28th, 2024 at 1:02 pm
Canales wasn’t near Cleveland in 2020. Baker has always been in good company except for the injury year 2021. Anyway, for the Baker Hate Brigade here is your “journeyman.”
Highest Career Postseason Passer Rating, Active NFL Quarterbacks (min. 3 games)
Quarterback Team(s) Rating
Patrick Mahomes Chiefs 106.7
Matthew Stafford Lions/Rams 101.7
Brock Purdy 49ers 101.0
Baker Mayfield Browns/Bucs 100.4
Aaron Rodgers Packers 100.1
January 28th, 2024 at 1:25 pm
Yikes, Schrager picked the Bucs to win this year’s SB?? Even a diehard Bucs fan like me knew better than that! No wonder I ignore the sports bloviators.
January 28th, 2024 at 2:28 pm
Funny how throughout the year folks said he “sucked.” I said an OC is only as good as the execution on the field. Wish you the best except against the Bucs coach Canales.
January 28th, 2024 at 3:54 pm
Canales tried forcing the run in the first 8 games and the totals prove how ineffective that was…..
Then he had an epiphany and decided to let Mayfield sling it. And they made it to the playoffs.
Well Baker haters….. we’ve been saying that all along. Ask Lincoln Riley who got him his status as a guru….. Mayfield…..slinging it down field.
January 28th, 2024 at 4:17 pm
[Misleading Joe’s arse! He said it! Claiming Joe is lying is a good way to get run. Be careful. — Joe]
January 28th, 2024 at 4:18 pm
The cap is fake. If teams want to pay players they find a way. Look at the saints they were in cap hell and still signed Carr.
January 28th, 2024 at 4:22 pm
I hope he fails miserably. We had something going here and he bails just as they’re finally figuring things out on the field.
January 28th, 2024 at 9:16 pm
Canales: Overrated. Good enthusiasm. Well liked. Not ready. Very replaceable.