The Cleveland Browns may have a hard time trading quarterback Baker Mayfield this offseason, though their best bet continues to be the Seattle Seahawks.
Seattle parted ways with nine-time Pro-Bowl signal caller Russell Wilson this offseason, trading him to the Denver Broncos for a haul of draft picks and QB Drew Lock. The Seahawks have been a perennial playoff team over the last decade, missing the postseason just twice in the past 10 years. Star wide receivers DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett are still on the roster, while legitimate questions remain as to whether Lock is a long-term solution at quarterback, having started just 21 games across three NFL seasons.
Mayfield has started for Cleveland throughout the entirety of his four-year career and two seasons ago led the Browns to their first playoff victory since 1994. It goes almost without saying that he would be an upgrade over Lock at the position and give the Seahawks a better chance to compete in a talented NFC West Division in 2022.
Seattle head coach Pete Carroll spoke publicly for the first time Wednesday on the possibility of the Seahawks trading for a QB. He did not mention Mayfield or San Francisco 49ers signal caller Jimmy Garoppolo by name, though they are the two most accomplished options currently considered to be on the market.
“I really appreciate you bringing it up. Of course we’re up for that kind of stuff,” Carroll said during the March 23 interview with Dave ‘Softy’ Mahler of KJR. “We’re up for everything. Like we said, it puts [general manager John Schneider] back in the wheelhouse. He’s got some ammunition now. He’s got some stuff he can work with.”
“We’ll be up for everything. I mean, we’re looking at every position. It’s not just the quarterback spot. That’s one of them, but there’s some other stuff that could happen, too,” Carroll continued. “We will be wide open. Those phones will be ringing, and we’ll be cooking on game day.”
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Steelers in Play For Mayfield Should Browns Release Him
Getty ImagesQuarterback Baker Mayfield of the Cleveland Browns.
Mayfield’s trade value has plummeted since playing poorly last season, though he struggled through injury most of that time. Entering his fifth professional campaign, Mayfield is scheduled to make just shy of $19 million in 2022.
ESPN’s Mina Kimes reported on her podcast Tuesday that Mayfield is now probably the owner of a negative trade value, meaning the Seahawks wouldn’t have to give up anything to get him. In fact, she said Seattle would likely ask for a mid-round draft selection in exchange for picking up the QB’s salary.
“I don’t think [Mayfield] is as bad as the perception [of him] is right now based on the injured season,” Kimes said. “But you gotta get a draft pick to take on that salary. You certainly can’t give away [a pick]. When this all started, people were talking about a third-round draft pick [in return for Mayfield]. No, absolutely not. [Cleveland] has no leverage right now.”
If the Browns can’t trade Mayfield, they will be forced to pay him whether he remains on the roster or is released. That reality begs the question: Why release Mayfield at all? Despite the apparent lack of financial logic in such a move, it’s a possibility that has been discussed at length by multiple Browns insiders over the last week.
Should Cleveland end up releasing Mayfield, Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com reported Monday that the rival Pittsburgh Steelers would “pounce” on the quarterback.
ESPN’s Jake Trotter followed that report Wednesday with the informed speculation that Mayfield’s release appeared the most likely outcome to the situation.
.@Jake_Trotter on @ESPNCleveland: “At this point I don’t think Baker Mayfield is going to be traded. I think he’s going to be released…”
“At this point, I don’t think Baker Mayfield is going to be traded,” Trotter said, per Aaron Goldhammer of ESPN Cleveland. “I think he’s going to be released.”
Browns Pondering Scenario in Which Mayfield Starts Games in 2022
GettyQuarterback Deshaun Watson, formerly of the Houston Texans, was traded to the Cleveland Browns in March 2022.
However, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported the exact opposite Friday, saying Mayfield isn’t likely going anywhere.
Rapoport even went on to suggest that the Browns may decide to keep Mayfield on the team and start him if new Cleveland QB Deshaun Watson is forced to miss games due to a suspension from the league. Most NFL experts believe a suspension is coming in the wake of 22 civil cases filed against Watson alleging illegal behavior ranging from sexual misconduct to sexual assault.
“I don’t get the sense the Browns are going to release him,” Rapoport said. “Certainly not imminently, maybe ever. And here’s why: Deshaun Watson may at some point be suspended. Baker Mayfield was a good enough quarterback to start for four years for the Cleveland Browns and would be their starting quarterback if they did not trade for Deshaun Watson. So there is a scenario where the Browns do nothing, Deshaun Watson gets suspended and Baker Mayfield ends up starting. It’s not great for anyone, but that’s at least in the mind of the Cleveland Browns as a possibility.”
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Seahawks Carroll Speaks to Trade Rumors That Include Browns QB Mayfield