The Tampa Bay Buccaneers opened training camp with two contract situations hanging over the organization, but head coach Todd Bowles does not expect either to derail the team’s preparation.
Quarterback Baker Mayfield is entering the final year of his contract after extension talks failed to produce an agreement. Meanwhile, defensive tackle Vita Vea has reportedly requested a trade following his unsuccessful push for a new deal.
But Bowles is focused on what goes on at the practice facility for now.
“Well, there [are] players every year [that] you’re going to have them [with]. These happen to be two of our biggest players,” Bowles said. “We haven’t had two of our biggest in a while, but we’ve had players every year. It just hasn’t been of that magnitude. But, it’s always about football. There [are] always going to be distractions just like there are on game day. There are going to be sudden changes and there are going to be sudden changes on the field. We have a very professional and mature group with a lot of leadership there, starting with Baker. So, he makes sure that’s separate. He makes sure the team knows that’s separate. Like I said, we’re not going to make this training camp about what he signed or what he didn’t sign or it being his contract year. We’re just going to play ball.”
Bowles acknowledging that Mayfield and Vea are two of Tampa Bay’s most important players, he’s also acknowledging the circumstances are larger than the typical training-camp issue. Still, he expressed confidence in the professionalism and leadership inside the locker room.
For Bowles, the message is clear: negotiations may continue away from the field, but the Buccaneers will not allow them to define their camp.
