Baker Mayfield’s contract situation with the Buccaneers is still hanging in the balance, and the latest Bucs Cap Convo episode breaks down why the sides remain apart.
Pewter Report’s salary cap expert Josh Queipo joined Bailey Adams to sort through what’s actually known about the talks and what’s been floating around as rumor or speculation. The conversation centered on Mayfield’s public frustration after his self-imposed deadline passed without a deal, and the key issue appears to be where each side is drawing its line in the sand.
According to Queipo, Mayfield’s camp and the Buccaneers are not far apart in every area, but there is still a rift that needs to be bridged before an agreement gets done. The episode also lays out what Mayfield is likely seeking and what Tampa Bay is trying to hold firm on, plus a possible last-ditch path that could still push the contract across the finish line.
Franchise tag possibilities are still very much part of the discussion, too. The Buccaneers can still use it on Mayfield, and the episode points out that there is plenty of precedent for franchise quarterbacks to be tagged and still work out long-term extensions afterward.
Bucs Cap Convo is a new regular video series on PewterReportTV that focuses on salary cap topics around the Buccaneers. The episodes, usually eight to 12 minutes long, feature Queipo’s breakdowns of everything from contract extensions and player valuations to cap cuts and overall cap space, with Jason Licht and Mike Greenberg often at the center of the discussion.
The PewterReportTV channel currently has 23,800 subscribers, and Pewter Report says new Bucs Cap Convo episodes will continue to roll out there alongside the site’s podcasts.
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In the end, the Bucs stayed put and took Rueben Bain Jr., because they had him rated near the very top of their board and were willing to pass on more draft capital to get him. The Lions' pitch and the Buccaneers' refusal set up the kind of debate that can linger for years, especially if Bain becomes the kind of player Tampa Bay believes he can be. [Read more 🡒]
