Baker Mayfield Will Get Fat Contract In Off-Season Is He Worth It

 Baker Mayfield has had a rollercoaster NFL career so far and he still is very young by NFL standards. Mayfield was drafted No.1 by the Cleveland Browns and has bounced around four teams so far. In 2023 he signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers hoping to launch his career once again in the NFL. Many people thought he would be great in Cleveland and there it was a rollercoaster for him in Cleveland. Two other stops in Carolina and Los Angeles did show he still has something left in the tank.

In Tampa Bay it looks like Baker Mayfield has found a home. He signed a cap friendly deal with the Buccaneers hoping for a long-term deal in Tampa or somewhere else. Mayfield played at a high-level throwing for over 4000 yards and leading the Buccaneers to another divisional title and playoff appearance. It could not go any better for Baker Mayfield and along the way he collected incentives that he reached.

Now the Buccaneers must pay Mayfield for his services as many other teams in March will be contacting Mayfield as well. Mayfield could see a long-term deal worth over 100 million dollars. Baker has indicated that he wants to stay In Tampa, so that does bode well for the Buccaneers. Sometimes it takes players sometime to mature in the NFL to be really good. In the coming years we will see if that is Baker Mayfield's case as well.

Ricky Williams leads Dolphins To Win

Ricky Williams knew he would need to step it up with his fellow running back Ronnie Brown gone for the season and he did. Williams rushed for 119 yards and scored three touchdowns, and the Dolphins beat the Carolina Panthers 24-17 on Thursday night for their fourth win in six games to get into the AFC playoff picture. This was a big win for the Dolphins who want to make the playoffs and need every win in the tight AFC.

For the Panthers DeAngelo Williams rushed for 122 yards for the Panthers (4-6), but Jake Delhomme had his streak of three games without an interception snapped. His desperation pass into the end zone was knocked down as time expired. The Dolphins and Texans (0-2) are the only teams the Panthers have never beaten.

Bucs Lose Title Hopes

The Carolina Panthers used the two prong rushing attack of DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart as they rushed for over 300 yards and a 38-23 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The win puts the Panthers in sole possession of first place in the NFC South and control their destiny as far as division titles go. The Bucs had no answers for the Panthers running game as the offensive line of the Panthers blocked well and Williams and Stewart made many Buc players missed in the open field as well.

You have to give Carolina a lot of credit as they came in with a good game plan and did what they needed to do on a National stage. For the Bucs this was the worse I have seen them play all season long, but you will have games like this. All you can do is move on from it and learn from your mistakes. The Bucs still have a great shot at the playoffs so they still must keep that in their sights as well. There still is three games to play and you never know what could happen.

Steve Smith Makes An Apology

Days after Steve Smith clocked Ken Lucas in a Carolina Panthers practice he came back and gave an apology to his teammates and Ken Lucas the man he assaulted. Smith was totally wrong in what he did and the Panthers were correct in suspending him the first two games of the season.

Smith maybe the best player the Panthers have, but conduct like this cannot be tolerated and must be dealt with. It is a shame it has come to this, but I am glad to see the Panthers have stood up for what is right and not let him get away with it. Smith will come back a much better player that is for sure.

When Is It To Old To Play Quarterback?

Well Vinny Testerverde is coming back at the age of 43 to play just a little bit more it seems. Testerverde has signed a contract with the Carolina Panthers to back up David Carr who is now the starting quarterback. It wouldn't shock me to see Testerverde in sometime during this season. People can say what they want about Vinny but he plays hard when he gets a chance.

The Panthers right now only have Carr and they wanted so veteran leadership and who else better to suited than Vinny Testerverde to calm things down and give some pointers to Carr when he needs them. Great signing for the Panthers.

Jake Delhomme Done For The Year

Jake Delhomme has decided to have season ending elbow surgery which is probably the best thing for him and the Carolina Panthers. David Carr will now assume the team leader role as the quarterback. This way he won't be looking over his shoulder and the offense can try and get better. With surgery Delhomme should be able to come back better than ever next year for the Panthers.

All is not lost for Carolina as they are only one game out of first place. They can still put it together and make a playoff run. It's just going to be up to David Carr to make plays and we will have to see how well he plays in the next dozen games or so.