Report: Buccaneers expected to use franchise tag on Antoine Winfield, not Baker Mayfield or Mike Evans

There’s talk out of Tampa that the Buccaneers plan to use the franchise tag on All Pro safety Antoine Winfield Jr rather than two other stars.

This means Tampa won’t use the tag on two high profile players — quarterback Baker Mayfield and receiver Mike Evans. And this is all according to a report in the Tampa Bay Times. It’s not that the Buccaneers don’t value Winfield more over Mayfield and Evans. Rather, it’s about the cost of the tag.

Today is the first day NFL teams can start designating who will receive a franchise tag.

There will be some angst over the next several weeks if Mayfield becomes an unrestricted free agent. Because of what he did this past season, look for Mayfield to be a popular name amongst the quarterback free agents. There’s already speculation that the Patriots could target Mayfield. Or maybe the Vikings will do so if they choose not to re-sign Kirk Cousins. Other quarterbacks who appear headed to the free agency market include Russell Wilson, Jimmy Garoppolo, Sam Darnold and Ryan Tannehill.

There’s no guarantee Tampa will use the tag. The Buccaneers had employed it for three straight years, then decided against it last season.

The Bucs want to keep both Mayfield and Evans. Maybe Mayfield is more of a priority. The former Heisman winner from Oklahoma was the top pick of the 2018 NFL Draft. But his career had been on a downward spiral before he signed with Tampa a year ago. Mayfield threw for career highs in yards with 4,044, and touchdowns, with 28. He also helped lead the Buccaneers to the NFC South Division title and two rounds into the playoffs.

Tampa lost offensive coordinator Dave Canales to the Carolina Panthers. Canales and Mayfield had a good relationship. But the Buccaneers hired a Mayfield-friendly offensive coordinator in Liam Coen. The two worked together two years ago with the Rams, when Coen was the LA passing game coordinator.

There will be some angst over the next several weeks if Mayfield becomes an unrestricted free agent. Because of what he did this past season, look for Mayfield to be a popular name amongst the quarterback free agents. There’s already speculation that the Patriots could target Mayfield. Or maybe the Vikings will do so if they choose not to re-sign Kirk Cousins. Other quarterbacks who appear headed to the free agency market include Russell Wilson, Jimmy Garoppolo, Sam Darnold and Ryan Tannehill.

Meanwhile, Mayfield has been very pro Mike Evans. Evans is 30, but his game appears ageless. After all, he caught 13 touchdown passes last season. That tied him with Tyreek Hill as the tops among wideouts.