To say that Baker Mayfield has some big shoes to fill for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this season would obviously be a massive understatement. After all, anyone who is asked to step into a role that was recently vacated by the great Tom Brady is going to be under a ton of pressure.
The Bucs have handed over the reins to Mayfield and it goes without saying that big things are expected from the former Rookie of the Year in his debut campaign in Tampa Bay. For their part, however, the Bucs must do everything in their power to surround the 28-year-old quarterback with as many weapons as they can in order to give Mayfield the best chance at succeeding.
NFL Rumors: Baker Mayfield-Kareem Hunt Reunion With Buccaneers?
At this point, there’s no denying that Baker Mayfield has failed to live up to the lofty expectations the Cleveland Browns had on him when they selected him as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. He gets another fresh start with the Bucs, and they are hoping that they can bring out the best out of the former Oklahoma standout.
As Alex Ballentine of Blecher Report points out in a recent article, Mayfield’s running backs will play an integral role in his and the team’s success in 2023. They will need to up their running game, while also serving as effective targets for Mayfield.
This is where RB Kareem Hunt, who spent several seasons playing alongside Mayfield in Cleveland, could come in as a potential free-agent recruit.
“Kareem Hunt can help on both of those fronts. The 28-year-old has been the secondary back to Nick Chubb for the last four seasons and had one of his best seasons in 2020 when he Mayfield thrived,” Ballentine wrote.
Together, Mayfield and Hunt showed flashes of brilliance with the Browns, and this is perhaps the same level of success the Bucs can count on if they sign the latter. A lot of factors will obviously come into play, and Tampa Bay will also need to have some luck on their side, but Kareem Hunt presents himself as a low-risk, high-upside kind of addition for the Bucs.
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