The Tag-And-Trade Option
August 1st, 2026
Joe has fielded this question and will answer it here, especially after the chatter coming from an interesting source regarding a potential Bucs-Jets trade involving Baker Mayfield.
Could the Bucs slap the franchise tag on Mayfield after this season and then trade him quickly?
First, Joe doesn’t want to trade Mayfield. He’s a good quarterback with a chance to be great. It’s reasonable to think he will revert back to his stunning 2024 form.
But Mayfield is very unhappy with the contract extension offer he recently received and he chose to publicly pout. That’s triggered many fans to ponder life without Mayfield, and perhaps the Bucs have, too.
Yes, the Bucs could tag Mayfield and trade him while he’s on the tag. That would make sure the team gets compensation if Mayfield wants to leave town. However, a tagged player can be traded only after signing the tender tied to the tag. Players with unsigned tenders are not officially under contract.
Once upon a time, Jason Pierre-Paul was franchise tagged by the Giants and didn’t sign his tender because he was mad about it. Then he blew up his hand in a fireworks accident and the Giants rescinded the franchise tag contract. JPP lost millions.
The tag-and-trade option isn’t crazy rare. That happened to Dee Ford, Jadeveon Clowney and Yannick Ngakoue, among other stud players. The Patriots moved QB Matt Cassell after tagging following the 2008 season.
As Adam Schefter made clear on ESPN this week, the Bucs won’t just let Mayfield walked out of One Buc Palace and into free agency, if it came to that.
August 1st, 2026 at 9:17 pm
I always thought keeping Bowles was a way to sabotage/avoid paying Baker.
If Licht wanted to rebuild next year, he’s doing a pretty good job. Both of these guys have peak trade value right now. Vita and Baker are dope I would like to be friends with them but like… we can get another fat guy and Baker isn’t that much different from Jameis.
August 1st, 2026 at 9:30 pm
Vita has never requested a trade and isn’t even holding out. Bowles says he’s helping other players. Why are you guys putting him in the same category as Baker the traitor Mayfield?
August 1st, 2026 at 9:31 pm
Mayfield is under contact as the 16th highest paid QB in the league which is dead center of 32 teams. That is exactly where he belongs, he completely floundered down the stretch last year, all this injury talk I’m not buying. He was able to suit up and play. Baker Mayfield seems to think he is better than he is, he really needs to show it on the field of play. He’s not a franchise quarterback, he’s middle of the road as he’s paid.
Listening to him throwing a temper tantrum and throwing the Bucs front office under the bus was classless and immature on his part. This Buccaneer organization gave Baker an opportunity when nobody else would. He should be kissing the Bucs organizations ass for his opportunity to play football and make huge money doing so.
August 1st, 2026 at 9:33 pm
Domingo Says:
August 1st, 2026 at 9:17 pm
I always thought keeping Bowles was a way to sabotage/avoid paying Baker.
If Licht wanted to rebuild next year, he’s doing a pretty good job. Both of these guys have peak trade value right now. Vita and Baker are dope I would like to be friends with them but like… we can get another fat guy and Baker isn’t that much different from Jameis.
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Good point! Jameis won 28 games. Baker has won 28 games.
August 1st, 2026 at 9:36 pm
We have two different players attempting two different approaches to getting money. That’s really all this is and I certainly don’t blame them for their attempts. I wouldn’t have done it either way but then again, I don’t have their talents and their relatively short window to earn generational wealth.
The old adage is that there is no such thing as bad publicity. This is all good for the Bucs, the players, Joe and certainly the fans…. If you like interesting training camp fodder. Bring it on.
August 1st, 2026 at 9:38 pm
Being unfamiliar with “stud” Dee Ford, I had to Google to find out that, as a tagged player, he was traded for one second-round choice. Is that the kind of return the Bucs are looking for?
August 1st, 2026 at 9:57 pm
“Could the Bucs slap the franchise tag on Mayfield after this season and then trade him quickly?“
No, that’d be us paying to rid ourselves of his services and basically paying for draft capital. Guys are skipping a whole bunch of steps jumping to the assumption the franchise tag is even going to be in-play, but it is going to be a season long topic of discussion. Which is going to put every throw, how he reacts in situational ball, how he operates the team, and when attrition hits if/how he rallies the team under a microscope.
August 1st, 2026 at 10:07 pm
Baker is going to ball out this year. Once again he’s forced to put it all out there as he did when he first got picked up by the Bucs. He’s a stud of a QB, he’s 6′ 4″ stuck in a 6′ body, so he plays All out. This year MORE SO than past years, as his next contract either with the Bucs or another team is going to be almost a 1/4 billion dollar contract.
The Bucs are going to have a strong year, if they fail to win 2 playoff games; Bowles is gone and Tomlin will decide if he goes with Baker or another route. Either way Baker is getting paid next year.
August 1st, 2026 at 10:21 pm
PAY HIM !!!! 4 year deal!!!!
OLine, WRs, RBs, and Baker are healthy. A better OC!!
He is going to be awesome this year.
Baker v Mahomes last 2 yrs:
Pass yds:
8544 to 8111
TDs:
69 to 53
Completion %:
67.9 to 67.3
Passer rating:
100.7 to 93
INTs:
26 to 25
PAY HIM!!!!
August 1st, 2026 at 10:34 pm
He gets traded so will the Moisty boyyz New York fans will eat them alive a win win for all of us. If Mayfield had played consistently at least close to his 2024 form I’d be completely down with paying him $250mil for 4 years and be a fan but I’ve only watched him for 3 years and that’s the only year I was overly impressed by him. I’ve seen to much consistently inconsistent from him and his career has been the same. Too much disappearing in the first half and being forced to take more chances in the 2nd. The Bucs proved that Warren Sapp wasn’t above the team and he was instrumental in winning us our first Super Bowl, Mayfield hasn’t and won’t come close so he definitely isn’t either.
August 1st, 2026 at 10:37 pm
If the Bucs intend to keep Baker this year, they need to do something to make him happy for the team’s sake, whether he deserves it or not. If not an extension, then a one-time bonus, or a charity in his name, or +something+. You cannot have your team’s undisputed leader alienated from management for a full year without taking long-term damage.
August 1st, 2026 at 10:39 pm
Tomlin is not going to be the HC to this clown show. When Bowles leaves one way or another no competent coach is taking the job.
August 1st, 2026 at 10:40 pm
Depending on Kancy to stay healthy through a whole season is like depending on Donald Rump to tell the truth. Not going to happen.
August 1st, 2026 at 10:44 pm
At least Kancy would presumably prefer to be healthy.
August 1st, 2026 at 10:46 pm
Vea is not practicing. He’s avoiding fines just showing up with his so called injury. So he is disgruntled too. Nobody needs to make a fake excuse to absolve him either.
August 1st, 2026 at 10:49 pm
Pout? He scanning his ground and not asking for top money but is looking for something over 50 a year. At some point any competitive team is going to have to be paying their quarterback in that range if they haven’t recently drafted one.
I’m not a fan of selling off pieces now to grab a unproven quarterback in 2027. We have the Off to do this NOW! The D has been the problem.
Cut Bowles now and let Robinson run the show before we lose him like canales and the snake.
August 1st, 2026 at 10:49 pm
Pout? He’s standing his ground and not asking for top money but is looking for something over 50 a year. At some point any competitive team is going to have to be paying their quarterback in that range if they haven’t recently drafted one.
I’m not a fan of selling off pieces now to grab a unproven quarterback in 2027. We have the Off to do this NOW! The D has been the problem.
Cut Bowles now and let Robinson run the show before we lose him like canales and the snake.
August 1st, 2026 at 10:53 pm
Yo Jason Licht
Jarrett here,
You not that bad of a GM. The Super Bowl year was a masterpiece GM job, replacing Tom Brady is impossible. Replacing Suh is impossible. Replacing AB and Gronk is impossible. We had hella hall of famers on that roster
Letting Devin White go, was questionable! He was a top 5 pick in the draft.
I always thought DWhite would take over and lead this defense after Lavonte David retired … as you seen DWhite just got scooped by the Lions , good for him.
Either way, atleast Mike Evans and Lavonte David got a ring
I’m writing this to say, sometimes you gotta right the ship.
Do what you gotta do, like is the plan right now to tank for the Manning kid ?
Like what’s the plan. If you didn’t want to sign Baker, why did you pass on Sheduer Sanders so many times in the draft.
You know I’m right about Baker. The interception against the Lions, the Fumble against the Commanders. Maybe he gets out of his own way. But he’s giving Tony Romo playoff vibes. Something is always going wrong.
I know Mike Evans was pissed after the game last year @ Carolina. Throw on the tape, that last interception, almost like Baker was still playing for the Panthers. LOL … man even the Panthers didn’t want Baker. And I like Baker. 2-7 Finish to last season?
But don’t let him swindle you for 50 million per year. He ain’t Mahommes. Only thing going for baker is this … a lot of NFL QBs are trash!
Even right now Steelers fans and Jets fans are like “We’ll take Baker with open arms” that’s cause it’s hard to find a legit stud at QB. That don’t mean all of them are worth 50 million. It’s just a lot of them ain’t good!
Maybe Baker does turn it around. Sam Darnold did with Seattle. Bucs even won with Brad Johnson. It’s the team that wins not just the QB.
Look man, go get Stephon Diggs(WR1) and Terrion Arnold(CB1) . You might think our WRs are good, until Patrick Curtain is locking them up all game and they can’t get separation.
You need guys that can win 1 on 1 against anybody. I like Egbuka and Godwin but you saw how last season went once Evans got hurt. We became easier to defend and easier to scheme against.
Forget all the off the field problems for once. Sign those dudes to a 1 year deal.
If not trade Baker and Trade vea right now and load up for next years draft & Get the Manning kid …
August 1st, 2026 at 11:34 pm
Get a 4 year deal done!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
If not, watch the attendance plummet. LVD retired, people are pissed Bowles is still there, and Mike Evans walked.
How much idiocy do they think the fans will tolerate?
August 2nd, 2026 at 12:08 am
Can someone tell me what is really going on in Tampa?? The joes won’t come out and say what really happened with Evan’s, even though they know what happened. In the QB show Mayfield loves Tampa, now all of a sudden he acts like Tampa is treating him worse than Carolina did and then add Vea to the list of doesn’t want to be here any more. If you don’t want Vea and Mayfield, why bring Bowles back? Why even get a new OC if the team is just gonna implode before the season starts. We live in an era with info at our fingertips but can’t get a straight answer on wtf is going on in Tampa. Someone needs to report the truth about the crap show in Tampa!
August 2nd, 2026 at 12:29 am
Kinda getting sick of these Diva players crying about how they want more money while still be under contract. Both Vita and Baker are not being team players. Pretty sure Godwin is on the last year of his deal but not crying like a toddler. If Vita and Baker don’t want to be here ship them out. We can lose with or without them and this team isn’t going anywhere until we cut off the head of the snake Bowles who is a mediocre inept coach.
August 2nd, 2026 at 12:34 am
lol crap show.
5-12 is coming and then what?
@ David Baker lover….that also most likely means no more Baker.