National Football League

Bucs optimistic about new offense despite Mike Evans contract drama

Published Sep. 7, 2023 2:38 p.m. ET

At the launch event for their new foundation last week, Baker Mayfield's wife, Emily, said he is the "most fired up" for a season that she'd ever seen him as he begins a new chapter as the Bucs' starting quarterback.

Mayfield has the difficult task of taking over for Tom Brady, and while the Bucs are two-time defending NFC South champs, the outside expectations are low, something that hasn't fazed their new quarterback.

"I'm pumped up to be around a bunch of guys that have done it before, know how to do it, and we get to bring the young guys along, too," Mayfield said Wednesday, preparing for Sunday's season opener at Minnesota.

Much is new about the Bucs offense, from Mayfield at quarterback to new coordinator and first-time playcaller Dave Canales, from Pro Bowl tackle Tristan Wirfs moving from the right side to the left side to new drama with receiver Mike Evans potentially playing his final season in Tampa.

For all that, Mayfield said one of the reasons he's excited about Tampa is the culture of winning he walked into, having bounced from the Browns to the Panthers to the Rams in a span of five months last year.

"What they tell you is what you're getting," Mayfield said of Tampa Bay. "There's no behind-the-scenes drama. It's all about winning here. How can we put our guys in the best position to win? It's rare, unfortunately, in the NFL to have an organization like that, and that's why I'm so happy to be here."

Could the Bucs offense take a step forward in 2023, even without Brady? Remember that they took a significant step back last year. In 2021, they ranked second in the NFL in points, total yards, third-down conversions and red-zone success, and those rankings dropped to 25th, 15th, 21st and 22nd last year, a historic dropoff that amounted to 14 points per game.

Can the Bucs improve on a running game that ranked last in the league in yards per carry and yards per game last season? Canales has made a commitment to a more balanced offense, and there's a hope that a consistent run game can be built around second-year back Rachaad White and undrafted rookie Sean Tucker.

"I think the biggest thing is not throwing the ball 70 times," Wirfs said. "Practice has been a little bit different, really committing to the run game. ... I think a lot of guys are really confident in this offense. Now it's just getting dialed in, perfecting it and being as confident as we can in it. It's time for us to kind of take over. ... Coach Canales said, 'Now is where you guys can kind of take control and do what you need to do.'"

This past week has brought drama from an unexpected place, as Evans' agent, Deryk Gilmore, publicly set a deadline of Saturday for the team to work out a long-term extension for Evans, who is entering his 10th season in Tampa but is in the final year of his contract. A fan favorite and a model of consistency, Evans has topped 1,000 receiving yards in all nine seasons, an NFL record, and his 81 touchdowns put him on track to make a case for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

How much should Evans be paid at age 30, coming off a season with only six touchdowns after totaling 27 in the previous two campaigns? Gilmore believes Evans should be among the highest-paid receivers in the league, and the Bucs clearly have their hesitations. They're already paying Chris Godwin $20 million a year, and only one team in the NFL (the Chargers) is paying two receivers $20 million or more a year.

That agent-imposed deadline is likely to pass without a new deal, which means Evans will move forward, perhaps playing his final season in Tampa. The Bucs took a similar stance with linebacker Lavonte David, another beloved team leader, and after paying him $12.5 million a year on his previous contract, the team let David test free agency, only to have him return on a one-year deal for $4.5 million.

Can the Bucs get back closer to the 30-points-a-game heyday of their Super Bowl season three years ago? Last year's offense was more focused on limiting mistakes — lowest sack percentage in the league, third-lowest interception rate — but that also limited their big-play potential and ultimately their effectiveness in general. Canales is an unknown, but his positivity and energy have brought a confidence to this offense over the past few months.

"His mindset, he's so positive," Mayfield said. "It's just the next-step mentality. The next play, make it the best one. Even if it's just a simple handoff where we're not doing anything besides carrying out a fake, make it your best one. That mindset to give it absolute 100 percent each time, it's refreshing. ... Do your business. He's so fresh, and that mindset is awesome."

The Bucs will unveil this new offense Sunday against a Vikings defense that gave up 22 points or more 13 times last season, the most in the NFL, ending up 25th in scoring defense. Minnesota also went 9-4 in such games — only the Chiefs and Bills won at a higher percentage when giving up so many points. And former Dolphins head coach Brian Flores was brought in as Minnesota's new defensive coordinator, bringing expectations of improvement on that side as the Vikings try to match last year's 13-4 record.

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The Bucs offense will see major shifts in scheme, with much more pre-snap motion, and rollouts and bootlegs with a more mobile quarterback. Tampa Bay ranked last in the league in play-action usage last season but used it in preseason among the most in the NFL.

Tampa Bay will have a much younger team in 2023. On offense, that includes rookie Cody Mauch starting at right guard, with Tucker at running back, rookies Trey Palmer and Rakim Jarrett at receiver and all four tight ends with a single year of game experience or less. That creates uncertainty, but a certain excitement as well.

"Obviously you've got to get a lot of kinks out of the way the first couple of games," coach Todd Bowles said. "The trick is to win while you're doing it. We feel like we've got a lot of strengths, and until we settle in on what we are in Week 4 or 5, we'll see. We feel like we're great in a lot of areas, but you've got to play the games to be sure."

Greg Auman is FOX Sports' NFC South reporter, covering the Buccaneers, Falcons, Panthers and Saints. He is in his 10th season covering the Bucs and the NFL full-time, having spent time at the Tampa Bay Times and The Athletic. You can follow him on Twitter at @gregauman.

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