Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles was present at the NFL Scouting Combine this week at the start of what is likely to be a very busy offseason for him and his staff.
The Bucs have several key decisions to make in terms of contracts and free agency, with a number of key players currently set to hit the open market. In preparation for the upcoming wheeling and dealing, the club have released star linebacker Shaquil Barrett in order to free up cap space.
Baker Mayfield, Mike Evans and Antonine Winfield are among the key Bucs players on the cusp of free agency, with Bowles admitting that the team are intent on securing a new deal for quarterback Mayfield.
“It's an extremely high priority, obviously," Bowles told the NFL’s Good Morning Football on Tuesday.
"You know, we got a couple days before the league year begins, but we love Baker. Baker had a heck of a year. He fit right in with us all the way around.
“The chemistry was outstanding with him and all the receivers and the offense as a whole, so you want to hope to build on that. I understand the business side of it. Like I said, we like Bake and we hope things get worked out."
Mayfield enjoyed career highs of 4,044 passing yards and 28 touchdowns with the Buccaneers in 2023 as he bounced back from a 2022 campaign that saw him turn out for both the Carolina Panthers and LA Rams.
The 28-year-old was the number one draft pick in 2018 and spent four years with the Cleveland Browns where he struggled for consistency.
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