Baker Mayfield was claimed off waivers by the Los Angeles Rams last season after he was cut by the Carolina Panthers, quickly getting a chance to be a starting quarterback again following his benching. That might’ve been the best thing for him because now he enters free agency with the possibility of becoming a starter again.
According to NFL Network, the Buccaneers are expected to target Mayfield as their potential starting quarterback in 2023. That would seem like bad news for the Rams, who are in need of a backup behind Matthew Stafford, but it’s not necessarily a negative as free agency is set to begin.
What might be more valuable than retaining Mayfield is the compensatory pick that could come if he leaves in free agency. And if the Bucs want him to be their starter, he could get a good-sized contract.
Jameis Winston made $14 million per year on his last deal. Jimmy Garoppolo got $7 million last year on a reworked contract despite not expecting to be the starter going into the season. Mayfield could land somewhere between those two contracts, potentially closer to the higher end of it.
In the event that he does, the Rams could conceivably get a compensatory pick in the third-to-fifth-round range next year. And seeing as their focus is primarily on building for 2024 and beyond, that could end up being a somewhat valuable return for a player who cost them very little in 2022.
Mayfield’s market will determine whether he returns to the Rams or lands elsewhere as a potential starter because Los Angeles can’t afford to pay him starter money like other teams can. If anything, they’re going to pay him to be Stafford’s backup for a year and allow him to hit free agency again in 2024.
But their best option might be to let him walk and recoup a pick in next year’s draft.
