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Head Coach Todd Bowles on Baker Mayfield, Mike Evans, Calijah Kancey, and YaYa Diaby #GoBucs pic.twitter.com/ybjdj8oUeR
— Good Morning Football (@gmfb) February 27, 2024
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be faced with many tough decisions in free agency, but head coach Todd Bowles is hoping to come out no worse for wear.
Bowles recently spoke in Indianapolis ahead of the NFL Combine with Good Morning Football’s Peter Schrager. Among the many questions asked were questions about both Baker Mayfield and Mike Evans, two free agents the team is trying to keep for the upcoming 2024 season.
Bowles had plenty of good things to say about Mayfield, indicating plainly that the team wanted him back for this year and beyond.
“It’s an extremely high priority obviously,” Bowles said. “We love Baker, Baker had a heck of a year, he fit right in with us all the way around. The chemistry was outstanding with him and all the receivers and the offense as a whole. You want to hope to build on that — I understand the business side of it. We like [Mayfield] and we hope things get worked out.”
And then there is Mike Evans. Evans has been a Buccaneers legend since his time in Tampa Bay and is one of the most beloved players in franchise history, and that isn’t lost on Bowles — in fact, Bowles is read to put all the team can into getting him back into red and pewter.
“He had a career year last year,” Bowles said. “He’s been doing it for a decade now, and obviously, we want him to retire as a Buc. And everything we’re trying to do, put all our resources to sign him back as well, because Mike is great for the community, great for the team, he’s great for the guys, he’s a heck of a ball player.”
It will likely be difficult to get both players back for 2024 and beyond, but it isn’t out of reach. General manager Jason Licht and salary cap expert Mike Greenberg have faced worst conundrums in the past, but the start of free agency in mid-March will be a true indicator of where the team’s priorities truly lie.
