Jason Licht On Baker Mayfield: “As A Person, As A Leader, It Really Couldn’t Be Any Better”
May 6th, 2024
Impressed Bucs’ GM.
This just in: Baker Mayfield has a strong arm.
Part of the narrative about Mayfield when the Bucs signed him on the cheap last year was that he allegedly doesn’t have the strongest of arms, to be polite.
Maybe this came from folks who only saw him play when he was injured with Cleveland (yes, Joe knows that injury was his left shoulder, but still, good luck throwing when you’re wearing a harness ob=n your left shoulder).
Last week when Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht appeared with popular sports radio and television personality Adam Schein — heard on “Schein on Sports” exclusively on SiriusXM — Licht said Mayfield looked like the guy they saw on tape, a guy who had no issue whipping the ball downfield.
This was in response to Schein asking Licht what he learned about Mayfield.
“As a quarterback, I already knew from tape evaluation and when we played against him over the years, which hasn’t been often, that he had a strong arm,” Licht said. “But to see him in person, he really does have a great arm.”
As a locker room guy, Licht said he thought the Bucs hit the lottery with Mayfield.
“As a person, as a leader, it really couldn’t be any better,” Licht said. “He came in right away and won over the team. I mean, it didn’t take long at all.
“Really, the first regular season game when we played the Vikings and he was throwing his shoulder into linebackers and trying to get that extra yard, that’s what finally did it for everybody. But even before that, he had won most everybody over.”
Licht added that Mayfield stepped into treacherous waters when he signed with the Bucs. Licht believes not every quarterback could have succeeded being the guy who replaced Tom Brady. He thinks Brady’s shadow would cast a spell and haunt many a quarterback.
Mayfield, Licht added, had just the right temperament to not let that get to him.
“He is just a phenomenal leader,” Licht said. “To step into Tom Brady’s spot? It takes a special kind of person with a special kind of confidence and we’ve got the right guy in that regard.”
Now that Mayfield has a year under his belt, and had a special offseason being named Pro Bowl MVP and signing a new contract, what can he do this fall for the Bucs?
May 6th, 2024 at 9:06 am
Baker will be fine. Even if he regresses a little it should be offset by all the young players improvement. Barring injury the Bucs win the division again.
May 6th, 2024 at 9:07 am
Mayfield has been a very pleasant surprise. Great QB & leader.
May 6th, 2024 at 9:08 am
Go Bucs
May 6th, 2024 at 9:12 am
Ehhh… we’ll see.
May 6th, 2024 at 9:24 am
He is fun to watch man I was really impressed. Excited for this year.
May 6th, 2024 at 9:31 am
If Baker could have the same offensive coordinator for 3 yrs, I believe he would make a huge jump in production. Very hard to master a system in a yr. Even if the QB is up to speed you still have 10 other guys that are still learning the nuances that first yr. If the new OC shines and Bowles post another 9-8 dud in the weak NFC South, I could see ownership moving on from Bowles. You got a 3-5 yr window with Mayfield, can’t maximize the $100 million invested in the QB if he’s got constant turnover at OC.
May 6th, 2024 at 9:33 am
FINGERS CROSSED
I hope Coen is a) A great OC, and B) Stays for a few years. Offenses mature with age. It would be nice to develop an offense consistently with the same coach and key contributors.
Baker is fine. He gets a little too jittery at times trying to make the right read. Having consistency would help mitigate his panic attacks.
May 6th, 2024 at 9:46 am
I’ve said all along we were amazingly lucky to land him last year. Last year wasn’t his ceiling but rather his floor. Once he gets more comfortable and we get the run game flowing it’s going to be lights out. I can’t believe there is still fans that think he is a loser… Cleveland dumped all over him and played him when he clearly shouldn’t have been playing and then sent him to the wasteland called Charlotte..He’s successfully succeeded at every level and will continue to do so.Hes won a national championship,a Heisman trophy, an all star MVP. I think next a Superbowl. Go Bucs!!!!
May 6th, 2024 at 9:49 am
I’ve been happy to get Mayfield from the get-go. I don’t understand guys like Bee. We did not have to spend a pick, risk big $$ for a tryout (LIKE ATLANTA HAD TO WITH COUSINS), and he took us into the playoffs. What the hell do people want? Deliver pizzas with each game?
May 6th, 2024 at 10:00 am
And if we didn’t re-sign Baker we would have had to trade a ton of draft capital to get a QB this year. Probably a future R1 pick, a future R2 pick, our R1 pick this year, and like a R3 pick or something to get in range for one of those top 6 QB’s. Maybe more actually.
And we would have had a thin roster surrounding that QB with holes at a bunch of positions and no draft picks next year. We played this correctly and got a great deal after seeing what Cousins got.
May 6th, 2024 at 10:36 am
Eric Seals over at USA today has a piece out picking the worst off season move by every team
Wouldn’t you know it he has the bucs resigning Baker as our worst off season move ???? He says the move can be a disaster. He didn’t mention Cousins or his astronomical salary.
How do these idiots get their jobs and more importantly how do they keep them…clearly ol Eric was last in his class at liberal university
May 6th, 2024 at 10:41 am
What else would you expect Licht to say? His public comments are the NFL equivalent of a Presidential briefing. It may even be true, but if it wasn’t the message would be the same.
May 6th, 2024 at 10:54 am
If baker season was any different than how it played out Licht wud not be saying anything but we made a mistake but he has every rite to take a victory lap he made the rite choice with baker with the help from. Bowles so why find fault with a good hell of a deal for 4mill. (Bucs) get it?obviously Licht makes the big money cause knows what the hell he is doing.
May 6th, 2024 at 10:56 am
Players have said that Baker won over the locker room with attitude off the field and his competitiveness on the field, especially running on 3rd down.
I think Baker has more upside than downside, especially if we have a better running game (I’d be happy with average) to set up play actions. I think there is definitely meat on the bone with better 1st quarter points, and better deep ball coordination with ME and Palmer.
May 6th, 2024 at 10:59 am
baker needs to ixnay on the unningray or he will take a shot that will put him on the shelf.
May 6th, 2024 at 11:10 am
We’re so far ahead of last year at this time. Hiring Coen might turn out to be the best offseason move. Him having already worked with Baker is huge. Speaking of huge, our new man in the middle, that’s right you’re starting center for the Tampa Bay Bucs Barton will be just what this O line has been missing the last two years. We haven’t been the same since Jensen went down, Barton fills that void. Mauch slides to LG, Kein steps in at RG, we’re set. I’m expecting big things this season.
May 6th, 2024 at 11:18 am
Guess I’ll be leaving the site because the over controlling censorship is getting ridiculous
May 6th, 2024 at 11:27 am
Let’s hope an improved IOL will help Baker improve – getting constant pressure in your face and up the middle is every QBs nightmare and the Bucs had the absolute worst LG, C and RG in the entire league last season.
May 6th, 2024 at 11:40 am
David, the software often keys in on a word for some reason. Don’t think it’s intentional
May 6th, 2024 at 11:45 am
“and the Bucs had the absolute worst LG, C and RG in the entire league last season.”
It is pretty crazy all 3 had horrible PFF grades and that lined up with what the fans saw. I wonder how much having 1 elite guy in that mix may elevate the play of the other 2. Best case scenario is Barton fits perfectly in at C, Mauch moves to LG and plays better there, and this 6th rounder Fridge guy is some random steal starter at RG. That was his position in college while Mauch played LT.
Could also see keeping Hainsey & Mauch at C / RG; putting Barton at LG, and just running left like 80% of the time behind Wirfs/Barton ol.
May 6th, 2024 at 11:47 am
I think most guys commenting in the negative on Mayfield are clueless and doing the easy thing following the lemmings of the media. I don’t see any reason for any regression unless there are multiple injuries occurring in Tampa.
This guy has had so many OC’s that I doubt the new OC will have any affect in the negative, unless Coen is a complete clown.
May 6th, 2024 at 12:13 pm
@ Lord Corn
One of the more interesting issues the Bucs need to solve is who will be the starting LG, C and RG in 2024…
Mauch will be one of the starting Guards – not sure if Bredson or Opata at LG and Barton at Center will be better than Mauch and Barton at Guard with Hainsey at Center…
I trust our coaches and GM will figure out the best combo – it couldn’t possibly be any worse than we saw last season.
May 6th, 2024 at 12:29 pm
I remember someone on JBF said that most of the Bucs had a positive impression about Baker except for an outlier or 2 like Devin White, which makes sense as he is buddies with fellow LSU alum OBJ, the cancer who divided the Browns locker room when he and his Dad started whining for the ball and piled on Baker. For what it is worth OBJ has jumped around to a lot of teams: Giants, Browns, Rams Ravens and now Miami…..If he is such a great player, it is strange how he is now just spending a season with each of his new teams, kind of like he quickly wears out his welcome. Reminds me of DeSean Jackson.
May 6th, 2024 at 1:26 pm
Hate punk a$$ canals left. I wanted continuity but Coen really should be an upgrade hopefully like someone else said can stick around. If the run game gets going this team will take off
May 6th, 2024 at 1:34 pm
I like the thought of continuity with Baker having a second year with the same OC. Problem is, this is probably Godwins last year. I love McMillan as his replacement, but it is still his first year. Next year will be better but then we will need another WR 3. Then that becomes his first year and so on. You really need the same OC and the same QB with his top 3 targets and a TE and RB all in the same system with a good OL to be great. Unless of course you have Mahomes and rotate everyone almost every year. Difference there is the connection with Kelce that has sustained them.
Hoping year 2 with 10,13 and 14 pays dividends this year with Baker. Please kets have 6-8 deep TD passes this year. It would help the running game a ton if defenses actually thought we could burn them deep.
May 6th, 2024 at 2:26 pm
His arm is good, but not amazing, he underthrew a lot of guys last year.
But 18th in QBR and 20th in scoring, and being last in yards and scoring of all QBs who started 17-games, he needs to step up and be better or he’ll be on his 6th team next year.
May 6th, 2024 at 2:46 pm
There you go with the QBR again.
May 6th, 2024 at 3:56 pm
Pro Bowl MVP? Hahahahahahahaha. Your football related opinion loses all veracity when you write that.
May 6th, 2024 at 4:47 pm
We will see Munch with all your talk. You are going to be eating crow 100% buddy, 100%.
May 6th, 2024 at 5:12 pm
Rod Muncher cherry picking stats again
Nobody uses qbr
May 6th, 2024 at 5:14 pm
Rod Muncher…doesn’t Brady hold the record for longest recorded pass in the NFL….you can report back to saints camp
May 6th, 2024 at 5:14 pm
I meant Baker…lol
May 6th, 2024 at 6:00 pm
Joe,
Articles like this quoting Licht on Mayfield are great but all they do is trigger Mad Dogs and Munch. These losers have a lot invested on running down Baker. Without Canales running on 1 and 2 down setting up 3rd and long, Baker is going to have a fantastic second season in Tampa. He demonstrated in the playoffs what 2024 might look like. It is only going to be better with more time to throw.
May 6th, 2024 at 7:12 pm
I thought Baker beat all the pro bowl qbs in that accuracy contest thingy Rod? And doesn’t Baker have the record for the longest throw in an NFL game too-75 yards? And isnt he one of the very few that threw the ball 60+mph in the combine? But his arm is just good, not amazing. What is an amazing arm Munch? What more is there to an amazing arm other than accuracy and strength? 80 yards and beats all the pro bowl qbs in accuracy and throws it 65mph? Illuminate us, please. It is actually painful for you to use amazing and Baker in the same sentence isn’t it?
May 6th, 2024 at 7:19 pm
Baker has a great arm but he seems to need his whole body to make the hardest throws, unlike Elway or Favre or even Aaron Rodgers. IMHO.
May 6th, 2024 at 7:25 pm
Baker has incredible talent. Probably strongest arm in the League.
But hes had 8 offensive coordinators, going in to his seventh season.
Every year learning a new play book, new terminology.
The Browns did everything you could do wrong, in developing a young QB.
And he still took an 0-16 team to 11-5 and a playoff win in 3 years.
Just imagine what he could do, if he had the same Offense 3 years in a row.
Hes still a you g QB. Coen is his 2nd OC in his 2 years in Tampa.
Lets TRY to give our young QB a few seasons with the same guy.
Our entire offense is on OC 3, in 3 years.
I sure hope Coen is the answer.
May 6th, 2024 at 9:33 pm
All last year many folks here kept pissing on his leg actually hoping he would fail. Then the $4 million guy took you to the playoffs and you were still bitching…..then he smoked Philly and you still bitched….FOUR MILLION BUCKS. Geez, if you looked closely at his entire career you could see what Licht saw. He’s a Stud, get over it and root for the Bucs to beat the Falcons at least once and they are playoff bound.
May 7th, 2024 at 7:17 am
I’m really surprised Licht said that, most GMs say their quarterbacks have weak arms and are bad leaders.
May 7th, 2024 at 7:21 am
Baker actually gets most of his velocity from not being able to see over the offensive line, scrambling, and then using his forward movement to add velocity to his otherwise middling throws.
May 7th, 2024 at 7:26 am
Yeah that 1″ makes all the difference
May 7th, 2024 at 8:17 am
Writers whether sports or otherwise aklways have
May 7th, 2024 at 8:25 am
My cat hit my arm.
Writers always have a larger socio economic agenda. They put up with the low pay because they think they think they will have a historical impact. Baker does not fit their agenda but Justin Fields and the USC kid does. Purdy just annoys them and they cut him down by labeling him game manager or system QB. Brock had some long runs in the Super Bowl. The defense was the let down. David don,t let the door hit you on the way out. You have an agenda too.
May 7th, 2024 at 8:26 am
Bamboo. I don’t think no one wants him to fail but just because you don’t have rose color glasses on don’t mean people wanted him to fail. You can’t ignore that 6 game losing streak which he was bad in 5 of them . They he played last year is not how you win a superbowl. When you guys make comments like that you need to go back and look at the games from last year. I went back and looked at those games we won and lost from last year and he didn’t play bad in every game. But at this point of his career Baker Mayfield is not winning you a championship. He can help you win some games and Garden Michew can do that also look at the Colts record with him . It’s time for the bucs to move into the future. If the bucs go on another 6 game losing streak their going to tank the rest of the season and that’s something I don’t want this team to do. If Baker puts up 35 tds with 10 picks then I will say love him to be the quarterback moving forward. But if he plays inconsistent like he did last season it’s time to move on. Baker would play good for about 2 games in a row and have 3 bad games after. So I don’t want to hear no more excuses for Baker like the it’s a new offense and look how many OC he’s had because again no has given Justin Fields those excuses and he’s been a way worse situation than Baker. No more excuses for Baker Mayfield;!
May 7th, 2024 at 8:29 am
Baker Mayfield is a great quarterback!
May 7th, 2024 at 8:33 am
Joe ok now I see why you want my comments to show and I didn’t even post nothing bad . But you took the last one so I see go ahead and keep pushing Baker Mayfield it ain’t going to change my mind on what I saw last year from him or it ain’t going to change the fact he was a inconsistent quarterback last year! Lol 🤣🤣
May 7th, 2024 at 8:49 am
Joe put up with low pay when he worked for newspapers (sportswriter) because Joe loved his damn job. Joe never had the crusader gene.
May 7th, 2024 at 10:50 am
Onei, how exactly has Justin Fields been in a WAY worse situation than Baker? Because I have been reading how what Baker has been through in the league has NEVER been done by another qb. Just curious. Please take some time and illuminate us. You say he’s not winning a championship. You do realize in his first season with Tampa Bay, with a first year OC and with the worst game in the league he took you within a game of getting to that championship that you somehow know he can’t win. Don’t forget Mr Middling had Kansas City beat in 2020 if not for the worst no call in nfl history and KC played for that championship a couple games later. And that team that should have beat KC if not for that no call was 0-16 2 years before. You haters are so ignorant about the game. He will win a championship, that you can bet on.
May 7th, 2024 at 11:08 am
I agree Oneilbuc
The inconsistency is big for me. That being said he played better than I expected and I certainly don’t think he’s terrible. He’s just average imo and that last drive of the playoffs is huge. You can’t ignore that. On 2nd and 5 he threw a pick at the Bucs 28 yard mine. Couldn’t make it to midfield.
If he’s as good as people say he is then he’ll play better in those situations this year. Fingers crossed.
May 7th, 2024 at 11:19 am
The Bears were horrendous with Fields. Horrible offensive coaching (at least with Fields). At least Mayfield go the Browns to the playoffs. Fields had zero to work with. Poor kid was thrown to the wolves. Bad personnel, worse talent. That doesn’t fully excuse Fields but man, he was in a no-win situation.
Yeah, Mayfield was in a terrible situation with Carolina. At least for a few games he had CMC to help him. At least Mayfield got out after eight or ten games.
May 7th, 2024 at 12:12 pm
It is more than one season with Baker. Since he was drafted from 2018-2022 he’s been running for his life just about every play. Him breaking his shoulder and tearing his labrum was inevitable. He got hit constantly at Cleveland. Not to mention the coaching or lack there-of for a Rookie qb coming into the league on the worst team in league history 4-44 over the previous 3 years before he arrived. He has never had a head coach or OC for more than a year I believe. Maybe 2 years once. I could go on but ill just say this, he has been through the ringer like very few others have and because of that his ceiling is unknown. I will say this he isn’t even close to it yet. You give him stability with a good head coach and a good OC and you will have your superbowl championship, guaranteed. You haters spewing the crap about how his career record is this and that are just haters, period. Any qb that would have been through his nfl experiences wouldn’t be any better and you know it. But you will never admit it because you really are just haters in the end.
May 7th, 2024 at 1:28 pm
What it is. In Cleveland Baker had one of the top offensive line in the NFL the year they made the playoffs. He also had 2 good runningbacks that can take over a game and not to mention his weapons he had good receivers and a good TE . But the next he had the same players around him and he didn’t do anything when they put the game in his hand . My push back from Cleveland was they could have won more games if they would have taken the game out of Baker Mayfield hands and just the run the ball. But Cleveland wanted it to be about Baker than the Chubb and Hunt so they lost that year because of it. I’m tired of the he didn’t have the same coach for 2 years. That’s not a excuse that no other quarterback gets but Baker Mayfield and his fans. Their is no excuse for this year and I don’t care about having 2 or 3 bad games in a season. And garbage yards don’t count.
May 7th, 2024 at 2:36 pm
Onei, regardless of one of the “supposed” top lines his third year there I remember watching him run for his life. Its why he was injured so bad. They couldnt protect him. They weren’t 4-44 and 0-16 because they had a great line now were they?? He ran for his life and he hasn’t had any quality coaching until this year and a few games at the Rams. It takes several years to develop a qb in the NFL in a stable environment of which he has had none of. You can say you are tired of it but that doesn’t make it not true does it? You’re only tired of it because you haters keep making comments that just arent true and those that realize what he is repeat the truth. It really is that simple. You people just ignore the facts or say you are tired of it instead of looking at what he did last year in spite of it. This WAS his first exposure to a decent environment with exception of that third year with Cleveland and that’s debatable and he drug that team kicking and screaming to the playoffs for the FIRST TIME in 100 years, give me a break. Try looking at the whole picture, you might be amazed at what you few ingrates actually have. He also took you haters from a 4 win season to within 1 game of the superbowl, but anyone could do that couldn’t they, they just very rarely do, huh? And by the way, if you haven’t noticed Cleveland is a joke they could have the best line in the league and find a way to screw it up….Cleveland. You say you know what you saw last year when they hit the losing streak. Why dont you just try concentrating on the fact that you won over double the games more than what you were supposed to win and went within a game of making it to the superbowl. I think 99% of the world would call that a successful year. You should get on the train before it leaves you stranded and enjoy this coming season instead of being so negative. It’s much more enjoyable.
May 7th, 2024 at 3:30 pm
Really incredible that while most on this blog acknowledge Licht’s success in assessing talent,but when the same Licht honestly talks up Baker Mayfield, the Hate Brigade responds with their usual sullen commentary. Those losers are well known and will clutch at any Baker mistake to justify their endless negativity. Could be a knocked down pass, an interception, a sack, an overthrown, or underthrown pass. All that stuff is part of being an NFL QB but for Baker, the Losers magnify everything.
May 7th, 2024 at 9:14 pm
Onei, taken the game out of Bakers hands? He’s the reason they went from 0-16 to 11-5. And on your word they could have won more games if only they would have taken the game out of his hands.😂😂😂
May 7th, 2024 at 9:16 pm
I bet you couldn’t wait for Saturday to roll around so you could watch Trask play football at Florida. And now he sits…