NFL Rumors: Bucs' Baker Mayfield Has 'A Nice Edge'; Kyle Trask 'Overhauled' Mechanics

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers face the unenviable task of replacing Tom Brady under center this season but have come away impressed with Baker Mayfield and Kyle Trask during their offseason program.

"I'm told that Baker Mayfield has been working like a player who's lost two jobs in the past, both in Cleveland and Carolina, and doesn't want that to happen again," ESPN's Jeremy Fowler said Sunday on SportsCenter. "He's had a nice edge to him behind the scenes. This is a quarterback that's had a new offensive coordinator nearly every year of his career. So, he knows how to work not only hard, but fast. Now he's with a new coordinator in Tampa, Dave Canales. So, his experience could really help him in this quarterback battle, but Kyle Trask, I'm told, has overhauled his mechanics a little bit or at least tweaked them. He's shown some good accuracy at times in OTAs and minicamp and plans to put up a good battle. And this is a quarterback competition that could go well into training camp, I'm told; probably not an early decision because they want to see what both players can do in nearly every scenario."

Mayfield signed a one-year contract worth up to $8.5 million after splitting the 2022 season with the Carolina Panthers and Los Angeles Rams. He rebounded his nosediving stock in five solid games in Los Angeles to end the 2022 season, but Mayfield was not going to find any takers on the open market to give him an unquestioned starting job.

Trask was the Bucs' second-round pick in 2021 and sat behind Brady the last two seasons. The Florida product made his NFL debut in a January loss to the Atlanta Falcons, completing three of nine passes for 23 yards while replacing Brady.

"I think it's partly just respecting the team, respecting what's best for everyone, and then also respecting Kyle's process," offensive coordinator Dave Canales told the No Days Off podcast. "You know, he comes in as the second-round pick with high hopes. Obviously, what a great thing, Tom Brady's been here, so he's been able to learn from him. But at the same time he's worked really hard to try to have an opportunity to show what he can do."

Regardless of who is under center next season, it's going to be a major adjustment. Brady provided the type of leadership and stability in the offense that's only known to him. Mayfield has not shown that type of moxie or performance in any of his NFL stops, while Trask is an unproven quarterback who some saw as a reach in the 2021 draft.

Unless one of them runs away with the job in camp and never looks back, this could be a situation where the starter changes several times this season.