Getty Images Baker Mayfield of the Cleveland Browns.
The Cleveland Browns could kill two birds with one stone with a new proposed trade that would send Baker Mayfield to the Seattle Seahawks in exchange for DK Metcalf.
The proposed blockbuster comes via ESPN Browns beat reporter Jake Trotter, who pitched the trade as part of a piece “simulating” the seven best offers for Metcalf.
In the proposed deal, the Browns would send Mayfield and a second-round pick to Seattle for Metcalf.
Seattle could be a decent landing spot for Mayfield, who would seemingly mesh with coach Pete Carroll and the type of offense he wants to run. The Seahawks might provide Mayfield with his best chance to start in 2022.
For the Browns, Metcalf and Amari Cooper would give them an imposing front-line receiving duo. They are looking for a No. 2 wideout, but landing Metcalf would give them two No. 1-caliber options for Watson.
The Browns already executed a trade this offseason for Amari Cooper and pairing him with Metcalf would be quite the 1-2 punch for Cleveland.
DK Metcalf Is Entering Final Year of Rookie Deal
The Seahawks have been an assumed landing spot for Mayfield since the Browns landed Deshaun Watson last month. But Cleveland’s having interest in landing Metcalf is a new wrinkle.
The big-bodied wide receiver is on the final year of his rookie deal and would be an all-in move for the Browns, considering they’d be giving up assets for what could end up being a one-year rental. Metcalf will want a big extension at the end of the season and the wide receiver market has exploded this offseason, with big deals for players like Stefon Diggs and Tyreek Hill.
After moving on from Russell Wilson earlier this offseason, the Seahawks could pull the trigger on a full rebuild by dealing Metcalf. Though Seattle appears ready to hold on to the 24-year-old pass-catcher for now, he could be available for the right price.
“This is a name that’s buzzing in league circles. No guarantee that anything happens here,” ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler said on Sunday, April 3. “I’m told that Metcalf has gotten indications, informally from the team, that he’s not going to be traded. Seattle has said publicly they have no intention to trade him.
“But the execs I talk to keep bringing him up that maybe they would either be willing to move on at the right price or that Metcalf would welcome a change. So, something is going on here; it’s just hard to figure out what. But he’s got one year left on his rookie deal. He would need a new contract as part of a trade. That’s the tricky part.”
Browns Playing Waiting Game With Mayfield Trade
Mayfield’s first four years in the league have been a mixed bag and the former top pick is coming off an injury-plagued season where he struggled mightily. He tossed 17 touchdowns and 13 interceptions while dealing with a torn labrum he suffered in Week 2 against the Texans.
While the Browns have their top two spots on the quarterback depth chart in Watson and veteran Jacoby Brissett, the team appears poised to hang on to Mayfield until they have a deal they like.
“I wouldn’t say we have a specific timetable for the QB room,” Browns GM Andrew Berry told reporters on March 29. “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.”
It’s an interesting statement from Berry but can mostly be chalked up to a savvy executive trying to get back some leverage for a potential deal.