Will Buccaneers let Baker Mayfield test free agency?

Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times raised plenty of eyebrows in the NFL community when he reported on Monday evening that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will retain the rights for safety Antoine Winfield Jr. via the franchise tag if they use the tag this offseason, a move that could allow quarterback Baker Mayfield to test free agency when the new NFL year opens on March 13. 

Not everybody is buying Stroud's story with the March 5 deadline for teams to utilize their tags two weeks away. 

"Sure, the Bucs want Winfield and might franchise tag him," the JoeBucsFan website explained. "But to think the Bucs won’t make sure Mayfield returns is to believe (team ownership) either hates Todd Bowles, believes Bowles is the right head coach to develop a rookie QB or doesn’t think QB play is paramount. The franchise tag window opens today and lasts about two weeks. Rest assured the Bucs will use the tag on Mayfield if necessary."

According to Stroud, tagging Mayfield could cost the Buccaneers "at least $36.3M" for 2024 unless the two sides agreed to a long-term deal during springtime negotiations. Nevertheless, multiple signs indicate Tampa Bay has reasons to believe Mayfield isn't going anywhere. 

Mayfield resurrected his career with the Buccaneers en route to becoming a Comeback Player of the Year candidate who guided his team to a January playoff victory. The 28-year-old has repeatedly made it known this winter he's happy where he's at, and Tampa Bay reportedly consulted with Mayfield regarding the hiring of Liam Coen as the club's new offensive coordinator. 

Mayfield played under Coen with the Los Angeles Rams late in the 2022 season. 

"Given Mayfield's production over the second half of last season and some impressive playoff tape (two postseason games with over 300 passing yards), there will be free agent interest for the veteran quarterback," ESPN's Matt Bowen wrote for a piece published Tuesday. "But in this new Tampa Bay system -- which will fit his aggressive throwing mentality behind defined play-action concepts and schemed verticals -- I think Mayfield could keep posting big numbers."

It is, of course, possible that Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht is close to signing Mayfield to a new contract that would allow Licht to tag Winfield before March 5. 

With multiple quarterback-needy clubs likely hoping that Mayfield somehow reaches the open market, logic suggests JoeBucsFan is correct about Licht saving the tag for the signal-caller as a "break glass in case of emergency" option.