Getty Images Baker Mayfield of the Cleveland Browns.
Jimmy Garoppolo and Baker Mayfield are both stuck in limbo as their teams look to move them via trade, but an interesting solution could kill two birds with one stone for the San Francisco 49ers and Cleveland Browns.
Both teams are expected to be contenders next season but face a unique situation at quarterback. The Browns have been unable to move Mayfield after trading for Deshaun Watson, mostly due to his near $19 million salary for next season. The 49ers are also looking to move on from their former starter in Garoppolo, opting to start 2021 No. 3 overall pick Trey Lance. Garoppolo is due $24 million and is coming off surgery on his throwing shoulder.
Ben Volin of the Boston Globe proposed that a move swapping the two quarterbacks would be the best option for both teams.
Putting on my GM hat for a minute: Baker for Garoppolo straight up. Who says no?
Browns get one year of Watson insurance, Niners get a veteran backup for Lance, each team gets rid of a contract it doesn’t want
“Putting on my GM hat for a minute: Baker for Garoppolo straight up. Who says no?” he tweeted on June 6. “Browns get one year of Watson insurance, Niners get a veteran backup for [Trey] Lance, each team gets rid of a contract it doesn’t want.”
Browns Have Already Built Out QB Depth Chart
The proposal garnered some momentum but there were some obvious concerns, particularly with Garoppolo’s contract being non-guaranteed.
“Jimmy Garoppolo’s contract is not guaranteed. My opinion is clearing $24.2M off the books is paramount for the 49ers with new deals looming for Samuel and Bosa,” Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area commented.
Volin pointed out that Mayfield is slightly cheaper than Garoppolo, he is only locked in for one more year and could wrangle a reliable backup option with pre-attached drama.
On the Browns side, the issue is that they’ve already built out their quarterback room, bringing in veteran backup Jacoby Brissett to hold down the No. 2 spot on the depth chart. He’d also be the assumed starter if Watson misses any amount of time due to suspension. Brissett, 29, has put up 7,742 yards, 36 touchdowns and 17 interceptions in his career.
“I think my main objective is to be a good teammate,” Brissett recently told CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson. “Whatever I can do to support him and be there for him to listen, to not talk about things, to do whatever I can for him, I’m here for him. I told him that. Everyday we talk about things. Not just that situation but life in general. We tell each other, all of us in the room have to be ready to go at any point in the game … I know how fast it happens. Just relaying that message but all knowing we’re here to support each other.”
Browns’ Trade Market Has Been Slim for Baker Mayfield
At this point of the offseason, the Browns might welcome a creative solution to trade Mayfield like the one proposed by Volin. The trade market has been slim, with the Panthers and Seahawks being the two teams mentioned most frequently in a possible move for Mayfield.
The Panthers and Browns previously discussed a trade during the draft, although it fell apart with the teams unable to agree on the amount of salary each side would take on — which has been the sticking point in negotiations from the outset. The Panthers wanted the Browns to pay more than $13 million of Mayfield’s contract, according to The Charlotte Observer.
Mayfield tossed 17 touchdowns and 13 interceptions as the Browns stumbled to an 8-9 finish last season. He had surgery on a torn labrum in his non-throwing shoulder this offseason but is expected to be ready to roll for training camp — wherever he may be by then.