NFC Notes: Baker Mayfield, Buccaneers, Panthers, Saints

Buccaneers

Bucs QB Baker Mayfield explained that he’s no stranger to competition, as he’s had to compete for every spot he’s had throughout his career.

“I had to win the job at Texas Tech as a walk-on, got to Oklahoma and sat out a year and still had to compete for the job,” Mayfield said, via Greg Auman of Fox Sports. “And then in Cleveland, I got drafted and Tyrod Taylor was [initially] the starting quarterback, so I’ve had to compete my whole life. This is nothing new to me.”

Bucs HC Todd Bowles credited QB Kyle Trask for being turnover-free his first couple of padded practices.

“It’s a great thing,” Bowles said. “Their No. 1 responsibility is don’t turn the ball over. He’s been doing a great job of not turning it over.”

Mayfield believes the competition between him and Trask will be great for both players moving forward.

“When the quarterback room is having success, it shows what this offense can be capable of,” Mayfield said. “We’re distributors within this system, just getting the ball out. For right now, it’s take what the defense is giving you, and the past few days, Kyle and John have had great practices just doing that, going through the system, getting the ball out and making their reads. I think people are starting to see what we’re going to be capable of.”

Bucs OC Dave Canales is encouraged with where the two quarterbacks are at and how they’ve progressed.

“The timing of the snap is really critical for us, so probably a little bit of an edge for Baker to start off with in terms of the smoothness of the offense,” Canales said. “But it just took a couple of days for Kyle to really settle in and then what we saw in the last two practices, Kyle really showed what he can do, stretching the field with his arm, getting the ball out quickly and making decisions. I am really excited about both of those guys and the progression that they have made throughout the last couple of days.”

Panthers

Panthers HC Frank Reich believes the team got a steal in free agency by signing LB Frankie Luvu.

“He’s a unique guy. Frankie’s so unique,” Reich said, via Panthers Wire. “That guy — he has so much energy, such a good player, so versatile. I was talkin’ to Scott [Fitterer] the other day and I said, ‘How did we end up with this guy?’ Man, this was like the steal of the century gettin’ Frankie on this team. Love his leadership, love his plays, consistency, his aggressiveness. Yeah, we’re in a good place with Frankie.”

Saints

• Saints LS Zach Wood signed a four-year, $4.78 million extension with the Saints that includes a $1 million signing bonus. He’s due base salaries of $1.21 million, $1.255 million, $1.4 million and $1.445 million in the next four years. He has $130,000 in base guarantees in 2024. (Over The Cap)