Latest news with #JasonLicht
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9 hours ago
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Buccaneers' Baker Mayfield Was Better Last Season In One Key Passing Stat
Buccaneers' Baker Mayfield Was Better Last Season In One Key Passing Stat originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield has completely turned his career trajectory around since arriving in town ahead of the 2023 season. Advertisement Replacing legend and seven-time Super Bowl Champion Tom Brady is no easy proposition, but Mayfield's transition in Tampa Bay has been seamless. Posting two career seasons since being signed by general manager Jason Licht, Mayfield has helped the Bucs to a record-tying four straight NFC South titles and five playoff appearances in a row. But last season, we saw a part of Baker's game improve that might not have been anticipated. Pro Football Focus measured each quarterback's release rate last season, and Mayfield proved to have the third-most attempts in the league in releasing the ball in under 2.5 seconds. "Baker Mayfield's transition in Tampa Bay is a prime example, as his time to throw has decreased over the past two seasons compared to his previous three, resulting in increased production," Mason Cameron wrote. "This past season, Mayfield recorded 335 attempts in under 2.5 seconds — more than in any season he played outside of Tampa. He posted an 85.8% adjusted completion percentage and 29 touchdowns on such plays in 2024, both of which led the NFL." Advertisement Mayfield has been named to the Pro Bowl for the first and second times in his career since joining the Bucs. In 2023, he posted career highs in yards (4,044), touchdowns (28) and completion percentage (64.3). That earned him a three-year, $100 million deal from Licht and the team, and last season, he bested those career numbers by a lot with 4,500 yards, 41 touchdowns and a 71.4 completion percentage. Baker has built on the previous year each season with the Bucs, and that trend could continue in 2025. Related: Buccaneers' Pass Catcher Predicted 'League-Winning WR' in Fantasy Football Related: Analyst Names Buccaneers Third-Round Pick as Potential Cut Candidate This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 28, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
9 hours ago
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Buccaneers Just Miss Top 10 NFL Power Rankings Placement
Buccaneers Just Miss Top 10 NFL Power Rankings Placement originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been trending upward since Todd Bowles took over as head coach for Bruce Arians after the 2021 season. Advertisement Bowles was just rewarded with a three-year contract extension, along with general manager Jason Licht. Heading into 2025, the Bucs return all 11 starters on the offensive side of the ball, for a unit that ranked in the top five of most statistical categories last year. Defensively, the team will hopefully improve coming off a season where Bowles' unit struggled to get pressure on the quarterback and in pass coverage. Licht focused on the defense in both free agency and the draft, and hopes are high that Bowles can turn the defense around next season. Matt Johnson of Sportsnaut ranked all 32 teams this offseason and the Buccaneers just missed out on the top 10 at No. 11. Advertisement "Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have demonstrated they can overcome the loss of an offensive coordinator without skipping a beat offensively," Johnson wrote. We'll also highlight the fact that new play-caller Josh Grizzard was directly responsible for the best third-down offense (50.9 percent) in the NFL last year. Tampa Bay is also getting back Chris Godwin (ankle) and it added another potential No. 2 receiver in Emeka Egbuka to pair with Mike Evans. "Defensively, Tampa Bay even strengthened its pass rush with the Haason Reddick signing. We've seen enough in the last two seasons to believe the Buccaneers will remain a very good team." Related: Buccaneers' Baker Mayfield Was Better Last Season In One Key Passing Stat Related: High-Priced Buccaneers Cornerback Could be Trade Bait Ahead of 2025 This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 28, 2025, where it first appeared.
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10 hours ago
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Buccaneers Urged To Extend Key Piece Of Baker Mayfield's Protection
Buccaneers Urged To Extend Key Piece Of Baker Mayfield's Protection originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The ink isn't even dry on Tampa Bay Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht's contract extension, and he's already been given more work this offseason. Advertisement With the Buccaneers seeing a host of their offensive starters return, and all of the offensive line, Baker Mayfield and Co. are gearing up for quite the season under new coordinator Josh Grizzard. The offensive line was a key reason for the offensive success last season due to a stellar gun game, and now might be the time to reward some of the players who were responsible. For ESPN's Aaron Schatz, in naming one final offseason move for each team, when it came to the Buccaneers, it was extending Luke Goedeke. "Tristan Wirfs is the anchor of the Tampa Bay offensive line, but Goedeke has been playing very well recently," Schatz wrote. "Last season, he ranked 27th among qualifying tackles in pass block win rate (89.5%) and was above average in run block win rate (75.3%). Goedeke has one year left on his rookie contract, so it would be good for the Bucs to lock him in long term." Tampa Bay Buccaneers tackle Luke Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports At the time of writing, Tampa Bay, according to Over The Cap, has $26.6 million in cap space, so there are sufficient funds to finalize a contract. Advertisement has Goedeke's market value set at $16 5 million APY, with a four-year, $66 million contract thought to be where he will land. Would the Buccaneers be willing to part ways with such money? Given how much the offense relies on them to protect Mayfield so he can utilize his weapons, plus open up running lanes for Bucky Irving and Rachaad White, we imagine it might have come up in conversation. So yes, Licht has signed his extension with the franchise. Maybe it's time to get Luke his. Related: Todd Bowles and Jason Licht React to Buccaneers' Contract Extensions Related: Buccaneers' Jason Licht Gushes As 'Top Unit' Projection In 2025 This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 27, 2025, where it first appeared.
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a day ago
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Fans Are All Saying The Same Thing After Todd Bowles' Contract Extension
Fans Are All Saying The Same Thing After Todd Bowles' Contract Extension originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers announced contract extensions Thursday morning for both general manager Jason Licht and head coach Todd Bowles. This comes on the heels of another successful year for the franchise. Advertisement Over the course of the last year, the Bucs have navigated multiple major coaching staff changes, maintained key veterans through free agency, drafted immediate contributors across the roster, and won the NFC South for a fourth straight season. Much of that credit belongs to both Bowles and Licht. Licht has been with the team since 201,4 and his track record made this an obvious move for the franchise. Alternatively, Bowles' future was not as secure with some questions about what any potential setbacks could mean for his future. Instead, the Bucs have taken a firm stance on how they view their head coach and his value for the coming years. The records have not been gaudy, but Bowles has kept the Bucs atop their division since taking over in 2022 and increased the team's win total by one each season. Last year, that success came despite having his roster ravaged with injury before spiriting wins in six of Tampa Bay's final seven games. Bowles' ability to navigate this adversity and keep the Bucs in the mix has been admirable. Advertisement However, this extension does come with an expectation for some changes over the next few years. The Bucs have invested heavily in their offense, signing Mike Evans and Chris Godwin to contract extensions each of the last two offseasons and re-signing Baker Mayfield a year ago. Defensively, they inked Antoine Winfield Jr. to an extension last year and have made a win-now gamble in signing pass rusher Haason Reddick a few months ago. Tampa Bay knows they have a window to capitalize on with this core. They have been a playoff participant thus far under Bowles; now, the goal is to transcend that status to become a firm contender within the conference. Especially last season, the Bucs showed flashes, notching wins against the best teams in the NFC. Moving forward, Bowles is tasked with putting it all together, allowing the Bucs to take that next step. Advertisement A loaded conference of established contenders makes that a daunting challenge, but the Bucs are counting on Bowles to be the guy who can bring them back to the top. Related: Bucs Announce Major Contract News For Todd Bowles and GM Jason Licht Related: Tom Brady Suggests Patrick Mahomes Can Catch Him As GOAT This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 26, 2025, where it first appeared.
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a day ago
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Todd Bowles and Jason Licht React to Buccaneers' Contract Extensions
Todd Bowles and Jason Licht React to Buccaneers' Contract Extensions originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have locked down general manager Jason Licht and head coach Todd Bowles to multiyear extensions, as reported on Thursday. Advertisement The extensions are drawing mixed reviews from the fan base, as most are happy to see Licht extended, but some are questioning the logic behind Bowles' extension. The Bucs are on a successful five-year run under Licht and Bowles, with a Super Bowl win in 2020 and a division title in 2021 with Bowles as the defensive coordinator. Bowles took over the head coaching duties in 2022 and Tampa Bay has won the NFC South each year since, albeit in the what many consider to be the weakest division in football. Bowles' reaction was one of gratitude after the extension. "I am extremely appreciative of the confidence that the Glazer family has shown in my abilities to lead this football team. It is a responsibility I do not take lightly and am honored to have," Bowles said. "It starts at the top, and their unwavering commitment to our organization allows us to perform at our best and compete for championships. I am equally excited to continue working with Jason for years to come as we build on the success we've enjoyed and keep reaching for even bigger and better goals." Advertisement Two of those division titles under Bowles were with records of 9-8 and 8-9. And the defense, which Bowles still runs, has been heavily criticized as underperforming. That will hopefully change after another impressive draft by Licht this year, which focused on defensive talent. For Licht, it's been an amazing run since 2014, particularly in the second half of his tenure in Tampa Bay. He drafted players like Mike Evans, Tristan Wirfs, Vita Vea, Antoine Winfield Jr., Chris Godwin, Bucky Irving, Calijah Kancey, Cade Otton, Graham Barton, Luke Goedeke, Cody Mauch and more. Licht's response to the extension was also one of gratitude. "I am very grateful to the Glazer family for the trust and belief they have shown in what we are doing here," Licht said in a statement. "Their commitment to providing the resources along with their dedication to fostering a winning culture throughout our entire building are the primary reasons for the great success we have enjoyed these past five seasons. I am also very excited to continue working alongside Todd well into the future as we continue our mission of finding and developing talented players and chasing additional championships for our great fans." Advertisement Related: Fans Are All Saying The Same Thing After Todd Bowles' Contract Extension Related: Buccaneers' Baker Mayfield Finally Has Top-10 Billing In 2025 This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 26, 2025, where it first appeared.
