The Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback competition is in full-swing, but some experts think the battle between Baker Mayfield and Kyle Trask is already decided.
Count NFL.com’s Kevin Patra as one of them. Patra recently dropped his “Nine best new veteran QB-WR combos for 2023 NFL season” list and Bucs’ quarterback Baker Mayfield and receiver Mike Evans made the list.
“I expect Mayfield to win the starting gig over greenhorn Kyle Trask in training camp. The former No. 1 overall pick remains a gunslinger who can still throw a deep ball when his head isn’t spinning under pressure.
Meanwhile, despite a frustrating 2022, when he never seemed totally in synch with Tom Brady, Evans still put up his ninth consecutive 1,000-yard season. Turning 30 later this summer, Evans remains one of the most reliable playmakers in the NFL.
Evans’ ability to stretch the field should match up well with Mayfield’s pretty deep ball, particularly against man coverage. Evans has led the NFL in touchdowns (24) and tied for most catches on go routes since 2018 (58), per Next Gen Stats. Last season, he finished with 27 targets (tied for fourth), 12 receptions (fifth), 367 yards (fourth) and five TDs (tied for second) on 199 go-routes (second).”
We would have to agree with Patra in that Mayfield most likely will be the starter. If that is indeed the case, he will be throwing to arguably the best wide receiving duo in Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. Throw in the likes of Cade Otton, Payne Durham and Rachaad White combined with the new Dave Canales offensive system it’s easy to see where Patra came to this conclusion.
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