Getty Images Baker Mayfield of the Cleveland Browns.
The Cleveland Browns have yet to find a trade partner for quarterback Baker Mayfield but NFL analyst Cris Collinsworth believes one team is a very logical fit for the former top pick.
On the latest edition of The Cris Collinsworth Podcast, NBC’s lead Sunday night football analyst pegged the Seattle Seahawks as the top suitor for Mayfield.
“I still think he ends up in Seattle,” Collinsworth said. “It makes too much sense for him to land in Seattle, them draft a quarterback, sit behind Baker, give it a go. If Baker is good, great—we’ll be able to do it. But it’s so similar to the style of play that Russell Wilson has that you’re not going to have to change everything on the offensive side of the ball.”
Collinsworth Sees Mayfield Getting Seahawks to Playoffs
The Seahawks have been rumored as a destination for Mayfield since the Browns traded for Deshaun Watson. However, much like other teams around the league, the Seahawks are playing it slow in an effort to get Mayfield for a lower price and avoid paying all of his nearly $19 million salary for next season.
Collinsworth feels that Mayfield can make the Seahawks a legitimate contender, more so than Drew Lock, who came over in the blockbuster deal with the Broncos that sent Russell Wilson to Denver.
“You get Pete Carroll back in there now as the de-facto defensive coordinator on that side of the ball and I could see them winning 10 games with that bunch and making the playoffs,” Collinsworth said. “That’s not out of the question. I don’t see Carolina doing the same thing. I see Carolina drafting someone.”
Mayfield’s Talent Not Issue With Trade Market
Mayfield has shown the upside of being a strong starter in the league at times but is coming off a season where he was plagued by injury. Mayfield threw for 17 touchdowns and 13 interceptions while dealing with a torn labrum he suffered in Week 2 against the Texans.
That rough season makes it hard to get a good read on his future and how teams view him, although it’s clear that if it wasn’t for his salary he’d already be sporting different colors.
“It does not seem like anyone is interested at this salary. The ‘at this salary’ part is key,” NFL Insider Ian Rapoport said recently. “Because Baker Mayfield is unlikely to be traded at $18 million. If the Browns are able to eat some money, if the agent and new team can work out it out and come up with an answer to split or deal with Baker Mayfield’s salary, he will be traded.”
Browns general manager Andrew Berry was clear that he’s in no hurry to deal Mayfield if the right trade isn’t there.
“I wouldn’t say we have a specific timetable for the QB room,” Berry told reporters on March 29 at the NFL Annual Meeting. “Baker is a professional, he’s under contract and we have the (cap) flexibility whether he’s on the roster or not. So we don’t really feel pressed to rush into anything that’s suboptimal.”