Getty Images Baker Mayfield of the Cleveland Browns.
Baker Mayfield’s future is uncertain following his falling out with the Cleveland Browns but former NFL general manager Mike Tannenbaum believes the former top pick could find a home in Tampa Bay, initially as a backup to Tom Brady.
Tannenbaum suggested some draft day trades he’d like to see and one prominent idea feature the Bucs dealing a fourth-round pick to land Mayfield. As he notes, the deal would have to take the Browns eating a chunk of Mayfield’s near $19 million salary. Here’s what Tannenbaum had to say about a potential deal, via the 33rd Team:
This move feels necessary for both sides. … Let Baker sit for a year and learn as much wisdom from Tom Brady and Byron Leftwich as possible. Let him use this season as an investment in his future and take in all the gifts that Tom has to give in terms of professionalism and preparation. This would be very similar to what Mitch Trubisky did this past season with Buffalo.
The Bucs would have to feel pretty confident in their assessment of Mayfield to make a deal for him to basically be a high-priced insurance policy for the soon-to-be 45-year-old Brady. However, there’s always the thought that the team could convince Mayfield to re-sign after a year in their system and be the quarterback of the future if Brady decides to make his retirement official once an for all after next season.
The Buccaneers currently have three other quarterbacks on the roster behind Brady in Blaine Gabbert Kyle Trask Ryan Griffin.
Browns Call Baker Mayfield’s Situation ‘Fluid’
Mayfield is coming off a down year but has shown at times that he can be a more than viable option as a starting quarterback on a playoff-caliber squad. He led the Browns to the playoffs during the 2020-21 season, notching a win against the Steelers in the Wild Card round.
Last season he passed for 17 touchdowns and 13 interceptions, slumping down the stretch, tossing seven of those interceptions in the final three games with the Browns hunting a playoff spot. He had surgery to repair a torn labrum in his non-throwing shoulder in January. He played through the injury after suffering it in Week 2 against the Texans while trying to make a tackle following an interception.
To no one’s surprise, Mayfield was a no-show for the Browns voluntary OTAs this week but he was still an obvious topic of conversation.
“That is a unique situation. It is fluid,” Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski told reporters on Wednesday, April 20. “We will just continue to work through it as we go each day.
Robert Griffin III Says Browns Bungled Mayfield Situation
The problem for the Browns in finding Mayfield a new team is that they have little to no leverage in the situation. The relationship with Mayfield is beyond repair, he’s due a large chunk of cash on his fifth-year option and they’ve already signed capable backups in Jacoby Brissett and Joshua Dobbs.
Former Browns quarterback and Heisman winner Robert Griffin the III sounded off on Thursday’s edition of “Get Up!” on ESPN about how Cleveland has handled the situation.
“I’m flabbergasted at how the Browns could mismanage this so poorly,” Griffin said, per Cleveland.com. “They should have traded Baker Mayfield before the ink dried on Deshaun Watson…They trashed Baker in the media. Now they’re stuck with a quarterback they don’t want and an $18 million price tag. Teams know they have no leverage.”