Grading the Buccaneers first 8 moves of free agency
By Josh Hill
Re-signed Baker Mayfield to three-year, $100M deal
This might be the best deal the Buccaneers have made so far, as it's already aged phenomenally based on what happened elsewhere in the league.
Had Baker Mayfield tested free agency the Atlanta Falcons were reportedly interested in trying to pry him away from Tampa Bay. Not long after the legal tampering period opened Kirk Cousins was handed a $180 million contract to come to Atlanta and try to be the team's missing piece.
Cousins is getting $100 million guaranteed, and this is coming off a year where he missed most of the season with a torn Achilles. Baker, who played all 17 games and led the Bucs to the NFC Divisional Round, got half of that guaranteed money and $65 million less. The deal for Cousins in Atlanta has an extra year on it, but his AAV is still higher than Baker's, and Tampa Bay arguably still has the best quarterback in the NFC South.
In fact, Baker -- who went to the Pro Bowl this year -- is on the cheapest non-rookie deal among quarterbacks in the division. Cousins is due for $45 million AAV and the Saints are paying Derek Carr $37.5 million AAV; Baker is due for $33.3 million AAV which can inflate an extra $5 million with incentives.
Tampa Bay also avoided getting into a potential bidding war for Mayfield which is worth the price of the deal alone. He needs to back it up on the field again, but this Baker is once again looking like one of the best signings of the offseason.
Grade: A+