It was a an offseason of change for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, even if the theme was keeping things the same.
Key players like Antoine Winfield Jr., Baker Mayfield, and Mike Evans were brought back on new deals, and the team even reunited with Jordan Whitehead in free agency. All of that came after one of the biggest exits, though, as offensive coordinator Dave Canales bolted to Carolina to become head coach of the Panthers.
It was a move that snowballed quickly, as Canales went from seemingly having an outside chance to getting the job in about a week's time. He wasn't the only one to leave Tampa Bay for Carolina, as Canales plundered the Bucs sideline to take both coaches and players along with him.
One of those guys was Brad Idzik, who served as wide receivers coach and has a relationship with Canales going back to their days in Seattle together. Idzik got a promotion to be the Panthers offensive coordinator, which is a move that Mayfield is keeping an eye on from a distance in Tampa Bay.
Baker Mayfield thinks former Buccaneers coaches will be great for Bryce Young
Mayfield was a guest on Pardon My Take, and one of the most notable things he said had nothing to do with the Buccaneers. Instead, Baker shouted out former offensive coordinator Dave Canales and wide receivers coach Brad Idzik for what they will do for Bryce Young and his development.
“I think together around Bryce is gonna be good for him,” Mayfield said. “Dave’s the definition of an optimist bully. It could be the worst day ever, everything could be going wrong and he’s sitting there, he’s like ‘Guys, we got the next play!’ He’s got a big ol’ smile on his face and you’re like ‘This guy’s full of sh--’ but no. That’s literally who he is day in and day out and it’s honestly refreshing.”
There's a duality at play here, as Baker is balancing his role in the Bucs-Panthers rivalry with being someone who knows precisely what Young is going through.
It was a rough rookie season for Young, who struggled mightily thanks to a poorly constructed offense and a coaching staff that turned over halfway through the year. Mayfield is no stranger to what instability can do to a quarterback's development, as he's once again playing for a new offensive coordinator despite Tampa Bay being the most stable environment he's been in.
Canales was a huge part of Mayfield's revival last season, which is why the Panthers brought him in to do the same for Young. Whether that works out depends on a ton of other variables, but if Baker is giving his seal of approval than that means something.
Of course, it would be great if this was a case of reverse jinxing the Panthers as an improved Carolina team only makes the Bucs road to a fourth NFC South title even harder.
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