TAMPA, Fla. -- Tampa Bay Buccaneers new offensive coordinator Liam Coen said this week that quarterback Baker Mayfield was a key attraction in luring him to Tampa Bay, calling it a "no brainer" even though Mayfield isn't currently under contract.
Mayfield, who signed a one-year deal with the team last offseason before leading them to the divisional round of the playoffs and an NFC South crown, is set to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason, but Coen certainly hopes he will be back though, having worked with him when the two were with the Los Angeles Rams in 2022.
"He's an ignitor and that's the type of guy that you want to be around," Coen said Tuesday. "He came into our [Rams] organization at a really difficult time. A time [when] we weren't having a lot of fun. He came in and made football fun for a lot of people at that time. He came in and made football competitive again at practice, and he's jawing at [cornerback] Jalen Ramsey, and they're going at it. That was something we [had not] felt in a little while, right?"
The Bucs completed interviews with candidates for their open offensive coordinator job last Friday morning before announcing the hire Saturday. Coen came to Tampa from the University of Kentucky, where he served as their offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 2021 and 2023.
Prior to that, Coen served as the Rams' assistant wide receivers coach from 2018 to 2019, assistant quarterbacks coach in 2020 and offensive coordinator in 2022 (between his two stints at Kentucky).
Coen takes over as the offensive coordinator after Dave Canales departed after one season to become the coach of the Carolina Panthers.
"The opportunity to be around [Mayfield] potentially every day, to coach a guy that's as competitive as he is, that has that moxie, I mean, that's fun," Coen said. "You can't coach that, when a guy has that ability, and the ability to communicate with others, that's something that I really wanted to be around, and was very intriguing for us."
Baker 🤝 Coach Coen pic.twitter.com/C6h74UpIAe
— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) February 7, 2024
Mayfield told ESPN that the Bucs did seek his input on candidates -- showing that the organization's actions align with their words of support for Mayfield, who has sought a home to reestablish roots after four teams in one calendar year, starting with the Cleveland Browns trading him to the Panthers in July 2022.
Mayfield was asked questions like, "Do I know them? Do I have any interaction? What are my thoughts on that?"
"It's a great sign," Mayfield said. "So that, that was a first for me to be involved in or just asked about any involvement with that. So I was excited about that, but we'll see. Obviously I want to be back there. I think it's mutual, so we'll see what happens. But, yeah, one day at a time."
Coen, who has been busy breaking down the Bucs' tape from last season, doesn't believe Mayfield has realized his full potential yet. He believes there's untapped potential in the mental aspect of Mayfield's game.
"I think it is something that he doesn't get enough credit for honestly -- his study habits, his work habits, his preparation," Coen said, "and I think he wants more."
Coen also pointed to the Bucs' strength at wide receiver in Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. Evans is a free agent, but the Bucs have been vocal about also wanting to bring back their all-time franchise leader in receiving yards.
Coen has a vision for Godwin -- whose 1,024 receiving yards this season were the third most of his career -- to move him back into the slot and to take over the "F" role, which Cooper Kupp had great success with in Los Angeles. Opposing defenses constantly keyed in on Kupp, so Coen is no stranger to finding ways to get the ball in his best playmaker's hands.
"Things ran through [Kupp]," Coen said, "and we had to be creative -- whether it was by formation, alignment, where we would put him [or] how we would end up in the final formation.
"Ultimately, at the end of the day, we have to be able to move him around."
The Bucs were also able to fill their offensive line coach opening with Kevin Carberry this week, sources told ESPN's Dan Graziano. Carberry most recently served as the New Orleans Saints' assistant offensive line coach in 2023 and the Rams' offensive line coach from 2021 to 2022.