Rams QB Baker Mayfield and OC Liam Coen – Photo by: USA Today Obviously, Mayfield isn’t returning to Carolina and reuniting with Canales. The Panthers just jettisoned him last year, plus they have 2023 No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young to develop. However, that’s not the point. With Canales gone, would Baker Mayfield still want to return? The Bucs zeroing in on University of Kentucky offensive coordinator Liam Coen for their offensive coordinator position could help their cause. Mayfield worked with Coen when the two were with the Rams during the 2022 season, and Mayfield was complimentary of him on Friday. “I think out of all the guys they interviewed – of the names I saw – a lot of good options,” Mayfield said on the Bucs’ offensive coordinator search. “It’s kind of hard, I don’t understand how that thought process goes, but obviously, I got to work with Liam in [Los Angeles]. Great guy, a really great guy. “If they lock that down for sure it’s a similar system – same system, just some different terminology and how he wants to call things. There’s something to say about that, with continuity within the offense for the skill guys and the offensive line. It’s important to have.” Baker Mayfield Could Still Keep His Options More Open Than He Might Have Before The money was always going to have to be right for Baker Mayfield to remain with the Bucs, of course. But one thing they had going in their favor before was the idea of continuity. Mayfield has been through so many coordinators in his career, as he has only spent multiple years with a coordinator once. So with Dave Canales still around, Tampa Bay would’ve given the 28-year-old quarterback a place where he knew he’d be comfortable in the offense with a system he’s been in for a while and players he’s worked with before. 
Bucs OC Dave Canales and QB Baker Mayfield – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR Not only that, but Mayfield and the Bucs offense were really getting going under Canales’ watch down the stretch of the season and into the playoffs. Mayfield threw for 300 yards and three touchdowns in both of Tampa Bay’s playoff games, and everyone was looking forward to seeing what was next for that group in 2024. But now Canales is gone, and Mayfield no longer has that continuity to draw him back to Tampa Bay. Having Liam Coen replace Canales might give the offense some semblance of continuity and provide the quarterback with some familiarity, but it’s not the same as having everything back in place for another year. Because of that, Mayfield could keep his options more open than he otherwise would have. Think about it: The Bucs will be breaking in Coen as their new offensive coordinator in 2024. If he doesn’t get the offense clicking and Tampa Bay doesn’t win enough next season, Todd Bowles could be fired. In that scenario, Mayfield could not only be in a position where he’s working with yet another coordinator in 2025. He would also be playing for yet another new head coach. So as much as Baker Mayfield likes the organization, appreciates the team for giving him a chance and enjoys playing with the likes of Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Rachaad White and his offensive line, he might think twice about chaining himself to a Bucs ship that could go down as soon as next year. 
Bucs QB Baker Mayfield and HC Todd Bowles – Photo by: USA Today The big possibility and a real worry for the Bucs is Mayfield potentially being enticed by the prospect of signing with the Falcons. Atlanta just hired Raheem Morris as its new head coach, and Morris brought Rams pass game coordinator and quarterbacks coach Zac Robinson with him as his new offensive coordinator. Mayfield worked with Robinson during his stint with Los Angeles in 2022, plus he would’ve been familiar with Morris given that he was the Rams’ defensive coordinator. With coaches he’s familiar with, a system he’d fit in, and a cast of supporting players that includes Bijan Robinson, Tyler Allgeier, Drake London, Kyle Pitts and Jonnu Smith, the Falcons may be attractive enough for Mayfield to consider. But add in the fact that, with a new coaching staff, there will be some stability for Atlanta in the coming years while there’s uncertainty in Tampa Bay? That could spell trouble for the Bucs’ hopes of retaining the Comeback Player of the Year candidate. What Could The Bucs’ Backup Plan Be If Baker Mayfield Goes Elsewhere? 
Bucs QBs Kyle Trask and Baker Mayfield – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR This is still all hypothetical, as Baker Mayfield is clearly still hoping to return to Tampa Bay. But it’s still worth wondering: If Mayfield doesn’t return to the Bucs, what are they going to do at quarterback? The in-house option would be, like it was when Tom Brady retired on Feb. 1 of last year, 2021 second-round pick Kyle Trask. Mayfield beat out Trask for the starting quarterback job last offseason and now, the former Florida Gator is entering the final year of his rookie deal without starting a game in the first three years of his career. There’s little evidence that the Bucs would truly view him as a viable option in the event that Mayfield signs elsewhere, but he’d be the only in-house option. Outside of that, where could the Bucs look? The free agent class isn’t very promising, as Mayfield, Minnesota’s Kirk Cousins and Tennessee’s Ryan Tannehill are the only proven or semi-proven names available. Cousins and Tannehill aren’t realistic options for Tampa Bay, as Cousins will likely cost too much even off a significant Achilles injury at age 36, and the oft-injured Tannehill just lost his job in 2023 and isn’t really a trustworthy starter anymore. That leaves the NFL Draft, and even though the 2024 quarterback class is supposed to be deep and full of second- or mid-round options, Tampa Bay would still be rolling the dice at that point given where the Bucs are set to pick in the first round. Tampa Bay has the No. 26 pick, so the top names like USC’s Caleb Williams, North Carolina’s Drake Maye and LSU’s Jayden Daniels will be long gone. 
Washington QB Michael Penix Jr. – Photo by: USA Today That would leave the next tier of quarterbacks, some of which have been on display at the Senior Bowl this week. Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. is a Tampa product and could be available if the Bucs wanted to spend their first-round pick on a quarterback, but he’s a bit of an older prospect and has had two major knee injuries and two shoulder injuries in the past. Then, the options after Penix are even riskier. Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy, Oregon’s Bo Nix, Notre Dame’s Sam Hartman, Tulane’s Michael Pratt and anyone else in the class without the last name Williams, Maye and Daniels would be more of a project than someone ready to step in and keep the team’s NFC South title streak going while saving Todd Bowles’ job in the process. So, essentially, the Bucs will be in a bad spot if Baker Mayfield opts to go elsewhere following Dave Canales’ departure. Could the hiring of Liam Coen be what saves Tampa Bay’s chances of returning its Pro Bowl quarterback in 2024? The post What If Baker Mayfield Doesn’t Return To The Bucs? appeared first on Pewter Report. https://www.pewterreport.com/what-if-ba ... turn-bucs/
