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Baker Mayfield of the Cleveland Browns.
The Cleveland Browns have a complicated decision to make on quarterback Baker Mayfield this offseason and an option the team could consider is shipping the former top pick to any suitors who come calling.
One team that could be willing to take a shot on Mayfield is Washington, which is currently without a path forward at quarterback. Only undrafted QB Taylor Heinicke is under contract for next season and head coach Ron Rivera didn’t mention him during his season-ending press conference when asked about the future of the position.
“If you’re going to make any kind of move [at quarterback], then you’ve got to make sure you understand what type of capital you’re going to have to use,” Rivera said on January 11. “If there’s somebody out there that we like enough to sit down and say, ‘Hey, look, we have to consider [giving up] these picks and that capital in terms of core players,’ we’ll have to talk about that.”
Ian Wharton of Complex predicts that Washington will go after Mayfield, who has just one year left on his rookie contract but could end up being a long-term solution. It’s similar to what the Panthers did trading for former Jets QB Sam Darnold, although the Browns would hope for more of a return than three draft picks in the second, fourth and sixth rounds.
It provides upside for both sides and puts Mayfield in the ultimate “prove-it” situation. Here’s what Wharton had to say:
Acquiring Mayfield comes with zero long-term financial cost as well. His one-year, $18.8 million fifth-year option is a perfect prove-it deal that keeps Washington from avoiding the huge money owed to Matt Ryan. He also has more long-term upside than someone like Jimmy Garoppolo.
Browns Have Said They Want to Run it Back With Mayfield
The rumor mill has run wild with speculation about Mayfield’s future, despite Browns general manager Andrew Berry saying the team plans to bring him back as the starter next season.
“We fully expect Baker to be our starter and bounce back,” Berry told reporters. “Generally speaking, we are looking forward to Baker obviously getting healthy in the offseason and then putting good work into the spring and with his coaches for having the type of season we know he can have moving forward.”
That being said, there’s little chance that the Browns wouldn’t explore every possibility to upgrade the position, especially considering the rest of the roster is tailor-made to win now.
Mayfield was banged up this season but needs to churn out a solid year and prove to the Browns that he can be the long-term answer at quarterback. He passed for 17 touchdowns and 13 interceptions this season but slumped down the stretch, tossing seven of those interceptions in the final three games with the Browns hunting a playoff spot. He’s set to have surgery on his non-throwing shoulder to repair a torn labrum this month.
Browns Not Overly Worried About Mayfield’s Future
As mentioned above, Mayfield is entering the fifth and final year of his rookie deal. Normally, teams and players would like to have an extension done before a deal expires but the Browns are likely going to take all the time they need to get a full read on their quarterback before making a massive investment.
“We have a lot of guys who will have gone into their final [contract] year or something along those lines,” Berry said. “That is not something that really goes into the calculus for us. Every year, you will have guys on expiring deals.”
The Browns are hoping Mayfield bounces back and proves that he can help the team win a title. If things go south and the team fails to meet expectations again, there’s no doubt Mayfield will be looking for another team.
J.R. DeGroote covers the Cleveland Browns and Los Angeles Lakers for Heavy.com. He covered local and statewide sports as a reporter for West Hawaii Today and has decades of experience in digital media with previous stops at SB Nation and Bleacher Report. He has won multiple state, regional and national honors for sports reporting and photography. More about J.R. DeGroote
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